RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
My name is Nickela Winfield and I am a senior in Graphic Design with a minor in Business of Art and Design. I am from a small, country town in North Carolina. As you can imagine, there is not much to do or see. I learned about graphic design from a video on YouTube of an artist vectorizing a cheeseburger using Affinity Designer. Now, I look back and think about the day my life opened up. Who knew this graphic design thing existed? I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I was excited to learn more. I dove in and fell down the rabbit hole of watching design tutorials. I decided that night that graphic design was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. From there, I researched many colleges but decided after a visit during Accepted Student Day that Ringling College was the perfect choice for me. Now that I am in my final semester, I can confidently say I made the right choice. I have learned so much about presenting work, making intentional design decisions, and using emotion to help tell the story.
WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL INSPIRED?
I feel inspired knowing that learning never ends. I can always watch a video tutorial or talk to one of my classmates and learn more. There is always something to do, questions to ask, ideas to realize, and challenges to conquer.
WHAT ARE YOU READING, LISTENING TO, WATCHING?
I am reading The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression, & Reflection. I am listening to Flume’s album Palaces and Beyonce’s album Renaissance. My Spotify Wrapped was pretty insane, and I am watching Kaleidoscope on Netflix.
WHAT AREA OR AREAS OF DESIGN ARE YOU HOPING TO WORK IN OR SPECIALIZE IN?
There are many ways to use design to create a more accessible and diverse world. So, I’m hoping to work in the areas of branding and accessible packaging design.
