What is Visual Communications, you say? Well, it’s basically graphic design with a fancy name. What’s so special about it? Well – I’m here to tell you that it is the BEST & the WORST major at OU. “Impossible!” you cry. Believe me, it’s true, and I’ll explain why.

*Not enough time to read a whole entry? Scroll down for a video I spent 60 hours designing. Trust me, it’s the best homework assignment I’ve ever had.

Let’s get to nitty-gritty. My major is the WORST. Here is why:

1] Try-outs…. just to get into the major?
As I was taking foundation art classes as a freshman, the great question was looming for us all – Would we chose to be a photography, art history, studio art, film or visual communications major? We were to make this decision by March with a portfolio of our work. With the other majors, you could set your portfolio on fire and still get in. Not so with Vis Comm. I had to have a perfect portfolio, an artist statement and…. an interview. Yes, an interview. The whole thing was a daze – I felt like hurling twice and I think I talked about badminton, a lot.

2] Now time to DESIGN, DESIGN, DESIGN.
Let’s do a little math, shall we? I want to find out how many hours a week I spend designing:
Hours in Vis Comm class: 12.
Hours of credit given: 6.
Hours in the studio doing homework: 20.
Hours left for friends: 2.
Hours left for eating: Can you eat and type at the same time?
Oh, and by the way, on weekends, you better be attending Design conferences, interning at a great firm, and submitting your work into contests – otherwise, you’re fired. (This is not just a Donald Trump thing – my teacher, Karen, has told me that “You’re fired” about 14 times.)

3] I’d rather take a test.
Why? Well, with a test you can study for a week, stay up all night before the test, and eventually say, “I’ve studied enough to pass.. I’ll go to sleep now and not worry about it.” With graphic design, we work on one project for three weeks and still have all-nighters. Believe me, if you don’t, your classmates will eat you alive.
Why? Because you look like the biggest slacker if you don’t stay up all night with everyone else. Everyone remembers the ones who were not there all night – we make fun of their work the most.
Actually, this is not that true, but it is true that you feel guilty for not putting in those last hours. When the sun finally rises, and the 5-hour energy shots are empty, we drag ourselves into the conference room with band-aids all over our fingers and really bad breath. This is the part that I wish was just like a test.  Everyone judges and picks apart your work, and vice-versa. I defend using a duck to sell soap, I ask Sarah why she would use such an ugly green, and everyone can feel the competition rise. Our life is seriously like Project Runway, every day. Can you imagine taking a test, getting up in front of a classroom and explaining to everyone why you chose each of your answers and your teacher calling out your grade to everyone?

But… Vis Comm is the BEST. Here’s why:

1] I have a new family.
Our three professors are our new mommies and daddies who we call by their first name. My classmates are my brothers and sisters. Sounds sappy and lovey dovey, but it’s true. Obviously, we spend too much time together. Even after hours, we somehow can’t get enough of each other. We’ve taken road trips to Tulsa, had a lot of dinners and even hung out at our professors’ homes. The all-nighters are also where we bond the most. My first year, we would have bicycle races around the Art School when we got too sleepy. Lately, we’ve been hiding our friend Tyler’s bike on different floors of the building. These are also the nights where we talk about our lives and get to know each other on a deeper level. Ahhh.. now that is the BEST.

2] We meet some dang cool people.
I posted a while back about Jay Shuster from Pixar who spoke at OU – well that guy is just one of the many artists who have come through. I have met guys and gals who have designed for movies like Quantum of Solace, Se7en, Kite Runner, Stranger than Fiction, and even more. We have met Stefan Saggmeister, Chip Kidd, and Kyle Cooper. Look up any of these names and be blown away. They are the top of the top in the design world. Thanks to our awesome professors who know everyone, we get to rub shoulders with the elite. Niiiiice.

3] Leg up.
In order to survive this crazy graphic design world, you gotta be a hard-worker. It has definitely given me a leg up in the professional world. I feel like a lawyer sometimes, having to defend every move I make, judging and analyzing all the situations around me. I go into interviews with confidence now. In the end, I will not only have a degree, but have a great portfolio to show for it. Hooray!

So enough talk. Here is a video I created last week (only one all-nighter needed) for your enjoyment. Also, don’t judge me too harshly, I am new at this whole animation thing.

Fancy Footwork from Stephanie Daniel on Vimeo.