Julia Taylor
Getting started in the VCAD Lab was fairly easy. It is very similar to receiving projects from your professor, except you are being assigned a project from a list of on-going projects. Every project starts with identifying the challenge for the project, which is identifying what the client wants. Then we continue to follow the creative process with thumbnails and sketches and so on and so forth. My favorite resource in the VCAD lab is Mr. Gray. He is very knowledgable and helpful with design issues and feedback. For the class itself, I am a fan of Microsoft Teams because it makes sharing files easier. VCAD Lab benefits the Art + Design Department by giving students experience and opportunities to work with clients, as well as creative development. It helps to develop professionalism as well. The lab benefits the university as a whole by minimizing outsourcing costs. It also gives the university the opportunity to have work designed and printed “in house” by students, which gives students the opportunity to demonstrate what we have learned and our capabilities.
I would like to see the VCAD Lab become a one-stop shop for all printing projects. However, I understand there is a limitation of space and finances to support a full one-stop shop. I would like to see the lab become the best that it can possibly be. From the VCAD 499 course, I hope to get more experience with client meetings and interactions, as well as skill and creative development. As of right now, I have not seen too many challenges in management of the lab. Some projects have been put on hold, but that is out of our hands. One challenge is having design assistants on a different schedule than the class, but that is easily resolvable with email and discord for arranging meetings.
VSU ART + DESIGN 