We received a lot of questions in preparation for the Dean's Reception this year, and I think that the Graphic Design Major Session answered quite a few! The purpose of this post, though, is to revisit a couple of big ones for people that weren't there/wrap up details.

1: I would like to hear about some of the software/computer programs that are used for course work and does the university help with the cost of those?

Absolutely! First of all, I just want to say how JEALOUS I am that your computer purchase will be tax exempt (since it's required). I also wanted to note some other software we use and where you typically get it from. First of all, we use the Adobe Creative Suite of programs. You can buy Design Standard or Design Premium, with the difference being that Premium has the web stuff in it like Flash and Dreamweaver. You're gonna want that. Go to http://bookstores.umn.edu/viewCategory.cgi?categoryID=3527 to check out the MTech page on the Bookstore site to see more information--unfortunately, you have to log in as a student to purchase it. That being said, you don't really need it until you take GDes 1315. Try to hold out as long as possible--Adobe updates fairly often.

Secondly, DO NOT purchase Microsoft Office in a store. Buy it from the U at http://www.oit.umn.edu/umart/ because it's about $40 instead of $100.

Also, don't buy your own antivirus software. It's available for free from the U at http://www.oit.umn.edu/utools/all-software/symantec-antivirus-125184.html

This next one is a favorite of mine....

2: Can students outside of a music major participate in groups like choir?

Students outside of music majors can participate in choir AND band! There is a difference between auditioned groups and non-auditioned groups on campus, though. An auditioned group doesn't necessarily mean you have to be a music major either; you just have to earn your spot. Learn more on the School of Music's Ensembles site at https://music.umn.edu/ensembles and make sure to JOIN MARCHING BAND! Kidding. Kind of.

This post got really long really fast, but my goal is to answer YOUR questions, so feel free to leave me comments for the remainder of the semester. It's almost spring break!

Patrick
Graphic Design B.F.A.

Well, it just so happens that the Dean's Reception and the culmination of 13 days of tweeting for an internship are this Saturday! I'm coming down to crunch time, as I HAVE to have my website up so I can share my portfolio with this company--but I also need it up so I can show you all the work that I'm most proud of!

I'm also scrambling because the Student Ad Summit (visit them at http://www.ad2sas.org) is next Friday, March 2! I'm supposed to go through a portfolio review...and...I'm not nearly ready. YIKES!

I know I'm kind of jumping all over the place, but there are a lot of little things going on that I'm excited about right now. For this Twitter competition, I knew I needed to come up with something creative and off the wall to capture the agency's attention, so tomorrow morning in ice skating class I will be doing color guard choreography while ice skating. If I don't kill myself, I'll post the YouTube video next week.

We learned who the presenters were for the NSAC Regionals on Sunday and voila, I'm a presenter. I'm super excited about it, and I hope that some professional notices me and is wowed by my presentation skills. Ha!

Also this Friday, I will be attending an open house for an internship program at the agency that I REALLY want to work at, Martin Williams (http://www.martinwilliams.com).

Basically, the gist: Be creative, be yourself, think outside the box, and network while you're out there!

Finally, I wanted to note again that the Dean's Reception is THIS SATURDAY and I hope to meet all of my readers there! I'm very excited to present some work, and hopefully you'll all be impressed as well...or at least fake it. Haha!

Until then,

Patrick
Graphic Design B.F.A.

PS you can check the beginnings of my site out at http://patrickrpuckett.com.

Click here to see my finalized business cards, complete with handmade icons!

1. 1. Developed my personal brand. I'm freaking out about it. All I have is my logo and a pattern at the moment, but I'm super excited.

   One of the possible origins of my last name is "Poque," meaning "small pouch." Therefore, a pocket--hardworking, there when you need it, don't have to think about it. Greg Pickman said, "Done Check."



My concepts for my new brand identity :)



2. 2. The Lucky 13 Internship applications at Campbell Mithun have begun. Applicants have 13 tweets at their disposal to convince the agency they're worthy of an interview. I'm feeling very confident.


3. 3. Presenter applicants for the National Student Advertising Competition spoke to the group to try to win votes for a spot. Did I run? Of course I ran. I mentioned the fact that I've had the opportunity to pitch ideas to tons of local non-profit groups in my graphic design courses, and even a corporate client (Medtronic). I also mentioned pitching a social media tool to a big shot music executive at my internship in London this past summer.


4. 4. Celebrated Valentine's Day out with fellow single members of the NSAC team. It was a great night out at Taco Tuesday at Burrito Loco!


5. 5. Developed a plan of attack for finalizing my portfolio. It's going to take a lot of work, but I will get this done! I have to get a job! Go go go!


6. 6. Was able to substitute my Graphic Design Senior Seminar course for my Advertising in Society requirement. Woohoo, three less credits to take in my final term!

T-minus EIGHT DAYS until YOUR Dean's Reception! And you get to meet ME! As well as other graphic design students, obviously.

Until next time,

Patrick
Graphic Design BFA

Judging by my experience today, I think it's safe to say that no one likes going to the dentist. But, it has to be done, and low and behold, you can see the dentist right here on campus.

I actually started using the dental clinic here at the U way back in 2007. I had my wisdom teeth taken out at Moos Tower my senior year of high school. Last October, I went to the dental clinic again to get a tooth that I had chipped filled back in. It was easy as cake, and the dentist did a great job!

In December, I'd gone in to have a routine cleaning. Well, here's what happens when you don't get your teeth cleaned in a while: they get really concerned about your gums and dig around. A lot. Obviously, that's all my fault, but that didn't make me accept the consequences any sooner!

Today I had to go back in to get the other side of my mouth cleaned, as they'd done only my left side in December (that side was healthier at the time). Today I had to get Novocain, and it still wasn't a very pleasant experience.

Anyway, long story short, there are options for students to see a dentist if they can't see their normal dentist back home over breaks, or if an emergency should happen. Also, starting this past year, the U partnered with MetLife to create a voluntary student dental insurance option--which I purchased. It really helps cover a lot of costs, and I wouldn't have been able to afford to fix my chip without it.

Visit the dental clinic's website at http://www.bhs.umn.edu/east-bank-clinic/dental-clinic.htm and also check out the MetLife voluntary dental option at http://www.shb.umn.edu/voluntary-student-dental-plan.htm if that sounds of interest to you!

Patrick
Graphic Design BFA

It's the third week of class, and I already think that this semester might be even more hectic than fall semester! And I thought I barely survived last time!

This past Wednesday, I was appointed the Art Director in my Magazine Editing and Production class. Basically what that means is that I'll be responsible for everything visual in the magazine--the design, assigning photography requests, finding art, and maintaining copyright info. It's going to be insane.

Also, I was recently appointed the Lead Designer of the National Student Advertising Competition here at the U of M. We had a lead designer, but due to some attendance issues, I'm the new guy! I'm very excited to step into this role. I will be helping to execute/mock up all of the ads we produce in our campaign, as well as designing the book that we have to turn in to the American Advertising Federation (AAF). I recruited one of my graphic design friends to help me with this project--my design buddy Lindsey.

Last week in Advanced Typography, we were creating books of different typographic layouts of a single letter. I had the letter O. All I could say was, "Challenge accepted." I'm really proud of the final result, and my classmates appreciated that I didn't back down from a seemingly boring letter!

Last update is that I'm trying to hash out what to put in my portfolio as I graduate. I'm working on this with the help of Greg Pickman (whom I mentioned a couple entries ago), and I also have an informational interview with an art director from the advertising agency I want to work at on Sunday. Hopefully I will be hard at work at that soon!

PS we just found out this week that the commenting feature wasn't working correctly on our blogs. I'd love to see some comments for things you'd like to hear about or see! This is for you, after all!

Patrick
Graphic Design B.F.A.

Winter break was an exciting time for the Office of Information Technology in the College of Design apparently, as they opened a new lab in McNeal Hall!

I had the fortune of going down to visit this new lab the other day when I was working on an advanced typography assignment, and didn't realize the software I had at home wasn't compatible with the new software in the labs.

This probably sounds like a problem, but the fact that the College of Design keeps us up to date on industry-standard software is really great! I'm just at a point in my career that I don't want to buy Creative Suite 5.5 when I spent the money on Creative Suite 5 last fall.

Anyway, this new lab is really a great resource because the large format printing area is much more spacious now than it used to be. In addition to about a dozen iMac workstations, there are also a few open spaces in the desks with access to power strips and network cables where you can plug in your personal laptop to get a quick charge and internet!

One thing that used to be a big problem, especially for Graphic Design students, was that the printer in the lab wasn't color calibrated properly. Well, later this semester, they're going to have a color calibrated monitor set up in the new lab where we can preview the colors we'll be getting from the printer in order to avoid paying for print jobs that don't look as good as they should.

It's probably really geeky to be excited over a new computer lab, but I am anyway! Check out the CDes-IT post about the new lab at http://design.umn.edu/about/offices/it/labs/McNealOpenLab.html.

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design B.F.A.

I realize that my readers are all anxiously awaiting the Tuesday after Labor Day to have their first day, but I wanted to share how excited I was about my last "first day" today.

The first week of classes is a thrill no matter whether it's your first or last semester. Obviously after one term, you've made friends that you try to stick with (I like to call them "Design Buddies," i.e., the people that mutually keep one another from having nervous breakdowns on occasion). On that first day of class, though, no matter who you're with, it's always fun to look at your syllabi and get excited about all of the new skills you'll be gaining.

I started my day with Advertising in Society today. It was a pretty small class at about 35 students. Then I spent four hours at work. Then I spent an hour and a half at the National Student Advertising Competition.

Nicholson Hall, where my Advertising and Society class is held.

Walter Library, where I work.

Relatively empty Campus Connector on the way to St. Paul.

Coming up to McNeal Hall for my evening portfolio class.

Finally, I got to the class I'd been waiting for all day: Graphic Design Portfolio. All I can say is that Greg Pickman is hands down the most useful, informative, and generous graphic design faculty member on the planet. He'll stretch and challenge you, but not to the breaking point. He's the most enthusiastic and helpful person I've ever learned from. He gives you crazy ideas and then helps you figure out how to execute them.

Best person to learn from. EVER. And he's an adjunct faculty member right here at the U of M.

Back to this notion about the first week being really exciting, though. In high school, you pack all the new stuff into one day and then it's done. In College, you can have a whole bunch of new things in a week depending on your schedule. For example, tomorrow I have a completely different class load: Ice Skating, Advanced Typography, and Magazine Editing and Production.

Plenty to be excited about. Two "first days" for the price of one.

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design B.F.A.

As January 17 approaches, I've become pretty nostalgic for my good old U of M. I took a walk to the West Bank across the Washington Avenue Bridge on Tuesday, which is something that I haven't done very often since I moved away from Middlebrook Hall. I just happened to need to go over there to file some paperwork at the Hubert H. Humphrey center, and it was so nice out that I walked on the south side of the bridge, just like I did all those late nights coming home from Marching Band, intramural volleyball, Wednesday night rehearsals, Applebee's, the Superblock, Comstock, Taco Tuesday, Pasta Thursday, or goodness knows where.

I smiled as a passed the Shoe Tree, which everyone throws a pair of shoes into when they feel they need good luck on their finals (found that out this past semester). Obviously with all campus lore, there are multiple version to hear...I'm sticking with that one. I'll be throwing a pair of old Marching Band shoes that don't fit me anymore into that tree at the end of this semester, but not because I know I will need luck on my finals. It's because those shoes carried me through two seasons of Marching Band before they didn't fit my feet anymore, and I will never wear them, or march in that band, ever again.

This week, I don't have any campus resources to share, because I don't believe there are any for this situation. Perhaps the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (I lied, here's a link: http://www.minnesotaalumni.org/), which student membership in gets you 10% off most supplies at the bookstore, but maybe turning down that path now would bring reality too soon.

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design B.F.A.

As we're about a third of the way through winter break this week, I thought it might be appropriate to talk about the importance of hobbies and other activities while in school.

Frankly, if all students in the College of Design did was design, we'd have burned out a long time ago.

There are a few things that I like to do in my spare time. One of them is taking pictures. Last year, since I know I hate self-improvement New Year's Resolutions, I decided that I would take a picture every day for the whole year. Some people call these "365 Day Photo Projects." Well, I did it. I just need to get pictures from December 20-31 up in my Facebook album, and then I'll be all set.

Another thing that I like to do is color guard. I have been doing it now for over 8 years. This year, I'm too old to compete in A or Open Class winter color guard--I would have to participate in World Class because I'm 23 now. Because there are no World Class guards in Minnesota, and I've gotten relatively good at what I do, I'm actually teaching winter color guard at one of the local area high schools. I might have mentioned that before.

One last thing to mention that I do quite a bit of is taking naps. Sounds like a lame hobby, I know, but I LOVE sleeping. I take naps during the day because I know I do my best thinking from somewhere around 2 am til about 5 am. I try not to do these stints too often, but sometimes they are necessary.

Basically, what I'm getting at this week is to make sure to bring with you a couple things you know you like to do not necessarily to distract you, but to keep you from being bored with what you're actually going to school for.

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design MFA

So I decided this week to talk about freelance work. I've had the opportunity to do quite a few freelance projects during my time here at the U.

The first freelance project I was asked to do was a promotional card for one of the CDes academic advisers for a dance performance he was doing. That one was super easy, and the only freelance work I've done that I wasn't paid for. That was winter break of freshman year.

I didn't do a project again until spring semester of my sophomore year, when I was asked to design some posters for a Modern African History course. That summer, I was asked to create the marketing materials (read: gigantic poster) for the U's team in a national food science competition creating a new food product.

The following winter, Chris (the adviser) was doing another performance, but this one was a collaborative performance in New York--that one was a little trickier, but all three parties really enjoyed the outcome.

Last spring, I volunteered to do some public relations work for a lady one of my professors knew who owns a PR agency in California. I was running around this really interesting trade show for a full day, and at the end of the day she asked me to take on some web design work for her. I'm still doing that to this day.

The point of this entry is that in lieu of having a real job, it's important to start getting your name out there as soon as possible. We talked about the importance of freelance work in our design career planning course (DES 3201), that just in case you shouldn't find a job right after graduation, pick up small jobs wherever you can to show that you're still designing.

Hopefully I won't have that problem!

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design BFA

This year, as I know I'm a procrastinator, I chose to put a sticky note on my desktop on my Mac to actually accomplish some things during winter break this year. I have a lot planned, including:

Clean off my Mac desktop (screenshots from design projects, stray word documents, photos shared via e-mail, etc.)
Build the new Kappa Kappa Psi website (WAY overdue)
Build my personal website (an unpleasant chore that must be done if I hope to become employed)
Clean my room (does someone actually live in here?)
Clean off my flash drive (well hello design projects from fall of junior year)
Crank out a bajillion ideas for my senior honors thesis project
Clean out my e-mail inbox (650 messages dating back to January 2010...)

This all gets back to the all-important idea of productivity. Because I'm super busy and armed with opposable thumbs and a smart phone, I plan my life in Google Calendar. Fortunately, U of M students enjoy the benefits of Google Apps accounts--so even if you don't have a smartphone, you can at least use Google Calendar to help remind yourself of how bad you are at meeting your own deadlines!

This bucket list is actually really important for me to accomplish this year, though. I'm trying to psych myself up for Agency life, getting things done and being happy and content about it. I have about 14 days to get all of this done. Wish me luck.

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design BFA

So this week was pretty much the culmination of my fall semester. I have a final in my 5000-level Psychology of Advertising class next Wednesday, but that doesn't really count--it's all multiple choice.

What I was really worried about getting done were my final deliverables for Graphic Design 4: Integrative Campaign and Graphic Design Senior Seminar. For GD4, I had to put together a presentation covering all four of the design phases we went to, and make sure it didn't take longer than 10 minutes to present. I also had to design and order a book that is the culmination of the project, but includes all of the work that we went through instead of cutting it down.

Senior seminar was a different story. I'm not a fan of this presentation format, but I had to put together what's called a PechaKucha. PechaKucha (petch-ah-kuh-cha) night started in Tokyo in 2003 as a way for young designers to get together to share information very quickly. It's 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide, and your slides automatically advance. You may or may not get pulled off the stage if you run late (apparently my professor had been at one of these things that people had to stop talking right at 6:40, the length of the presentation).

People reading this may be four years away from fulfilling these projects, but I think it's helpful to know about ahead of time. Maybe PechaKucha is a speaking format you're familiar with and quite enjoy. If you haven't heard of it, you might be able to find some on YouTube!

Next week: Winter break!

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design BFA

My professors gave to me...four final projects and a week to get them all done.

No, I'm just kidding, it's not that bad. Finals can be a very overwhelming time, though, and there are several resources on campus that can help get you through them.

First of all, the SMART Learning Commons (https://wiki.umn.edu/SMART) offers peer tutoring services throughout the semester. Way back in the day when I was in precalculus, I went to a tutoring workshop and also a special event they held before our final exam.

Secondly, speaking of special events before final exams, SMART hosts an Exam Jam event every year to help students get started early on studying for their exams. Check out the flyer (pdf) to learn about it.

I know that personally, when I was in my math class, I thought the idea of visiting a tutor was a little degrading. We're all young and proud and think we're invincible at some point in our lives, right? Really, it's no big deal; students work together to work through the tough spots in your courses. AND I felt so much more comfortable and prepared going into my exams!

The beauty of Graphic Design coursework, though, is that our progress can't really be measured by final exams. It can, however, be measured by extremely lengthy final projects that will totally break your grade if you don't work hard. My advice is to start early and work often! Get a little done every day, and don't stop working until the creative juice stalls. Take a break for a little while, and get back at it as soon as you can.

I'm going to go work on my final project for Graphic Design 4: Integrative Campaign now!

Patrick Puckett, Graphic Design BFA

Due to some miscommunication with my partner Derek last night, I ended up taking a nap in Rapson Hall while he did some value drawings of the building. It's alright, because it gives me a clever anecdote to introduce my blog this week.

I absolutely LOVE Rapson Hall. I don't get to spend nearly enough time in the building, as I'm a Graphic Design major. If there is one thing I wish McNeal Hall had, though, it's Rapson's courtyard.

It's extremely beneficial to be familiar with Rapson Hall even though most Graphic Design classes are in McNeal Hall. I've spent time in the W.L. Hall Workshop making laser cuts, I've used the computer lab, and now there's even a Digital Fabrication Lab that I'm sure the Graphic Design faculty will find some way for us to take advantage of in the near future.

To top it off, they're working on a virtual reality simulator in the courtyard! How cool is that?

Basically, even though you won't be spending a whole lot of time in Rapson Hall, it's a good idea to go become familiar with it and the services available in it. If you find you really have no reason to go, you could stop by the College of Design Student Services Office and say hi, too.

See you next week!

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design B.F.A.

P.S. The Gophers won last Saturday XD

Well, it's Thanksgiving week, and that means it's been below freezing at night for the better part of a month here in Minnesota! It dawned on me yesterday as I was talking to my group on the way to our client meeting that this winter has actually been milder in the past. The last two years, I had marched in a sleet or ice storm at rehearsal by now.

The reason why I am telling you this is not to scare you, but rather to share the reality of Minnesota winter. Yes, it's cold. Yes, it snows. Yes, it gets icy. All you need is a good winter coat and a pair of snow boots, and you'll survive the winter just like everyone else in the state has for the last hundred or so years.

You might be used to the concept of snow days. Not so here! Last year when the Snowpocalypse hit and we got about ten inches of snow in five hours, the U ended up canceling a hockey game. Granted, it was a Saturday, and nothing happens on Sunday. Business as usual on Monday! Sometimes, the running joke on campus is that it takes the thumb of God to close the U--but I have had cancelled classes due to snow in my four years of studying here.

Fact of the matter is, the snow is pretty, and campus is gorgeous and a lot of fun seeing it all lay around.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design BFA

When I was trying to decide what I would write about this week, I thought I might do a day in the life. Then I decided this week is too hectic; I didn't want to scare anybody. So I thought I should write about a project I was working on up until today. Well, that morphed into this idea about design and where good ideas come from.

Basically, what I'm trying to illustrate is the fact that we seldom ever hit that one big idea on the first swing. In my copywriting course, my instructor always told us "If you need one headline, write 100. And then write more."

When I was in high school art classes, it was really easy just to get an idea and start to create it. Maybe the teacher came by and had some input on where to amp up the contrast in a value drawing to make something a little clearer, but they generally didn't tell you your idea needed more work or refinement once you had started.

Not so in design. It's definitely something that I think a lot of young designers struggle with, myself included. We just have an idea and we just want to do it, whether it's clear to other people or not. Well, depending on what the outcome of your design is, it might need to be able to talk to people without you being there. More often than not, it will need to talk without you being there.

So, to summarize, start thinking your ideas through early. Start asking people what they think of what you're doing more than you're used to. You'll gain a valuable skill and comfort level that will help you immensely come your first critique.

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design BFA

I was in Cincinnati, Ohio on Monday and Tuesday this week for my first ever "big kid" job interview. I wanted to share with you kind of the process that I went through trying to get myself ready for the inevitable job search, and offer some resources that are incredibly useful when it comes time to find your first job!

Like I already mentioned last week, it's so important to take advantage of career services. They helped me fine tune my resume so much my sophomore year, and they helped me learn the skills I needed to create a better resume without having to stop in every time I changed something.

It's never too early to start networking. Every year, the College of Design puts on some great College to Career programming, including Dirty Laundry (which I put the marketing materials for myself) and Design in 7. There are plenty of firm events every year too. Check out the College to Career portion of the CDes website at design.umn.edu/current_students/career/college_to_career.html.

Once you have access to it, you'll want to start using GoldPASS early. It's our campus jobs site where employers will post full-time, part-time, and internship opportunities for students to apply to. It's how I found the company that I interviewed at this week. Put a note in the back of your mind to check out goldpass.umn.edu when you're thinking about starting your job search.

Also, take DES 3201: Career and Internship Preparation for Design either your junior (that's when I took it) or senior year. It's a course that will give you so much knowledge about your job search that you might not have thought of on your own, and you gain credit for doing it.

That's it for this week!

Patrick Puckett
Graphic Design BFA

Doesn't have the same ring to it as "weekend," does it? Sorry if the reference doesn't make sense.

This week I decided to focus on probably one of the most daunting requirements (at least I thought as a freshman) for graduating with a degree in graphic design: the required internship. I have a lot of friends who did their internships at a variety of different places in a variety of different settings. Some have found success working for the marketing office at University Dining Services; others have worked as designers for the Department of Recreational Sports; and a few have done them at local design agencies such as Uno (check out their extremely fluorescent webpage at http://www.unobranding.com/. Totally gels with my blog title, score!)

Personally, I did my internship at the College of Design Student Services office, where I have worked since my freshman year (minus that one semester I jumped ship to work at OIT. Now I don't pick sides; I just work for both). It was hard for me to identify learning objectives for my internship, but a conversation with my supervisor and my faculty adviser, Brad Hokanson (check him out, he's super cool, and you'll learn more about him when you come to school here. http://data.design.umn.edu/directory/DirDetails.aspx?txID=50grp4mHAN0%3d) lead me to some objectives that have added depth to my current position in the office. Basically, since I was already a graphic designer, we just set out some specific projects for me to tackle and I also worked through some video editing, which I had never done before.

Career & Internship Services is the place to go for all things internship, including help finding one, practicing for interviews, and getting your resume critiqued. Check them out at http://www.careerhelp.umn.edu/index.html.

Side note: if you didn't notice, CDes launched its new website yesterday. It's super cool. Check it out at design.umn.edu if you haven't already.

Oftentimes, a trip to Disney World is talked about as the most memorable experience of a person's life. Well, I've been there, and although memorable in its own right, it's no comparison to the seven weeks I spent in the United Kingdom.

I went on the Study and Internships in London program offered by the Learning Abroad Center (http://www.umabroad.umn.edu) this summer, leaving the United States on July 4, and returning on August 21. I didn't experience a lot of culture shock while I was there. The actual shock to me was the reverse culture shock. The program staff in London warned all of us that it might be extremely difficult adjusting to life back in the US. Well, I had one day to go to bed early, the next was my birthday, the next I was moving my boyfriend into our apartment, and the day after that I was at Spat Camp for the marching band. I didn't have much time to readjust to my former life here at home at all.

The experience was truly unique, though. Going to another country and being there for a good amount of time really helps you learn about your own culture from an outsider's perspective; it helps you realize how little Americans know about what's going on in the world compared to our foreign counterparts; and it makes you realize what matters most to you in your life and how to maximize those things.

What's best of all, other people help pay for it. I went abroad this summer using a scholarship from the College of Design, in addition to my federal student aid package to cover my expenses. Check out http://design.umn.edu/current_students/finance/ to learn more about scholarship opportunities in the College of Design. Make sure to find the Learning Abroad Center's scholarship page on their homepage too. I firmly believe my study abroad experience was one of the most important decisions I've made in my undergraduate career, and I believe others should make the choice as well.

Fun fact: There are freshman seminars that travel abroad over spring break now as well.

Things in the Graphic Design program have been a little more relaxed for me over the last week. I've been stressing out a little bit, which can happen quite easily. I've been trying to take a step back and think about myself a little bit more these past few days, as advised by my faculty (to which I say to them...stop assigning homework and then maybe we'll talk).

Next week we're picking up steam again in Graphic Design 4: Integrated Campaign, though. We're turning in our "Define" portion of our rebranding process of a non-profit organization called World Savvy, in which I have to develop a persona or personas, find desired image attributes that fit the personas, and come up with design criteria that show each of the desired image attributes I list. It's really a fascinating process, and one that is different from the one we used in Graphic Design 2: Logo and Identity Design.

In Senior Seminar last week, we talked about a project that's kicking off on University Avenue this Friday. Due to the Central Corridor Light Rail construction, local businesses are going out of business left and right. There's a project being developed called Starling, which is meant to get start-up and small businesses into the empty spaces along University Avenue, and they're trying to design a logo that will represent the whole project. You can check out Ange Wang, one of the adjunct faculty in the Graphic Design program's post about it on our Senior Seminar blog at http://seniorseminar.posterous.com/a-starling-is-born-and-needs-an-identity. Please keep in mind that some of the things on that blog won't make sense out of context--so I recommend not exploring too much!

That's it for this week. Happy Homecoming!