Capturing Memories: Nora Miškulin’s Journey in Creating the RIT Croatia Yearbook

A yearbook is a book of photos published annually to commemorate and highlight the events of a previous year. Nora Miškulin is a New Media Design student who worked on this year's yearbook for the Zagreb campus!

Capturing moments, you can hold on to forever is important. Nora recognized the importance of freezing a memory while being in class and laughing with her friends “hoping that moment could last forever”. She assumed others felt the same way and figured this would be good for all the students. “The beginning was hectic. The first thing I did was tell my mom about the idea – nothing goes out before I run it by her”, Nora explained. The second step was to ask around and figure out if people would be interested in creating and being featured in the yearbook. One of the challenges Nora encountered was managing the team. “I was prepared for deviations from the plan and unforeseen circumstances, but nothing could have prepared me for managing the team that worked with me. Don’t get me wrong; they are amazing people, and I couldn’t have done it without them. However, each member required an individual approach and motivation”.

Once the yearbook idea was welcomed, Nora and her team started brainstorming. They had a lot of questions, but picked the best ideas and created an initial content list. Nora brought the idea to the Marketing and Communications Department and worked with them on the plan. The team collected event photographs and took portraits of faculty, staff, and senior students. After assembling the yearbook, Nora reviewed it and worked with Alice on the finesses.

Navigating Challenges

Creating a design for this year’s yearbook was a work of art. Nora went through the old RIT Croatia yearbooks and the RIT brand book. “In the beginning, I let every designer on the team work in their direction within the guidelines I made, and later we settled on the one we liked the most”.

Working on a project like this is an experience. Nora gained more knowledge about InDesign, the program she and her team used to create the book, and how to structure an official document. “I also unlocked completely new skills: managing big projects and groups of people, work distribution, and dealing with other teammates’ stress as well as my own. But the best one is covering up the true deadlines so that I would get the work done in time”.

Nora also gained a lot of experience through assignments for Dr. Jurica Dolić’s class and his critiques. Those helped Nora to keep RIT’s identity while letting the team work and design in their way. “By the end of the project, one of my friends told me my critiques were almost as sharp as his”, she remembered.

Nora’s Path to Creativity

Nora is more than just a student. She is an artist born with a pencil in her hand, saying she was “scribbling before she could walk”. Nurturing creativity is not easy and often requires external motivation. However, there are ways to keep her mind open and creative. “There is no better way to polish the skill of art than to experience life itself”. Nora immerses herself in reading, movies, travels, and music, believing that diversity is key. She loves to explore a wide range of interests through dramas, ballets, festivals, and cities, and meet diverse people. Such diversity ensures Nora’s mind to always have fresh inspiration to draw from.  “My mom supported that and spurred me to create even more. She was always, and still is, the outside factor that pushed me toward art in any shape or form. That’s why I’m never out of new ideas and thoughts”.

Exploring New Horizons

Recently, Nora had an exhibition in Zagreb with her friend and colleague from New Media Design, Shivika Chopra. The exhibition Facade and Grimace: The Figure Lost in Ideal Perceptions was a peak of their exploration and artistic expression within the RIT Croatia’s Honors Program, held at the Cultural Center “Micek”. “That exhibition was something I had been waiting to execute for a long time, and this semester proved to be the perfect moment. I’m thrilled with how it turned out”, said Nora.

Ensuring growth as an artist is something a lot of students find difficult. “College life and assignments take up a lot of time, and few can stay disciplined enough to regularly make time for art, even though it’s something they really enjoy”. Nora’s plan for next semester is to help her peers by creating a space where they can develop as artists, as well as designers. She assembled a team of like-minded individuals and came up with a series of activities, presentations, and trips designed to prompt students to rediscover their creativity. The team plans to bring this to life as a student club, providing a space for students to connect and expand their interests in any field they wish – from painting and illustration to writing, movie making, and photography. Club members will also have the opportunity to work with her on the yearbook next year!

You can check out the yearbook HERE!