When I was 39, I had a very good year

I was looking back over my initial Formative Statement as well as a few of my earlier blogs. I can see that before I even get into the fundamentals of the course that my writing style has changed to being more descriptive. I am constantly checking to make sure I have no grammatical errors. No doubt there are many throughout, but compared to before the course this has changed tremendously.

I originally began in September hoping to learn new skills in learning various web based programs. What has actually happened is that I have found out a lot more about the way I work, the way I plan, the way my thought processes work and my affinity for trying to end up with the best design possible by using my own initiative and not being swayed by the majority. In the end, the client is the number one priority, like the customer, they are always right. So what some people might see as having a first year of skill based assignments, what we actually have achieved is finding out about ‘us’. When you find yourself under a microscope and assessed on a regular basis, it gives you a chance to stand back and see yourself from a third person perspective.

It also helps to be pushed to develop your potential by being led down a path that is right for you. It would be easy to be told “that is good, this is bad” which is what you would get from a non committal teaching system. I have to admit that sometimes it has been hard to see a harshness that I usually wouldn’t have experienced in my younger days but the more you experience it the more you see it is relevant to the industry that we have chosen to further ourselves in.

I have enjoyed the SketchBlog assignment tremendously as it has been a good platform to air my views to a minority of relevant viewers. I am hoping that my mix of views, advice, feelings, pictures and explanations; I have achieved the learning outcomes that at the time of starting the assignment didn’t know much about. The Sketchbook has been a valuable source for expressing the thoughts that go into a design, along with some of the designs that didn’t make it, make up a learning process that can be seen by someone else and evaluated.

In the early days of the course I felt a bit disillusioned with some of the grades I was getting. After a few pointers of what is needed and how it should be presented I feel I am now well on my way to ‘thinking like a student’. I think my age and the new generation of learning was my biggest obstacle to contend with. I remember being terrified on the first hand in day that everything wasn’t how it should be or was in the wrong order.

I have met some great people too, in a different context than the usual circles that I travel in and this has been a tremendous help in creating a rapport between us all. There is no back biting or competitiveness, just a willingness to learn and get on with it. It is a real mix personalities but it all gels together nicely and makes for a relaxed working environment. I do hope that each and every one comes back next year.

The second year sounds like its going to be a test of wits. The first year was just a preparation it seems to get down to the ‘nitty gritty’. I am looking forward to learning the omnipotent CSS, this is my aim for next year to grab this bull by the horns and let it teach me the future. I know that this is when John steps in with his wisdom and knowledge.

I have been reading the first 2 assignments that have been posted on the HND site and I have to say they look very interesting. It’s good to see them early on because you can get the creative juices flowing in preparation. I am thinking about them already and hope that it will be a successful exercise.

Considering what our hopes and fears were from last year (some were a bit whimsical), my aims and goals for next year are as follows:

• To learn CSS competently and effectively and not sacrifice design
• To gain higher grades than the first year
• To use my sketchbook more effectively than the first year
• To input more thought processes and evaluation into my blog
• To create a Dean Hubert Portfolio Website of work I have done
• To become more confident in my approach to presentations
• To actually get to the second year
• To use InDesign instead of Pagemaker for Page Layout

The year has gone very quickly and looking back through my sketchbook and early blogs, I can see the improvement that I have made with a bit of guidance from the people in the know. I wish my first sketchbook looked like my second. I have begun to put the designs that didn’t make it in the second one to show the creation process from start to finish. I have actually started to plan ahead and manage my time more efficiently which is something I never even entertained before. I am looking at design all around me in a different way. I am seeing colour in a different light than I did before. I am noticing how text is laid out on a page when I’m reading the Sunday papers. I am finding myself giving advice to people who are unsure if their corporate identity suits their target market. My typing skills have improved along with my spelling and eye for accuracy.

Thank you to all involved and long may it continue.