AIGA Colorado is pleased to announce the 2014 Robert Taylor Scholarship Finalists and Winners. Thank you to all who applied and we look forward to the 2015 Scholarship Competition.
Shruthi Manjula Balakrishna, AIGA Colorado 2014 Robert Taylor Scholarship winner
First Place Winner
$1500 Scholarship
1 year Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription
What piece of advice would you give to an aspiring designer to help them be successful?
As an aspiring graphic designer myself, striving to better myself everyday, I constantly remind myself about all the experiences that has made me the designer that I am today. Having been a part of the advertising and the design industry as a professional and a student, I can say that it is an extremely challenging world. With so many well talented designers everywhere, it is a constant struggle between the designer inside you and the outside world. It is very easy to get carried away under pressure and find short cuts ignoring the consequences. I cannot stress enough on the importance of being aware and true to ourselves at all times…
Toby Kelleher, AIGA Colorado 2014 Robert Taylor Scholarship second place winner
Second Place Winner
$500 Scholarship
1 year Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription
What piece of advice would you give to an aspiring designer to help them be successful?
To aid an aspiring designer to become successful I would implore them to ceaselessly push their craft. I would offer the advice that no matter the designers level of experience it is essential to continue to push yourself to become better, more knowledgeable, and to continue to challenge your medium…
We can constantly challenge our process, push our work to be more conceptual, our layouts to flow better, and enhance our ability to communicate more efficiently. Questioning your work to find its flaws, what it may be lacking, and what it is communicating is an essential trait of a good designer.
Jenny Taylor, Finalist
Finalist
What piece of advice would you give to an aspiring designer to help them be successful?
Timelessness, timelessness, timelessness! Designers can take the responsibility and apply economic importance and awareness to timeless designs. At the same instance, understanding the current design trends but design the most appropriate solution to a given problem while having a lasting design solution that will never be obsolete or unnecessary…
I would also have these little nuggets of advice that I have learned along the way:
- Know your tools and have the right ones
- Contact and collaborate
- Keep your ego out of your design
- For the love of God, use a grid!
- Know your graphic design history
- Above all, know how luck you are to be a designer and have fun!
Pat Garcia, Finalist
Finalist
What piece of advice would you give to an aspiring designer to help them be successful?
Keep your ears and eyes wide open…and shut your mouth! In other words, listen and learn from those that know what they are doing. Keep an open mind, and constantly expose yourself to new and different ideas. You can learn something from almost anyone or anything you come across…
I am still feeling my way around, so I cannot call myself “successful” yet, but I think I am on the right road!
Wheeler Juell, Finalist
Finalist
What piece of advice would you give to an aspiring designer to help them be successful?
The greatest piece of advice I could give to an aspiring Designer is, in the words of Brandon Rike, “Don’t be lazy. Laziness will not succeed.” You can have all the talent in the world, but that will only take you so far. To become a truly great designer you have to be motivated and persistent beyond all doubt. You have to put in the hours and work harder than anyone else…
As Malcom Gladwell states in Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours of practice in your field to become and expert, and design is certainly no exception.
