Picture of Nico for his blog post “How Did We Get Here?”
How did we get here?
There comes a time in a lot of graphic designer’s lives where they find themselves drowning in endless possibilities of potential fields.
You may ask yourself “what is it that I’m good at?” For some, it can come very quick, while some have to really think this one out thoroughly. I, for one, am lucky to be able to say that this process came very naturally to me. Finding your niche is truly a process of self-discovery.
“What do I like? What am I best at designing? What can I have a liveable wage off of?”
At first, I had to dig deep into my likings and hobbies; Once I started to explore this, it became very obvious all at once. I have a passion for two very specific industries, two that have captivated me for years.
Hi there, I’m Britney, a third-year Graphic & Web design student at John Abbott College! I’ve always been inspired by design, whether it’s fashion, interior or architectural, but since a couple of years I’ve developed a profound interest in graphic & web design. I’m constantly looking through the web for new design updates or I’m reading about the history of the biggest designers that have walked this earth and I inspire myself from them to design my own work. Design has always been my way of communicating ideas that inspire me. Through Graphic & Web design, I get to do so while also captivating consumers. I am a creative thinker and I enjoy when there are purpose and logic behind my designs. I specify in branding, social media, and print design.
Hi! I’m Valeria, a graphic and web designer with a passion for graphics and illustration. I have over five years of experience working with Adobe applications and a lifetime of experience with creativity.
My main strengths are illustration and writing. I believe communication is key when it comes to visual design, and I know how to convey a clear message.
I specialize in illustration-oriented work, but I can also make logos, brand identities, websites, publications, character design, packaging, animations, photography, storyboards, video editing, and much more.
Get to Know my Design Process
My design process consists of these reasonably simple steps: Inspiration, Foundation, Ideation, Variation, and Action. (Sometimes, I employ some Frustration, but that step is not necessary.)
Hi there, I am Brittany Horvath! I am currently a student in the Graphic and Web Design program at John Abbott College.
Ever since I was very young, I have had a passion for the arts and creative expression. Through the Graphic and Web Design program, I have learned how much I enjoy being digitally artistic and creative. I have discovered a passion for photography and photo retouching; my favorite things to photograph are cute animals and beautiful things found in nature. As for design, I enjoy creating business cards, posters, and social media content. The go-to applications that I enjoy using the most for design are Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. In my spare time, I enjoy taking photos (mostly of my cat), playing video games, and listening to/playing music. I love to sing all sorts of songs, and I also taught myself how to play the piano!
Being organized, empathetic, patient, and respectful are things I highly value in day to day life, and in which I apply these values to my work ethic. I am a firm believer in using patience, positivity, and enthusiasm through all situations and problems. My personal skills are problem-solving, both socially and technically, organization and time management, adaptability and motivation to learn as I am tech-savvy and love learning and using new tools and programs.
Stage
For my upcoming stage, I have a few set goals I wish to accomplish. My main goal is to gain valuable experience working in an office environment. I aim to improve my knowledge and skills in design in a more professional environment and learn all the ins and outs of the industry.
A company best-fit for me would be one who values teamwork, good communication, diversity, and honesty, while still leaving room for fun. While I believe I would enjoy working with any company that matches these values, I am very interested in working for companies in the industries of fashion and beauty, video games, or anything related to animals. I would be bringing my technical and design skills, my enthusiasm, and a positive attitude to my stage, with the goals to contribute new ideas and overall positivity to the team. After graduation, I aim to work full time as I have no current plans to go to University yet.
In 2016, I was a freshman at University of Toronto, on the road to getting my BBA in business management instead of graphic design. However, I decided to change course for a more creative path by enrolling in John Abbott College’s Graphic and Web Design (GWD) program.
I am a hard-working and thoughtful graphic designer who is willing to give anything a try. I left high school thinking I wanted to have a career in literature or history but soon discovered that as much as I love those fields, it wasn’t where I wanted to pursue a career.
Finding My Passion
I found a passion for being a graphic designer, and for the constant learning that comes with it. As my skills develop, I find new ways to do things. I can be given a project and accomplish it in a completely different way than someone else. It may be because I prefer a different program, have a different style, or solve problems differently. No matter what, what I design will not be the same as what someone else if they are given the same specifications. What I designed two years ago is not the same as what I would do now, or even in the future. This is because I am constantly learning and evolving, and I am excited to start learning and evolving with you.
Designing is no easy tasks, designing takes a lot of skills, one of them being choosing the right colour palette for your project. When I first began in the graphic and web design program at John Abbott College, I had a particularly hard time coming up with colour palettes that were cohesive, and fit the aesthetics of what I was trying to convey. The colours I assumed went together, showed no representation of what I was trying to perceive through the website.
I really struggled to find which colours worked best together, or even which colours can be paired as a palette. So for the better part of my first semester in the program, I struggled with comprehending the ideologies behind colour selections. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon the website called https://colorpalettes.net/, which taught me the beauty and power of colour selection. Colours play a huge role in helping people to recognize and comprehend what the website is about. What really sets this website apart from others, is that it gives you images that feature the colours they have paired together.
