Richard Summerhayes Blog

Can hardly start a blog about New Media with out chiming in on what it is. For me New Media Design refers to design created by digital tools and is most commonly outputted in a digital format. I say most commonly because as a New Media designer I’ll also create work that ends up in a printed format. But what’s key is that everything is created and manipulated digitally.

Think web design, motion graphics, video-editing, audio production, graphic design, flash design, animation, and interface design to name a few.

The digital revolution has enabled Graphic Designers of the 20th century, become New Media Designers in the 21st. The ability to take your creative vision and execute it across multiple digital media formats, add motion and audio to graphic ideas is truly powerful and amazing. Gone are the days when you’d need a professional recording studio or video editing suite to get started. Today a powerful computer and a professional suite of applications like Adobe’s CS3 gives you access to all you need.  

I encourage anyone interested in graphic design or art in general to check out the New Media field. Where should you start looking? Check out you local colleges and art schools. Look for courses in New Media, Interactive design/media, and rich media.

Alternatively check out the School of Computer Arts / New Media at The Academy of Art University, San Francisco. I am in my third year at this school and have enjoyed every minute. At the least it will give you a better idea about the field. 

In a future post I’ll be compiling a list of all the resources that really helped me on my way. They are a lot of excellent books, blogs, training videos and tutorials out there, some of which are free.