A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Guzalinur has an indomitable spirit. The frustration of having her design rejected by Lin Wei and being stumped by the new software was transformed into a fierce determination to learn.

As soon as the online training started, she immersed herself in the computer room, working non-stop from morning till night like a wound-up top. She would only eat a few bites of boxed lunch before rushing back, afraid of wasting any practice time.

During the day, she learns step by step by following the online courses taught by Lin Wei's team.

The dense array of English icons on the software interface can be overwhelming.

She followed the method her teacher taught her, took out her phone, opened the translation software, and looked up each icon one by one, filling her notebook with annotations in both Chinese and English.

The location of each icon and its corresponding shortcut key are clearly marked, for fear of missing a single function.

She repeatedly tried adjusting the thickness of the brush tool by dragging the slider until she could precisely create the lines she wanted.

Layer overlay was even more challenging. Which layer should be on top and which on the bottom, how to choose the overlay mode—a slight mistake would mess up the image. So she broke down the steps and practiced them over and over again until she could adjust the layer order reflexively.

She also meticulously recorded the color parameters, noting down the effects of each change in the RGB values ​​and comparing them repeatedly with the samples.

Even the most basic save shortcut, Ctrl+S, she forced herself to practice dozens of times until her fingers developed muscle memory and she could press it accurately even with her eyes closed, for fear that the drawings she had worked so hard to create would be lost because she forgot to save them.

When she encounters something she doesn't understand, she becomes incredibly stubborn.

I took a screenshot and sent it to the training instructor. Without waiting for a reply, I went to look up the official tutorials and searched for teaching videos, meticulously going through the details step by step.

Once, in order to understand how to use layer masks, she practiced from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Her fingers went numb from typing on the keyboard, and she tried dozens of times without success, sweating profusely from her forehead.

But she refused to give up. She went back and watched the tutorial again, breaking down each operation and imitating it frame by frame. Finally, at around 3 a.m., she figured out the trick.

At the moment of success, she couldn't help but exclaim softly, "I did it!" The sound wasn't loud, but it startled the classmate at the next table who had been practicing with her but had fallen asleep on the table.

Seeing how hard she was working, her classmates couldn't help but advise her, "Zailinur, take a break. It won't make a difference if you don't overwork yourself."

She shook her head, rubbed her sore eyes, and said with a smile, "It's okay. My foundation is weak, so I need to practice more to catch up. I can't waste such a good learning opportunity."

After saying that, he lowered his head again and continued practicing repeatedly in front of the screen.

Back in her dorm that evening, she didn't rest; she continued revising her design plans with her easel.

Previously criticized by Lin Wei for piling up elements, she changed the Atlas silk pattern that originally covered the entire notebook cover to a partial embellishment on the edges.

They further simplified the cotton texture into a delicate dark pattern, intending to print it on canvas bags, thus preserving the Xinjiang characteristics without appearing cluttered.

The notebook's binding incorporates the color gradient of Atlas silk, transitioning naturally from light blue to deep red, understated yet eye-catching. She also specially added a detachable portable storage bag design, solving the problem of the previous keychain being too large and cumbersome, aiming to make the product more suitable for everyday use.

She challenged herself in the mirror: "If others can do it, so can I."

This time, I must impress Teacher Lin and Teacher Chang and live up to their expectations!

Guzalinur is full of enthusiasm, but the progress of the training base keeps hitting roadblocks.

Chang Peng finally managed to persuade the local cotton processing company to give it a try, but the person in charge, Mr. Li, was still worried. He specifically sought out Chang Peng, his tone full of concerns: "Teacher Chang, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that we need to pack this batch of cotton urgently, and it needs to be shipped out at the beginning of next month."

"If the students' skills aren't sufficient and their designs don't meet market demands, it will not only delay our shipments but also force us to rework them. Who will bear that loss?"

The school also had concerns. The academic affairs director approached Chang Peng and said in a serious tone, "Teacher Chang, setting up a practical training base is a good thing, but it can't disrupt the normal teaching order."

Students already have full schedules; what if they fall behind in their academic studies if they're constantly running to companies and participating in projects? Furthermore, if any safety issues arise during student internships, the school can't afford the responsibility.

Chang Peng was caught in the middle, torn between the two sides, and he was almost worn out from trying to persuade them.

He first approached General Manager Li, patting his chest and assuring him, "General Manager Li, don't worry."

Although the students have a weak foundation, they are very motivated to learn. With the online training provided by Dalian Vocational College as a base, I also arranged for professional teachers from the school to follow up and provide guidance throughout the process.

Students' designs must pass these two rounds of review; if they don't meet your requirements, they absolutely will not be submitted. Furthermore, we group projects by project, with each group assigned a teacher to oversee them, ensuring efficiency and guaranteeing that your delivery schedule will not be delayed!

He then quickly went to the academic affairs director to communicate: "Director, practical training is also a form of learning."

Letting students learn and practice simultaneously, applying classroom knowledge to real-world projects, is far more effective than simply listening to lectures, and it also paves the way for their future employment.

We adopt a project-based training approach, utilizing only after-school time and practical classes to visit companies, without ever taking up time from academic classes.

Regarding safety, we will sign a formal agreement with the company to clarify the responsibilities of both parties, and we will also purchase temporary accident insurance for students, so there will absolutely be no problems.

After several days of back-and-forth communication, Chang Peng ran around to companies and schools until his legs ached, finally getting both sides to agree.

The project-based training model was finalized: companies propose design tasks based on actual needs, and students take on these tasks in groups.

The school assigned professional teachers to provide teaching guidance and help solve technical problems.

The company assigns key technical personnel to follow up, control market demand and design direction, and both parties jointly supervise the project progress and quality.

When the news reached Guzalinur, she was practicing software in the computer lab and was so excited she almost jumped for joy. She immediately saved the file, ran to Chang Peng, and volunteered with shining eyes: "Teacher Chang, I want to join the training group."

I want to participate in cotton packaging design, apply my modified designs to a real project, practice my skills, and also refine the modified designs for related projects.

Chang Peng looked at the drive she couldn't hide in her eyes and nodded with a smile: "Good! That's the kind of drive you should have."

You'll be grouped with three other classmates, and since you're all design majors, you'll complement each other well. Make the most of this opportunity!

Guzalinur nodded vigorously, secretly vowing in her heart: This time, she must master the software and do a good job in the design, so as to not only complete the corporate project successfully, but also come up with a collaborative project modification plan that Lin Wei can approve, killing two birds with one stone.