Visual Aesthetics has become one of the most valuable and insightful courses I’ve taken this semester. Coming into this program with a production degree I thought I had a strong grasp of understanding the viewer’s perspective, setting up shots that are most pleasing to the eye, and maintaining the viewer’s interest through smart uses of visual techniques and editing devices, however I was quickly introduced to an entire new dimension of creating dynamic and engaging works based on the fundamentals of design. Throughout this course I’ve learned, and at times struggled, with things seemingly as simple as layouts, typefaces, and color schemes and found the work of designers to be far more complex than I imagined, with so many elements that must compliment and seamlessly work together to generate one coherent and appealing piece.
As a video production professional most of my work has been fast cuts, sports highlights and teasers and such that demand constant movement and flowing storytelling. It was challenging to instead create works that would be static and truly open to critique for every little element as the viewer is evaluating the work. This class has pushed me to not only think about a variety of designs, sketchbook in hand, before I ever open a software program, but also to constantly question my audience and client’s needs and what approach or program would be most efficient in meeting those demands, skills I will definitely draw from as I re-enter the workforce.