In terms of my technology toolkit, I have the most tools in my arsenal in the print and Web media, and multimedia is in a distant third place. (Although I’m hoping to close the gap soon!) Below is a breakdown of the tools by medium that I have used in the past, am currently learning, and hope to learn in the future.
Past: I have used Photoshop to edit images that I have then placed into InDesign and Illustrator files. Last quarter, I took the class Principles of Graphic Design and learned so much about all three of these programs, as well as, the basic design principles, typography, and print output.
Present: I’m currently working on my biggest work assignment of the year, which involves laying out the print version of the university catalogs. I learned so many tricks in last quarter’s class, that this assignment is easier than it has been in past years, and I think that it will be the most aesthetically-pleasing catalog yet.
Future: Although I know the basics of Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, I’d like to sharpen these skills and become more proficient in each.
Web
Past: A large part of my job involves the management of the university’s Web site via the content management system, Ingeniux. I have experience with setting up workflows, training other employees, and I have also used Photoshop to edit images and banners for the site.
Present: I’m learning HTML/CSS, and I’m also becoming more familiar with all of the different browsers.
Future: I want to gain a basic understanding of SEO and Web analytics.
Multimedia
Past: I do have some video editing experience, but it’s been awhile since I’ve dabbled it. In undergrad. I took a video editing class, where I learned Final Cut Pro, and in the Proseminar class, we had an in-class video editing assignment, where I used Windows Movie Maker.
Present: I’m currently not doing much in terms of multimedia. These types of projects (departmental videos, virtual tours, etc.) are either handled by the Department of Media Resources or by an outside group.
Future: I would like to revisit Final Cut Pro, and I want to learn Flash. There have been a few projects that my office has been interested in doing involving Flash, but none of us know even the basics of this program, and that has been somewhat frustrating.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI really like that you set up a comprehensive, cateogorical, line-by-line system of topics that you would like to cover, skills you would like to hone along with some background info as to where you're at thus far. I think if the class has an idea as to where everyone is at, we can kind of decide which direction we need to be headed in. One would hope, at least. Anyways, what you want out of the course is clearly identified in this post. Do you feel like you will be able to attain the skills that you set out to familiarize yourself with on the basis of your experince in this course so far, though?
Hey Nick- thanks for the response! I certainly hope that I'll attain some skills with CSS and HTML, and learning Flash would be a dream come true, but I don't think that this will be covered.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I'm truly a beginner with both, and I'm not sure how much hands-on experience I'll get via this class. Work and school have been crazy so I haven't had any time to practice on my own. Hopefully, we'll start focusing more on production...
Hey Jessica!
ReplyDeleteGreat info, and im definitely interested in the multimedia growth and knowledge. I think it would be wonderful for me to create virtual tours :) And I see that all of our technology toolkits are filled with a variety of things collectively educate each other about. Thanks for the info!
Jessica - Sounds like you definitely know where you want to go with your skillset and thats great that your job allows you to further those tools! It seems a lot of people are wanting to learn the design basics, as well as the technology behind it, i.e. HTML, CSS, Java, Flash, etc. This leads me to believe that soon employers will be looking for tech and design candidates who know it all, as opposed to hiring more than one person. Interesting stuff!
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