My name is Hannah True, I am an Art and Psychology major at East Carolina University. Not only am I concentrating in graphic design within the art field, but also photography. Being both an art and psychology major has landed me into being really fascinated with the psychology behind art. I find myself creating pieces that make the viewer feel the way I want them to, or understand what I want to express without literally creating it. In design, I try to understand the company/ brand/ organization and portray it in a way that the target audience understands the company/ brand/ organization, their mission and values without literally drawing it out for them. For example, if a brand is historical and values tradition, I really strive to express that ideology in the small details such as a serif font instead of a sans serif, or instead of a clean white background, add an off white textured background. I find myself immersing myself in the smallest details to ensure the company/brand/organization is represented in the way they want to be seen without being so literal.
I have definitely been the most comfortable designing print or editorial pieces as that is what I have the most experience in. That is actually where my love for design started. In high school I was part of the yearbook staff and have now landed myself at ECU’s student media, Pirate Media 1 (PM1). At PM1 I climbed the ranks and now am the general manager of their magazine division. Even though my position is not directly labeled as a “design” position, it is quite important that I have a hand on and know how design affects the reader. This position, along with my schooling has really taught me not only about this idea of psychology behind design but more literal things like readability. Being in media, I really understand how people read and absorb the information on a physical publication. Too short a line length makes the reader confused, too long makes the reader bored, too large of a box of text makes the reader overwhelmed. This real world experience has only made me stronger as a designer and has allowed me to make those connections. This position really embodies what I have been learning in my classes and allows me to see it in the real world.
Overall, I love learning. As I mentioned, I am most comfortable with print but am starting to fall into app and web design. Even learning more in my psychology classes has helped me in my art and design classes. My position at PM1 allows me to further embark on my learning by really seeing it in action. By never shutting the door to gathering more information, I hope to have a successful future in design and push myself to embrace my style even more.