During my studies, my designs and projects have been reviewed by teachers, friends, and clients. At certain points, receiving feedback made me feel like I wasn’t good enough and that maybe graphic design wasn’t for me at all. Over time, however, I learned to see suggestions as guidance as tips rather than criticism. I gained better control over how I process criticism, learned to recognize what is truly useful, and accepted that perfection doesn’t exist but learning is a continuous process.
Still, I feel somewhat skeptical about grading creative work. In my opinion, assessing subjects like mathematics or geometry makes sense because they follow strict rules, for example, 2+2 will always equal 4. Creative work, however, is different. Being graded from one person’s perspective can feel narrow and may negatively affect both the final grade and a student’s confidence. Artistic expression is perceived differently by every individual, and while I understand that grading criteria must exist, judging artistic choices can sometimes feel unfair.
Even so, I don’t see graphic design as a fixed or final destination for me. This course has given me much more than traditional design lectures: it has introduced me to packaging, photography, editing, printing, websites, apps, UX, and UI. Because of this, I feel that I have grown, both creatively and personally. So there is a vast amount of possibilities and things we can explore more and continue our studies. It doesn’t end with just graphic design.
Idilija's reflective journal 