Blog

  • UI, UX, and Adobe XD

    It is the beginning of the end (the end of my first year at STC that is). This week is the last week of school and finals are starting. In Web Design, we learned how to use WordPress (of course, that is how you are reading this right now), MailChimp, and now Adobe XD.

    Today, we learned about UI vs UX. UI stands for ‘user interface’ and UX means ‘user experience’. UI is more designing the product and UX is designing the experience. This subject is something I have never really thought about before. I wish people who sell scissors thought about that more, because I always need a scissors to open a package of scissors.

    Our teacher, Rick, told us that next year we will be making a prototype for our own app. That already makes me feel overwhelmed! He showed us the basics of Adobe XD and gave us a quick exercise to use the software. I always get a little nervous using new software, just because you don’t really know what you are doing in the beginning. When making our app, we really need to focus on UX so that it is an enjoyable and helpful experience for users. I definitely feel like I am going to forget to connect the back buttons to the homepages when we start doing more projects in the software.

  • Portfolios

    Last week on April 25th, STC held their annual Portfolio Show for the students majoring in Media Design and Digital Media Production. The event was from 5-7 PM, but students were allowed to come at 4 PM to check it out before it got busy. I had a chance to attend for around thirty minutes before having to go to work. I thought it was an interesting experience and it helped me learn what was expected of me for next year when I will have to do it.

    Since I am a Media Design student, I mostly only looked at other students’ work in my major. The second year students had presentation boards with images of their work, as well as packages and samples from campaigns they worked on. I was nervous to go talk to them but once I did they were really nice and gave me helpful insight for next year. I was able to look through their magazines that they created start to finish, which is both really cool and overwhelming to think about. I also learned that they get to work on a personal project such as making stickers, dust jackets, etc. I am excited to do that! Overall, I am really glad I went to learn about next year and support fellow students.

    In Layout class, we are creating our own portfolios. We are using InDesign to create interactive portfolios. I am glad we are working on this project because when I have applied for internships, I have just been combining pdfs and have not been able to explain my work. I kind of have just been shooting in the dark trying to make it work, but now I know how to make a portfolio that looks clean and way more professional. In my portfolio, I included class projects made in Adobe Illustrator, business rebranding, personal projects I worked on, and some photography. In Photography, we also learned how to take headshots with different lighting, so I can include my headshot in my portfolio.

  • Graphic Design Internships

    There is only one week left of my first year at Southeast Tech! Summer is a great time to work as an intern at local companies to learn and gain hands-on experience in the industry.

    A lot of internships are available during the summer so that students can learn and gain experience in the industry. Back in January, I applied for an internship at one of the most popular and sought after graphic design places in Sioux Falls. Being that I had only completed one semester of school and did not have a stocked portfolio, I did not get an interview. That experience helped me learn and grow though. I learned over 30 people had applied for the internship, and if I wanted to try for it next year, I am going to have to work super hard! I had to create a new project for the application based on a prompt, and that helped me learn more about the software I was using like Adobe Illustrator. It also helped me build my current portfolio I am working on! Even though I did not go very far in that application process, I am still glad that I did it so I can improve and try again!

    In the last two weeks, I applied for another internship. Again, I did not get it, but I am still grateful for the experience. I did get an interview, but the company decided to go with another person because they graduate this year and could be potentially hired on after the internship, which I totally understand! They did say I was in their top 3 picks and that I should keep in touch for next year when I graduate! This experience helped me a lot because I learned what real-life companies are looking for in the industry and what stands out to them in your portfolio.

    I think it is important to put yourself out there and try for those internships, even if you do not get them. It is good to know the process and how you can improve for the next one. I am going to keep trying for the next one!

  • Welcome to My Blog!

    Hi! My name is Kaylen Hoffbeck and I am a Media Design student at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I am 23 years old, and I am from Beresford, South Dakota (around 30 miles south of Sioux Falls).

    When I graduated from high school in 2019, I originally enrolled at South Dakota State University to pursue a Doctorate in Pharmacy. In 2023, I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Pharmaceutical Sciences and would have had two years left to earn my doctorate, but I realized pharmacy was not my true passion. One of the hardest decisions I have ever made was leaving the pharmacy program and pursuing my dreams of creating.

    I am so thankful to have the opportunity to learn at Southeat Tech and improve my skills. I am almost done with my first year at STC working towards an Associate’s degree in Media Design. I feel like I have learned so much this past year. I appreciate the fast paced learning style to learn as much as we can in the two years we have here.

    If you would like to follow me on my journey of learning Media Design, I will be posting what I have been learning, ideas, opportunities, experiences, and what is going on with my life right now!

    Thank you for reading!