COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO
Madeline Paradis is a designer based in Chicago, graduating this spring with a BA in Graphic Design and a minor in Design Management. Originally from Kansas, Paradis started her design journey on her high school’s newsmagazine team; this experience has led to a love of storytelling and collaboration in her current work. On campus she is the graphic designer for the Career Center and the Director of Public Engagement for AIGA.
WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL INSPIRED?
Seeing the work of my classmates, especially those studying different disciplines like photography or fine art. It is motivating to have peers that are making better work than myself and it is such a gift to be surrounded and inspired by that.
WHAT AREA OR AREAS OF DESIGN ARE YOU HOPING TO WORK IN OR SPECIALIZE IN?
I really love brand identity, print materials, and installations, although I try not to narrow myself down into one area. Creating and contributing to the unfamiliar is the fun of being a designer.
WHAT IS ONE THING THAT DESIGN SCHOOL HAS TAUGHT YOU THAT YOU DID NOT EXPECT?
Design school has taught me the gift of feedback, and how to give and take critique objectively, rather than personally. To be better designers and artists, we have to be open to the opinions of others and willing to try seeing things from other’s perspectives.
WHAT ARE YOU READING, LISTENING TO, WATCHING (BOOKS, MOVIES, TV, SOCIAL MEDIA, MUSIC)?
Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer and Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck Looking: Ray Johnson c/o Listening: CMAT, Yebba, and boygenius Watching: Pretend It’s a City with Fran Lebowitz
