Just Accepted Visual Communications Student Has Traveled the World Helping People

Name: Brittney Porter

Age: 25

Hometown: Las Vegas

Major: Visual Communications Professional Designation

FIDM Campus and Start Date: Orange County/Fall 2011

Admissions Advisor: Susan Pope

Tell us a bit about yourself. I am a recent BYU grad who recently moved to California after my recent wedding. I always knew I wanted to go into a design career, but opted to first finish my four year degree in Humanities (Media Arts emphasis) with a minor in Communications. I now feel that I am well prepared to enter the field of design head on and I could not be more excited!
 
I have a passion for traveling and non-profit work, I'm obsessed with color ('cause it just makes people happier), I love leopard print, don't ask me why. My family is the most important thing to me and I see them as often as I can, I love being 25 and would stay this age forever, I wear colored lipstick probably too much, and I think music and dancing are the two greatest things on earth.   
 
What are your proudest accomplishments so far? My non-profit experiences in and out of the country. They have absolutely shaped me as a person and constantly push me to be better. I was able to teach English to high school seniors in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, volunteer working with orphaned children in Zambia, Africa, be a program director for BYU Special Olympics, and serve a year and half mission in Albania, learning the Albanian language. (Oh, and I'm also super proud of marrying my smokin' hot husband).

What made FIDM right for you? Like many people, I feel most like myself when I am doing something I love and creative design is definitely something I love. Visual Communications College at FIDM offers me a very specialized education, and  is one of the only nationally accredited colleges that is able to do that. Having already earned a degree, FIDM acknowledges that accomplishment and offers a Professional Designation program which allows me to focus on specific course work instead of extra general studies. 

FIDM has over 19,000 employer contacts as well as provides hands-on experiences and an industry-directed curriculum. FIDM absolutely seems intent on helping its students start and establish a long lasting career.

Describe your entrance project. Projects is more like it! I completed three separate entrance projects that all described myself in one way or another. The first project, required using a circle, square, and triangle to arrange a creative design. Using cork board, card stock, pins, an X-Acto knife, markers, and geography, I cut out a world map, placed it over the cork board, and proceeded to explain visually, where I've been and where I want to travel in the world.

The second project was a window display where I created a couture wedding gown display complete with wire mannequins, accessories, and a black, red, and white color scheme. The third project was an interior display of a vintage boutique which primarily sold women's head wear and household knickknack decor. It was also three-dimensional as I wanted to show my shabby chic style and love of interior design. 

What are your career goals? I cannot wait to see where my FIDM education will take me! I have so many ideas of what I want to do; I'm hoping that as I continue learning, growing, and interning I'll be able to narrow down exactly what career path is right for me. Art director? Visual design director? Freelance stylist? Who knows, the sky's the limit! As for right now, I hope to  at least combine my two loves of design and philanthropic work and become a charity event coordinator.

What do you expect to learn at FIDM? My goal is to soak up as much information as possible while learning how to sketch, floor plan, color scheme, trend forecast, graphic design, and visually present. I cannot wait!