The teacher let us pull the item out of a bag.  She held my selection up to the complaining class and asked, “Does anyone think they have one that is more challenging than this?”  Everyone shut up and then she looked at me and said, “I know you are up to it.” 

Oh brother!  Seriously…who wants to hear that from their teacher? Not that I mind a challenge…but make it a fun one!  However, sometimes teachers have more faith in you than you do in yourself!  But wow was this project boring!  I had to reach back to the previous week’s notes and try to really absorb step number one in the design process:  1. Accept the Situation.

That aside…here is the bag or paper clippy:

From that point, we spent one week “ideating” –  a fancy way of saying taking pot shots in the dark and hoping one of those are lucky enough to be a workable idea.

We did some mind mapping (Lainey and I went to breakfast to do this activity.)  We brainstormed and we drew thumbnails.  A lot of work that convinced me that I am NOT a graphic artist.  I just don’t love it enough.

The following week we got onto Illustrator and created the final pieces.  The pictogram was pretty easy.  The ideogram (very abstract) was more difficult.  I had the background but could not figure out how to manage the white space.  Beth (amazingly cool teacher… I am such a fan) suggested the lines which loosely represent papers stacked (or clipped.)  Ok…print it, mount it…done! 

Left is black and white / right is 2 color

One thing I have learned… if a teacher suggests something (and you don’t have a tremendously better idea), go with it no matter what you think!!!  She loved it, I got a 100%, so we are all happy. 

And why does that not bother me?  Because this is a business school (in reality) and she is my “client”.  If the client is happy, go with it.  This is not a fine arts school where I have to fight for my individuality and make a point of it in spite of the teacher.  This is about pleasing the customer (in this case, the teachers). 

I think I can get that after 15 years in consulting!