2020 may have seemed like a slow year for Track 4, but I promise you, it was quite busy, indeed! I wanted to serve my clients even better, so I started my journey toward my Master's degree in Visual Communication Design in January. To my surprise, the COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after I began.
I'm proud to announce that I persevered through full-time remote employment work and a full-time Master's course load to graduate in one year with that degree!
I graduated from Liberty University's Master of Visual Communication Design online program in December 2020, with a 3.93 grade point average, as a Graduate with Distinction.
I completed courses in Advanced Typography, Advanced Graphic Design, Publication Design, Digital Imaging, Interactive Design, Character Design and more. I performed research on how various type families affect readability for those with dyslexia, and developed and implemented dyslexia-friendly best formatting practices for my workplace.
The coursework was extremely challenging, and I learned so much. It was inspiring and motivating to watch "real" professionals work and realize that I was already doing a lot of what the pros do in their workflow. It was also humbling to see how much I didn't know and how much more I could learn.
I now work much more quickly and effectively within the software programs, and pre-plan out projects in a more methodical and intentional manner than before.
I'm pleased to say that the journey to my Master's led directly to the body positive merchandise that is now sold in the Track 4 Store. The general design was part of my social good campaign final project for my Advanced Graphic Design class. It was an instant success! As people saw the image, they began requesting T-shirts and hoodies and posters with the design. The message resonated with so many women who suffer with low self-esteem and body image.
If you'd like to see more of my Master's coursework, visit my Master's portfolio page where I've featured some of my favorite projects to share with you. If you visit the page, let me know what your favorite projects were in the comments below.