I attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where I studied Strategic Communication with an emphasis on Media Design and minored in Creative Technology and Design. My major and minor complemented my ambitions perfectly as I wanted to create beautiful designs and guidelines for brands while also being quite exact and technical which CTD helped me to do really well with their engineering programs. Throughout most of my time at college, I was slouched over on my laptop working on brand identities and coding websites so this kind of thing is what I excel at - but on my off time, I studied UI and UX. I’m as well-rounded as the corners in my designs.
When you read this, it might seem like I didn't fully embrace the typical college experience and that one day, I'll have that classic movie moment where the protagonist realizes they should've partied more and studied less. But no worries, I've got my self-awareness cap on.
I admit, I put in some serious Red Bull points to create designs I could be proud of during my time at CU Boulder. But that didn't mean I squandered those years. Nike's got this catchy motto, "Best don't rest," and I took it to heart, especially from my sophomore year onward. I made it a daily mission to elevate my designs in forward-thinking ways, not because I was chasing straight A's or trying to please some professor, but because I wanted to learn how to be a better designer and find things outside the classroom.
Let's be real, sometimes my approach didn't quite jive with certain professors as they were teaching techniques that worked when they were practicing. However, I wanted to learn and practice things that will work when I design one day. I tried to blend in the knowledge they were providing and interweave it with what designers are doing today. It cost me a few A's along the way. But you know what? It made me a better designer. The professors who embraced my style (shoutout Andrew and Bailey) inspire me and are amazing sources of encouragement.
That being said, I never allowed myself to turn in a crappy delivery*. It always had to be something I could be proud of and learn from, to push myself - because what’s the point if not? Back to the original point, did this devotion eat into potential good times? Sure, yeah. But you know what they say, you've got to break a few eggs to make an omelet.
*in design classes.
