My Bio
About Me
My name is Grant Arikawa and I am studying Graphic Design. Before coming to college, I lived in a small city called Camarillo, about 70 miles north of Fullerton. Compared to Orange County, Camarillo is much more laid back and slow. No one in Camarillo rushes to get anywhere and the streets are empty after 9:00 at night. I graduated from Adolfo Camarillo High School in 2015 where I fell in love with music and wood working.
Where I came from
Being a maker is one of the things that really defines who I am. I really like working with my hands. Anything tactile and that requires precision makes me excited. I took a glass blowing class at CSUF and absolutely enjoyed it. I also was able to get relatively good with the limited amount of time I had taking the class. Hand skills and dexterity are two more defining factors that go along with being a maker.
How to define myself
Music is one of the things I enjoy everyday in my life. My favorite genres of music are funk, jazz, and hip-hop. I also enjoy skateboarding in all its forms. From street to longboarding, I love it all. This love for skateboarding carried over into my love for snowboarding. Archery is another one of my hobbies that I really enjoy doing.
What I am going to do in the future
In the future, I want to work as a graphic designer, eventually becoming a free-lance designer. I would like to do woodworking on the side, making and selling furniture.If not woodworking, I would like to do something that involves the use of my hand skills.
My Design Skills
Places I have Been
| City/Town | Country | Years | Duration | Comments |
| San Jose | CA/USA | 2016 | 6 Days | Basketball Tournament |
| Hawaii | HI/USA | 2015 | 7 days | Vacation With Baskeball Team |
| Tamana | Japan | 2014 | 5 days | Yonsei Homestay and Basketball |
| Kumamoto | Japan | 2014 | 2 Days | Yonsei Trip |
| Tokyo | Japan | 2014 | 3 Days | Yonsei Trip |
| San Francisco | CA/USA | 2013 | 4 Days | Basketball Tournament |
| San Fernando | CA/USA | 2005-2014 | 9 Years | Basketball Practice |
| Las Vegas | NV/USA | 2008-2016 | 8 Years | Basketball Tournament and Vacation |
| Oxnard | CA/USA | 1997-Present | 20+ Years | Grand Parents |
| Los Angeles | CA/USA | 1997-Present | 20+years | Grand Parents and Hang Out |
| Camarillo | CA/USA | 1998-Present | 20+ Years | Hometown |
My Design Philosophy
My design philosophy is one of simplicity and minimalism. I do not like crowding my designs with unnecessary elements that can distract the viewer from the message. Alignment and structure are key elements to my design philosophy. Those are some of the elements that I think about most and try to set first in my designs. Breathing room and space are another set of design choices that I try to incorporate into all of my designs. Typography is king, readability and getting the message across come first in designs. Getting the viewer or reader to understand the information effortlessly is my top priority. The color palettes i like to use are soft, minimal, and analogous.