My Teaching Philosophy
It’s my belief that Graphic Design is the intersection of Art, Technology, and Communication. The digital age we live in requires students to become adept with current industry standard programs. That said, I’m also a firm believer that a Graphic Designer must know their craft.
The truth is technology and popular software come and go with the times, yet the foundational principles and theories of the field remain steady. For these same reasons, understanding, and utilization of these principles, in turn, provide career longevity. My ultimate goal in the studio is to be able to provide the student with fundamental skills and practice that will carry their design abilities beyond any specific medium and into a solid career. I implement this into the classroom by first reviewing the principles then having the students apply them to individual projects through concepting thumbnails and roughs before drafting an initial digital composite.
In preparation for commercial work, I also feel it's important for the students to gain problem-solving and critical thinking skills. To add these variables to the coursework, I have my students engage in critique as a class after most assignments. This gives the student a chance to step away from their own ideals as the creator and into the shoes of the prospective client or director. They now have to ask themselves if their classmates have utilized correct skill and techniques to achieve their concept. If not, now the student must decipher how their classmate could have done so within the parameters of their project and verbalize it to the class. This happens within minutes but it seems to teach the student to now look critically at the aesthetics and overall gestalt of a project. Critique also affords the students the opportunity to practice speaking about their work, which will be required of them in the workforce whether in house or freelance.
Practicality and soft skills are another topic I believe in teaching my classes. I tend to do this by way of the types of projects I assign; as well as, the way I insist they communicate in the course surrounding their work and with each other. The types of projects I assign are typical projects they would often encounter in the field. While I’m considering adding in more projects for art sake, I generally keep with practical commercial projects at the forefront. In my classes the students are expected to communicate as if they are already on a job. This keeps them in the correct mindset for classwork, as well as prepares them for real-world expectations beyond the classroom.
Overall I enjoy what I do; and while I’m learning new teaching techniques with every new course, this is what currently works for me. Former students coming back to tell me later that while in one of my classes they not only learned the task or assignment at hand, but also an entire process which makes them feel more confident in their craft, makes it all worthwhile.