The first half of the design unit was filled with information. The more surface level history and information provided in the first few links of the unit was interesting, but I took the most from the readings from Giggster and especially from The Vignelli Canon. The Giggster article was a nice refresher on design vocabulary that was needed. I still know what all of those words mean, but to have them defined in a specific design context made it more clear for this unit. The Vignelli Canon had great information described in my reflection on the booklet.

The main thing that was harder than expected was getting my brain into a creative mode. Getting started on each of these assignments was the hardest part. I would sit for too long trying to figure out what to do and how to incorporate the requirements with the creative design aspect. However, things actually start to flow once i get an idea and start to run with it. The Trading Card assignment took me way too long to come up with something, even though the character I came up with was like a fictional stretch of reality.

The thing that was easier than expected for the design unit was creating and managing the blog posts. I have gotten a lot more experience now using WordPress and integrating other forms of media into it than I was in the last unit. I am also more clear on the overall expectations for the unit which made completing the assignments easier.

The only thing I could think of that frustrated me this unit was trying to come up with photos that fit the design concepts for the Design Blitz assignment. The first two, balance and proportion, I thought of and got the pictures and wrote up the descriptions immediately. However, the last two took me forever to come up with something for any of the remaining four choices. I thought of the best I could for rhythm and dominance.

The thing I enjoyed most about the design unit was being able to create fictional stories that were still based off images and things that I created. The Story as a Game assignment was fun to think about and take the fictional character from the trading card to the next level. I could see myself taking it even further when I get some free time and maybe even turning it into something functional. I also enjoyed the Destination Poster assignment where I was able to think back to vacation in Florida. I am not used to needing the creative side of my brain for assignments, so this was refreshing be able to do something a little different.