Capstone Thoughts
Late Friday night, I submitted my capstone project. It’s more than a collection of work I’ve created over this last semester for a specific class; it represents the education and effort I’ve invested across two programs, STLCC Meramec and Maryville University. It’s every typography exercise, every design theory or art history lecture, every pencil lead worn to a nub or snapped off, every time I opened the Pentagram website and soaked in the genius of Paula Scher or Eddie Opara, all the education and practice that went into capstone and this semester’s work in general. It’s everything I’ve gleaned from my magnificent professors, mentors, and classmates.
A few of us pulled several extremely late-night work sessions this week in our university’s studio space, turning classrooms into an impromptu co-working setup. Ultimately, it came down to 2GB of files (looking at you, AfterEffects) and an envelope with small print goods before an exhausted drive home to slide into bed.
Reflections
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve thought of how to use this experience to improve my design work and work habits moving forward. Some things I tried served me well, while others didn’t.
Is the work ever over?
Maybe? No? Depends? At a point last month, I realized I was more interested in showing first and second comps that needed revisions earlier than I usually felt comfortable. Early feedback felt more critical while I still had plenty of time to make changes than showing highly polished work. This “Let go and Get Graded” approach seemed better for my time.
I had big ideas from the start, knowing that the end of capstone is the beginning of prep for my senior show in March 2025. Ideas that didn’t make it into Friday night’s submission can be explored over winter break or early spring. Portfolio review and senior show still lie ahead.
What worked?
Organization and Storage
Office OneNote was a new thing for me, and that helped me organize to-do lists and research easily. I’m a writer and a list maker, and having the multi-tab notebooks accessible over all my workspaces was a game-changer. It also allowed me to keep a journal of sorts during the process, which was helpful to get ideas out of my head or blow off some steam.
Some material copy/pasted weirdly (possibly due to noob error) , so when saving copy to use later, Word worked a little better for my needs. Next time, I’ll consider dropping the Word file link into a tab in OneNote to quickly grab a copy.
Saving files in multiple areas is a must for something this important. I had a copy of everything on my OneDrive, desktop, and a backup 2TB external SSD that I carried everywhere. I still had access if I forgot to save a file in one place or the tech acted up.
While digital sketching and drawing is great, I also carried my small dot sketchbook and fave mechanical pencil everywhere, along with that external SSD. Using pencil and paper does something to engage my thought process. I sketched, scribbled notes and ideas, and sometimes just doodled to take a brain break.
Showing Up, Planning Time
I decided early on that I would throw myself into the work. Jumping into the deep end of the pool is kinda my thing; never really did well with dipping a toe. With the early exploration assignments before any of the designing happened, I gave it my all, knowing that the more I put in, the more I’d get out. On that note, I should probably apologize to my dear capstone professor for all the extra-ness of the writing. It was part of the process, promise.
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I showed up because Butt-In-Seat time is essential, even on days I didn’t feel like it. Most days, I got to class early, stayed between classes on the three-hour break to work once a week, and pulled a few late nights. The work didn’t care whether or not I was “feeling it” on any given day.
Every day started with a list of things to accomplish or explore before the class or work session ended. What needed revisions, a bit of research, or a critique? That helped keep me on task and make the most of BIS time.
Screw Up Time
I built in what I call Screw Up Time. That’s an allowance for print lab issues, making mistakes in assembly and needing to reprint work, tech failures, personal emergencies, and other things outside my control. I marked off time on my personal calendar with “Jen, don’t schedule anything extra this week” and stuck to it. Life happens, but I didn’t want it to affect my work or deadlines.
Sound of (No) Silence
Music or audiobooks help me if the studio is super noisy or I’m alone. Punk rock got me through crunch time. Audiobooks were a godsend if I didn’t need to pay attention to words or could work for extended time. I blew through memoirs by Anna Marie Tendler and Ina Garten, Song of Achilles, and started on As You Wish while working on my own time. Apologies to my classmate in the next studio for blaring Green Day on a loop at midnight without headphones: I thought I was alone in the design department.
What work habits can I revise?
Organization
One thing I’ll revise moving forward is my file storage system. I keep older project files until I’m sure of the direction I want to pursue, and I’m usually great at keeping my (digital) workspaces clean. Once a week, I spend 10 minutes or so sorting through and tidying up. With six-plus projects going for one class with multiple revisions, my usual method of organizing needed a revamp. One way I did this was by creating an “Old Files” folder on my workspaces and external drives and moving unneeded files over for safekeeping before deleting them, but I should have started sooner and been more aggressive.
Project Order
When choosing the order of projects to start, I delayed doing a more intensive project (20-page publication) over one I dreaded (app design) because starting a less enjoyable piece would help me get it finished and behind me. I needed the info from the publication to work on the scheduling app. I could have accomplished more in a smoother, shorter period by transposing those two projects. I also would design the swag for capstone second-to-last.
Self Care
This is not my forte, but I need to reframe it. Looking at it as preventive maintenance (like maintaining tire pressure on my car) instead of performative pampering would serve me well. If my tires are flat, I can’t get to my destination.
Breaks
I need to build in short, more frequent breaks. Stopping for a stretch, drinking water, and taking a brief walk on campus helped me return with fresher eyes sooner, but I needed to do it more often. I’ve worked with a timer before, which I will do again. Plus, sitting hunched over a screen for 3 hours straight isn’t great on the joints.
Eat A Veggie
With deadlines, it’s a bit too easy to go a few days without eating something (naturally) green. Peppers on a slice of pizza do not count. Fortunately, there’s a great salad bar on campus, and I could easily slip an apple into my bag before leaving home for the day. Again, it’s that tire filling.
Overall, I’m pleased with the work and the process, but reflection is always good. I look forward to diving into revisions and senior show prep…after taking a few days off this week for fall break.
