Continuing Education

I've been out of school for almost 10 years now and never thought I'd ever go back. But with the advancement of technology and the general progression of graphic design, I was starting to feel like a "Classic Mac" in a world full of "Mac Pros". With that, I decided it was time to go in for some upgrades.

My first plan of action into a higher education was to see what was in demand. A graphic designer with web design experience seemed to be it so I signed up for a Flash course in January at BCIT.

Unfortunately it ended up getting canceled on me due to low registration so I had to figure out which path to pursue next.

Many established designers have told me that it's best to specialize in one area of design. Why? Well, it's really impossible to know everything the graphic design field has to offer and I agree. It's an overwhelming amount of knowledge that one person can't possibly grasp and be productive at. But if you're specialized, you're an expert and know everything there is to know about the subject matter.

This got me thinking whether web design was something I wanted to seriously pursue in my design career. My answer was, no. Print design is what I know best, and what I love to do, so why pursue something just for someone else's sake? Seemed silly to me so I went in search for some print design courses that would allow me to grow and offer me something I may not already have experienced in the design world.

After many days and many nights of research (and patience), I am now registered for the Communication Design Certificate at Emily Carr and couldn't be more ecstatic! Not only am I taking one or two courses to upgrade my skills, I'm starting on a whole new course of study that will earn me a certificate in communication design when I am finished.

The first course starts in a couple of months so I'll be blogging about my new adventures as a 28-year old student, right here once it starts. Stay tuned...