When I first entered high school I didn’t have much of a plan for what to get into, I knew I was going to continue band from middle school, and that was about it. Freshmen year I took most of the basics, coincidentally including Art 1 and Computer Fundamentals, Both just seemed like fun classes at the time. While I enjoyed art, I don’t feel like it stuck with me like it did for some people. This isn’t to say I didn’t have a great time, more just that it felt disconnected from the practical applications of it. In sophomore year I didn’t do much relating to art, mostly just pursuing that sort of thing in my free time.
In junior year I offhandedly decided to take graphic design 1 because it seemed fun, something just clicked with me, I just loved being able to make something practical rather than purely to hang on a wall. Through the semester I built basic skills and got a feel for the new digital medium, I’d had a bit of prior experience with vector graphics through a programming site called Scratch, but that was mostly as a side project. The semester taught me about sticking with a project, as most of the class was spent on one project. Before I knew it the semester was over, and I wasn’t taking graphic design 2 the next semester since I didn’t know how much I was going to enjoy it. I thought it through and made the decision to take graphic design 2, but had to work it into my schedule. I managed to transfer into the class at the last moment and had to restructure my schedule to get it to work.
Graphic Design 2 was both similar to 1, but also had the whole new element of getting to work with a mentor for the main project. While I almost certainly could have made a passable end result myself, getting to consult a mentor made all the difference. Instead of making something and hoping it was OK, I got to have an expert look at it and give me suggestions on where to hone it in. The whole process built the end result from decent to something I’m still proud of. For me there wasn’t any question, I foretasted for graphic design 3 & 4 as soon as I could.
In graphic design 3 & 4 the formula got shifted on its head again, we got to work with actual clients instead of fictional ones. The process let me get a back and forth of a piece to turn a clients vision into a reality. Before I had decent designs, but now I had to be able to explain design decisions, and take into account feedback, even if it didn’t mesh with what I though the design needed. I learned about how to properly incorporate a clients ideas without loosing originality and the art of it.
The CTE program as a whole has given me a whole new outlook on how we make visuals, and helped me appreciate the work that goes into basic products. Not just that, but I learned about how to make it myself and iterate for a better end product. Another aspect of the program I’ve neglected to mention is the wonderful people I got to meet, from classmates to teachers and clients I’ve been able to meet interesting, fun, and just plain great people through the program. Not only did I grow as a designer, but also as a person through the graphic design CTE. I don’t think I’ll ever forget my 2 years in the program, and even if I don’t go into the design industry, I’ll still use the lessons I’ve learned in whatever comes next in my life.