Final Thoughts

I always find it difficult when asked to reflect on somethings as long and involved as an entire semester. More than any other semester, I believe most of my learning involved small things, things that one can only learn through experience.

First, I have realized many of the subtleties in the creative process. The creative process does not occur within a vacuum. Creativity, especially in regards to advertising, tends to occur out in the world that we live in. I mean, that is how people are going to receive our message, whether it be at a point-of-purchase display, billboard, etc. Also, ideas can come at anytime and any place. Ideas tend to come to you when you are not thinking about the project. I had dreams about my ideas. So I consider myself a "creative dreamer." Last, most of the time a first draft will be unrecognizable compared to a final draft. The theme and idea will remain, but the way it is communicated may have a completely different look.

I thought both of the books we read were good reads with lots of information. While I did struggle at times with the books, that did not take away from the information that was presented. The most important thing I have taken away from the class is the idea that all of our views are socially constructed. Even when viewing an image, one views that image and interprets the meaning through their view of the world. I would venture to say there is not one image that is universally understood.

I would have to agree with Janet on this point. I think many of the things we have discussed in this class I once thought to be intuitive. All of the theories of visual design talked about seemed to me to be things that occur naturally in images, but I have come to the realization that these are things that I have actually learned. I can now apply these theories to my own visuals as well as identify visuals that follow these principles.