Aime Kelso

CST 201
December 16, 2015

Course Reflection
Being this was my first semester at Cal State Monterey Bay, I was really excited to be taking this
course. I love design, and I love having the opportunity to hone my skills. Prior to transferring, I
completed an AA degree at my community college, and spent a year at the University of California, San
Diego, where I studied Graphic Arts and Visual Media. As such, I came into this course with plenty of
prior knowledge and experience in basic design programs. Even still, this course managed to teach me
how to navigate new programs Id never even heard of, and also taught me tricks in programs I thought I
had mastered.
At first I was a little taken aback by the very loose learn-on-the-fly style of teaching in this
course. It seems to be a common thing throughout many of my courses at this school. Im used to having
expansive courses on all the ins and outs of a single program, so I wasnt very keen on being thrown into
the water immediately with brand new programs I had never used. It caused me a lot of frustration at
first, but it taught me something very valuable in the end. In life you wont always have someone to hold
your hand every step of the way, so its important to be able to use your resources wisely to continue to
learn and grow. This course allowed me to develop an independent attitude about my learning, and I am
now confident that I can take any program, find resources to help me learn that program, and begin using
it immediately. To be able to be self-reliant is such a simple, but powerful tool, and its one that Ill take
with me throughout my lifes journey.
On the first day of class, we went over the learning outcomes for this course - the things we
would all learn if we successfully completed the course. The outcomes seemed daunting as they were listed
off one after the other, but now, having reached the end of the semester, I can proudly say that Ive
learned, and successfully demonstrated every skill that this course set out to teach me.
The first learning outcome was to be able to capture, edit and effectively use digital
media, including images, audio, text and video, employing a variety of sources and
formats. I feel like all the work I did during the semester allowed me to achieve this outcome, however,
the final movie trailer project is probably the best example of this. I worked with video clips, audio tracks,
my own script of text, and images, combining them all to make a 90 second movie trailer for a completely
made up story. Im really proud of my movie trailer because, throughout the semester, I could not fathom
how I was going to be able to create a trailer with 5 different actors who have never (and probably will
never) work together. It very much seemed like an impossible task to me, and I dreaded the mere thought
of it. But, much to my surprise, I was able to create something really cool and that completely fit the
theme of my story! My movie trailer is definitely the project I am the most proud of.
The second learning outcome was to be able to create and effectively use basic 2dimensional animation. I was able to successfully demonstrate this outcome with both my very first
animated banner (in which I created an Alice in Wonderland themed mad tea party animation), and my

animated zoo banner. Through use of the program Edge Animate, I learned to animate and manipulate
images to create dynamic banners. Both projects were fun and allowed me to creatively express myself in
a way that I had never been able to before.
The third learning outcome was to be able to make appropriate choices concerning the
trade-off of file size versus quality in digital media. Having taken several other graphics courses
in my career as a student, I feel like Ive learned to always use high resolution images, so this learning
outcome was not difficult for me to meet right off the bat. Using high resolution images for all of my
projects has allowed me to not have to worry so much about the file quality being poor. Everything came
out looking beautifully. However, the one downside to using high res images, is that you have to know
(and remember!) to decrease the file sizes because they can be gigantic! There have been a few times when
Ive forgotten to do this (like in my postcard project), but overall I know how to make the right choices,
and how to decrease the file sizes when necessary.
The fourth learning outcome was to be able to identify a target audience and goals for a
multimedia project. The movie poster project I did for this course is a perfect example of this outcome.
I worked with a client (another classmate) to discuss ideas for the look and feel of the movie he wanted
to create, the kind of story he wanted to tell, and the actors he wanted to be in that movie. Using his
description of his story, the names of his actors, and a few critics reviews, I was able to bring his movie to
life through a series of posters.
The fifth learning outcome was to be able to understand and apply copyright principles.
We extensively went over copyright laws in class, and were asked to keep track of every single source that
we used in all of our projects. It was a difficult habit to get into at first, but now that I have, I do it for
everything. As students, we are allowed to use images for educational purposes, so its easy to develop a
relaxed attitude towards copyright, but its always so important to be able to give credit to your sources.
You have to cite your sources in writing, and its the same in art!
The sixth learning outcome was to be able to design screen-based digital layouts
applying the principles of contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity and text design
strategies. This principle was discussed constantly throughout this course. Even from my first project,
where I made a postcard, I was able to demonstrate this outcome. We worked with different design
layouts from the golden rule, to the rule of thirds, to phi. I was able to put together my postcard using all
of the principles in addition to using appropriate font choices for my text that reflected my overall theme
(Disney).
The seventh learning outcome was to be able to plan, design, manage and produce an
artistic interactive multimedia project that integrated text, audio, animation, video and
images using basic scripting to enhance interactivity. The tutorial I created using Camtasia is a
good example of this outcome, as well as the entire Weebly website I created. Both are interactive. The
tutorial was a mix of text, my own audio, animation effects, video, and images, and it is interactive in the
sense that anyone who watches the tutorial can follow along and learn the feature I was teaching (textwrapping in Adobe Illustrator). The Weebly site is also a combination of all the requirements of this

learning outcome because it displays all of my projects, and anyone who visits my site can click and
interact with the content.
The eighth, and final, learning outcome was to be able to apply an iterative design process
to the creation of a multimedia project. Iterative is not a word that Im super familiar with, but its
meaning is repetitious, or continual/constant, etc. I feel the business card project is probably good
example of this outcome. I created several different, but consistent designs for a client (another
classmate), to come up with a unique brand for him. I also did the same when I created a business card for
myself.
Overall, Media Tools has been a whirlwind. I completed so many projects using so many different
programs that my head is still spinning - but in the best possible way. The course has opened my eyes to
new programs, new techniques, and new design principles. Media Tools has given me confidence and
taught me that I really can accomplish anything! And none of it would have been possible without Susan
Brown, who was one of the most wonderfully understanding, compassionate, down-to-earth, and funny
teachers I could have ever asked for in this crazy-hectic first semester. I cant imagine taking this course
with anyone else! Susan is the best, and I am going to miss her next semester, but I know that her drive
and her talents are moving her on to bigger and better things. I wish her all the luck in the world, and I
just want to say: Thanks Su - for everything!