Fin.

Coming into the Studio almost exactly a year ago, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was excited to get back into the creative mindset that I enjoyed so much while pursuing graphic design as an undergraduate. I was also looking forward to being around students and teachers that were equally as passionate about design. Before deciding on CMCI, I looked at and applied to a few different masters programs, mostly ones that were online. I ultimately decided to enroll at CU Boulder because I wanted the in-person experience. By choosing the Studio, I was exposed to a variety of new ways of design thinking and concepts that I don’t think I would have been learned about if I had decided to enroll in a more traditional design program. Looking back at the past year, I could not be more thrilled with my choice and where it has led me.

In the past 12 months, I have grown tremendously on both a personal and professional level. I made many friends that I expect to keep in touch with for years to come and hopefully the rest of my life. I met mentors that offered new perspectives on my work and guided me throughout the program. I had instructors that were well versed and actively working in their field. I accomplished many goals — some I never even knew I had. I even started an actual business alongside Tess Stevens and Josh Sheetz!

At the beginning of this program, I had very little knowledge of what UX even was. I thought I would focus the majority of my time on branding courses and hone in on those skills. I quickly found that I enjoyed the problem solving and new approaches to design thinking that came with learning UX. I also found that all of the knowledge I picked up in my UX courses influenced my other design work for the better. I noticed that I thought about all forms of design in a much more user-centered way. I started thinking more about accessibility, usability, and other small details even when designing something as simple as a conceptual poster for a class project. When I did begin my branding focused classes in the spring semester, they felt more like fun projects. It was something I was already comfortable with, but I could now apply my new UX knowledge and mindset to each task.

One of my major highlights for the year was, of course, winning first place for Terra Wear in the New Venture Challenge Social Impact Prize. At the beginning of the spring semester, Tess, Josh, and I honed in very quickly on an idea in order to prepare for NVC. We didn’t pass the first round of the main competition but were one of about eight teams selected to pitch for the Social Impact Prize. We put in extra hours to ensure we did the absolute best we could on the pitch. Tess worked on perfecting the delivery and Josh and I conducted extra research so we could be prepared for any questions we thought the judges might ask. We also fleshed out our financial model with the help of our mentors and instructor, Jesse. We were very proud that we were even invited to pitch out of a large pool of applications. But as we watched the other pitches we quickly noticed that many of them had already received a number of investments, seen a significant amount of publicity, or were already successfully selling their product or service. We thought that we might have a chance at a smaller prize or form of recognition (or maybe even receive nothing at all). After the first few smaller prizes were awarded, we figured, “Hey, we had a good run in NVC!” and decided it’d be a nice accomplishment to add to our resumes and portfolios. When our team was announced as the first-place winner, we were in absolute shock (I think “what the fuck” were the first words one of us managed to get out?). Winning the prize was a dream, but receiving that validation on our business concept and hard work was equally as satisfying. It pushed us to create an LLC which is something I never thought I would do. It also allowed us to afford some sweet Terra Wear swag! In the last week of our program, we even hosted a screen printing party and created custom Terra Wear t-shirts.

When looking back, one thing that I found personally challenging was time management. I worked part-time in an office on campus which made it fairly difficult to strike a balance between work, school, and relaxing (there was almost no time for “play”). This took a toll on me during the spring semester when we had a packed 17-hour schedule. Often times, I would need to work on assignments on my almost hour-long bus rides to and from Boulder and late into the night. Sometimes, I worked on assignments while on a break during an event set-up for work. Not only did it make getting work done rather difficult, but I also felt as though I missed out on some of the social aspects and benefits of working in the studio downtown that many of my peers experienced. While I would absolutely suggest to not work 20 hours a week on top of a full graduate course load, the experience definitely helped me learn how to prioritize and, perhaps most importantly, decide when to say something was “done.”

The transition to fully online learning due to COVID-19 was also a bit of a challenge. Figuring out how to effectively work and take classes from home all while navigating a pandemic was quite difficult. However, as Dave M Laskowski II has mentioned, it will likely make the transition after graduation a bit less shocking and prepare us for working remotely. And if we can manage to graduate from a suddenly online accelerated masters program, what can’t we do?!

Our Critical Making courses were also challenging and rewarding at the same time. Much of what we learned were things I never expected to have experience in. From 3D printing to working with Raspberry Pis, the CM classes with RJ exposed me to a smorgasbord of new tools. Some of my projects included making chocolate from 3D printed molds, creating a breeze block with parametric design in mind, setting up old school GameBoy games using only a Raspberry Pi and TV, and so much more. It was easy to get caught up in details and try to perfect every single project, but the fast pace of the class helped me learn how to work a bit quicker while keeping the bigger picture in mind. Then I could go in and prioritize those details that needed to be refined. Moving this class online during the spring semester also taught me to work with what I have. We lost out on some resources that were readily available at the Studio and had to improvise for the remainder of the semester.

I think one of the biggest differences between when I started the program and now is my confidence. I joked with someone a few weeks ago that I essentially paid a lot of money to get rid of my imposter syndrome! While this is a (half) joke, the past year has definitely built up my self-confidence. Not only has it showed me that I am a good designer but that I am also pretty good at learning new skills. With a little determination, I can easily teach myself new tools, systems, programs…the list goes on. I also realized that I don’t have to be great at everything — especially not right at once — and that I should celebrate the little victories. Throughout the year, we talked a lot about learning how to be a T-shaped person. This is referring to how most of us have one area that we have nearly mastered and a basic understanding of other related areas. I can now confidently say that I am a designer. This is something I wouldn’t have said a year, or maybe even six months, ago. But now it feels like my actual title — not just a footnote or an asterisk after my name.

Although COVID-19 changed everyone’s plans and how we navigated the world for approximately the last 5 months of the program, I was impressed with how all of our teachers stepped up to the plate and adjusted their lessons to make sure we had the best experience possible. I am extremely thankful to my classmates, instructors, mentors, alumni, and everyone else that has made this program what it is today. Reminiscing on my time in the program this past week has been a whirlwind of emotion. It feels like we just started the program yesterday and five years ago simultaneously! Choosing the CMCI Studio has opened many doors for me (without even being officially graduated) and I’m excited about what is to come!