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COLLABORATION

what does it mean to u?

Structure and Adaptability

In the initial class of the MFDM program, Professor Deason’s feedback stressed the importance of adhering to APA formatting and graduate-level academic standards, highlighting issues with inconsistent formatting and citation errors. This feedback emphasized the need for clarity and professionalism, these are vital for educational and professional growth. In response, I transitioned to using Microsoft Word for assignments, aligning with APA requirements, and refined my understanding of citation guidelines through additional research. While creative approaches were noted, I prioritized structure to meet academic expectations. This process reflects Greene’s principle that critique fosters growth, enhancing my academic writing and adaptability (Greene, 2012).

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Basics of Video Editing

This critique and refinement process for the assignments provided the value of constructive feedback and its application to personal work. Critiquing Brendan Oliverio’s designs emphasized professionalism and actionable feedback, addressing areas like path combinations and endpoint adjustments while reinforcing design principles. Refining my work involved improving vector accuracy, retracing, and adjusting bezier curves, and honing technical skills. Instructor feedback from McClung stressed the importance of practice, deeper critique, and proper APA citations to enhance communication. Despite time constraints, this experience underscored the role of consistent effort and structured feedback in mastering design tools and processes showing how to get assignments done right on time.  Margo Chase was introduced to us, by the professor. (McClung, 2024).

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Inspiration from various Margo Chase works, Chase, M. (2024).

Navigating Feedback
& Refinement

This assignment provided a valuable opportunity to explore Adobe Premiere Pro through the creation of a brand vision video. The process involved assembling video clips in the correct sequence, applying transitions, and incorporating music that aligned with the brand’s contemporary attributes. As a medium-level user of Premiere Pro, the experience offered great insights into professional video editing. While the editing was clean and effective, instructor feedback from Professor Andrea Kratz highlighted areas for improvement, including unintended visual overlaps in the beginning and ending sequences and the abrupt resolution of the final frame. These suggestions underscore the importance of precision in timing and transitions to ensure a polished presentation.  Reflecting on this experience, I recognized the value of balancing technical skills with creative judgment to craft compelling visuals that align with brand attributes. This aligns with principles discussed in Meggs’ History of Graphic Design, which emphasizes the significance of combining technical proficiency with a clear design vision to communicate effectively (Meggs & Purvis, 2016). Moving forward, I aim to refine my editing skills further and embrace the creative possibilities of video production to enhance my professional multimedia capabilities.

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Crafting Effective Advertising Copy

This challenge involved creating a 30-second video advertisement for Lucky Dog Rescue Orlando, tailored to Spotify’s mobile audience. The project required assembling visuals, scripting, and editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, focusing on the brand’s mission: uniting people to support rescue dogs through a music festival. Instructor feedback prompted refining the ending to emphasize the festival’s headliners and purpose, removing less relevant details like the 501(c)(3) designation.

 

Drawing from principles in Wag the Tagline (Swartz, 2006), the process emphasized crafting a concise, emotionally resonant message, akin to a memorable tagline. Iterative refinement and feedback improved the ad’s storytelling, aligning it with audience expectations and effectively inspiring action. This experience reinforced the importance of merging creative and technical skills to convey a brand’s vision with clarity and impact.

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Balancing Design

With Visual Hierarchy

This critique focused on enhancing design work using visual balance, hierarchy, and contrast. Emilia Knarr’s flagpole banners exemplified strong balance, with symmetrical and asymmetrical compositions effectively guiding the viewer’s eye. Refinements, such as adjusting typography and spacing in St. Patrick’s Day and other designs, improved clarity and hierarchy. Similarly, my work on Kwanzaa, Earth Day, and Halloween banners addressed spacing, type, and color to enhance harmony and reduce distractions. As Ambrose et al. (2020) emphasize, strategic hierarchy and balance are key to creating engaging, professional designs that combine technical skills with creative intent.

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Self-Assessment Design Development

The brand name, tagline, and visual identity for Puss Zen Bamboots were evaluated to ensure they reflected sustainability, nurturance, and creativity, resonating with eco-conscious cat owners. The name Puss Zen Bamboots was chosen for its creative play on Puss in Boots and incorporation of bamboo, while alternatives lacked the same whimsical yet meaningful appeal. The original tagline, “Warning: Jealous Pandas,” was humorous but insufficiently emphasized the brand’s sustainable focus, leading to its replacement with “Zen Elevate Your Cat’s Play,” which better-captured mindfulness and eco-consciousness. The logo transitioned from generic bamboo imagery to a refined circular design with Zen brushstroke patterns, symbolizing harmony and sustainability while enhancing cultural nuance and clarity. These changes, guided by principles of simplicity and effective visual storytelling (Reynolds, 2014), strengthened the brand’s emotional connection with its audience, positioning it as a thoughtful and sustainable choice for pet owners. This process highlighted the importance of cohesive design in creating a compelling and meaningful brand identity (Reynolds, 2014).

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Advanced Logo
Design Integration

The self-assessment process for the Puss Zen Bamboots logo focused on refining the design to align with the brand’s values of Zen philosophy, sustainability, and playfulness. Initial sketches incorporated Zen-inspired elements like stacked stones and circular motifs, symbolizing balance and harmony, as described by Brinker and Kanazawa (1996). These elements were assessed for clarity, adaptability, and alignment with the brand’s mission. Weaknesses, such as overly intricate patterns that distract from the message, were identified and addressed through simplification. For example, the meditative cat design atop Zen stones was refined to emphasize tranquility and stability, while the swirl motif was adjusted for cohesion and continuity. By focusing on minimalism and cultural symbolism, the final designs achieved a harmonious blend of visual appeal and functional adaptability. The iterative process ensured the logo communicated the brand’s ethos effectively, creating a strong identity rooted in Zen aesthetics.

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Advanced Layout Design Integration

This feedback emphasized improving the Table of Contents (TOC) by repositioning contents under the header for clarity and moving directive words to a separate page. This aligns with principles of clean, structured design that enhance usability, as Hara (2007) outlined. Issues with text readability, such as red text on a blue background, created visual strain. To address this, neutral colors and better contrast will ensure readability and a cohesive visual experience. The term “Selective Disregard” on the theme page lacked clarity, and aligning related words on the same side will strengthen the thematic narrative. Simplifying the five logo variations to two or three ensures usability and avoids confusion, a decision rooted in minimizing complexity for practical application. Additionally, providing explanations alongside logo restrictions, rather than relying solely on visual cues like an X, supports clearer brand usage guidelines. While the overall Zen-inspired aesthetic was praised, these refinements focus on improving clarity, functionality, and alignment with the brand’s core values, reflecting the thoughtful and minimalist approach advocated by Hara (2007).

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Branding Through Simplicity & Iteration

The feedback on the Multi-Platform Delivery assignment highlights key strengths while providing constructive guidance for improvement. The media asset selection, production schedule, and vision board were praised for their detailed planning, high quality, and thoughtful alignment with the brand’s Zen-inspired ethos. Unique concept sketches demonstrated clarity and strong execution, contributing effectively to the foundational elements of the project. However, the feedback cautioned against overburdening the Zen ethos with excessive decoration, emphasizing the importance of simplicity and balance. This aligns with the Zen principles discussed by Tedmanson (2022), who highlights the beauty of minimalism and mindfulness in design. The instructor encouraged experimentation and iteration throughout the developmental process, reinforcing the idea that a cohesive brand identity requires focus, tenacity, and refinement over time. These insights will be instrumental in ensuring that the final branding applications remain consistent with the tranquil and reflective values central to the project.

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Peer Evaluation
Refining & Polishing

The feedback from Professor Colleen Cleveland emphasizes the importance of finalizing and posting the polished Brand Playbook for Week 4 peer evaluation. The accomplishments include a functional link, detailed exposition, mood board, self-evaluation, and organized project files, with a reminder to address any missing elements for the next phase. The guidance encourages adopting a creative director’s perspective, focusing on honest evaluation and detail, ensuring the work reflects professionalism and aligns with the brand’s vision. This approach reinforces the importance of critical assessment and refinement in producing high-quality, impactful design deliverables (Cleveland, 2024).

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Fine Tuning A Design Thesis Presentation

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The feedback from Professor Vivian Kerstein highlights key areas for refinement in the initial thesis presentation. While the first phase of the project demonstrated effort and exceeded citation requirements, opportunities for improvement include providing a stronger connection between cited sources and design decisions, enhancing textual hierarchy, and integrating visuals to illustrate research findings. The critique emphasizes the importance of a confident and engaging video synopsis that accurately reflects the research focus. Specific suggestions include avoiding autoplay for accessibility, refining background choices for readability, and adopting a more dynamic layout with clear textual and visual relationships to enhance user engagement and clarity.  This guidance underscores the necessity of aligning research with design outcomes, substantiating claims thoroughly, and presenting findings in a professional, accessible manner. By addressing these aspects, the project can better demonstrate mastery of the Research PLO and deliver a polished, impactful thesis presentation (Kerstein, 2024).

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Consistency, Communication, & Crisis Management

This year-long program and thesis project have provided multiple valuable professional lessons, such as the importance of consistency in meeting deadlines combined with the necessity of proactive communication during times of adversity. Through interactions with instructors and peers, it has become clear that timely submissions not only reflect dedication but also reinforce reliability in collaborative and academic settings. However, challenges such as crises or emergencies can disrupt even the best-laid plans. In such situations, it is vital to promptly inform the institution, ensuring transparency and understanding. This approach minimizes potential setbacks and demonstrates accountability, a principle I strive to uphold in my academic and professional pursuits (Nirmul, 2024).

 

Additionally, addressing misunderstandings or miscommunications requires an extra level of effort. Situations that could escalate are often resolved by escalating concerns appropriately, ensuring all parties have clarity. This proactive mindset has improved not only my academic performance but also my professional approach at Lotus Grafx LLC, where clear communication is essential for managing projects and client relationships (Nirmul, 2024). Research further supports this approach, emphasizing that proactive communication builds trust and enhances organizational efficiency (Llopis, 2014).

 

Reflecting on this year, these insights have significantly shaped my growth. While emergencies are inevitable, managing them effectively by maintaining open channels of communication ensures professionalism is upheld, even under challenging circumstances. This principle will continue to guide my journey as a media professional and business owner.

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References:

  • Ambrose, G., Harris, P., & Theodosiou, S. (2020). The fundamentals of typography. Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

  • Brinker, H., & Kanazawa, H. (1996). Zen: masters of meditation in images and writings. Artibus Asiae.

  • Cleveland, C. (2024). Oct. week 3 feedback. Full Sail University

  • Felton, G. (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy (3rd ed.). W.W. Norton & Company.

  • Greene, R. (2012). Mastery [Kindle version]. Penguin Books.

  • Hara, K. (2007). Designing design. Lars Müller Publishers.

  • Kerstein, V. (2024). Nov. week 1 thesis feedback. Full Sail University.

  • Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2023). Sonic branding. In Universal principles of design 
(Rev. ed.). Rockport Publishers. https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/universal-principles-of/

  • Llopis, G. (2014, March 31). The importance of communication in leadership. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/03/31/the-importance-of-communication-in-leadership/?sh=3eeb2d7f678b

  • McClung, R. (2024). Feb. design challenge: critique and refine. Full Sail University.

  • Meggs, P. B., & Purvis, A. W. (2016). Meggs’ History of Graphic Design (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

  • Swartz, E. (2006). Wag the tagline. NHFA’s home furnishings retailer.

  • Tedmanson, S. (2022). Reaching the stars. Artonview, 108, 6-14. 

  • Nirmul, K. (2024). Professional reflections and principles. Lotus Grafx LLC.

  • Adobe Stock. (2024). Images related to “Zen, Cat (Ninja, Buddha, Monk, Ensō)” for thesis website. https://stock.adobe.com

  • Chase, M. (2024). Various Commercial Designs. Chase Design Group. Retrieved November 20, 2024, from https://www.chasedesigngroup.com
     

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