Blog
Updated 4 May 2021
Larissa Raywood was the first prize winner in our Pinterest promotion with iscd, the International School of Colour + Design, and has recently embarked on her year long Foundation Course - Certificate IV in Design. She writes for us about her early impressions and favourite experiences so far.
The course has been an eye-opening experience. My creativity level and imagination have gone running with the different projects we have been faced with. And it all began with colour. If you were to ask me what my favourite colour was I would generally say yellow. But then there is tint, tone, and shades of colour all of which we've had to physically paint ourselves, exposing us to an important knowledge of how to obtain certain spectrums.
If you would ask what my favourite colour is now I would have to first ask: optimal, non-optimal, tint or tone? It's completely changed how I think of choosing a colour. It's also created an important tool for my portfolio, with being able to physically choose colours from chips and combinations I've created myself!
Larissa's 9 step grey scale, which each student created to understand levels of light and dark in an interior or colour scheme.
After colour we have moved into the world of 'The Principles of Design' - such an important basis for any design, whether in print or interiors. Explained much better visually, it's about understanding balance, tone, shape, direction, etc - all the 'ingredients' that build great design.
One of my favourite lessons so far was the mind-mapping. It's a tool that is used in the design world that really gets the creative mind working. Branching off in groups, we were all handed an object and had to 'map' our 'mind' on paper by writing down any word that came to mind. We then created a product from this exercise and you really see how these words drive the design. It was a great lesson that we also took home to do ourselves and I completely missed collaborating with a team! That was the point of the exercise and I really enjoyed understanding the whole process.
The learning process at ISCD is amazing, and comes from a really well thought out curriculum. We approach the daily subject together to understand the concept and then branch off and collaborate with other students to apply what we've learned. A very hands on experience, and it's a great environment which surrounds you with those who are like-minded and who share a similar path towards that attainable dream of becoming a designer. You continue some of the lessons at home, and most of it never feels like homework, just creative-work.
Pinterest has definitely played an important role in my course, too. We've had to create some collages and bring some visuals together and after I exhaust my piles of magazines, I find exactly what i'm looking for on one of my boards! A great tool for any designer, it's a worldwide archive of amazing visuals.
Patterns inspired by a man-made object at left, and random objects forming the basis of a 'mind map' at right.
As I write this I'm finishing up my patterns which I've created from a man-made object (a lotion bottle in my purse). Definitely an interesting project - who knew you could create something so beautiful from something so boring! I'm feeling more confident as a designer as each week of this course goes by and just loving the inspiration that has come from this whole experience!
Images courtesy of Larissa, including some from her winning 'Summer with Temple & Webster and iscd' Pinterest board.
Pinterest winner Larissa Raywood on studying at iscd
Larissa Raywood was the first prize winner in our Pinterest promotion with iscd, the International School of Colour + Design, and has recently embarked on her year long Foundation Course - Certificate IV in Design. She writes for us about her early impressions and favourite experiences so far.
The course has been an eye-opening experience. My creativity level and imagination have gone running with the different projects we have been faced with. And it all began with colour. If you were to ask me what my favourite colour was I would generally say yellow. But then there is tint, tone, and shades of colour all of which we've had to physically paint ourselves, exposing us to an important knowledge of how to obtain certain spectrums.
If you would ask what my favourite colour is now I would have to first ask: optimal, non-optimal, tint or tone? It's completely changed how I think of choosing a colour. It's also created an important tool for my portfolio, with being able to physically choose colours from chips and combinations I've created myself!
Larissa's 9 step grey scale, which each student created to understand levels of light and dark in an interior or colour scheme.
After colour we have moved into the world of 'The Principles of Design' - such an important basis for any design, whether in print or interiors. Explained much better visually, it's about understanding balance, tone, shape, direction, etc - all the 'ingredients' that build great design.
One of my favourite lessons so far was the mind-mapping. It's a tool that is used in the design world that really gets the creative mind working. Branching off in groups, we were all handed an object and had to 'map' our 'mind' on paper by writing down any word that came to mind. We then created a product from this exercise and you really see how these words drive the design. It was a great lesson that we also took home to do ourselves and I completely missed collaborating with a team! That was the point of the exercise and I really enjoyed understanding the whole process.
The learning process at ISCD is amazing, and comes from a really well thought out curriculum. We approach the daily subject together to understand the concept and then branch off and collaborate with other students to apply what we've learned. A very hands on experience, and it's a great environment which surrounds you with those who are like-minded and who share a similar path towards that attainable dream of becoming a designer. You continue some of the lessons at home, and most of it never feels like homework, just creative-work.
Source: 29.media.tumblr.com via Larissa Leigh on Pinterest
Pinterest has definitely played an important role in my course, too. We've had to create some collages and bring some visuals together and after I exhaust my piles of magazines, I find exactly what i'm looking for on one of my boards! A great tool for any designer, it's a worldwide archive of amazing visuals.
Patterns inspired by a man-made object at left, and random objects forming the basis of a 'mind map' at right.
As I write this I'm finishing up my patterns which I've created from a man-made object (a lotion bottle in my purse). Definitely an interesting project - who knew you could create something so beautiful from something so boring! I'm feeling more confident as a designer as each week of this course goes by and just loving the inspiration that has come from this whole experience!
Images courtesy of Larissa, including some from her winning 'Summer with Temple & Webster and iscd' Pinterest board.
Explore More
Payment options
Head Office (No Showroom)
2/1-7 Unwins Bridge Rd, St Peters,
NSW 2044, Australia
Your customer reference #:
01-X-CSN
