Introduction:
One of my professors likes to say “Art is Work.” I think I want that on a t-shirt because it’s true. In the past two months, I have been asked “So, how’s the internship?” by almost everyone I know. I usually come up with “It’s good! I’m learning so much it’s crazy!”
If they’re really interested I’ll start explaining the difference between coated and uncoated paper, inks and the printing process, or kerning and tracking. At that point, their eyes glaze over and they give me a polite smile and nod.
Lessons Learned:
I don’t usually tell people that I’ve discovered that working without music is better. Or that constructive criticism is a part of being a graphic designer that no one talks about. Or sitting at your desk for 10-plus hours a day isn’t as glorious as it sounds.
One of the most important things I’ve been tasked with is gathering all of my work into a portfolio. The other day I found a project from a year ago and was horrified looking at it. I remember thinking at that time it was the best thing I’d ever designed. I must have used every color in the universe, and there were text and graphics just placed all over.
It would’ve taken you a good minute even to figure out what it was advertising! I remember being proud and thinking I’d just reached the peak of my graphic design expertise. I compared it to some of the things I’ve worked on the past couple of weeks at Tandem. It looked like a kindergarten drawing from 15 years ago. Now imagine the amount of growth you’ve had in kindergarten up to this moment. That’s what every week feels like to me.
It’s not just looking at projects I did 8 months ago and thinking “Wow, I can do way better now.” It’s looking at work I did 8 days ago and thinking “Geez I thought that was good?”
Most of the time all we get is a document, a PDF, text, or just an email and we have to take that idea and make it actual. And it’s not easy, it’s not like the projects I have in class. In fact, I’ve been working on one design for almost a month now, and yeah… it’s frustrating to have to start over again and again, but honestly, it’s the project that I’ve learned the most from.
Conclusion:
So, how is the internship going? Well, I’ve learned that design is a field where there’s no such thing as too much coffee, if the client loves it, that’s what matters most, and above all, never underestimate the power of good content alignment.
Our spring 2022 graphic design intern, Emily Vanderhoef, took a few minutes to share her thoughts on working for a creative agency for the first time, learning more about printing than she probably wanted, and reflecting on old student projects. The experienced owners and staff at Tandem Studios are proud to help student interns develop their skills and abilities.