As part of my CAS creativity and service experience, I was part of the organizing committee of FSMUN 12.0 under the “Marketing” Team. I was given the role of the graphic designer for the event — from making social media posts to stickers for the binders. The logos, placards, flex banners, ID cards, graphics for each of these was assigned to me by the head of the event. Apart from that, I was also required to show up on the day of the event (both days) in order to make sure that the event functioned smoothly and if I could provide assistance of any sort to delegates, EB’s, teachers and the other committee members.
LO 1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth.
Through my role as the graphic designer for FSMUN 12.0, I identified my creativity, attention to detail and time management as key strengths. Designing a wide range of materials, including logo ideas, banners and signages, placards for each committee and ID cards for delegates, teachers and secretariat, all of which helped me realize my ability to maintain visual consistency under tight deadlines. It was difficult to keep up with multiple designs, changes, early-in’s and other academics. At the same time, I recognized the need to improve my communication skills, especially when clarifying design expectations with the event head before submitting the final designs. My improvement in communication on the day of the event could’ve also been more effective, so that the tasks could’ve been done more smartly and smoothly. This experience encouraged me to be more proactive in seeking feedback and refining my work.
LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
One of the main challenges was handling multiple design requirements simultaneously while meeting strict timelines before the event. I had to quickly adapt and change designs based on revisions and mentor feedback such as printing formats, colour scheme and visibility. It so happened that the heads and teachers were not very fond of the designs I liked most and vice versa. Through this, I developed open-mindedness, acceptance and majorly technical design skills, also thoroughly improving my efficiency with digital design tools (canva). The experience also pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow as a more confident and adaptable leader on the day of the event, where I respectfully communicated schedules and tasks to executive board members and delegates. This is a great achievement for me in light of the fact that I tend to communicate rather subtly with people I’ve recently met.
LO 3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
Although FSMUN 12.0 was a large-scale, student-led event with multiple incharges for different categories, I demonstrated initiative by actively taking responsibility for the graphic design requirements assigned to me (I was the only person working on the graphics for the entire event). I planned my work by organizing deadlines, prioritizing urgent designs and balancing submissions alongside the event. I also took charge for coordination with the event head and prepared myself to give full help during the two days of the event as well. Thus, I was able to initiate and plan for my own responsibility of the graphics for the event, which helped me understand the prevalence of planning throughout.
LO 4: Show commitment and perseverance in CAS experiences
I demonstrated commitment by being actively involved throughout the preparation phase as well as by attending both days of the event. Despite long hours, daily early-in’s, pull outs and last-minute design requirements, I consistently fulfilled my responsibilities and remained available to support the organizing committee. Being present during the conference and assisting delegates, executive board members, teachers and fellow organizers showed my dedication to ensuring the smooth functioning of FSMUN 12.0. This experience taught me the importance of reliability and perseverance in large-scale events such as this.
LO 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.
Working as part of the marketing team required close collaboration with the event head and other committee members to communicate social media posts, improvements in designs and ideas for delegate kits. I learned to incorporate feedback timely, align my designs with the overall vision and theme of the event and coordinate with others to ensure consistency across all work. During the event, teamwork was essential while assisting delegates and resolving issues, since there were multiple committees to handle, decor to change daily and extra arrangements to do. This experience made me realize how effective collaboration enhances efficiency, creativity and the overall success of an event.
LO 7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
Throughout the design process, I had to consider the ethical responsibility of representing participants, committees, countries, political parties and media agencies (through ID cards/badges and placards respectively) accurately and respectfully. I had to ensure that the designs were inclusive, appropriate and aligned with the formal structure of a Model United Nations conference. Additionally, during the event, I was mindful of assisting delegates and executive board members responsibly, ensuring polite behaviour and clarity in communication. This experience reinforced the idea that ethical decision-making is essential in leadership roles, especially in academic and global forums where I hold a certain responsibility.
Overall Reflection
Overall, my experience as a graphic designer and organizing committee member for FSMUN 12.0 was both challenging and rewarding. It allowed me to apply my creativity in a large-scale event setting while working under deadlines and adapting to feedback on my designs. Being involved in both the planning and execution of the event helped me develop responsibility, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Thus, I was able to showcase perseverance throughout and give this event my full attention while also balancing other schoolwork.
