I’ll be the first to admit, I wish I could do all of my projects to 210% of my ability. But with multiple school projects, working twenty hours a week, and trying to adult, it gets to be a lot sometimes. Because of my busy school and work life, sometimes my projects aren’t to the caliber that I try to uphold. So with some extra time this week, I wanted to revise some past projects.
Victim number one, I mean project number one, was my packaging design from last semester. I love the idea of it, but it just felt a little flat to me. The back seemed too plain.
The original packaging design
I made some minor adjustments, by increasing the size of the tagline above the rainbow, and keeping the rectangle motif. I think that helped it feel a bit more streamlined and professional feeling.
slightly tweaked packaging designnew logo type w/tweaked packaging design
I wanted to play around with the logo design as well. It just felt a bit rushed. In the future, I’ll take my revised versions to my teacher to get some feedback. The new logo design is growing on me. What do you think?
Hopefully I’ll post some more revised projects. Until then!
After the exhausting saga of calling my local legislators, I wanted to draft up a quick library flyer design. I’m not looking to print them en mass from another site, so I want to print them on a 11 x 8.5″ sheet of paper.
The Process
I opened up InDesign and started with a 11 x 8.5” size file. I snapped guides to divide it into four even sections.
I looked at my original poster design. I wanted to take the elements of the big poster and condense it into a small flyer.
After looking at the previous poster, I decided I wanted: a headline, short summary, and a qr code with resources.
The Final Flyer Design
Side by Side Comparison
The Flyer The Original Poster
I can’t decide if I need the black outline or not. It might make the flyers easier to cut (or at least, that was the idea).
How do you design flyers? I’m off to finish some homework. Ciao!
I think everyone on the planet has a linkedin profile, myself included. However, I have not done much with it besides create an account. With some extra time during my first week of school, I wanted to try to beef up my profile.
What I did
Added work experience and skills
I included soft skills and more technical ones
Started watching Learning Linkedin (on linkedin learning)
Change my profile and banner picture
Eventually, I need to update my headshot
Added my college details (degree type, AAS, awards, etc)
Connected with classmates/previous classmates to expand my network
I’ll admit, I definitely need to learn more about how to manage my LinkedIn profile. But I have a great start and hopefully will have more to add in the next months before graduation!
How do you clean up your LinkedIn profile? Any tips or tricks?
I’ve been wanting to make an informative social media post about contacting reps for my library awareness campaign. So, the only way I could give a lot of helpful information was to do it myself.
I found my legislators and called the first one. There was only one number listed, so I called and got an intern. I was expecting a robot to direct me to my legislator’s phone (can you tell I’ve never contacted my reps before?!). I explained to the intern that I wanted to contact my legislator about library funding. I was given the option to either let the intern leave a message or to give my name and number so my legislator could call me back. I went with the latter. I didn’t get a call back from that legislator that day. (I plan to follow up with an email or call again if I don’t get a response in a few days)
I went on to call my next rep, but I called his personal phone. It went to voicemail, and I started reading off my script, but I got cut off after two minutes. I’d suggest keeping your messages concise and/or giving a summary with a request for a callback. My second rep called me a few hours later and left me a voicemail the same day. In his voicemail, he mentioned that he would try to restore some funding, but that cuts would have to be made and might make other people unhappy. I suggest maybe having some compromises in your back pocket (ex: I understand budget cuts need to be made. I suggest cutting the four million expenditure for private school vouchers to restore the SD library budget.)
For my third rep, I ended up emailing him. I found the email along with his phone number. I went back and edited my phone script before sending my email. I got a response later that night.
The Social Media Plan
I wanted to share my experience and tips on contacting my legislators on Instagram and Facebook. I used a Canva template. It’s a lot of information to share! I tried keeping my post simple and then linked a detailed experience in my linktree. I really hope this helps people contact their reps!
Have you ever contacted your local rep? Let me know below. Until next time!
Well team, figuring out how to find your legislators has been a hassle. It’s what I’m working on currently for my library awareness social media campaign. Right now I’m in the midst of finding out how to contact legislators about library funding. I’ll update yall on that later.
Right now, I try to post every other day on my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I primarily repost SD Library Association updates, resources, and legislature updates.
I usually make Instagram posts using Canva templates. Ideally, I’d like to hand craft each post in Adobe programs, but I don’t have that time with school and work.
A recent postThe second post image
I’ve also started hanging up flyers in my spare time. I don’t have as many hung up around town, but I’m trying when I have time.
One of my posters I hung up
In the meantime, I’ll be starting up school and going to work. I’ll keep you updated!
I’m alive I swear! I’ve been busy with work and catching up on adulting. The current library campaign has also been taking up a lot of my energy. (sdlibraryadvocates on Insta and FB if you wanna take a look!)
I’ve been trying to create posts highlighting library resources and spreading awareness of the proposed budget cuts. I also had to make Instagram and Facebook accounts. That was the easy part, figuring out how to connect them was more difficult. I printed off 30 posters at my local library and have yet to hang them around town. I’ll get to that on my days off, this Wednesday and Thursday.
An Instagram post I designed in Canva
In other news, I’ve been preparing for school and buying books. Hopefully, I can keep the momentum going in the effort to save the library! I was able to talk to the president of the SD Library Association and find out that there will be more resources coming.
Well guys, it’s been a busy break! I visited more family, worked on more projects, and am trying to stay in my software.
Adding the yarnAlmost done!Hung out with my family at Falls Park
After seeing my mom’s side of the family for Christmas, I used my days off of work to start an awareness campaign. Right now, the proposed South Dakota budget reduces the SD Library budget by 64%! Click here for the article. I’ve always loved the library and want to let South Dakotans know. Together we can let our voices be heard and retain our amazing library resources.
So as a start for my campaign, I wanted to create posters. I like my initial Lorax idea but upon second glance, the Lorax is a copyrighted icon. So he had to go.
The first poster idea
I decided to keep my poster simple. I really wanted to make it eye-catching and memorable, but time is of the essence in this moment. By going with a simple poster, I’m able to redirect my energy into the social media aspect.
The final form! (for now)
Now that I have a poster made, my plan is to print off copies and hang them up around town. Maybe even in surrounding towns. I also created a social media account (sdlibraryadvocates) on Facebook and Instagram. My goal is to highlight the many resources that our state library provides for us, as well as how to fight the proposed budget cut.
I’ll keep you posted on my library crusade! Until next time 🙂
Winter break is in full swing! I’ve been meaning to blog, but I’ve been sooo busy. Between working, I went to see my family in Minnesota and then caught up with some old friends.
I tried Chilis for the first time with my friend Emma!I got all dressed up for my first Graphic Design job interview!I was able to visit my Grandma, Great-grandpa, and Aunt for a bitWent to my local library and found a book that wasn’t fiction lolContinued working on my Firey plush!
I don’t know about you guys, but after staring at a screen for four hours, I need a little break. So, I decided to compile some things you can do to when you need to get away from the screen.
things to do other than staring at a screen
Find a new hobby
Start an art project
Make handmade gifts
Journal
Write good (or bad) poetry
Call a friend or family member
Hang out with loved ones
Try a new coffee place
Look at holiday lights
Go to a museum
Fold laundry
Clean your room
Meal prep
Grocery shop
Literally anything just nothing involving your phone
Additional Ideas:
Get your doggo a pup cup and some coffee for yourselfSee a movie with your familyTry a new drink at a local place
For me, I’ll be finishing up craft projects I’ve abandoned. For example, I’ll be working on a firey plushie (tutorial here) and wrapping up some homemade Christmas gifts for friends.
I’ve been chipping away at my final projects! Right now, I’m finalizing my last article spread. I really want to have it nearly finished so I can get feedback and turn in my magazine before class ends tomorrow.
Here are my different iterations:
I think I’m leaning towards the last one. Maybe I’ll change the top bar color.
I’m also working on my perfume label. It’s come a long way since my last update.
When I got some pointers from my teacher, it was clear that he wanted imagery instead of illustration. I might switch the colors from green to orange because it is an orange scent. Not too sure right now.
That’s all she wrote! (for now) Wishing all students an easy finals week.
