Self Evaluation and Analysis Exercise

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Today was the first day of Professional Practices class. It's a class of learning attitudes to become a professional designers. We also learning what's our & portfolio's Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat (SWOT).

For the first exercise, ms Tari asked us to fill a questionnaire about Skills/Interest Survey for Graphic Design Students:

And for the 1st exercise, we're asked to do a Self Evaluation and Analysis Exercise. Here's mine:

Self Evaluation and Analysis Exercise

Name: Nadia Larashari Shabrina

Batch: 9

TASK

1.   Do a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats) analysis of yourself and of your portfolio (10 to 15 pieces of your choice).

2.   3 Career direction and state reason.

3.   Write down your career dreams/aspirations.

4.   Between you and your peers, give feedback and constructive criticism on point no. 2.

5.   Create a career plan.

SWOT

MYSELF

Strength:

-       Before I’m done something, I used to list up what should I do.

-       I always want to know why something happened.

-       If there is an obstacle, I always try myself to think the alternative way to surpass the obstacle.

-       Love to participate in something for example an event, exhibition, etc.

-       Excited on new things.

-       Ask something that I don’t understand until it seems clear for me. I don’t want to be a passive person because I don’t like a passive person.

-       Welcome on criticism from others.

-       Have some targets to finish. For example ‘I’ve to do the exercise at 1 p.m. and have to finish it today”.

-       Love to share and tell stories.

-       Love to help.

-       Love giving ideas.

-       Open.

-       Feel comfortable to follow my own schedule then others.

-       Earnest.

-       I don’t like to be late.

-       Reliable?

-       Expecting and thinking about something before it was done (time management). For example “I have to go to school at 7. So I have to wake up at 6:00. Take a shower until 6:15. Then prepare everything that has to be carried on.” So I’ve an extra time before 7 o’clock to think what else that I’ve to prepare to avoid the unexpected incident.

-       Friendly.

-       Concepting and execution.

-       Branding? And Identity?

-       Enjoy something that I love.

-       Have an experience on organization.

-       Photography

Weakness

-       Over thinking. Always think something that I shouldn’t have to think about it.

-       Sometimes, I feel tidak enak hati (too much expecting and worrying about other’s feeling).

-       Expecting too much. It makes me disappointed.

-       Sometimes, I feel not fit in someone. It makes me feel unpleasant.

-       Sometimes hard to choose between some options. Because too many consideration.

-       Panic of deadline.

-       Infrequently on reading. Get bored if I found a book that contains too much word. Better to hear someone that already master on it than read. Or maybe watching a video is also better.

-       If I’m thinking about something (or doing something that have to make an extra effort), sometimes I don’t like to be disturbed. So it makes my mood unstable.

-       Jealous.

-       Always asking someone’s opinion. It makes me not usual in deciding something by myself.

-       If I’m tired, sometimes I’m moaning.

-       Not spontaneous.

-       Doesn’t like anything that makes me more feel not in the mood when I was not in the mood.

-       Not in the mood of something that I don’t really like.

-       Knowledge on good resources.

-       A bit nervous before doing a presentation.

-       Not maximum on working if there’s something that makes me uncomfortable. But don’t know how to make it less uncomfortable. For example the annoying people.

-       Painting, drawing, and stuffs.

-       Don’t know anything about coding.

-       Knowledge on printing things.

Opportunity

-       Maybe someone likes to work with me because I’m friendly, love to make fun situation and has a good time management?

-       People will trust me because I’m reliable.

-       People will be interested on me because I have an experience on organization.

-       They will not feel bored with me because love to tell stories.

Threats

-       Many good designers born. So I’ve to find what makes me more special and different than others.

-       Graphic design is getting more famous. So, I’ve to face many competitors.

-       Have to be an extraordinary person. Because if I’m just an ordinary people, the world couldn’t see me so have to find specialty side of me.

-       Fun will distract me.

-       Lulled on exciting things and forgot my own responsibilities.

-       Lose with someone who has more links.

-       Lose with someone who has more knowledge and information.

MY PORTFOLIO

Strength

-       Color matching.

-       Layout.

-       Concept.

-       Have many options before deciding the fixed one.

-       Has a logic excuse.

Weakness

-       Sometimes done too much color.

-       Information about paper (paper options, sources, and knowledge).

-       Still confuse on deciding typefaces.

-       Sometimes out from the concept.

Opportunity

-       Because I have a logic concept, people could trust on me.

-       If I have a strong concept, it could be my greatest weapon to make people trust on me.

-       Could give others alternative options if another person doesn’t like one of my creations.

Threats

-       Lose with another portfolio that has a unique paper or things

-       Done too much color will be lose with something simpler and straightforward.

 3 CAREER DIRECTIONS

1.   A broad

So far, my plan is having college in UK until I have a bachelor degree. After that I want to search some tuition for master degree to go to US because I think US is the place for graphic design. Graphic design was developed there. And why I’m choosing two different places for begin my career, because I think in UK, I’ll learn design more to technically. But when I have a master degree on US, I’ll learn design by not forgetting the business side. That’s why I want to know both of them.

After that I want to work a broad, maybe in US, to quit from my comfort zone. Because I think US’s and Indonesian culture is totally different. When I’m working a broad, I will absorb information and experience as many as I can. I want to have many experiences first and exploring at another place that out of my comfort zone.

If I already feel enough on mu experience there, I want to move to my hometown again, Indonesia.

2.   Work on a huge design company

In Indonesia I want to work on a huge design company because huge design company must have clients from many huge and famous brands, for example Garuda Indonesia, etc. And I think to defend something that is already famous is harder than to make something infamous become famous. So, it challenging me in making that everlasting huge company or maybe better.

And I also want to give the design company huge influences and make them know and open its eyes to see the world out there (because I have experience on working outside Indonesia).

I also want to make Indonesia a significant change on graphic design by giving some creations on the huge design company. When I work on a huge design company, I want to be the creative director. Wondering maybe it’s fun to solve the riddle.

3.   Identity (Branding)

So far, for the specialty, I’m interested on Identity or branding because it’s so fun to know the background or something. It’s like you know the other side of something. Less or more, it’s like stalking someone. It’s like solving the riddle. And working on branding should be fun! Because it’s like “sprucing” something. And make other people curious. I really like to make other people curious.

Working on identity or branding also makes other people to know the brand well on simple things. I like to make something simpler but still have a good and trusting concept.

CAREER DREAM AND ASPIRATION

-       I want to be a young graduated:

Now I’m 17, I’ll be graduated from UIC on February 2015 (18 years old). On October, the time I’m turning 19, I’ll go to UK because I was accepted on a good university there. And got a bachelor degree on 2016 (20 years old). After that, I want to search for scholarship to USA to get my master degree and graduated on 2017 (21 years old).

-       I want to make Indonesian people to “not be fooled” by cheap things with a zero concept:

For example some of the printing company in Indonesia give some offers of making a cheap business card. But from my point of view, most of people here just think, “it was just a business card, why we have to think about it?” It’s not that simple. I think if we care until the little pieces of things, it would impress everyone. And from the business card, I think it is another way to people knows you well from the simple thing like business card.

-       People in Indonesia are not usual on conceptual thinking. I just want people here knows that everything has to have a concept.

-       I want to be invited on a famous talk show in Indonesia and inspired everyone as a graphic designer:

First of all I want to share my experience and knowledge that I got from another country.

Secondly, it’s because of many people has a short thinking of design. Many people especially in Indonesia think that design couldn’t fulfill your needs. You wont be success if you learn design. People thinks that they have to study on economic, technic, doctor, and everything that has an exact knowledge to be success and has many money. All they know design is only painting, drawing, and stuffs. And they also think it is not important.

I want to change people mindset on design and know how important and give a huge influences it is.

-       I want to work with conducive atmosphere:

I mean, I want to have a good working atmosphere, I want to designing my place of work like home so it’s homey and comfortable, less stress. I want to finish my work on time so I have no homework to do.

-       Friends = family

I also want to have open-minded partners of work. Not the egoist one. So everything that we do we could discuss it. I want to have and make my friends like family so there’s no secret between us and everyone is open. There’s no awkward feeling on work.

I want to work with fun and got a enjoy feeling. It also influenced by fun friends (or partner of work).

-       I want to have stability between career and family. I don’t want to be a woman who forgetting her family and just having fun with her works. I want to decrease the overtime.

-       Maybe I want to be a creative director because I love solving a problem and discussing with people.

-       This is my dream. I want to be the one whom everyone needs not the one who need someone. So, people are finding me not I’m finding someone.

-       I want to have experience as many as it can.

-       I want to have financial free before I’m getting 30:

So, I could enjoy the result of my hard works. One of my satisfaction is I want to travel around the world, got a feasible home, makes my family proud, having a happy life, and got many experiences.

FEEDBACK AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FROM PEERS

CAREER PLAN CONTENT

a.    Description of your career direction and your goals

-       First, I want to start my career and get many experiences out of Indonesia. Because it’s not my comfort zone. Maybe on Europe and USA. My target is having a bachelor degree on UK then searching for scholarship tuition for master degree to USA.

-       Secondly, I’ll make some works experience there so I’ll have enough knowledge about graphic design world from developed countries.

-       After I had enough knowledge I’ll go back to Indonesia. So I’ll have plus point then my competitors.

-       So far I’m interested on branding and identity so I’ll be focusing on things that I enjoy at the time. I believe that if I do something that makes me feel enjoy, it wouldn’t makes me feel burdened. So I’ll be working with maximum effort.

-       I want to work on huge design firm like landor, etc. the goal is I’ve to search many experience first to make me looks more special than other competitors.

b.   Skill and experience you have in order to achieve your career plan

-       I have a skill on organization. So, I’ve an experienced on that area. Based from the experience that I got, I was learning about time management. How to manage something that you have to done firstly than the other (arranging something from most urgent to less urgent). Which one has an extra effort and which one has less effort.

-       I think I’m a friendly person so I have a skill on easy to get along.

-       I have a skill on makes everything in balance because on high school I have so many events to be participated. But I have to watch my academic score also. So, I’ve learned to make them in balance.

-       I could make a schedule about things that I’ve to work on it. Because, it makes the work more structural and I can expect the time.

-       I was experienced on organizing event because I was participated on some events.

c.    Your advantages or strengths over you competitors that can be used to achieve your career plan

-       My strength maybe on the concept. And I always trying to show the concept.

-       Good time management.

-       Being late is not my attitude.

-       Experiences. On organization, event, and internship.

-       Earnestness. Never give up if I want to get something that I want.

-       People could work in a fun way with me. Because I’m a kind of person that want to make everything relax, but still going on. I also friendly.

d.   Development and analysis of opportunities exist to achieve your career plan

-       Changing the people mindset of “simple thing is shouldn’t have to take that serious”. As I was saying before, for example an offer of making a cheap business card from printing company in Indonesia.

-       Maybe, one of the way on changing people mindset is I’ve to make great creations to prove that graphic design is a convince job.

-       Care of little things. To impress people that I’m a detail and a serious person.

e.    Strategies for self-promotion to achieve your career plan

-       Keep searching my strength and weakness to know things that makes me different with other competitors.

-       Don’t ever forget on little things.

-       Keep searching experiences as many as I can.

-       Want to be participated on some events. Still searching some opportunities.

-       Certificate hunting.

-       Following many competitions.

-       Learning and following the news to add my knowledge.

-       Be detail.

-       Always challenging my self to ask questions as many as I can.

f.      Day-to-day basis management in achieving your career plan

-       My plan is I’ve to done something on time. On that day. As fast as I can. So, I could have more time for take a rest then become fresher.

-       If I have a break time I want to utilize it well.

-       Accustom with earnestness.

-       I really need day-to-day basis management to know some targets to be finished. So I feel like not on an obscurity.

g.    Equipment necessary to achieve your career plan

-       MacBook or iMac. Apple computers.

-       Blog. It’s like my diary, recording everything that I’ve done. So I have a back up files.

-       So far, some important software I needs are Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Application of Microsoft like PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.

-       Hard disk for backing up files.

-       Scanner

-       Fast Internet. Wi-Fi is more practical.

-       SLR Camera for documentation. I always documenting my activities.

-       iPhone. Beside for communicating with everyone becomes easier, it more practical and faster. The applications iPhone has are helping. It’s like you have everything on this piece of technology (voice recording, good qualities of camera, video, etc.)

h.    Your career concluding statement

So, the conclusion of my career is I want to do something that I love. I want to be pure. I want to be success. But the important thing is, I want people knows the real me. I don’t want Adia become a liar person, not an open person, not as it is. I want to feel comfortable on my career. So, I want become myself and people will know there’s only one Adia in the world. I just want to be success Adia. I want to feel comfortable become the real me.