Hello, here is a statement of purpose that I've been working on for a while. I intend to use it for SCAD, but I also want to tailor it for other schools. At this point, that may entail a fair amount of rewriting. I just want to know if there's anything I can do to improve this (comments, suggestions, etc).
Thanks for your time.
Mark
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Traveling the road to achieving your goal is never easy. It is one filled with twists, turns and unexpected surprises. At times I thought the choices I've made might have been the wrong ones, but I pressed on and kept at what I wanted to achieve. Along the way, I've been greatly influenced by my teachers, fellow colleagues and the works of other designers before me. The works and design principles of Paul Rand, among others, have shaped how I approach graphic design, as well as motivate and inspire me whenever I embark on a new project. Travel has also been a great influence, as the places I've been have given me a new perspective on how I look at things. Completing my graduate studies at SCAD will aid me tremendously towards achieving my goal, and in the process, I hope that one day I can help others who want to pursue graphic design with all that I've learned during my own journey.
That journey started at a young age. Back then, I was drawn to how various advertisements within the print and television medium delivered the messages they wanted people to hear by utilizing design and effective communication. I often picked up magazines, looked at billboards and wondered how they came up with the ideas for those ads and how they put them on paper or on TV. The final deciding factor for what I wanted to do career-wise came when for the first time I stumbled upon a copy of Communication Arts. I took it home with me, studied it for hours and at the end decided "Yes, this is what I want to do for a living". In high school, I took the opportunity to participate in a graphic arts program at the Center for Technology in Huntsville, Alabama. I learned the bare basics of graphic design and the software and hardware involved, but I felt that it wasn't enough - I wanted more.
After graduating from high school, I considered SCAD as a top choice for undergraduate studies, but circumstances led me to choose another university, Alabama A&M University. During my studies there, I developed a solid background in graphic design and embarked on a variety of projects that tested my existing skills as well as introduced new techniques to add to my skill set. Throughout my studies, I've had the opportunity to be taught by an instructor who has had decades of experience in the graphic design field, giving his students a first-hand look into the graphic design field not only from a designer's perspective, but also from a business perspective as well. I've also participated in internships with both Alabama A&M University's Office of Information and Public Relations and the Arts Council of Alabama, gaining valuable experience and several opportunities to network with others in the graphic design field.
Pursuing graduate studies in graphic design at SCAD will help me further strengthen the skills that I have learned during my undergraduate studies, as well as learn new skills and branch out into other areas of design that I have not had the opportunity to explore during that time. I look forward to expanding my horizons in a fast-paced and diverse environment like the Atlanta campus while eventually gaining the opportunity to teach others what I have learned and experienced.
Thanks for your time.
Mark
--------------------------------------
Traveling the road to achieving your goal is never easy. It is one filled with twists, turns and unexpected surprises. At times I thought the choices I've made might have been the wrong ones, but I pressed on and kept at what I wanted to achieve. Along the way, I've been greatly influenced by my teachers, fellow colleagues and the works of other designers before me. The works and design principles of Paul Rand, among others, have shaped how I approach graphic design, as well as motivate and inspire me whenever I embark on a new project. Travel has also been a great influence, as the places I've been have given me a new perspective on how I look at things. Completing my graduate studies at SCAD will aid me tremendously towards achieving my goal, and in the process, I hope that one day I can help others who want to pursue graphic design with all that I've learned during my own journey.
That journey started at a young age. Back then, I was drawn to how various advertisements within the print and television medium delivered the messages they wanted people to hear by utilizing design and effective communication. I often picked up magazines, looked at billboards and wondered how they came up with the ideas for those ads and how they put them on paper or on TV. The final deciding factor for what I wanted to do career-wise came when for the first time I stumbled upon a copy of Communication Arts. I took it home with me, studied it for hours and at the end decided "Yes, this is what I want to do for a living". In high school, I took the opportunity to participate in a graphic arts program at the Center for Technology in Huntsville, Alabama. I learned the bare basics of graphic design and the software and hardware involved, but I felt that it wasn't enough - I wanted more.
After graduating from high school, I considered SCAD as a top choice for undergraduate studies, but circumstances led me to choose another university, Alabama A&M University. During my studies there, I developed a solid background in graphic design and embarked on a variety of projects that tested my existing skills as well as introduced new techniques to add to my skill set. Throughout my studies, I've had the opportunity to be taught by an instructor who has had decades of experience in the graphic design field, giving his students a first-hand look into the graphic design field not only from a designer's perspective, but also from a business perspective as well. I've also participated in internships with both Alabama A&M University's Office of Information and Public Relations and the Arts Council of Alabama, gaining valuable experience and several opportunities to network with others in the graphic design field.
Pursuing graduate studies in graphic design at SCAD will help me further strengthen the skills that I have learned during my undergraduate studies, as well as learn new skills and branch out into other areas of design that I have not had the opportunity to explore during that time. I look forward to expanding my horizons in a fast-paced and diverse environment like the Atlanta campus while eventually gaining the opportunity to teach others what I have learned and experienced.
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