Milestones and an Origin Story

Hey, my name is Paul Hwang. I am 18 years old, a first year at UGA, and a graphic designer.

When I first looked into graphic design, I was just a freshman in high school. Growing up in a somewhat stable suburban setting doesn't give a kid a whole lot to think about, or even really do. However, with the power of the internet, I didn't have to be confined within the limits of Lawrenceville. This is where my creative influences were first found, on the internet. Specifically, on a forum that knew the ins and outs of, not graphic design, but a specific outdated mobile media player (I still own this media player).

There was a “graphics” team on the site that made signatures for people (the pictures that follow every users post). I admired those so much that I asked one related to the game Portal, made by Source. When I finally got it, I was blown away. I asked the creator what programs he used and how he made it, which eventually led to me making a whole bunch of these myself. Since then, I was hooked and that got me to exploring/researching designs of all kinds, specifically graphic design. I was on this site and making these signatures for about two years. During that time, I had gotten enough skill and knowledge to do many graphics related commissions and even do a bit of theming for a small southern christian convention for students. Sometime during the end of those two years and now, that forum was abandoned (the media player was discontinued), I got to see more of Georgia, I got into UI/UX design, and I got an internship.

I am constantly learning new things, meeting new people, and experiencing new sites and while I am still alive, I won’t give up. Despite being exposed to so much design already, I already know that this is just the tip of the iceberg. To say the least, I am pumped. I just hope there’s enough coffee to get through it all.