INSIDE THE MIND OF A DESIGN STUDENT
Zafarana’s father heads worldwide marketing for the workstation
division at HP, so he’s no stranger to how difficult this industry can
be for someone just starting out. So far, his school experience
has been very positive. “Everything is new to me, and school is
presenting so many opportunities I can hardly keep them straight,” he
says.
We know he’s just begun, but some of his experiences might help you
pick the right college and program, or at least get you to ask the
right questions.
Zafarana says his path to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
became clear through a combination of his own interests in technology
and art, and the support and encouragement of people he met along the
way. “The summer before my senior year in high school, I tagged along
with my dad to SIGGRAPH in Boston,” the annual conference for computer
graphics professionals. “I found myself transplanted to a whole new
world. Suddenly, I was talking to designers from DreamWorks, Pixar and
other influential cradles of design innovation. Interacting with these
people kicked it off for me. I was hooked! During that trip, I decided
to go into digital animation.”
Zafarana says when he returned to high school to start his senior year,
a supportive teacher encouraged him to create a portfolio. “Looking
back, I went to a great high school in Colorado. Without the support of
the staff at Rocky Mountain High School, I never would have had the
opportunity to develop my portfolio with AP assignments and projects
like designing prom ads. My portfolio turned into 24 entirely digital
pieces, and I used it to apply to SCAD.”
GETTING ACCLIMATED
Since arriving at SCAD (www.scad.edu), Zafarana has focused his
interest on a major fairly new to the school — Broadcast Design — and
one he says is rare to find elsewhere. He will double major in
Advertising.
The first order of business for this driven freshman is to complete his
foundations classes. “So far, I’m prepping for my major-oriented
classes by first learning the industry standards, such as Adobe
Creative Suite and Autodesk Maya. I’m also taking drawing and speech
classes to prepare me as an artist and a professional.”
He says the daily learning experience varies, with the basic lecture
classes lasting on average two and half hours. All classes are capped
at a small, intimate number of students. His art history class was a
highlight. “I enjoyed it far more than I imagined I would. It focused
on a lot of art styles I had never been exposed to before. It made me
think about stretching my own style in new ways. The traditional
assignments were there — essays, exams, memorizing styles, pieces and
cultures — but those exercises took me through some new historical
influences that I am glad to have experienced.”
He says the studio classes he has taken so far — drawing and color
theory — were very hands-on, covering basic techniques and providing a
forum for experimenting with a broad variety of colors and mediums. “In
my color theory class, we had a new project every week. We would create
a design using acrylics to demonstrate our understanding of the subject
being explored.”
Zafarana says he has been surprised at the free-form nature of the
classroom experience, and he admits it has been an adjustment from what
he is used to. “My foundations professors come from industry, and are
talented professional designers first and teachers second. The lack of
structure takes some getting used to, until you realize the advantage —
we are being presented a very wide sphere of influence and then given
the opportunity to interpret new ideas and express them in our own way.
My computer arts professor, in particular, encouraged us to go beyond
the basics.”
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SURROUNDINGS
Another exciting discovery Zafarana says he has made at SCAD is that
his peers are as valuable a resource as the school itself, each with
different experiences, ideas and insights. The campus almost sizzles
with creative energy.
By the time he graduates, Zafarana hopes to have mastered the
foundational tools and mediums he needs to become marketable as a
professional designer. One of the biggest advantages he believes that
SCAD will offer is to prepare him with skills that bridge the gap
between a student’s artistic abilities and business marketability.
He has been impressed in particular with the networking and career
opportunities that SCAD provides for its students, and he plans to take
full advantage of them when making his next move.
When asked about any advice he has for students considering SCAD or
design school, Zafarana offers, “I would advise students considering
art and design schools to visit and really spend some time talking to
other students. Find out about the experience, and ask about the
teaching styles to assess whether they match your learning style.
That’s the magic combination.”