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Although three years of coursework provided me with a solid foundation in design, numerous issues remain.
Skills Reflection
Problem
I rely somewhat on reference materials during the design process, especially when using platforms like Pinterest. I'm easily influenced by existing works, leading to a lack of originality and depth in my designs. This reflects my incomplete development of a mature design thinking system, and my understanding of compositional logic and visual language remains superficial.
Secondly, my design style is unstable. Although I lean towards minimalism, my actual work often lacks consistency and clear visual identity. This indicates that I need further exploration and strengthening in establishing and controlling my style.
❋Solution
To address these issues, I plan to improve in the following ways: First, I will reduce my reliance on reference works during the creative process by analyzing excellent design examples and summarizing their underlying design logic, rather than directly imitating the visual results. Second, I will gradually establish a stable personal visual language through continuous practice of minimalist style, such as completing a fixed number of poster designs each week. At the same time, I will introduce a clearer design process, such as preliminary research, sketching, execution, and review, to improve overall efficiency and the quality of the work.
Problem 2
Third , I struggle with communicating with clients. Even when I create work I am proud of, I don't know how or where to begin to explain it. I can't guide my clients to a deeper understanding of my work like a competent tour guide, even though I can easily convey my purpose and thought process to team members.
Solution
The last problem stems from three main reasons. First, the presentation lacked structure, rushing to explain and directly addressing details while skipping steps, making it difficult for clients to understand. Second, the content was overly emotional, frequently using "I think" instead of "I should." Clients buy logic, not just a designer's intuition. Third, there was no guidance for client comprehension; much of the presentation was technically impressive, making it incomprehensible to clients. In addition, I plan to regularly practice presenting my work through self-recording and timed demonstrations to improve my confidence and clarity. I will also learn to use more objective and rational language when explaining my design choices to ensure clients better understand the value of my work.
