Blog 11: Lesson 1 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your lesson, and why?
-I was able to know and cover all the major points I wanted to say during my presentation. Usually I don't do well under pressure or public speaking, but I did well for someone who is afraid of speaking in front of crowds.

2. What assessment would you give yourself on your lesson? Explain why you earned that grade using evidence from the component contract.
-I would probably give myself an AE, because not only did I cover everything on there, I also went into full on detail, and showed extensive research and time with my mentor. I also dressed professionally, which I consider to be a small bonus.

3. If you could go back, what would you change about your lesson?  How can you use that knowledge to give a better Lesson 2?
-If I could go back, I would probably show the work I made during my mentorship, and go into even more detail about my topic, which I couldn't talk about because I ran out of time. I'll also be more well versed, so I don't have to look down on my notes too much. When I do my lesson 2, I will apply what I should improve from my lesson 1 by using more examples and not looking at my notes a lot, and know exactly what I want to talk about, and in order as well.

Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)

-I am mostly working at home, and sending emails back and forth. I meet up with my mentor every Sunday. Mr. Chen assigns me things to do such as make my own designed card, create a logo, etc. and tells me what I'm doing wrong and how to improve it. His wife and his entire company are experts in the field.
2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you? 

-My mom met him at our church, and he agreed to do as long as it didn't cost him anything. 

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person?

-My comfort level on a scale from 1-10 is about a 5. We can laugh at things, but he is also an intimidating person, and it's a bit hard to communicate/keep in touch with him. This helps because I look up to him as a mentor, and I understand that I always have to listen to his advice.

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?

-What went well was that he was able to talk about himself. This is because I gave him questions that allowed him to talk about his past and how he got here as a graphic designer/printer. I still need to improve on communication with him, because English isn't his first language and he doesn't want to use his native language. I might just speak Mandarin to him instead.

Blog 9 - Advisory Prep 3

1. State whether or not you currently have a mentor, and what the status of your interview is with that person (I have completed the interview, I have scheduled the interview, I have not scheduled the interview, etc).

• I currently do have a mentor. I have scheduled the interview with my mentor.

2. At this point, your research is probably guiding your studies toward more specific areas within your topic.  Name the area or two you find most promising and explain your reasons.

• So far, the top two areas within my topic are industrial design and editorial designing. Industrial design is something my mentor currently is an expert in, and editorial design is what I need to be skilled at for my position as a design editor in yearbook.

3. What kinds of sources do you think will help you in the next month to gain more research depth?  Where will you go to get them?

• I need more information on the history and background of industrial design, editorial design, and typography. I will use the internet and library at my disposal, as well as assistance from my mentor and my fellow peers who are also using graphic design as their senior project.

4. Write down a possible EQ.  Please don't worry about wording other than ensuring that it provides the option for multiple correct answers.  At this point, the senior team is most interested in understanding your thought process.

• "Between industrial design, editorial design, and typography, which is most appealing/aesthetically pleasing to the general public eye?"

Blog 8: Independent Component 1 Proposal

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

-I have two options:

1.For 30 hours, I plan to create a new original logo and design concept for a coffee shop. I will draft, edit, and polish the logo so that it fits the coffee shop's theme.

2. Help decorate and renovate Ms. Ortega's classroom with creativity and design learned from my experience in graphic design so far.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

-I will write in my log. As for the two options, I can:

1. Show pictures of my drafts, edits, and final logo designs and concept and how long it took to make them, along with an approved signature by my mentor.

2. Mrs. Ortega will oversee my work, and I will write down in the log how long it takes for me to decorate each panel.

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

-It will give me a hands-on feeling, and I will be able to expand my creativity as a graphic designer. I will also hear feedback and improve on it based on that feedback given to me.

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

-Okay.

Blog 7 - Second Interview Preparation

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?

-My mentor is Ken Chen, and he is an employee at Ultimate Printing. He is an account manager and graphic designer for the company. Having knowledge of printing is important when doing graphic design, it broadens your skills and abilities when working with others.

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

-1. Why did you decide to be a graphic designer?

2. Can you describe your greatest and worst moments you've experienced during your job?

3. Is there anyone or anything that inspires you to create the designs you make?

4. When you started out, what were some of the most difficult things you had to go through as someone who just started in the business?

5. What is your favorite design program to use? Have you stuck with it since you started or have you tried different programs to stick with what you've had now?

Blog 6 - Advisory Prep

1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year?  What has made it a positive experience for you? 

-So far, the research I have made has worked out well for me. I'm pretty good at research, I know what key words to use while searching up something. Thanks to years of researching things, it's made it a lot easier for me to pass the research checks and write up WBs.

2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project?  How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you?  How might the senior team help?

-The most difficult is keeping up with my mentor and explaining things to him. He isn't much of a talker, because English isn't his first language. That's why he asked if he could shorten his answers during the interview. Maybe one day he'll slowly understand what I'm supposed to be doing for my senior project, but for now I'll have to slowly guide him and tell him in full detail what I need for him to do as my mentor. The senior team might help by letting him be interviewed next time in his native language, which is Mandarin, and I could translate what he says. That's when he'd be more comfortable and talk about graphic design more, giving me better information.

Blog 5 - Interview 1 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?

-The most important thing I learned from the interview is to use the resources around me and use those resources as inspiration to help me create something new and unique. In another interview, I plan to improve by preparing questions earlier and come up with more thorough questions.

2. Did I get additional resources and contacts?  What is the most useful?  Why?

-I got resources and contacts. The most useful was my mentor's wife, because she is in the same field and was very willing to assist me in my project.

3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me?

-My interviewee is a skilled graphic designer and is straightforward with his words. He is able to talk about graphic design for a long time, and you can see the passion he has for it.

Blog 4 - House Advisory Prep 1

Through my senior topic, I hope to turn what is a hobby to me now to something I will excel and have a decent level of expertise in. I want to explore different types of graphic design in order to know exactly what I want to do. Learning from my senior topic, I hope to slowly be able to help others with my designs and hopefully become a more creative person. Nothing is new under the sun; in fact, stealing is an artist's way of survival these days. It's all about how you mix and match these ideas to create something you can call your own. That is what I want to achieve the most: to be able to create a style I can call my own.

Blog #3 - First Interview Preparation

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  Why?
-I plan to interview my mentor, Ken Chen. I believe that since he is the one mentoring me, it's best to go to him for any assistance or questions. He is the one who will knows my situation and is willing to help me in any possible way.

2.  Five questions will be assigned to all seniors to ask.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  Ask open-ended questions.
-Additional questions I would like to ask are:

1. What is your graphic design process?
2. What do you think is the biggest accomplishment you have done as a graphic designer?
3. What qualities do you consider necessary for a good designer?
4. What do you think is the key to success when getting a job as a graphic designer?
5. What makes someone want hire a graphic designer?

Blog 2 - Summer Mentorship

(This isn't something I made during my mentorship, but it's something I was requested to make for my church, which was a type of graphic design: layouts, which I learned to do during my time of mentoring.)

1. List the contact name, phone number, and organization of the person with whom you volunteered.

-Caroline Hou, (626) 330 4919, Betani Footwear

2. What qualified this person as an expert in your topic choice?
-My mentor designed shoes. Since shoe design and graphic designing is within the same category, it was something that could work out. My job was to take pictures and create layouts for the shoe catalogs.

3. List three questions for further exploration now that you've completed your summer hours.
-1. What are the things I'm presenting to the world that requires professional design?
2. What are the key materials needed to design something the customer will be satisfied with?
3. What does a graphic designer need to know outside of their field to create a successful business with other businesses?

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
-The most important thing I gained from this experience was that I needed to be able to satisfy many people, ranging from my mentor to the customer with my designs.

5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did mentorship help you make your decision?  Please explain.
-My senior project topic will be about graphic design. I originally decided on going down the graphic design path, therefore I decided to start small and I really liked how interactive I was able to be in that environment. It made me like my topic even further, since it was not only just designing, it was also photography and layouts all together.

Blog 1 – Senior Final Lesson/Interview Reflection

(Cap: A beautiful graphic design created by graphic designer Silencio)

1.  What three lessons were most helpful for you to see, and why?

The lessons that were most helpful to me were computer programming, business, and language acquisition. I am currently aiming for graphic design as my senior project topic, and knowing about computers and how to program them really helped me understand and become more interested in my topic. Business also helps me understand that if I ever run my own business, there are many things I have to consider, and I’ll know how to handle them. For language acquisition, I can speak and communicate with customers who cannot speak English or prefer to speak a different language fluently.

2. List one thing that you learned about the senior project in interviews that will help you get off to a good start?

I learned that it’s useless to worry over everything, and that it will be easier than I thought. I also learned that it’s okay to switch topics, and that I need to think ahead of things and prepare beforehand. I also have to check a lot of things daily, do a lot of research, and make a schedule to organize things in order to turn things in on time.

3. What topic(s) are you considering, and why?

I am considering graphic design. Ever since I was little, I was interested in art. I also found out at a young age that I was pretty skilled with the computer as well, so I thought, “Why not put them together?” It’s also what I want to major in in the future, so I want to study more about graphic design before I decide whether I want to go down this path or not.

4. What EQ do you think might be interesting to consider in guiding a project like this? (Please don’t worry about any sort of formula…we want this question to come from your genuine interest).

Something like “What is the best way to please a customer with your graphic design?” It’s something that I would take a lot of time trying to form a perfect answer.

5. What are some ideas you have about finding summer mentorship?

Since my uncle is a graphic designer, but lives in Maryland, I wanted to call him and ask if he has any buddies here in LA that could mentor me. I also could go online and email a bunch of graphic designers to help me out.