Scraps of cardboard, tattered art supplies and remnants of late night snacks scatter the basement studio in Brooks Hall. For several first year students at N.C. State’s College of Design, this studio has become a second home for the summer.

Jeanna Young, a first year student in Art and Design, said the accelerated studio has forced her to eat, sleep and breathe design.

“Summer studio is an immersive educational design opportunity,” she said. “It forces you to eliminate any distractions or frivolities to your process. It forces you to only think about the basics and essentials.”

After graduating in May with a Bachelor of Design Studies, Jeanna is working towards her second undergraduate degree in Art and Design: Fashion + Fibers. With summer studio, Jeanna is one step closer to her goals.

“Time is of the essence and summer studio is helping me achieve my design goals in the most efficient and meaningful way possible,” she said.

Jeanna attends class from 1:40-5:20 p.m. Monday through Thursday, but her commitments don’t stop there. She and her studio-mates spend as much time as possible working on projects during nights and weekends.

“Class time is valuable because it is a time for feedback from our professor and an opportunity to learn new concepts,” Jeanna said. “Outside of class, we will take that feedback and build upon concepts we learned, incorporating them into our project.”

Many first year studio projects have focused on innovating spaces with limited materials. Jeanna said her projects challenge her in the transition from research to creation.

“[We worked on] a cardboard project that challenged us to design with cardboard material in our studio space,” Jeanna said. “We had to find a way to create a structure that would integrate itself into our everyday studio space. We also worked together to design an architectural installation on Hillsborough Street.”

Over the course of the summer, Jeanna has seen her design process grow and her skills improve. During the Hillsborough Street project, she faced her fear of Adobe Illustrator by designing a poster for her group’s installation.

“I was under such a time crunch and forced to learn the program as best as I could,” she said. “I had to use what I knew to make it work so that I could communicate my idea. I was very surprised how well I was able to communicates using the software.”

“I was not expecting to learn so much about myself and my design process so quickly,” Jeanna said. “It’s amazing what you learn when you are under pressure and forced to just make.”

About the Author: Chelsea Brown is an Editorial Experience Designer at Republic Wireless. She has a passion for storytelling and how design can enhance a reader’s experience. On her days off, she enjoys running, Jane Austen novels and working on personal projects for her blog,
Cut & Paste.

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