While here at Longwood, I have been fortunate enough to experience several opportunities that have bettered me for my professional career in the future. Out of all of them, three of them come to mind, which shaped me to have the job prospects that I desire, and the professionalism I have.
The first opportunity given to me was Design Lab. Design Lab is a student-run internship where students have the opportunity to work with clients interested in having graphical pieces designed for them. I worked at Design Lab for three semesters, and it was an educational experience that helped me grow as a designer tremendously. I gained job experience while at school with my busy schedule and got to experience what it was like working with a design team. It was one of the best classes I have ever taken, and now I have dozens of portfolio pieces I have created from that class that I am proud to have made. The professors are hands-off in these courses as they allow the students to handle the details, only stepping in when they need to intervene. I remember when I first joined, doubtful of my abilities as a designer as I was sitting next to designers who I considered better than myself. Now I look at everyone else and see them as my equals, as we were a team, and it was not a competition for whose design was chosen. It provided me with experience that will help me in the future. I thank the two professors for running Design Lab.
The second opportunity I am sharing is my time working as a paid intern at SOVA Innovation Hub over the summer of 2022. Design Lab was a simulation for an experience like this. I was prepared well, as it was mostly smooth sailing, but it was different from what I expected for several reasons. The biggest one being I was the only graphic designer at the company. I had no one I could rely on for a design, I had my boss’ critique, and that was it. Communication was slower for several reasons: one, I was working virtually, and two, everyone had different obligations other than approving my designs and getting the ball rolling. Besides these points I have listed, it was a positive experience that showed me the mechanisms of a real business needing a graphic designer. It taught me that I could complete work like this by myself, improving my confidence as a designer, as I was still a little shaky entering this job. It also constantly exposed me to the requirements of a real job, such as using a brand guide, a tool designers use to use a logo a company has. These requirements include proportions, stretching, colors, and more that I was oblivious to for the most part. It also taught me how to prioritize certain projects over other projects, as I had a dozen or so projects due at once. Overall, it was an enlightening experience that shaped me as a designer.
The final opportunity I will mention is the project that I presented at the symposium in the Spring of 2022. The class that allowed me to create the project that I did change me for the better and has given me a brighter future. The course was Honors 410, Lancer Launch Pad, and the goal was to create a business idea that I could run. As a result, I made a board game that increases social interactions between players by increasing the conversations that players would have and thus combating the negative social impacts Covid-19 left everyone. It showed me I could make anything I set my mind to, not only what my pencil drew or electronically generated. It did not take that long either, which was stunning to me at the time. Almost a year later, I am still working diligently on the board game and a full-fledged business surrounding it that could be a successful e-commerce business venture. It all started with an idea, and now I have physical pieces that I have crafted and player testers who are working with me to help guarantee that the result is good in the end. I appreciate everyone who has assisted me in creating this game and who has given feedback on my business idea.