amhakanson

[amhakanson]

hey!! I'm possibly going to Arkansas next year and the one thing I'm not sold on is campus/Fayetteville itself. I'm not sure if I like how rural Fayetteville is, it's a little scary to be to be almost in the middle of nowhere. did you have trouble with this or did you have this problem too when deciding? thanks😊

I don’t want to sound rude, but have you actually been to Fayetteville? Because that’s what I thought about UArk as well, but then I visited, and it’s not that way at all.

Northwest Arkansas is a place of its own, unlike any of the areas surrounding it. It’s a little bubble that’s got a ton of character and a lot of things to do, actually. You have to remember that the headquarters of Walmart is less than 30 miles away from Fayetteville. And however you feel about Walmart and the Walton family, what that means is that there is a ton of money flowing into and around the NW Arkansas area. It’s developing extremely quickly. I mean, just within the time I’ve been here, they’ve needed to expand the highways to accommodate for the growth. 

There’s the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which is genuinely world-class. It was designed by a famous architect, and it’s been lauded in all sorts of national papers and magazines. They have some of the most famous American art in their collection, and they have the coolest exhibits– State of the Art was my favorite art exhibit that I’ve ever seen. They also have a Frank Lloyd Wright house on-site and a ton of walking trails around the museum. There’s quite the bubble of architecture and design, especially because of the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design (hi, that’s me!).

If you like theater and music, there’s a big venue just off of campus that is constantly showing plays and musicals that are supposed to be very good. It’s a big draw– not just for students, but for people from all over the state. There are also a lot of concerts in the area and on campus. In the past few years, campus has had Ben Rector, The Head and The Heart, John Mayer, The Foo Fighters, Kid Cudi, T.I., and some I’m sure I’m forgetting; these all had free tickets for students! There’s also the Walmart Amp about 20 minutes away, and they’re a legit concert ampitheater– Ellie Goulding and Twenty One Pilots are upcoming, and past shows have included Dave Matthews Band, Needtobreathe, Kenny Chesney, Fifth Harmony, ect. 

If you like being outside, I’m not sure you could be in a better place than “The Natural State.” There are parks and rivers and lakes for hiking, rock climbing, camping, canoeing, and hammocking. The University probably also has a club for all of those things! 

If you’re a foodie, you’ll find lots of amazing food. A few examples! Hammontrees: just gourmet grilled cheese that’s crazy good. Farmer’s Table: amazing breakfast and lunch made with local ingredients as much as possible. Woodstone Craft Pizza: just what it says, also known for its cocktail selection. Greenhouse Grille: organic and higher-brow takes on some standard American cuisine; they even make their own ketchup. Arsagas: the best brunch spot in Fayetteville, also apparently with delicious coffee (I highly recommend the Pommes and Pork Crepe!). There are lots of other places to go, some better than others. My point is that there are a lot of choices!

And the campus is gorgeous! It’s so beautiful! I’m a design major, I love to be surrounded by beauty, and this campus has that. If you don’t believe me (or the campus website, haha), let’s take a walk through my Instagram! Here, Here, Here, Here, Here. And those are just from this semester!

I mean, I’m from St. Louis, Missouri– I know what it’s like to have tons of things to choose from, to be really close to a metro area, ect. And is Fayetteville like that? No. I miss genuine Mexican food, and I would kill for a decent Indian place. I would love an Ikea in the area, and I wish more things were open on Sunday. But I have LOVED my time in Fayetteville, despite my initial concerns (I am not going to freaking Arkansas, Mom). It’s been an awesome place to be for four years of my life. It’s made me appreciate St. Louis more, but I also wish for things from Arkansas when I’m home. It’s good! Would I want to live in Fayetteville forever? No, but I’m not tired of it yet, and I only have 5 months until graduation.

This is long, but I hope it’s helpful. Good luck in choosing your college!

[amhakanson]

Hey! I have a couple of creepy questions for you. I stumbled upon some pictures of your room in Founders, and the view looked amazing. As I'm planning on rooming there next year, I was wondering what floor you were on and what side of the building. Also, I'm really excited to get plugged into a church. Did you find one that you loved? Thank you!

This isn’t creepy at all! If I put something on here, anyone is more than welcome to ask me questions! I’ll always do my best to answer.

The view was actually pretty meh on my side! The building is oriented East-West on its long sides, so you either get early morning light or afternoon light. I was on the fourth floor, on the east side. I basically looked over at the top of another building, but the West side had a decent view. On the fifth floor, either side has a good view. But the windows are pretty small, so I wasn’t that impressed. Actually, overall, I didn’t love Founders. I’ve liked Gibson much, much more– enough that I’ve lived there two of my four years. 

I never did get plugged into a church that I loved. It’s a combination of a lot of things, and I visited a lot of places that were great, but just never found one that was right for me. I’m not sure what your denominational preferences are; Christ Church has several locations in the area that are all different. Christ Community Church on Dickson is where I’ve attended off and on for the past year. There are lots of options for churches as well as for student organizations, so I’m sure you’ll find something you can get excited about!

Best of luck,

Alyssa

[amhakanson]

Hey alissa! We have talked before about the interior design program at uofa. i actually saw you today, i was visiting campus & saw you on the desk with your name haha i was the short girl wearing the black dress idk if you notice

That was you?! Yes, I definitely remember you! I try to make a point to smile at all the people touring– choosing a school can be such a scary process, and we tend to look so intense when we’re working. I promise there is lots of goofiness that goes along with the hard work. I can’t believe you recognized me!

How did you like the campus/building/program? Let me know if there is anything I can help you with or clarify!

((hugs))

Alyssa

[amhakanson]

Working on signage for my current project. Pick one?

[amhakanson]

Hi, I've recently decided that I will be going to university of Arkansas and im super excited and ik this question has nothing to do with what your majoring in but I was just curious everyone seems to be rushing into a sorority and im not are most people in arkansas in a sorority of frat?

The rate is about 25-33% of the student body, so definitely not. It’s just that the sororities and fraternities shout louder than everyone else, so it seems like everyone is Greek. But it’s definitely not like that. 

There are so many things to get involved in on campus— student government, religious organizations, sustainability stuff, professional groups (related to your major), campus program planning, honors college stuff. And those are just off the top of my head!

Don’t stress about it, because you’ll be great. The only mistake you could make would be joining in on something you aren’t excited about or that makes you uncomfortable. Go for the things that you’re passionate about, that make you want to get up in the morning. Find the people who are excited about the same things and make you a better version of yourself. That’s how you make college awesome.

[amhakanson]

I'm about two weeks into the design development process of this project. It's a boutique perfumery located in downtown Fayetteville. 

I've decided to tap into the coffee market of Fayetteville--the town's individually owned coffee shops do really well! Additionally, the smell of coffee is known to reduce olfactory fatigue, which is a benefit especially useful in a shop where people will be sniffing lots of perfumes.

This set of drawings shows some basic spaces as well as the lighting intentions for the space. The idea is to "paint" with light, using a hierarchy to create a space with depth. Ultimately, the perfumery will be edgy and moody, taking advantage of the qualities of raw materials to achieve this feeling. Lighting will be generally diffused and filtered with very few instances of exposed light sources.

[amhakanson]

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, Of all things physical and metaphysical, Of all things human, and all things superhuman, Of all true manifestations of the head, Of the heart, of the soul, That the life is recognizable in its expression, That form ever follows function

Louis Sullivan, 1896

[amhakanson]

Movement

Our studio had a pin-up on Friday. We'd only been developing our design solutions for a week, so it was really preliminary. But when we were setting up, I noticed that the work we're producing in one week looks like what our final projects looked like last fall. We've come so far.

Studio is such a collaborative atmosphere in so many ways. While I'm not close to everyone in studio, I generally feel lots of love toward most of them. When one of us learns, everyone learns from that, and our skills have grown together in lots of ways. We've been on this journey together for six semesters, and I am so proud of us. 

That I can say, "do you think this is too similar to my coffee shop?" and have every girl remember that is wonderful. By the end of a project, I could probably present most of the projects as well as my own. Friday, I had a few girls say that they can tell which poster is mine because I have a favorite font; there's a level of connection between us that I couldn't do without. I know their strengths better than my own! We sit and prep for our interviews, we help each other troubleshoot programs, we give feedback on portfolios/websites/layouts. 

I'm reaching the end of this journey, and I'm starting to contemplate design work away from this group. I can't imagine weeks going by without my studio mates. I can't imagine a project without them, even though I know that will soon be the reality for all of us. It's almost over. We're starting to choose our paths, and I'm proud and happy and excited for these wonderful, talented designers who have made the late nights and early mornings bearable and funny.

[amhakanson]

Finish, Rest, Revisit

I've been working on redoing projects for my portfolio for almost 10 hours. That's the cool thing about design school... once you finish a project and get graded on it, you get to go back and redo it all for your portfolio. Unfortunately, there is never a sense of completion in this major. I am never finished with anything! I just get to "revisit" all my work over and over to bring all my previous work up to the standards I have now (which are much higher-- it's almost unbelievable how much I've learned in the past year)... and then the process will repeat next year as I revisit the project I'm working on now.

But, hey... I might get a scholarship out of this, so it's more than just job searching. And on the bright side, look how much better these renderings look than the ones I did last year about this time:

I'm not finished yet. I still need to add signage and stuff, but I've made some good progress! And honestly, I'm pretty pleased with my portfolio and the work I've done over the past 3 years. I might not be the most talented or even the most interesting designer in my studio, but I have always done my very best. At the end of the day, I need to believe that counts for something.

[amhakanson]

Concept development for this project is... long. But that's good, because it means that I'm doing a lot of revising and a lot of thinking, and that will result in a more cohesive and thoughtful final project.

Top image: concept poster. Final title (I think): "Erosion of Beauty." I presented my "corrupted garden party" concept and the professors told me that the most compelling aspect of it was the part about decay and the beauty to be found in that. I wrote "erosion of beauty" at the top of the page, and the professor loved it. Filtering light and overgrowth and "breaking the grid" are all part of this idea. It'll be an interesting challenge to try to abstract something that happens naturally over long periods of time.

Bottom image: textures and materials palette. For this project, I'm allowing myself to be really inspired by materials that decay beautifully. The way paint flakes and glass shatters and moss creeps and shadows fall are all prominent in my mind right now. My color palette is complimentary (which I've actually never done in a project!)-- rusted oranges and turquoise blues. Patinas and rust and perfume oh my.

[amhakanson]

This semester's project is a perfumery. As a little bit of pre-research, I ripped out a ton of perfume ads to analyze them. I realized pretty quickly that most ads fell into just a few categories-- "pretty," "sexy," "glamorous," and "natural." Obviously these are carefully constructed by the perfume industry, but it was a pretty interesting exercise.

In developing a concept for my perfumery, I was initially really drawn toward the idea of a garden-- filtered light, very feminine. But I was generating lots of ideas and was also tinkering with abstractions on the theme of a city at night. I was essentially in the middle of a process where I was writing lists of everything that came to mind for each environment when my professor noted that these two ideas could be interpreted as "pretty" vs "sexy".

So for the past few days I've been comparing, contrasting, and generally thinking about those four categories and how they relate to design, marketing, and my potential concept. I created some visual concept boards comparing them, and that was quite a feat-- not only did I have to think about how I view each of those categories, but I had to decide how to search. What is sexy? How is it different from glamorous? Where is the overlap between the two? I found myself searching some weird terms-- "glamorous makeup" "Christian Louboutin black heels" "black orchids" "natural perfume brands" "Paris rain at night" ect. 

What started as a quick ideation has turned into a bit of a philosophical game, and I'm having a lot of fun playing. Over the next week, this is going to refashion itself into a concept for the project, and I'm really excited to see what I come up with.

[amhakanson]

Semester Preview: Semester 6

My semester got off to a bit of a rough start. I got back to campus with a bad case of strep throat that ended up being antibiotic-resistant strep throat and a throat ulcer, so I spent the entirety of the first week of classes on some serious painkillers (and fast asleep). I've spent the past two weeks playing frantic catch-up, and I've finally succeeded and gotten a taste for what my semester will be like.

Here it is:

Human Factors in Interior Design: I get to start my Mondays at 8:30 in the morning with a professor who doesn't like me. She also assigns about 20 pages of reading for every class and a reading summary (what's the big idea? define key words. please write down questions to ask in class) for each one that's making me flash back to middle school. The silver lining is a literary analysis paper that should help me kick start my honors thesis work. Lighting for Interiors: A much-needed class that should probably be taught earlier in the program. I've heard it's really hard, but I like the professor and have hopes for a decent grade. Studio 6: Holy moly, I can't believe I'm on the second half of my third year of design school. This semester is focusing on construction documents, which are very technical and very intimidating. The professors are the two above, which means I spend 15+ hours a week with each of them... it's a lot. Personal Financial Management: I think this class might actually be useful? I know next to nothing about money management (other than common sense and the general principles my mom taught me), so it might actually be good to learn about stocks and portfolio management. If the tests are as easy as the quiz questions, it should be a pretty easy A.

Well, that's that. I think it'll be a busy but manageable semester. I'm trying really hard to stay on top of everything and to do some assignments in advance in order to accommodate for the pressures of studio. I also have an internship search to conduct and a thesis to start work on, so it seems daunting right now. Just one year and three months until I'm out of here.

[amhakanson]

Winter Break: Furniture Building with My Guy

Over break, Joey and I spent a few days designing and building this record stand and storage piece for my sister. I've been interested in furniture design for awhile, and it was loads of fun to have the chance (read: free time) to work on a project like this.

It was a very low-cost project; we have access to free shipping pallets, and Joey's dad has lots of tools and screws in his garage. A leftover can of stain really brought out some nice tones in the salvaged wood.

I wanted this piece to be simple but durable. I didn't want to design anything crazy that would be at odds with our chosen materials, and I also know that my sister tends to be pretty hard on her furniture. I'm pleased with the results of our few days in the workshop, and now that I've had a taste of furniture building, I'm eager for more. I'd really love to learn how to do more delicate things and how to use more tools.

Here's to more projects and more furniture made with my guy!

[amhakanson]

Semester Review: Semester 5

Ugh. I've put this one off for over a month, just because I didn't want to think about it; but I need to think about it, because I need to reflect on what I learned. So here goes.

From August:

Architectural History 3: bright and early on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get to learn all about modern architecture. The teacher is a whacko: a well-meaning and incredibly intelligent woman who was a flower child in the 60s and 70s. She knows what she’s talking about (she’s the assistant dean), so I feel sure I’ll get a lot of knowledge shoved into my brain… but she’s also a lot to handle at 9 am. Long story short: I have no idea what to expect.

Professional Practice for Interior Designers: Our department head decided that he never wanted one of his students to feel as unprepared as he did when he entered the work force as a new designer, so he created this class for us. We’ve only had two classes, and I can already tell how useful it’s going to be. Assignments include updating theupperclassmen website, creating our resumes and portfolios, and various other tasks to help us in the “real world.” I’m excited.

Building Systems for Interiors: Interior designers are involved in a lot more than people think. Electrical systems, HVAC, security systems, lighting, and plumbing are all within our realm of work, and obviously there’s a lot to learn. I like this professor a lot— she’s fair, up front about what she expects, and incredibly knowledgeable. I’m hoping that I learn a lot and get a good grade. 

Studio 5: Sigh. I think it might be a difficult semester in studio. I have two professors who are somewhat difficult for me to work with, which always makes it harder for me to focus on studio work. One of them isn’t a fair grader, which is terrifying and frustrating. But we have some really cool projects coming up, so I just want to keep my head down and focus on creating some cool spaces while actively trying not to think about how scared I am about my grades. 

And now:

Architectural History 3: Probably the most useful class of the semester, and also the hardest I've ever worked for an A- in my life. Knowing the history of my profession is hugely important, and I feel so much more informed than before I took the class, which was exactly the point. The teacher was a bit unorthodox, but always fair, and I can definitely handle that.

Professional Practice for Interior Designers: I shouldn't have been as excited as I was. The teacher was so obsessed with it not being a blow-off class that he made everything much harder than it needed to be. But the assignments, regardless of the grades he handed out, were crazy useful. I now have a completed portfolio, resume, and cover letter ready to go. I also had the opportunity to be the production manager for our new website.

Building Systems for Interiors: I would never have imagined that in one semester I would learn so much about the inner workings of buildings. Plumbing, HVAC, electrical... wow. It was so useful. I never thought I would listen to a contractor talk about strategies for insulation and moving plumbing lines and actually understand what was going on. But I do!

Studio 5: I've never had a harder time than I did this semester in studio. I'm just happy that I did some great projects that really fill out my portfolio. I won't forget all that I learned, but I wouldn't mind if I suddenly couldn't remember the rest of it.

[amhakanson]

I'm a high school senior from Missouri who has been accepted into U of A Architecture program for fall 2015, although I'm actually undecided between architecture and interior design. Could you tell me more about what the studio culture is like in the architecture school at U of A and about how many hours outside of class you spend there in a typical week? People keep telling me how intense architecture is as a major. I'm trying to get an idea of what to expect.

Hi! Welcome to the family. I’ll be on my way out as you’re coming in, but I can’t wait to meet you.

I’m not going to lie to you— it’s very intense. Whether you choose interior design or architecture, you’re in for lots of late nights, long weeks, and stress. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles in the school of architecture.

Luckily for you, you don’t have to choose your path right away. The first-year students are all in the same studio now; no matter your intended major, you’ll be with all the first years. Historically, there’s been a lot of swapping between the disciplines in the first year. Many freshman don’t actually know what’s involved in interior design vs architecture vs landscape architecture, so the administration is training you all together for the first two semesters. 

Studio culture depends on your year and is a reflection of the personalities in your studio. Personally, I really love my year (class of 2016 interior design). We have to focus, and it’s a lot of hard work, but there’s definitely lots of fun to be had, and nothing bonds a group of people together quite like the kind of work we do.

The time I spend outside of class really depends on two things: the project I’m working on and the stage of the project I’m in. For the last two weeks of a project, it can be 60-80 hours a week pretty easily. I generally don’t make plans with friends, and I schedule my showers (because sometimes I forget). But it’s manageable for the few weeks leading up to that. Maybe about 20-30 hours a week (including studio)? It’s kind of hard to say.

Bottom line: it’s intense. I’m friends with lots of engineers and nursing students, all who say interior design is lots more intense than their majors. I’m not really sure why we get a rep for having a super fun major, because it can be a real nightmare. But at the end of the day, I just remember that I love this. I love to create spaces and solve problems and design interiors that are good for people— beautiful and functional and accessible. It makes me happy, and it fulfills something in me that nothing else does. So it’s worth it. (Also, I’m holding on very tightly to the reality that this is only 4 years, and I’m almost to the point where I get to leave work and go home… and the work doesn’t come with me.)

Good luck making the choice that’s right for you!

Alyssa

[amhakanson]

[amhakanson]

My studio mates and I created this website to showcase the upperclass(wo)man work in the school of interior design. 

I acted as the website production manager for the website, so I'm really proud that it's up and running. My classmate Rina was our design director, and it was really fun to work with her on our new website. She did an excellent job-- it's clean, functional, and beautiful!

Those who have been following me since my freshman year have seen lots of progress and projects as I've progressed through design school; this is your chance to see what my classmates have been producing alongside me. The site is just a small sampling of our work, but there are some very cool projects on there.

(Here's my personal page)