Meet Kenneth Brown, a Graphic Design and Web Development student at F.I.R.S.T. Institute. He currently has a platform he developed for entrepreneurs and independent artists called My City Mondays. It began in 2010 as an open platform.
Because it took place every Monday, it eventually became very popular. That’s when someone suggested that he have a website created for his events. But that just wasn’t something people were doing at the time.
Brown learned how to use WordPress to create a website. He set up a signup form so artists could join his mailing list. This form allowed them to submit contact info, and social media info, as well as submit music to him and his team. From the list, they would randomly select artists to perform on Mondays.
Learning the Ins and Outs of the Design Industry
Now, as a web and graphic design student at F.I.R.S.T. Institute, Kenneth is learning the technical aspects of the design industry. He’s learning the lingo, the real terminologies and the education behind working on a website.
The student expresses excitement about actually learning how to develop a website as well, something he didn’t realize he’d be doing. What a plus!
Nowadays, Brown says, when you look around you, everything is about design. Basically, about 90% of what you see, someone had to design it. Design is all around us, allowing us to create incredible things using our own imaginations.
Brown says he enjoys starting with a basic drawing, taking it through the illustration process and transforming it into a real cartoon. With design skills, you open up your career options. There are so many avenues you can take with your new skills.
The Benefits of the F.I.R.S.T. Institute Design Program
One of the things Kenneth likes about attending F.I.R.S.T. Institute is the small classroom sizes. There’s just a small group of students in his class, which allows the teacher to work with students one-on-one when they need it.
He says he had a pretty rough year, and there were times when his grades slid a bit. But the teachers were always there to help him get back on track and catch up to speed. Brown also likes the “hands-on” approach at F.I.R.S.T. Institute, saying, “Everything’s here.”
Kenneth Brown says his favorite school project was the logo design project. It gave him a chance to create the “Favor” site logo, his own brand. He enjoyed taking his simple idea and transforming it into something “real.” His idea was branded!
With graphic design, the things you can do are endless. Your skills give you the ability to create anything, Brown says.
In the next four years, Kenneth sees himself maintaining his own website and “standing strong.” He loves that he’s able to use the tools provided by F.I.R.S.T. Institute to make his own business successful. Now, he feels confident that he can take his business, which he’s quite proud of, to a much more professional level, and make it a more prosperous one.
Words of Advice from Design Student, Kenneth Brown
Brown offers advice to people trying to break out into the web and graphic design industry or thinking about attending his school. Make sure you’re determined and ready to keep pushing.
You will go through some things and bump into barriers. But if you have a dream and you believe in what you’re able to do, you will be successful. So, NEVER give up, he advises.
F.I.R.S.T. Institute’s Graphic Design and Web Development program is for creative minds and creative thinkers. Kenneth believes these are the people who will take this world to the next level, noting, “If that’s in you, we need you.”
So, push through any doubts you may have in life, and just go for it because that’s what Brown had to do. At times, he didn’t believe he’d make it through the program. But he did. You need to have the drive to succeed inside you and the people around you to support you, which he gets at F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
