One of Ryan Appleton's Diesel company pieces featured on Imagine That.

By Carlos Serrano

For artists, getting work noticed is a frustrating part of the lifestyle. It’s arguably the most important thing artists have to do in order to make a living, but it can also be hard to know how to do.

Of course, what matters the most is having good work and a good attitude, and this is where Ryan Appleton shines.

An M.A. graphic design student from Portsmouth, Ohio, Appleton was recently featured on Imagine That.

It was such a surprise that Appleton couldn’t believe it at first.

“I wasn’t even sure to believe it as authentic,” he said. “But after reading over it a few times and checking out the site I was excited to say the least.”

His excitement wasn’t unwarranted. According to Imagine That’s website, their focus is on inspiring students and graduates about design.

Just how did Appleton come up with the idea for his featured pieces?

“I made myself a list of a few “dream clients” who I would love to work with in the future of my career,” Appleton said, “and on that list was the Diesel company.”

He went on to say, “The goal was to create a piece unique enough to stand on its own but also similar enough to their style that it would fit seamlessly into an advertising campaign.”

If the idea that someone could get recognition for a project that was not done for school or work sounds odd, it shouldn’t. Many times it’s these types of passionate projects that become the ones that you’re most proud of. Coincidentally, those projects are also the ones that will garner the most attention.

Appleton agrees, saying, “Design what you love to create relentlessly and that will attract all the right attention.”

“You should be designing the things that inspire you,” he said, “that drive you to design in the first place.”

But perhaps the simplest way to distill Appleton’s view of art, is in his own words, “If it feels like work then you are doing it wrong.”

If you’d like to see more of Ryan Appleton’s inspiring and passionate work, you can check it out at both his current portfolio and his Behance profile.

By Carlos Serrano

If there’s anyone who works as hard and as much as Heather Decker, they deserve the upmost amount of respect. An interactive design and game development graduate student, it’s almost uncanny the amount of things she has on her plate.

Decker was recently made Secretary of the Chicago chapter of the International Game Developers Association. SCAD Myriad was able to talk to Decker about this and other aspects of her life.

Myriad: What inspired you to become an ITGM student, specifically at SCAD?

Decker: After I finished my Game Art and Design undergrad, I examined several online masters programs. I keep in touch with my former instructors, so SCAD was actually suggested to me by Christopher Legel of Clinton Community College. I was drawn to SCAD based on the course material outlined in the degree summary, the ability to complete the degree online, the time frame for completion, and the cost (compared to some of the other programs I looked into).

Once I became aware of the MFA program, specifically, it was clear to me what I needed to do. The MFA is the terminal degree in my field and qualifies me to teach at colleges and universities, which is one of my long-term goals.

Myriad: What is it about interactive design/game development that drives you?

Decker: I’ve always been a multidisciplinary sort of person (art, scripting, writing, building computers, etc.) and making games allows me to tap into many areas of interest all at once. I love problem-solving, which is a frequent activity when working on a game project. Most of all, I love seeing it all come together and being able to share it with others. We all speak the universal language of play.

Myriad: Do you have a dream project?

Decker: My dream project would be to work on something like a serious game for a higher cause, such as games for education. Games are naturally poised to be valuable tools for teaching, but we haven’t quite realized their full potential yet. Balancing the fun with the learning, and setting up appropriate opportunities for skill mastery, it’s all very tough to pull off, but I think we’ll see it come into being in our lifetime.

Myriad: When and how did you first get involved with the Chicago chapter of the IGDA?

Decker: I first got involved back in early 2010. I noticed the chapter had gone dormant and contacted the main IGDA organization to ask about it. I was pointed to Neal Sales-Griffin, who had initially inquired about the state of the chapter. I expressed that I’d really like to help get things going again.

Neal, Jay Margalus and I started meeting via Skype and we held the first event, IGDA Chicago Reboot, in April 2010. Soon we were joined by Sheri Rubin, who helped organize formal elections in December, and Christian Arca, who has offered space at Toy Studio repeatedly for our events. These folks I’ve mentioned now make up our awesome Board of Directors!

Myriad: Did you set out with the intention of becoming a member of the board of directors or was that just a natural progression?

Decker: I didn’t set out with the intent of ending up on the Board of Directors. I just really wanted to see the chapter back up and running, to see the game development community thriving again. Once we started talking about formalizing the chapter, I was prepared to stay on as a volunteer and continue helping out as much as possible. Sheri, Jay, and Neal all encouraged me to run in the election, and I’m really glad I did. Now I’m the Secretary on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Chapter and it feels awesome to continue to serve the game dev community in a new, official role.

When she’s not busy working with the Chicago chapter of the IGDA, Decker works with Team Mishap, a remote student Independent Games Festival team she founded in 2010. She’s also currently doing work on a textbook and when not working she enjoys her time with her family and two kittens. Decker’s work can be seen on her website: www.heathermdecker.com

By Carlos Serrano

It’s no secret that SCAD attracts talented people from all across the world. Giving all those talented people their due attention is important and oftentimes a fun experience. That’s why Student Spotlight was created, to shine a light on the talents and styles of different eLearning students. First up is Tracy Toogood from Rincon, Georgia.

A Graphic Design major, Tracy wants to “creatively inspire others within a physically and mentally challenging environment.” Below are some of Tracy’s pieces, as well as an artist statement from Tracy herself. And remember, if you’d like to be featured in Myriad’s Student Spotlight, send a sample of your work along with an artist statement to myriad@scad.edu.

“A naturalist at heart, I enjoy all themes organic. In fact, I’m quite good at getting my hands unnecessarily dirty in the process of artistic expression. Experiences differ from one individual, and one generation, to the next. Even the smallest endeavors are important. Past struggle and disenchantment have not deterred me from finding my own true potential.

A year ago I would not have considered myself a designer. An artist, yes—one capable of being inspired—but not one who inspires. Creating with paint and pastels for “Hatchlings” and “Michael” respectively presented a challenge. Working in these mediums proves very humbling and gratifying at the same time. The most self-fulfilling by-product of these pieces has been the realization of my own conceptual journey.

My work is not meant to placate anyone with cheerful or understated logic. I recognize that the viewer has a brain and I expect them to exercise it by formulating questions and answering them. It’s perfectly fine to talk to oneself in public.”