Your questions about Senior Reviews answered!
Senior year – you’re almost there! By now, you have been through four end of semester Reviews in the Communication Design department, and are probably feeling very comfortable with the process. However, during Senior year this process is a little different as you will be presenting your work to faculty in place of an asynchronous review on Google Drive. Even though this is a new experience, don’t worry, we’ve talked to someone who has been through it. In the following interview with Jameson Noonan CD ‘22, we cover some important questions to demystify your Fall Semester Senior Reviews.
Q & A
How are your Senior year classes going so far? What are you taking?
Senior year classes have been great! They are tough work and incredibly demanding, more so than anything I’ve taken in the past, but it has been incredibly fulfilling and rewarding! This semester I am only part time so I’m taking Degree Project and Portfolio, and am a TA for GD1. Last semester I took Graphic Design 4, Advanced Projects 1: Bring Back Joy, Advanced Projects 2: Dynamic Logos, and Social Media Design.
Which classes do you show work for during Senior Reviews for the Fall semester and Spring Semester?
During fall reviews I showed my work from GD4, AP 1 and AP 2. This semester I will be showing the projects I’ve redone in portfolio, and will be presenting my Degree Project during the symposium.
How did you present this work?
I designed a presentation in InDesign where I walked my reviewers through my process. I started with what the assignment was and how I interpreted it initially, then walked through drafts of what wasn’t working, and finally how I was able to land at my final deliverable after learning from my missed steps.
Did this differ from previous years? If yes, how so?
This was a totally new experience, in the past all of our work was dropped into a google drive where we would leave it for a day. After the reviewers had a chance to go in and look through asynchronously, they’d leave us a Google Doc with feedback and critique. It was like we weren’t involved in the actual reviewing at all.
Which has been your favorite project during senior year so far?
Without a doubt it has been my Design Intervention from GD4. I know some people were not as thrilled with this really open ended prompt, but it felt nice to have complete creative control. Especially in the project where we were using design as a tool to solve a problem rather than as a medium to create something commercial.
How do you prepare for Reviews throughout the semester?
I try to make a presentation to be able to present my work whether in person or on zoom. Screen sharing has made it really easy to just show what you are working on directly in Illustrator or InDesign. If you make a presentation to actually show what you are doing in a more organized manner, you will be able to practice speaking about your work as the semester goes on. Plus, when the time comes to make a presentation for reviews, you’ll be able to pull elements out of pre-existing Powerpoints and save yourself time during the busiest part of the semester!
What have you learned by participating in the CD Reviews throughout your time at MassArt?
I’ve learned how to talk about my work. Before I really started to buy into reviews and critiques, I would just show my work and expect feedback. Reviews helped me articulate what I was feeling about my work, where I was stuck, and where I needed help. You can bring that skill with you to jobs and internships, and to critique with your classmates. Your work will hit new highs once you learn how to present your work and process.
Any other tips for future seniors preparing for their last rounds of CD Reviews?
It can be really hard to present your work in a structured and professional manner, but you also can really enjoy it too. It is supposed to be stressful and make you nervous, but it is an opportunity to get to talk about design with people who love it just as much as you do. On top of that, they know more than you and are willing to help you get better. As much as feedback can sting sometimes when you’ve worked hard, it’s going to make you a much better designer.
Oh and practice before real reviews, even if you don’t think you need to. You do, I promise.
