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Chanel Montgomery

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Published on:

November 14, 2023

Chanel Montgomery

Hometown: Delzura, California

What led you to pursue a degree in design?

Growing up I had always loved painting and creating in general, but the stereotype of a broke, starving artist haunted me. I had every intention of becoming an engineer in high school as I excelled in math but still looked forward to my art classes the most. In my junior year, I realized my beloved painting class was already full, so I reluctantly enrolled in a graphic design course. It only took me the first class to realize that this is exactly what I wanted to pursue.

In your opinion, what makes NewSchool special?

The majority of my classmates and professors are from outside of the United States. It creates a really distinctive environment when everyone’s experiences and cultures are brought into one conversation.

What has been your favorite thing about attending NewSchool?

The small class sizes are great because I get so much 1-on-1 time with my professors. It also allows for each student to get in-depth critique every time we meet as a studio which simply wouldn’t happen with a larger class.

What are your career goals after you graduate?

My immediate goal is to work with a creative agency that specializes in branding and marketing. I am also working towards learning more about web design.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I’ve traveled to 13 countries and I plan to travel to many more.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

When I first started here, I assumed inspiration and good ideas just come when you need them. This is rarely the case. Sometimes the perfect idea just hits you, but more often than not you need to search for inspiration. So follow design accounts on your Instagram, buy some cool design books to flip through, read design blogs, and follow the people who make you excited to make something. Also, good file management lets you spend more time designing and less time looking for document_version3_finalFINAL_LASTFINALVERSION.

Why should women and girls pursue an education in the design industry?

There are amazing male designers, but even the best creatives in the world can’t put themselves in everyone’s shoes. Understanding the end user’s perspective is crucial for good design, so having a diverse design team that can relate to the needs of the user/viewer means having a higher chance of nailing the design.

What has you most excited about the future?

A lot of designers in this era seem to be as passionate as I am about the environment. I’m excited to be one of the designers that will help push sustainability into the commercial setting.

Why should a prospective student choose NewSchool?

Because you are exposed to other creative fields of study besides your own major, you come out as a very well-rounded designer.

Click here to check out Chanel’s favorite class project

A Very Short Story by Ernest Hemingway – Layout & Illustration
Third Year B.S. in Graphic Design & Interactive Media Project
Instructor: Yoav Herman

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