Wrapping up an awesome semester

I don't know how something this important slipped my mind, but it did amidst a whirlwind that comprised almost entirely of a 3247279 page long media plan report. But I digress.

This course has been everything I expected it to be and more. Prior to taking this course, I've had a very undisciplined experience with Adobe CS. It basically consisted of me exploring Photoshop on my own and claiming I had mastery over it just like that. No surprise that much of the work I produced during that period had a very distinct style: overuse of filters and various layer style effects... It was pretty much special effects vomit.

Then I come to GRA 217 and finally learn how to use the whole suite effectively. My life has definitely changed for the better for this. The resume project was definitely the most beneficial project. In fact, I feel like it was one of the reasons why I began getting responses to my internship applications.

SO thank you Professor Hedges! Thank you for everything.

Wrap-Up Post

Ugh, I thought this was due at 5pm today (Friday). I suck. Nonetheless, I do have an opinion on what GRA 217 taught me this semester, and it taught me a lot. Looking back on it now, I feel like a lot of the stuff we learned was really basic, probably because it's now so ingrained in my head as a given that I don't even think about it anymore. Good design is about space, and balance, and cleanliness, and unity, and when you think about it, that's what life is like

Even keeping images in separate image folder means something in the grand scheme of things. This class, more than anything else, more than typography, more than color relationships, more than using programs, taught me about order -- as Thom Yorke says, "Everything in It's Right Place." After spending dozens of hours per project in the labs and staring at a computer screen, it's pretty evident to me that you need planning for things to work out, and you also need to be open. It's about striking a balance between white space and clutter to find that perfect, functional, visually-appealing DESIGN.

At first I thought it was about creativity, and I heard an inordinate amount of idiots in the labs with me whine and moan about how their creativity was being stifled. It's really not about that. It's more about communicating a message in a functional way. Making it interesting is secondary, and, usually, functionality is already plenty interesting.

At least that's my take on it. I had a great semester, and hopefully I can take a graphics elective or something down the line.

-- Eric V-B

Wrap Up Post

Ahhh GRA 217, what a rollercoaster of emotion. This was definitely one of the most time consuming classes I've ever taken, but no matter how frustrating- it was worth it. I realized how important learning these programs will be for the rest of my college career and in life. Working on these types of projects is a different kind of work, and one that I definitely enjoyed when I had the time to. There's so much freedom in design and that was a little intimidating, but it made for some long nights and essentially finding what I visually like. It's very interesting content that I now pay attention to daily. GRA 217 was a challenge, but one that I needed to grow and learn.

Wrap -Up Post by Hua Xin

GRA217 is my first graphic class, and probably will be my last graphic class. I heard so many rumors about how crazy and frustrating this class can be. I still remember one of my friends told me her own experience with this class: you went to professor’s office again and again, and the professor would like none of your designs. I always thought that design is something highly depends on personal preference, and I was also afraid of the grading system will be intangible and obscure.

However, after I had my first graphic design class with Greg, all my concerns and worries were gone. Greg made the whole class so organized and everything is so clear. I like the way he speak, the way he organize his lecture, the way he present his slides, the way he express his opinion. I think most of my classmates must already mention the page-long comment, which is stunning. The first time I got the feedback, I was shocked for a few seconds, and I even told my mother I wanted to frame my professor’s feedback and hung it up on my bedroom wall. My mother said, “You must like your professor very much.” I replied, “I think I will never be able to see a more responsible professor. And Grey is much more than helpful, he is intelligent yet amiable, he is professional yet humble, he is ingenious yet patient, I cannot believe he is such a great person and at the same time happen to be my professor.”

As to the class, I think the most significant influence on me is not only the graphic design concept, but how to think like a designer and generate ideas. I never thought about I could know so many professional terms and concept in an introductory course. When I talk to my friend about font and using of white space, I felt like I am an insider although I only had a few class of graphic design. When I looked at the world around me, I am so proud to say that I am able to look at it using a way most people don’t use. I understand the way why things are organized in a certain way. I understand the importance of hierarchy which may hide in a single bread shelf. Graphic arts is not only about designing advertisement, covers or posters. It is more about the way people look at the world and hope it to be the way they want, it is about express your opinion using an indirect way, it is about communicating with people and getting response. Greg gave us all these amazing information within only one semester.

I am not sure about whether I will continue my interests on graphic arts, but the concepts I learned from this class has already mixed into my mind and become a part of me. However, one thing I am definitely sure is that I will frame Greg’s critique and hang it up as soon as my flight landed.

Wrap up post! Lifang Lin

There is one significant improvement for me.
I had no idea about any fonts beside Times and Arial (not even Verdana) before this semester. Well now, I know at least 5 typefaces and I finally figure out how typefaces different from each others.(obviously I have no idea about strokes and serifs or anything else 4 months ago.)

I pretty enjoy working on the projects, although they are really time consuming. I really learn a lot from working on these projects and I think the projects really gives me better explanations of what Greg said in lecture.

It is hard to believe it is already the end of the semester, I can still remember the endless queue outside Greg's office and the hopelessness when I found out there are 13 people in front of me. OK, anyway, thank you Greg, you are definitely the most available teacher ever!

Florence - Last Blog (Reflection)

Graphics has been one of my favorite classes at SU so far.

I feel very fortunate to have had such an incredible professor, such patient TAs, and such creative classmates this semester. I remember people telling me that graphics class was going to be a pain in the butt because it required so many extra hours in the lab.

Although I did spend countless of hours in the lab this semester, I did not mind it as much as I thought I would. At the end of the day, I was proud that I was able to create something that looked decent.

After taking GRA 217/218, I have become more aware of designs around me. I find myself looking at differnt poster, ads, magazine layouts, websites, etc. and analyzing them. In my head, I will go over what makes the design good and waht makes certain designs look like crap. I found that learning how to use InDesign and Illustrator is going to be very helpful longer on in life. I loved InDesign when we first started using it because I like to control of how and where text should go on the page. Illustrator was also a cool program. I really liked using it to make my logo. I'm bad at drawing so I like that Illustrator allows me to manipulate shapes into a cool design.

Professor Hedges is one of the most hard-working, helpful, patient, friendly, and overall awesome professor I have ever had. It feels bitter-sweet to write this blog today. This last blog symbolizes the end of this crazy semester for me but it also means that I will no longer have Hedges as a professor. I’m glad that he is going to continue his profession as a graphic designer but I do hope that he comes back to teaching some day. He has great insights and I think that as a professor, he makes Syracuse a better university.

I was lucky to have found some classmates who turned out to become good friends of mine. Spending late nights in the lab helped to form strong friendships. So in a way, I was glad to spend so much time working in the labs.

I hope that everyone will have a great summer!!

Wrap Up - Kim

From day one I knew this class was going to be awesome. Greg presented graphic arts in a way I had never thought of before. I had always been very aware of the media-dominant world we live in but this class made me realize just how much of a visual and image-based culture we are. Everything we learned was fresh and exciting to me. Although all of the projects were daunting (especially the interface project), I really enjoyed the process of doing them--they were very hands-on and they really allowed our creativity to flow and take form. Whenever an idea would pop into my head, I would pull out a sheet of paper and just start making sketches. Looking back at them now, I am amazed at how many drafts it took to reach the final product.

The projects were extremely time consuming but without a doubt, they gave me a better understanding of the many steps, complexities and principles behind graphic design. I definitely have a deeper appreciation for all of the work that goes into good design, which requires well-developed concepts, doing and re-doing, and a LOT of time in order to successfully catch the viewer's attention and to visually communicate a message in a clear and effective way. Doing the projects also developed my eye for looking at design. I find myself critiquing and admiring websites, ads, posters and magazines all the time now. I actually examine the typeface of the text before actually reading the text.

I truly appreciated the page-long critique we received for each project. That to me demonstrates what kind of professor Greg is--he shows genuine interest in his students, actually takes the time to thoroughly analyze our hard work and offers great, insightful feedback. He is definitely one of the best professors I have had at SU and I feel so lucky and grateful to have had the chance to learn from him (The students taking graphics in the following years are seriously missing out). Overall, GRA 217 was all I want and expect from a college-level class: challenging, thought provoking and rewarding.