As an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Buena Vista University (BVU), Miranda Pollock is constantly surrounded with technology. In graphic design, the passion to create can sometimes become a pressure to create, but Pollock strives to take a different path with her teaching.
“In my profession as a graphic design professor, I started becoming really critical and aware of my role in the world and that of my students,” Pollock said. “One of the things I noticed is that in our profession as graphic designers, we make things to get people to buy things, and I hated that role. I was simultaneously exploring how I would teach my students to think about their role in the world and how they can create ideas instead of creating things.”
She has also noticed the difference among students and how living on a farm away from technology has changed her perspective.
“Students — they’re different. I’ve been without technology and then I come here and students are on their phones all the time, on technology
"When you are fed hundreds of images and messages every day, it’s hard to step away and really analyze them or create new images from yourselves."
-Miranda Pollock
all the time,” Pollock said. “Everyone knows the latest, which usually I don’t have a reference to. That was a big surprise in the classroom.”
Pollock sees less emphasis on creativity in the classroom today. She also sees the way technology has pulled society in.
“So many of us are so ingrained in technology that it’s hard for us to separate ourselves. When you are fed hundreds of images and messages every day, it’s hard to step away and really analyze them or create new images from yourselves,” Pollock said.
That is where her teaching focus lies. Pollock wants authentic designs that come from the minds of students, rather than something that has already been done in the world and seen through technology.
Justice Gage, a sophomore Digital Media major at BVU has experienced Pollock’s teaching style firsthand.
“One of the things that’s really emphasized in Miranda’s teaching and classes is that you start on paper and then go to digitizing it and putting it in the computer. She even makes it a point to mention that graphic designers nowadays are trying to stray away from the computer and do a majority of the work by freehanding it, that way you can see the hand of the artist,” Gage said. “It has now become such a common thing to own the programs to design that now everything thinks they can design anything. It’s more about the concept than it is the ability to make something on the computer.”
This is why Pollock is trying to encourage students to shutdown the computer and get any preconceived ideas out so they can move onto fresh designs.
“That’s one of the things I’m really trying to focus on: that they can make their mark and not rely on the marks that are already out there,” Pollock said.
Justice's Paper Drawing
Justice's Digital Drawing
Images provided by Miranda Pollock