I have been here for a long time, too long of a time - so I guess I know a good ten things. As a senior, I’m sacrificing life blood for my thesis project. As I do so, I can’t help but contemplate what I wished my younger self would have known just starting out in ID. I’m writing this list so you don’t lose years off your mortal life, as I have. 

1. Eat, sleep, and drink water. Take care of yourself 

It’s obvious, right? Keep up with your body’s needs so you don’t crash, right? Well, there are some of you who would lose a limb and keep working. I am some of you. To keep a long story short, once when I needed to make a deadline, I didn't eat, drink, or sleep for about.... three days, and had to take a surprise trip to the hospital. 

So yeah, feed yourselves, children. Projects can be stressful, but you have to listen to your body. Keep snacks in your locker or take a nap on your desk, because you need to recharge in order to perform your best.

(Also, you don’t want to end up in an ambulance. They are so expensive.) 

2. Ask your ancestors (upperclassmen) 

See, we’ve been through this, so we know the utter pain of the problems that seem to pop up like weeds while you‘re designing. 

Come and ask for help. 

Believe me when I say, it will cut your time in half. You won’t have to stay up ‘til good ol’ mister sun comes up and be so sleep deprived that you’re shaking like your cousin’s chihuahua. 

You will find out things that you never thought of and it could lead to an amazing portfolio piece. 

(Plus, sometimes we have old stuff that we give away cause we don’t really use them anymore.) 

3. Scavenge like a raccoon in the twilight. 

As stated above, sometimes, you don’t have to pay for things. 

I have spent so much money on supplies, when instead I could have just found it by looking around. Often, upperclassmen will leave old pieces of wood, acrylic, and metal that are great for projects you do for the first few years. Sometimes current upperclassmen will give you stuff cause it’s just taking space. (Anyone need grey Montana spray paint?) 

And then, there is the treasure trove that is ~the architect studios~. 

Listen, they throw away huge pieces of foam, cardboard, museum board, or foam core, if it has the slightest stain on it. Freshman architecture students especially. 

I haven’t had to buy a piece of chipboard since my first semester. 

(Also, if you’re in the Keeland, keep an eye out for scrap pieces of wood that might be useful now or later.) 

What I’m saying is, HOARD. 

4. Invest in a tablet, seriously. 

This one is less fun. Invest in a tablet. It will help your sketching tenfold. It pays for itself when you don’t have to buy new pens, markers, and curves. As for what I would suggest, I would actually suggest an iPad. It doesn’t have to be Pro and you can buy some older gens for like $200. Make sure it’s compatible with the Apple Pencil though. Another good one is the Microsoft Surface, which you can use as both a laptop and tablet, so it’s gonna be helpful when you learn more advanced programs. 

But yeah, do it because it feels delicious when you don’t have pens dying on you constantly. 

5. Invest in a high quality computer now, seriously. 

As an ID student, the programs you’ll use will only get larger, harder, and meaner. 

Keyshot and Solidworks once ganged up on me in a hallway, stole my wallet, and broke my computer. After Effects has beaten me up in the middle of the night and called my hands ugly. Illustrator took off with my husband. 

But yeah, they’ll kill your computer because of the large amount of processing power they require. My laptop was killed by these villains after a year (RIP Silver Dell Laptop). So I needed to buy a newer, higher quality one. 

I obviously didn’t learn my lesson cause my laptop will probably only last me this semester. He can’t carry heavy programs like Premiere or After Effects anymore but he’s trying his best. 

So if you have the resources, invest in a high quality computer with a great graphics card (think gaming computers) and an i9 core processor so you don’t wait 20 years for InDesign to open. 

(Update: My laptop didn’t try his best, his hard drive gave out. It was a tough fight:( )

6. Backup your stuff and save constantly pls. 

Your computer can smell your fear. You will suffer for your pride if you aren’t careful. Save every 20 mins if you can. Use Dropbox and Google Drive. They will stay with you, even when you are but dust and bones. Always be prepared for when your computer wants to off itself. 

7. Learn from critiques, and trust your gut.

I struggled with this in particular. Professors all have biases and it comes into play when they sit with us. Some professors may have particular styles, interests, and experience that differ from yours. Sometimes it can be hard to communicate your vision or an idea’s potential. 

Professors are human. Listen to your gut if you feel like you need to go in a different direction after a critique, and continue your dialogue with them. Not all professors will like everything you do or agree with certain styles, but if your project is strong they will surely see the value in it and help form it once they are convinced of your concept.

It’s important to remember: You don’t need anyone’s validation but your own. If you feel passionate about a certain design direction, and you 100% believe you can do it, then go for it! But always take heed of criticism, because it’s important for your improvement as a designer. 

Which leads me to my next point!

8. Leave your ego at the door, please. 

EGO. THE FALL OF MAN, THE HUBRIS THAT LED ICARUS TO FALL TO HIS VERY, VERY, VERY PAINFUL DEMISE. IT ALSO REALLY SUCKS IF YOU HAVE THIS WHILE DOING A GROUP PROJECT. 

Yeah, you may think you are hot stuff. But if you think this way, you aren’t gonna listen to anyone. And that is horrible for the group projects you will be doing for the rest of your life. 

You can learn anything from anyone. If you find yourself thinking you’re too good to talk to the kid that isn’t the best at what you think matters the most, you are closing yourself off from innovation. Everyone in this program is here for a reason. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to modeling, concepts, aesthetics, and storytelling. Your studio mates’ viewpoints are valuable resources because we all see the world differently. When you look down on others, you isolate yourself from success and growth.

As designers, we need to know when we are wrong. You have to learn to accept criticism from anywhere, or from anyone. You don’t get to decide if anyone is “worth your time” or “deserves to be here.” 

So stay in your lane and learn to love learning, that’s why we’re all here.

9. Do something else, dude. 

I am going to channel my Hispanic mother and say: 

“Get a hobby.” 

Just because you are confined in the halls of the Hines doesn’t mean you gotta stay there all the time!

Love yourself, please. Have something on the side that you can unwind from studio. Take a language course! Get into embroidery! Make stickers! Learn ceramics! Anything from your hobbies can inspire your next design. 

(And your brain will thank you for not overworking it to the membrane.) 

And lastly, 

10. Have fun with design 

I may have alluded to this earlier, but doing what you love will result in amazing designs. Joy and creativity are concepts that go hand in hand. 

I didn’t have fun for a while. You can see that in my lack of motivation in some of my past projects.

But the projects I really did enjoy are the ones that I view as my best ones. Find a place to put fun in your design process. Have fun with the video you’re making. Have fun thinking of silly concepts that may, in fact, not be so silly after all. Draw little doodles for your presentation. Have fun with the possibilities of different types of woods and joinery techniques. Take a stroll through our Mecca, Pinterest, and look at the coolest designs and be inspired. 

Have so much fun that you find yourself smiling like a crazy person at your paper. 

Just. Have. Fun. 

Happiness is an amazing design detail.