Blog Archives

Hometown: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Why did you pick your major and what do you want to do with your degree?

Media design has always been an interest of mine. I switched from the Architecture program to the Media Design program when I realized its what I want to do for a living.

What makes NewSchool special?

The small classes and one-on-ones with the professors make the learning experience special.

What was your favorite class at NewSchool and why?

The packaging design classes are my personal favorite because its what I want to specialize in.

What was your favorite project?

My favorite project is one of my 4th year projects, Schweet. I created an 80s inspired brand identity, packaging, and an ad campaign for my made up canned condensed milk brand.

Where is your favorite spot on campus and why?

Definitely the Mac lab. Its where we have most of our Media Design classes and are provided with necessary software to work + it’s always quiet and easy to work at.

What do you plan to do after graduation?

I plan on going to graduate school in NYC.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

My artwork has been published in a book for a museum in Tübingen, Germany and in an NPR article by Deborah Amos.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

Pick your instructors’ brains – you can never learn enough.

We hear you recently won an award at the 2018 American Advertising Awards – which one and what was it for?

Yes, I actually won 5 awards. My Meshuggah Shack rebrand won 3: the People’s Choice award, a gold award, and Best of Show. Schweet won 2 bronze awards: one for brand identity and one for packaging.

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Why did you choose to study graphic design?

I am aiming to focus on a career of branding, advertisement design, and various forms of graphic design to help develop the image of companies. I have always been very impressed by logos, branding, and design and believe they can help to make or break a business. I want to be able to help small businesses grow a strong brand in the early stages as well as help redevelop those designs that are more mature.

What makes earning a degree at NewSchool special?

I have been able to get to know my professors in a way I haven’t been able to at previous schools. NewSchool is a more personal environment and growth is not on a broad scale, but an independent conversation. Learning design here is special because it not only teaches me how to be a “good” designer but actually trains me to look at my environment differently and understand the impact of that design.

What has been your favorite thing about attending NewSchool?

My favorite thing thus far has been the community with the professors. I have attended another large university and a community college and have never been at a level to ask a professor for a letter of recommendation like I have here, have conversations outside of the classroom, discuss global events, and genuinely know their personalities before NewSchool.

What are your career goals after you graduate?

I hope to work at either a firm or within a company to solve design problems with logos, packaging, and branding. I want to continuously work on new, exciting projects and be in an environment where I can excel in creativity and develop strong relationships with clients.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

People may be surprised to learn that I moved to California on a whim and did not know a single person in this half of the country when I moved here from Texas. I have lived all over the South but something about the West Coast called my name and the creative energy it presents is unparalleled.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

Incoming students – make friends with everyone. Do not be closed off to a small friend circle, invite new people to things, strike up a conversation with professors in the hallway, and spread the positivity you want to embrace.

Why should a prospective student choose NewSchool?

NewSchool allows its students to actually know what is happening within the school. There is a stronger connection between students and staff than I have seen before. I love being able to easily make appointments, have conversations, and grow to know the professors and staff here. Schools that operate on a much larger scale are not actually learning about their students, rather focusing on a grade. Here, the material we learn is rarely tested and the quality of work is what determines “success.”

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Why did you pick your major and what do you want to do with your degree?

I have been in graphic design classes since I was a sophomore in high school, 6 years ago now, so it was an easy choice for me. I’m not entirely sure where I’ll end up with my degree, but I would love to be an in-house designer for a company that has sustainable practices.

What makes NewSchool special?

NewSchool is special because here you are getting hands-on experience through projects and being taught by teachers who are actually in the industry.

What was your favorite class at NewSchool and why?

My favorite class has been Typography II because I have always loved playing with fonts and in this class we learned how to make our own font and be creative with it.

What was your favorite project?

My favorite project has been the band project we did for Graphic Design for Print. It included a band poster, record cover, record sleeve, and vinyl design. I liked it because it combined branding, packaging, and typography all in one.

What is your favorite memory at NewSchool?

The best memory I have here is finals week for my first quarter. It was the most stressed and busy I had ever been, but the satisfaction of getting everything done was the best feeling.

Where is your favorite spot on campus and why?

Where you’ll find me in between classes is the student lounge. It’s such a great place to do homework and catch up with friends.

What do you plan to do after graduation?

I don’t know what my plan for after graduation is yet, hopefully it includes finding a great job.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

Most people don’t know that, even though I am a full-time student and have a part-time job, I spend the majority of my time cuddling with my two dogs.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

My advice for new students would be to not be nervous. Coming to a new school is always a bit intimidating, but everyone here, the staff, teachers, and current students, are all so welcoming. Also, to have fun in all your classes while still working hard.

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

Hometown: San Diego, California

Why did you choose to study graphic design?

The digital creative field of study has always been a passion of mine.

What makes earning a degree at NewSchool special?

A bachelor’s in graphic design would enhance my small business’s chance at success.

What has been your favorite thing about attending NewSchool?

The environment of creative and inspiring students.

What are your career goals after you graduate?

To own my own multimedia animation studio and produce the things I’ve always wanted for myself but never had.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I am self-taught in the fields of digital art, piano, martial arts, and animation.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

Focus on working hard and producing the best work you can IN class, even if it doesn’t seem worth it. It will in the long shot.

Aubree’s Favorite Class Project

A project that inspired me was my Media class in the Spring quarter of 2020. Despite being online due to Covid-19, I learned so much about the 3D animation program, Blender. My instructor, Prof Genadi Radiul, set up a syllabus that enhanced our focus and drive to produce a minute-long rendered animation of a detailed living space consisting of at least one moving object.

Hometown: San Diego, California

Why did you choose to study graphic design?

As a creative entrepreneur, skills in graphic design can prove beneficial to my future business endeavors regarding marketing.

What makes earning a degree at NewSchool special?

The factors of Graphic Design extend to many other creative fields and is a great skill-set for any creator to have. NewSchool engages this creative collaboration into media design efficiently.

What has been your favorite thing about attending NewSchool?

The school is very focused with a supportive community and reliable faculty. I’ve met some great students at NewSchool as well as participated in some of their fun events.

What are your career goals after you graduate?

I plan to officially open our multi-media company Broken Chalice Studios as the co-owner and fully invest in our creative projects, including my book series.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I’m a self-published author, a martial artist, and aspiring filmmaker.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

Don’t be afraid to question things. Learn from others but don’t let opinions smother your own creative visions. Have a clear manifesto that you stand by, and be open-minded always.

Why should a prospective student choose NewSchool?

NewSchool is a school with a great community of students and an easy-to-navigate campus.