One of the first things I’d like to address in this blog is question of how I got involved with graphic design. Let’s go back…

It seems fitting to tell a story of how I was intrigued with art and was composing designs since I was in pre-school, but that really wasn’t the case. I got my first computer when I was in 7th grade, and shortly thereafter is when my design sensibilities took shape. If messing around in MS Paint lends any credibility to my foundation as an artist, then let me state here I’d spend a good deal of time doing just that. However, I believe the much more significant development was my involvement with a program called Print Shop Deluxe. I was using version 2 or 3 at the time, but even then it was enough to keep me busy hours on end. I became pretty darn handy churning out greeting cards, and soon my father was asking me to create a design a card for the the latest upcoming birthday. Of course, there was more to the program than that, and I’d create signs for friends/family, I even designed a business card for myself. Ah, diamond border, how you served me well on oh-so many projects. I didn’t know what I was doing were elements of graphic design, but I enjoyed it. I remember, more than once, I’d compile a sheet of sample text showing off all my system’s different fonts. I was proud to have what I thought at the time was an amazing typographical collection, over 100 fonts (yes, including Wingdings).

Anyway, years passed, and my software collection grew more impressive (Photoshop 6, baby, oh yeah). I was creating flyers for local bands, making signs at work, a bunch of random jobs. I knew I liked this creative outlet, yet still didn’t truly associate it with design. I had regarded graphic design as more of a manual and illustrative process. So when it came time to declare a major upon enrolling at Cal State Northridge in 2000, I went with Marketing. I chose this because I felt Business was a safe path to a successful career, yet the Marketing allowed me to associate myself with Advertising, which seemed the creative side of business.

So I kept messing around on the computer with composing designs, and in 2001 added web development to the mix. This continued until in 2004, one semester short of graduating, I realized business is not something I want to do the rest of my life. I enjoyed a few of my marketing/business classes; the ones that allowed for unique approaches and creative thinking (consumer behavior, retail marketing, marketing strategy), but the rest were either far too numeric for my liking, conducive to the questionable ethics of fellow students, or were simply uninteresting. So I decided to return to CSUN the next fall for an education that catered to what I had been most passionate about all along.

As I moved along the art program, as well as tried my luck at a few design employment opportunities, I realized just how much the principles of marketing are tied to design. While my art education helped nurture my talent and foster additional experience, it’s my marketing education that allows me to have greater insight for which direction to take my design in order to most effectively and efficently reach the intended audience.

And that’s brings me to where I am today. Although my design history is rooted in the digital age, I also now understand and appreciate the importance of traditional methods, as any well-rounded designer should. It’s a privilege working in a field that I thoroughly enjoy. I love what I do, and will always seek to maintain a balance of innovation, effectivity, and passion in my work.

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  tags: design, marketing, school