November 20, 2006

Autumn

Drew Hamlin: 9:30 AM

Summer is over and autumn is already has almost slipped by as well. An update here is long overdue.

Apple. I had a good time at Apple this summer. It was a lot of fun seeing how the company works from the inside. It was my first real experience in such a large work environment. I learned a lot and met some smart people. Silicon Valley — Cupertino, Palo Alto, San Jose, Mountain View, Santa Clara, and the like — is a really nice area.

Visual Communication Design. This quarter I declared my major. Known as VCD for short, it's essentially studies in graphic design. This means it's all about visual structure, composition, layout, color, and other elements. Design is everywhere in the world and great designs make surviving impressions and shape user experience.

I discovered the Design department at UW last year after stumbling across literally breathtaking posters in the halls of the Art building. I don't think they have the best stuff published, and their websites are a little frustratingly awkward to navigate (isn't this the point of design?), but you can check out some galleries of student work: one, two.

3 Comments:

Ripsy: November 20, 2006 3:17 PM

The new format is very nice. I am glad your Apple experience was awesome.

Eptin: November 20, 2006 11:20 PM

If there's one class you must absolutely need to take in the art deparment, take Art 383: Interaction Design. If you're going to take two classes, also take Art 483: Interface Design. Not only are they taught by an excellent professor, Axel Roesler; they are all around useful in covering many unique topics that nicely overlay the design world and consumer electronics.

Chie: December 14, 2006 3:39 AM

so i'm a brown student, background in visual and literary arts and programming/EE, teaching myself PHP, thinking about going into design (RISD is next-door). suggestions? if you got an internship at apple (which i would like, as well)...