I received my first ever university project this week: A typography project. This is the first project out of five. My initial reaction was ‘OMG OMG OMG – wait. Let me read the brief first’ A very bad habit of mine; Freaking out and automatically going into panic mode before I have even had a chance to understand what is being asked of me.
I do feel as if I’m at a slight disadvantage to others on my course as unlike most of them, I haven’t done a diploma in Graphic Design nor have I done a foundation course (main reason being as I was certain about what route I wanted to take. I suppose that it would have been a lot better if I had gained some more experience beforehand but it’s a bit too late for that now.
(You have probably already realized this from my first post) that I had taken 3 A levels, one of them being Art and despite briefly looking into typography artists such as David Carson and Stefan Sagmeister for one of my projects, I was never really given the option of thoroughly exploring the typography concept. But this project seemed to be the perfect opportunity for me to do just that.
When someone first mentions typography, you automatically assume that it has something to do with type and text but as I learnt, it really is so much more! I highlighted, re-phrased and re-read the brief until I fully understood it. The first problem that I faced was the whole ‘Where to begin’. I’m the sort of person who usually has a number of ideas to start off with but rather than experimenting and exploring these ideas further, I tend to be quite selective and pick and choose the idea that I think would be most suitable… Not good!
I’m halfway through the week and I have to admit that I am getting quite irritated at having to research everything and experiment before going on to produce the final. Bad memories of Art A level
Getting to university: My story
Coming from an Asian background, I always knew that it was never going to be easy. At the end of year 10, my parents sat me down and gave me five ‘simple’ career options to choose from: Medicine, Law, Pharmacy, Dentistry or Optometry. 5 fields that I wouldn’t exactly classify as being ‘simple’ but rather more the opposite.
I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career within the design industry but it wasn’t until a few years ago did I finally realize that my lifetime ambition was to become a Graphic designer. Throughout your childhood the whole ‘When I grow up, I’d like to be….’ phrase is continuously changing from wanting to be a lollipop lady to a doctor but for me, I remember saying to my parents ‘I don’t know what I want to be, I just want to do something that I enjoy’.
My dad had a tough childhood and ‘back in the days’, going to university was like gold dust. He was the only one in his family (out of his siblings and cousins) to go onto to further education and obtain a degree in networking engineering, a field where there is little jobs. He has been in the same job for 23 years and due to the recession, understands the importance of obtaining a degree in a field that is able to provide job security.
It’s safe to say that my family, most specifically my parents were quite closed-minded about other career options – well anything art related really. They believed in the stereotypical view of it being a ‘soft subject’ and a ‘last resort’ only chosen by those who are not ‘academically clever’. For this very reason, it was decided – My A-level choices were to be Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math’s. I was to obtain straight As and go on to study Optometry at Aston university all the while, upholding the family ‘name’ by following in the footsteps of my older cousins all of whom were continuously praised for being ‘professionals’ of some sort. Talk about pressure!
With no support from my parents, I turned to my older sister but by the looks of it, I really was in a ‘lose – lose’ situation as she was in the middle of her first year of studying Pharmacy and believed that ‘Mum and Dad knew best’ and that ‘One day I’d thank them’.
The easiest option was to avoid conflict and argumentation and just go with the flow. To be honest, I didn’t have the courage to tell them that I didn’t want to study Optometry as I knew that they would see it as me being disobedient. Instead of speaking up, I found myself undertaking a weeks work experience placement at a local opticians. This was anything but rewarding and most of my time was spent looking for patients contact details, making cups of teas and faking a smile every time the optician reminded me about how it’s important to enter a field that will later be financially rewarding. But what happiness? Didn’t that matter? Apparently not…
At the end of my weeks placement, I decided that it was about time I told my parents about MY career choice. I emphasize the MY as I think that they needed to be reminded that this was my future and not theirs…Only they didn’t see it that way.
It pretty much went like this – Role play time!:
Me: Mum, Dad… I’ve erm… well there’s something that I’ve got to tell you
Dad: What have you done? (typical! Automatically assume the worst!)
Me: No I haven’t done anything…. Its about my future. I don’t want to study optometry and work in an opticians. I’ve tried it for a week and its not for me.
Dad: So what do you want to do?
Me: …. I want to become a designer; a graphic designer.
*AWKWARD SILENCE*
Lets just say that they weren’t impressed and at one point, I felt as if I was on trial in court. They secretly hoped that I was just going through a ‘phrase’ and that it would soon pass. To be honest, they didn’t take me seriously and I knew that it was up to me to finally take control.
After several letters and personal visits, I finally got myself some work experience at a graphics firm and as this was my first proper experience within the design industry, I was very nervous and unsure of what to expect. But, once I had arrived, I felt as if I was within my comfort zone and I even went to the extreme length of inviting my parents down on my last day so that they could see it for themselves just what the role of a designer entailed and just how much I enjoyed it.
They were still apprehensive about me stepping into the ‘unknown’ and it wasn’t till about a year later when it came to me choosing my A levels did they finally accept my career choice. They weren’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea nor did they jump for joy but it was definitely a step in the right direction.
It was definitely a BIG culture shock for my family and I was soon labeled as being the ‘black sheep’ but this didn’t bother me as much. I remember one moment in particular when one of my aunties approached me and said ‘Alima. You know Graphic Design, is it just sitting at a computer and doing some random stuff with some programs’. Seriously, no comment!
The two years that I spent studying for my A levels sure was a roller coaster of a ride. At times I found myself at my lowest and at one point, I doubted whether I would ever make it.
My parent’s acceptance was only the beginning of a very long journey but I am now proud to say that I have made it! I am studying Graphic Design and it really is the best feeling in the world.
I may not be a fantastic designer and have all the qualities that it takes to be one, but hey – Its all a learning experience and despite only being a few weeks into the course, I have already learnt a tremendous amount. I suppose all that there’s left to say is bring it on!
I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career within the design industry but it wasn’t until a few years ago did I finally realize that my lifetime ambition was to become a Graphic designer. Throughout your childhood the whole ‘When I grow up, I’d like to be….’ phrase is continuously changing from wanting to be a lollipop lady to a doctor but for me, I remember saying to my parents ‘I don’t know what I want to be, I just want to do something that I enjoy’.
My dad had a tough childhood and ‘back in the days’, going to university was like gold dust. He was the only one in his family (out of his siblings and cousins) to go onto to further education and obtain a degree in networking engineering, a field where there is little jobs. He has been in the same job for 23 years and due to the recession, understands the importance of obtaining a degree in a field that is able to provide job security.
It’s safe to say that my family, most specifically my parents were quite closed-minded about other career options – well anything art related really. They believed in the stereotypical view of it being a ‘soft subject’ and a ‘last resort’ only chosen by those who are not ‘academically clever’. For this very reason, it was decided – My A-level choices were to be Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math’s. I was to obtain straight As and go on to study Optometry at Aston university all the while, upholding the family ‘name’ by following in the footsteps of my older cousins all of whom were continuously praised for being ‘professionals’ of some sort. Talk about pressure!
With no support from my parents, I turned to my older sister but by the looks of it, I really was in a ‘lose – lose’ situation as she was in the middle of her first year of studying Pharmacy and believed that ‘Mum and Dad knew best’ and that ‘One day I’d thank them’.
The easiest option was to avoid conflict and argumentation and just go with the flow. To be honest, I didn’t have the courage to tell them that I didn’t want to study Optometry as I knew that they would see it as me being disobedient. Instead of speaking up, I found myself undertaking a weeks work experience placement at a local opticians. This was anything but rewarding and most of my time was spent looking for patients contact details, making cups of teas and faking a smile every time the optician reminded me about how it’s important to enter a field that will later be financially rewarding. But what happiness? Didn’t that matter? Apparently not…
At the end of my weeks placement, I decided that it was about time I told my parents about MY career choice. I emphasize the MY as I think that they needed to be reminded that this was my future and not theirs…Only they didn’t see it that way.
It pretty much went like this – Role play time!:
Me: Mum, Dad… I’ve erm… well there’s something that I’ve got to tell you
Dad: What have you done? (typical! Automatically assume the worst!)
Me: No I haven’t done anything…. Its about my future. I don’t want to study optometry and work in an opticians. I’ve tried it for a week and its not for me.
Dad: So what do you want to do?
Me: …. I want to become a designer; a graphic designer.
*AWKWARD SILENCE*
Lets just say that they weren’t impressed and at one point, I felt as if I was on trial in court. They secretly hoped that I was just going through a ‘phrase’ and that it would soon pass. To be honest, they didn’t take me seriously and I knew that it was up to me to finally take control.
After several letters and personal visits, I finally got myself some work experience at a graphics firm and as this was my first proper experience within the design industry, I was very nervous and unsure of what to expect. But, once I had arrived, I felt as if I was within my comfort zone and I even went to the extreme length of inviting my parents down on my last day so that they could see it for themselves just what the role of a designer entailed and just how much I enjoyed it.
They were still apprehensive about me stepping into the ‘unknown’ and it wasn’t till about a year later when it came to me choosing my A levels did they finally accept my career choice. They weren’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea nor did they jump for joy but it was definitely a step in the right direction.
It was definitely a BIG culture shock for my family and I was soon labeled as being the ‘black sheep’ but this didn’t bother me as much. I remember one moment in particular when one of my aunties approached me and said ‘Alima. You know Graphic Design, is it just sitting at a computer and doing some random stuff with some programs’. Seriously, no comment!
The two years that I spent studying for my A levels sure was a roller coaster of a ride. At times I found myself at my lowest and at one point, I doubted whether I would ever make it.
My parent’s acceptance was only the beginning of a very long journey but I am now proud to say that I have made it! I am studying Graphic Design and it really is the best feeling in the world.
I may not be a fantastic designer and have all the qualities that it takes to be one, but hey – Its all a learning experience and despite only being a few weeks into the course, I have already learnt a tremendous amount. I suppose all that there’s left to say is bring it on!
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