the current state of affairs

If you've been here (to this blog) before, you will probably notice that I updated the overall look. Why not? It's fun and was in need of a refresh.

Actually, the entire blog is in need of a little refresh because things are changing. They have changed. After the most stressful and emotional year of my life, I graduated with a bachelor of science in industrial design. I had a little break (a mostly blissful two weeks with mom gallivanting around much of the northeastern US.) Now I am completely engaged in a month-long freelance job and trying to map out my next step. The point? Whereas this blog started as a place to showcase school projects and maybe a little design thinking, it is becoming more of a place for design thinking and the occasional personal project (maybe?) I'm going to do my best to document the process of looking for a job and hopefully getting one. It's going to be about observations and questions. It might get a little wordy, but there will hopefully be pictures to go along with most of the words :)

That being said, some note on my current employment:

For one month (August) I am working as an independent contractor for Reflect Research. It's a unique and excellent opportunity for me for a number of reasons:

-The job is full-time. It has been keeping me busy and motivated to get back to working on things like my portfolio and looking for (another) job.

-We're working with a rather large, rather professional company. It's a nice refresh on my 'office skills'- dressing up, going downtown, communicating. These are skills that can start to get rusty after six months of school.

-I'm the only designer. Anywhere. So while I am bringing some product design knowledge to the table, I'm also helping a lot with design thinking and strategy. I'm taking Patricia Moore's advice and 'going where design is not.'

I'm also learning some important lessons after only two weeks on the job. Namely, staying focused while freelancing can be a real challenge. One of the great benefits of working from home can be that you're allowed to stay in your PJ's until 5pm, but I think that can be one of the barriers too. PJ's signify free time. I've been making a habit of getting dressed and getting to work. It sounds simple, but it makes a big difference.

I hope you enjoy the changes here. As always, I'm happy to hear any feedback you might have.