UAD_Magazine_Spring2025-Part 2 : simplebooklet.com

Tiffani Hawkins, Master of Fine Arts in Digital Design Student 1 What inspired you to pursue a degree in design/art, and how has that passion grown since starting at the University of Arts & Design? After being in Design Suite, I realized just how much I missed creating art and designing—it made me feel like I had missed my true calling in my current career. When the opportunity to enroll at the University of Arts & Design came along, it reignited a dream of possibly shifting my career path or growing my own design business with the right education. Since starting at UAD, my knowledge and skills in design and business have grown signiﬁcantly, and with that, so has my conﬁdence. 2 Can you share a project you’re especially proud of and what you learned from the process? There are a few projects I’m proud of, but my fabric collection stands out the most. It was the most challenging class for me and the one I devoted the most time to. I ended up scrapping my original concept because I couldn’t expand on the design the way the class required. I drew inspiration from online sources, reﬁned my color palette using what I learned about color coordination in class, and took a leap by creating my master design in Adobe Fresco for the ﬁrst time. I incorporated feedback from Carina and insights from class discussions to shape the ﬁnal collection. I’m proud of how it turned out—and with a few tweaks, I believe it could be pitch-ready. SPOTLIGHTSTUDENT SPOTLIGHT 3 How has your experience at UAD shaped your creative voice or professional goals? My time at UAD has helped me better understand my creative process and ﬁgure out the kinds of designs I truly enjoy working on. It’s also pushed me to explore areas I wouldn’t have considered before. I now feel more prepared to promote both myself and my work—I’ve gained clarity on how to describe my creative style and a deeper understanding of my strengths as a designer. ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 91

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4 What advice would you give to a new student just starting their design journey? Start your design journey with an open mind. Be willing to explore new techniques and styles—you never know what hidden talent or passion you might discover. Don’t put limits on yourself. You’re capable of so much if you stay open to feedback, take critiques to heart, and put in the work. Growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone. And enjoy the journey! 5 Where do you hope to see yourself ﬁve years after graduation? In ﬁve years after graduation, I hope to be running my design business full-time, sharing my creations with fellow crafters and growing a vibrant, creative community. With seven years left before I can retire from my current job, I’d love to gradually transition and continue expanding my product line based on customer feedback. Even if full-time isn’t in the cards in ﬁve years, I’ll still be creating and designing in the margins of my life. I’m also open to a career shift into graphic design/craft design if the right opportunity comes along. ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 93

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1 What inspired you to pursue a degree in design/art, and how has that passion grown since starting at the University of Arts & Design? I have always done some sort of art, throughout my childhood. I have always wanted a degree in art. When I was in college studying biology, I wanted to switch to art. I wasn’t allowed to at that time, though, due to a belief that I could not make a living that way. I did desktop publishing and graphic design off and on at various jobs starting in high school, and continuing after college. Those skills landed me a position as a technical writer, and I was able to expand my design skills for the next 20 years. During that time, I also did some freelance work, too. Today, I am fortunate to use my design skills for marketing, web design, products, and gifts in my personal life and at work. Recently, I was denied a major design opportunity at work. The work was given to a contractor who has less experience than I do, based on the fact that he had gone to design school. It was the last straw. Since starting at the University of Arts & Design, I have been able to hone my design skills and develop the vocabulary of a designer. The more assignments I complete, the more I know that I am on the right path. Even when the assignments are challenging, I enjoy working hard to complete them. 2 Can you share a project you’re especially proud of and what you learned from the process? I am especially proud of this drawing of my son. I don’t consider myself as a person with good drawing skills. While I used to draw a lot, I am rusty, and it is often a struggle. Every time I see this assignment, I can see how far I have come. The assignment was to create a portrait and we could use a photo as reference. I can see that now, I am better at looking at colors, gauging where the highlights and shadows need to be, and drawing a realistic person. I am excited to draw more things. 3 How has your experience at UAD shaped your creative voice or professional goals? I hope this experience affords me future design opportunities. I also hope to quit my job, and work for myself as a designer. Already, I have been able to expand the types of items I sell at craft fairs, and expand my digital offerings online. The assignments we are given are tied to real-world design challenges, and this has be applicable in my own business and on the job. I have been able to immediately apply what I learn to my work tasks and I’ve gotten positive feedback, too. 4 What advice would you give to a new student just starting their design journey? I would advise a new student to take notes while watching the videos and follow along and DO the work, too. Then try to apply those skills to a project you have outside of school. The only way to really learn, is by practicing the skills. Also, even if you already know how to do something, there is value to be gained while doing that thing the way you are taught in class. Sometimes, it makes you more efﬁcient, or makes you realize an easier way to SPOTLIGHTSTUDENT SPOTLIGHT Carla Locke, Master of Arts in Design Business Student 94 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025

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do something you have always done. Even after so many years using the software, I continue to learn new things about the tools that I see every day. 5 Where do you hope to see yourself ﬁve years after graduation? Five years after graduation, I hope to quit my current job. I would like to primarily work on my digital design business, selling my designs online. This will afford me the freedom to travel around the world, and to enjoy making and selling my physical designs at craft fairs. I can also see myself teaching design, although, likely online, because I will be on the go! Even better, would be teaching design at Oberlin College, in the town where I live. ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 95

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DESIGNING MY DREAM CRAFT ROOM A Creative Space for the Future By Emily Harper Fish Master of Fine Arts in Digital Design Student In just a few weeks, my oldest daughter will graduate from college. She’s accepted a job offer in another state. A year from now, my second daughter will graduate too. While we don’t yet know where her path will take her, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: my children’s rooms at home will be evolving. For the past few years, their spaces have mostly sat empty, and it has me dreaming about the future of our home — particularly my craft space. Right now, my craft room is the smallest room in our house. It includes a twin Murphy bed tucked under my desk, which was meant to give my son a place to sleep when guests stayed in his room. But the reality of a craft space full of supplies means uncovering that Murphy bed is a complicated feat. He usually ends up sleeping on the couch instead. Over nearly ten years, I’ve renovated every other room in our home, but it took nine of those years to get my current craft room truly organized. Despite sorting, labeling, and purging, I’m still bursting at the seams. As a designer and a crafter, I need both digital and physical tools. Most of what I design is for the craft industry, and I also produce ﬁnished goods for customers. That means I need room for printers, cutting machines, lasers, and all the supplies that go along with them. But I also want to maintain space for when my kids come home or we have visitors. Because it took me years to make my current space work, I know my next one won’t come together overnight. That’s why I’m planning now—dreaming, designing, and researching how to create a multi-functional craft room that meets all my needs. ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 103

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Emily Harper Fish's Craft Space In my dream craft room, everything has a place. Whether I’m diving into a big project or making something simple, I want to ﬁnd what I need quickly, create with ease, and clean up just as fast. The space should seamlessly transform into a guest room without a last-minute scramble to hide materials and only minimally shift furniture. I want a setup that lets me keep working, even when we’re hosting visitors. One feature I currently love is my IKEA Kallax unit, which I’ve customized with open cubbies for materials and larger spaces for my printers and Cricut. However, I’ve recently added a Silhouette machine with an electrostatic mat and a Glowforge Aura, which has made space tight. In my new setup, I want each machine to have a dedicated, accessible space—no more rearranging everything just to use one tool. Another IKEA favorite is the Pax wardrobe system, which I installed in our primary bedroom. It gave my husband and me extra storage and a clean, built-in look. I plan to use Pax units in the alcove of my future craft room so I can close the doors on the mess when needed, keeping things tidy and stress-free. I want at least one workspace in front of a window. There’s something peaceful about looking out across the ﬁeld on a nice day while I work. The natural light lifts my mood and sparks creativity. ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 105

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With planning tools, I can mock up the room layout, decide where to place desks and shelves, and get a sense of how everything will come together. I’m still in the early stages of planning this space, but I’m grateful to have the time to get it right. Talking with friends has given me so many ideas and inspirations. Here are a few standout spaces from fellow creatives. I also asked them what one suggestion they would give to someone who was designing their own craft room, and what one thing they would change in their own space. Brenna Powell, Crafting with Brenna Brenna recently transitioned from working around her children to having a she-shed studio just steps from home. I once had craft materials spread throughout the house, so I worried she might not use a separate space often. But with a mild climate and a view of her kids’ new play-set, Brenna gets to work while still keeping an eye on them. Her studio is decked out with laser cutters, crafting tools, and even a spot for recording YouTube videos with her branded logo behind her. Craft Space Room Mockup 106 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 Emily Harper Fish's Craft Space

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Kristi Egle's Craft Space Brenna’s advice: “Plan your power! You can never have too many outlets. If your machines need dedicated circuits, talk to an electrician before you start moving in.” “A must-have for me is a shop vac. It was the ﬁrst big purchase I made for my craft room. It’s perfect for quickly cleaning up scraps from the Glowforge and the ﬂoor.” Kristi Egle Kristi’s large bonus room is polished and photo-ready—something I aspire to! Her space blends vintage charm with modern function. Behind-glass cabinets showcase artful vignettes of tools and supplies. Everything is labeled and thoughtfully arranged. She stores fabrics in vintage lockers and displays her rainbow of paints on wall-mounted shelves—both practical and visually striking. Kristi adds personality with vintage suitcases ﬁlled with ﬁnished scrapbooks and clever re-purposing of kitchen items like tiered trays and cake stands to organize tools and supplies. Clear fridge bins sort smaller materials, while IKEA Alex drawers hold vinyl, thread, and more. One of her signature touches is a gumball machine ﬁlled with colorful thread. It’s playful, fun, and functional—just like her space. Kristi’s advice: “Be honest about the type of crafting you want to do. Just because something is cute doesn’t mean you need to buy it. Focus on one type of craft now—it doesn’t mean you can’t explore others later. Ask yourself, ‘If I had just one hour a week to craft, what would I choose to do?’ Let that guide your purchasing and help you stay focused.” “If I could change one thing, I’d create dedicated stations for each craft—one for my Silhouette, another for sewing, painting, paper crafting, and so on. It’s a huge time-saver when you don’t have to search for supplies all over the room. Setting up stations is simple; keeping them organized is the real challenge. And don’t underestimate the power of streamlining your supplies. We often don’t need as much as we think. A clearer space makes room for clearer thinking.” ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 109

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Tiffani Hawkins, A Krafting Alley Tiffani’s entire craft room is tucked behind a secret Murphy door disguised as a bookcase. Her long, narrow space is cleverly named “A Krafting Alley,” and it’s full of cabinets and counter space for maximum functionality. It’s just off her kitchen, and while it’s perfect for crafting now, it could also double as a butler’s pantry—boosting resale value. Tiffani makes stunning handmade cards and stores her dies, stamps, inks, and embellishments in clearly labeled bins and cabinet doors. Magnetic vent cover sheets glued to the inside of the doors hold metal dies in place. At least one of my children’s rooms will eventually get a Murphy bed disguised in a shelving unit. I love the ﬂexibility these designs offer and the idea of hiding function in plain sight. Kristi Egle's Craft Space Kristi Egle's Craft Space Tiffani’s advice: “Watch lots of craft room organization videos on YouTube. That’s how I ﬁgured out what would work for me. If you’re reworking an existing space, tackle one category of supplies at a time—maybe stamps on Saturday, then dies, inks, and so on.” “If I could change anything, it would be building a bigger room! But since we couldn’t, I probably should have invested in quartz or granite counter tops. I painted and poured epoxy myself, and it’s already wearing down where I work the most. I also wish I had started a digital catalog of all my supplies from day one. Apps like Evernote or Color My Life can make organizing your inventory so much easier.” 110 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025

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Kristi Egle's Craft Space ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 113 ARE YOU DREAMING OF DESIGNING A NEW CRAFT ROOM? Here’s a list of things to think about and help you in your planning process: Dream & Purpose: • Why are you designing or updating this space? • What types of crafts do you need work space and storage for? • Does this need to be a combo space (crafting, ofﬁce, guest room, etc)? • Is your crafting a hobby or a business? • • Inventory & De-clutter: • What do you already own and love? • Must have supplies • What tools and machines do you need (and do they need power or have other special requirements)? • What can be donated or sold? Furniture & Layout: • Work surfaces • What large storage is needed? Bookcases, cabinets, etc. • What is best to have by windows and natural light, and what will need additional lighting? • Guest or Murphy bed? • Inventory storage? • Storage & Systems: • Keep it hidden or all in view? Label, label, label • Bins, baskets, etc, only buy what you know you need! • Photos & Videos: • Lights and microphones? • Phone or camera holders • Backdrop • Before Shopping: • Measure everything Plan on paper or online • Is an electrician for adding or moving electrical outlets or installing lights? • Paint and prep the room before moving new furniture in

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Inspiration can strike in an instant—or sometimes it’s hard to ﬁnd. As a digital designer and surface pattern artist, I’ve found that artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) doesn’t replace creativity; it fuels it. Today’s AI tools—like Midjourney, DALL·E, Adobe Fireﬂy, and even ChatGPT’s image feature—have opened exciting new doors for artists looking for a spark. In this tutorial, I’ll share how I use Midjourney to kick start ideas and then turn those AI-generated visuals into my own original creations. This approach is perfect for designers looking to beat creative block, explore new styles or kick off a fresh product project with a spark of inspiration. FINDING INSPIRATION WITH MIDJOURNEY How I Use AI to Spark Original Designs By Barbara Zimmerman Master of Fine Arts in Digital Design Student 114 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025

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WHAT IS MIDJOURNEY? When Midjourney was released in 2022 on a platform called Discord, but in late 2023 and early 2024, it evolved into a more user-friendly, web-based platform. This shift made it far more accessible to creatives and professional who don’t consider themselves tech-savvy. At its core, Midjourney is an AI image generator powered by a diffusion model. It’s trained on vast datasets of text and images, enabling it to create highly detailed visuals from written prompts. And while Midjourney is the tool I use most, the concepts I share here can apply to many other AI art generators as well. LET’S START WITH AN EXAMPLE PROMPT: “A cozy winter cabin in a forest surrounded by foxes, rabbits, and deer in soft watercolor style. Gentle snow falling, white candlelight inside.” In under a minute, Midjourney returns four unique interpretations of this scene. Are they perfect? No. But they’re intriguing, and rich with potential. This is where I begin— not with a ﬁnal image, but with a spark. ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 115

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I studied the results, picking out elements that stood out to me—like pose variations, accessories, and layout. While the bears were cute, the concept needed more focus. So, I reﬁned my prompt to add speciﬁc motifs: “Cute bear themed clip art stickers on white background with bees, honey, sunﬂowers.” That revision brought back exactly the kind of whimsical and cohesive inspiration I was looking for. STEP 1: PROMPT MIDJOURNEY FOR INSPIRATION Before I dive into Midjourney, I choose a topic or theme I want to explore. In this case, I wanted to create a set of bear-themed stickers. My ﬁrst prompt was simple: “Bear themed clip art stickers on white background.” ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 117

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STEP 2: BREAK DOWN WHAT INSPIRES YOU Once I ﬁnd an image that I like, I shift from AI observer to active creator. I ask myself: • What do I like about this? • What would I change? • How can I make this mine? In this case, I loved the full sunﬂowers and the honey jars. The bees didn’t look like bees I’ve ever seen, but I could reinterpret them. Most importantly, I appreciated seeing the bears in a variety of positions, which helped me plan my compositions. STEP 3: START SKETCHING YOUR IDEAS With a clear vision, I opened Procreate and began sketching. Using the Midjourney-generated poses as loose references, I blocked out a layout and drew each element by hand so that my personal style and character came through. In some projects, I might return to Midjourney for additional references, but this time, I had all I needed. The result? A fresh, original design inspired by AI but wholly created by me. FINAL THOUGHTS: AI AS CREATIVE COMPANION What started as a niche tool on Discord has grown into a full-ﬂedged design assistant. In 2025, anyone can log into Midjourney.com, type in a phrase, and receive a visual within seconds based on our prompt. But with this power comes responsibility. AI should never replace your voice or mimic the work of other artists. I use AI to explore ideas, not to copy them. Everything I publish is redrawn, re-imagined, and distinctly mine. Using Midjourney as a creative companion has transformed my workﬂow. It helps me develop ideas faster, push into new stylistic territory, and stay energized creatively. Most importantly, it reminds me that inspiration is just the beginning— what we do with that inspiration is where our talent truly shines. 118 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025

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A handmade card always feels more meaningful—especially when it’s customized with the graduate’s name. This project starts with a simple “You Did It” card SVG that we’ll transform into a one-of-a-kind keepsake. What You’ll Need: • Graduation card SVG ﬁle • Adobe Illustrator • Cutting machine + software Cardstock • Glue or tape runner Tip: These techniques work beyond graduation! Swap out themes and words to create birthday cards, anniversary cards, and more. If you’ve got a senior in high school or college, you know graduation season is just around the corner. Along with caps and gowns come parties and heartfelt celebrations—and what better way to honor your graduate than with a custom, handmade card? In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to personalize existing SVG ﬁles to create a thoughtful graduation card and an eye-catching cake topper. These projects are perfect for cutting machines like Cricut, Silhouette, or Siser. We’ll use Adobe Illustrator to edit and prepare the designs before sending them to your machine to be cut. Personalized Graduation Paper Cras By Emily Harper Fish Master of Fine Arts in Digital Design Student 120 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025

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OPEN & DUPLICATE THE DESIGN Open your SVG in Adobe Illustrator. Always copy and paste the original design off to the side—you’ll thank yourself later. Remove Existing Text Use the Rectangle Tool to draw a box over the “You Did It” text. Select both the rectangle and the card front. In the Pathﬁnder panel, click Trim. Move the trimmed card front aside and delete the leftover text elements. ADD CUSTOM NAME Select the Type Tool and enter your chosen name (ex: LILLY). In the Properties Panel, convert the text to all caps, select a font (I used LTC SquareFace), and resize to ﬁt. Go to Object > Expand to convert the text into shapes. INSTRUCTIONSSTEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 121

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Design Tip: Match the cardstock to school colors or the graduate’s favorite shades for a truly personalized feel. FINAL TOUCHES Set the stroke to Hex #000001 and 0.1 pt width for cutting precision. Save your edited card front and the original card base in a new Illustrator ﬁle. Export it as an SVG. Now it’s ready for your cutting machine! Layer the personalized front over a solid backing piece for a beautiful contrast. Finish with glue or a tape runner. ALIGN & COMBINE Center the name horizontally on the card front using the Align panel. Adjust vertically so the name touches both the top and bottom edges. Select the name and card front, then choose Unite from the Pathﬁnder panel. 122 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025

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Creative Health Check Up Quiz Are you thriving or on the edge of burnout? Take the quiz 1 Feel like your creative spark is “on low battery” even when you want to make something? 3 Scroll for inspiration and end up overwhelmed or discouraged instead? 2 Tell yourself you’ll work on your art “after everything else is done”... and then never get to it? 4 Say yes to obligations you don’t want, and then feel drained or resentful? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 By Monica Ferdig Master of Arts in Design Business Student How often do you… 1 = Never | 2 = Sometimes | 3 = Often | 4 = Almost Always 124 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025

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5 Feel like your creativity is only “worth it” if it’s productive, impressive, or for a deadline? 9 Lose track of what you actually enjoy making because you’re too focused on being “useful”? 7 Feel guilty when you take time to just rest or daydream? 11 Find yourself creatively paralyzed by perfectionism, even on small things? 6 Hit a wall and think, “Why bother? It’s not even going to be that good”? 10 Create something, then instantly criticize it or hide it away? 8 Compare yourself to others and feel behind, unoriginal, or stuck? 12 Think “I miss who I was when I had more time and less pressure”? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 125

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Total up your score and see where you are! 12–20: Your creative core is still glowing. You’re feeling stretched, but your spark is there. A little more space, some gentle boundaries, and a reminder that creativity isn’t earned—it’s part of you—might be all you need to stay connected. Try a change of scenery or trying something playful to relight the ﬁre 21–32: Creative tension is building. You’re doing a lot. And your creativity is probably quietly waiting for you to notice it. You’re not blocked—you’re just depleted. Too many ideas or obligations, too little rest. Slow down, pick just one project, and give yourself permission to pause. The Artist’s Way could offer structure and small rituals to reclaim joy without pressure. RESULTSTOTAL YOUR SCORE 126 | ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025

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33–44: Burnout is real, and it’s speaking up. The demands of life might be running the show, leaving little room for wonder or expression. Your creativity is being squashed by exhaustion or stress. The good news? You’re not broken—just out of alignment. This might be the perfect time to make a date with your creative self. Be gentle with yourself while you recharge. 45–48: Your inner artist is waving a white ﬂag. You might be living in survival mode. Your creativity hasn’t left—it’s just buried. This quiz isn’t a diagnosis; it’s an invitation. Time to step back completely and give yourself real, guilt-free rest. The creativity will return when you do Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way could be a gentle companion to help you reconnect, rebuild, and rediscover your voice. ISSUE 01 SPRING 2025 | 127

UAD_Magazine_Spring2025-Part 2

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