pp: reading response

http://frankchimero.com/blog/what-advice-would-you-have-for-a-graphic-design-student/

Frank Chimero's advice was comforting to read, especially to know that some of the things I am going through as a designer are universal. Direct and straightforward, his snippets also gave me insight on things I would have never thought of before.

Advice that resonated with me:

• "Most decisions are gray, and everything lives on a spectrum of correctness and suitability."
• Throughout my years in the graphic design department at KCAI, I have always felt conflicted about what was good design and what was not. Everyone in class, including the teacher, would have different opinions that I did not agree with at times. However, one truth that I realized is that design depends on the context.
• "Quiet is always an option, even if everyone is yelling."
• Loud design is just as valuable as quiet design. Both have a time and place. In terms of character, extraversion and introversion have their good points and bad. 
• "...beat them by being more thoughtful. Thoughtfulness is free and burns on time and empathy."
• Sometimes you won't have the adequate amount of resources, but quality always beats quantity. I want to always remember this because sometimes I overcompensate with quantity in order to hide the fact that its quality is lacking.
• "Don't become dependent on having other people pull it out of you while you're in school. If you do, you're hosed once you graduate."
• I like school because there are clear standards and the assignments are given to you step by step. However, I have to get used to designing in the real world and being self-motivated to complete projects.
• "Take things away until you cry. Accept most things, and reject most of your initial ideas....Find a good seat outside."
• Getting stuck is a given when you're working in a creative field. I constantly have designer's block. Whenever I feel like I'm going nowhere, I need to shake things up and try different combinations. 
• "Design is just a language, it's not a message."
• I'm not exactly sure what Frank Chimero meant by this, but it sounded insightful. Perhaps he meant that design is a way of communication; a way to transmit information, not to create its own message. 
• "Learn your design history."
• As someone who's double-majoring in Graphic Design and Art History, I'm the sort of person who needs to be grounded in where the subject began/its origins. It helps me see how trends were created and how we came to where we are currently.
• "Start brave and brash."
• "Be wary of minimalism as an aesthetic decision without cause."

Thanks Frank Chimero!