This month we’re focusing on the design aspect of Brio. Next month, we’ll feature the writing side. Our two senior designers, Sally Dunn and Christy Waldner, share what it takes to become a designer.

Get the Right Training
“I have a fantasy job!” Christy says. “I’m getting paid to do what I love to do. I truly look forward to coming to work and thinking about what I can create for the pages of Brio.”

To become a designer, though, is more than living out a fantasy. It involves a lot of hard work and obtaining a degree. Christy graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology, Tampa, Fla., with a degree in graphic design. Sally received her degree in graphic design from Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas.

“But being a designer is really more than simply taking classes and getting a degree,” Christy says. “Not everyone who’s enrolled in design should be pursuing design. Out of those I graduated with, maybe four of us are actually working professionally in the field of design.”

True Design
When the T.V. show “CSI” first hit the airwaves, there was a huge rise in college students pursuing criminal forensics. Now with all the software programs available to crop photos, create sharp layouts and make fun Web sites, graphic design has become the new fad career. But as Sally and Christy know, true talent for professional design goes far beyond running a software program.

“One of my instructors used to say, ‘You may have a good digital camera, but that doesn’t make you a photographer.’ The same hold true with design,” Sally says.

“Some people think they’re good at design simply because they’ve learned how to run certain software, but it’s so much more! Anyone can learn the basics of creative layout on a page or how to line up type correctly. But a true designer has genuine flair. For example, I can’t turn the pages of a magazine without noticing how things are laid out. It’s impossible for me to walk down the street without focusing on the graphics on billboards. I can’t walk into a store without being pulled toward the signs on the aisles and how every item is positioned. It’s in my blood, in my mind, in my heart. It’s not simply something I do; it’s who I am,” Christy explains.

“When I lay out a page,” Sally says, “I don’t simply take an image and lay it out. I think the whole thing through . . . like what I want the reader to feel when she sees it, how she’ll interpret it, if I want this design to make her happy or sad.”

Sally says her favorite part of being a graphic designer is dealing with color. “I love seeing the trends with color, patterns, texture and fashion. All of these play into our layouts with Brio.”

If graphic design is what interests you, take art classes and consider joining the yearbook staff. You’ll be able to learn basic essentials and determine where your talent is.

“It’s so important to discover where your strength is,” Sally says. “Is it in actual design, or illustration? Or does it lie in advertising? You may have the mindset of design but aren’t really skilled in layout or composition. You might be more successful in coordinating or art-directing.”

Your Future
And if you want to pursue graphic design in college, make an appointment with your student counselor or go online and search for top design schools.

“Each college with a design program—and each design school—focuses on different things,” Sally advises. “Some schools or programs will lean more toward advertising, others more toward concept. Narrow it down to where your heart and talent lie.”

Questions for Sally Dunn and Christy Waldner can be sent to brio@briomag.com. Be sure and label your e-mail to one of them specifically.