Follow your dreams and be weird. Essential advice from the latest Tomorrow Makers podcast, crafted by Pennsylvania College of Technology.
In "Get Weird," meet masters of design Nick Stephenson, graphic design instructor, and Ali Petrizzi, 2020 graphic design graduate and a senior UX designer for Microsoft.
The dynamic duo discusses the diverse avenues and freelance opportunities available in the graphic design field. Topics touched up include AI, data, bad design, good design and following your dreams.
The Penn College faculty member says students considering graphic design as a major and career don't have to be good artists; they just need to appreciate good design, want to communicate something with the world and be willing to embrace their weird ways.
"One of my favorite graphic designers says the things that made you weird as a kid make you awesome as an adult," Nick shares. "We think about things differently, and we can figure out ways to take a message and make it this really interesting visual that makes people go, 'Wow! What a cool idea!' So I think that, sometimes, the things that make us envision or see the world differently can really translate well to creating really interesting design."
Ali's advice? "Be playful, be fun with it, be curious ... be persistent."
And be sure to push play!
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