I did a digital internship and it changed how I think about design FOREVER
As the end of the first year of my internship slowly approaches, I start to think of my journey and all that I have learnt along the way. I believe not enough is written about the first steps into work or the value an internship can offer.
This is my experience.
The first day
I walked onto campus for the first time not as a student of York St John but as a professional Digital Design Graduate Intern. It felt good. It felt right.
Now anyone will tell you, the first day at a new job can be a difficult one. But when you have swapped making cocktails for making content, it is a whole other story. I remember my first day like it was yesterday. I had begun my new routine of early mornings and a lot of coffee.
Meeting my boss, getting shown to my desk and being given my first task was the indication I had made it. The team were very welcoming and showed me the ropes. They really helped me realise it is okay to have questions and you should never be afraid to ask for help. Now for the exciting stuff!
Getting to know the brand
On to my first task! I was assigned our in-house UX Designer as my primary mentor (this helped me develop in many ways - trust me UX is cool) and he began showing me the ins and outs of the brand. This was very important as the University was going through a dramatic rebrand project. I was given resources, I was given designs and I had started to learn the true power of… Brand guidelines!
After getting a little bit familiar with the brand and the style I was put to work. The task? Redesigning the digital signage. I was now in charge of the entire look and feel of the digital screens on campus — communicating to all students, staff and visitors (scary I know). This was my first task and my chance to show what three years of Graphic Design had taught me.
I was encouraged to be as creative as possible, this was my project and I had been given free rein on it. Now I do not need to tell you but to any designer this is like letting a kid loose in a sweet shop and saying it is all free. However, I would later learn that though fun this freedom can lead to problems and make it harder to settle on a clear path. This is when I truly understood the gift that is brand guidelines and how they help us to really understand the importance of consistent design.
Brand guidelines should become a designers bible, they should help build consistency across all platforms. As designers we are the main force driving the brand and representing what the brand stands for. We are the artist and the guidelines are our palette - together a masterpiece can be made.
Print to digital: Starting to learn web design
One of the key reasons for me applying for the internship was to develop past the print-based mindset Graphic Designers often have and think more like a Web Designer. Starting to learn code and the principles of designing for the web not only helped me expand my skillset but taught me lessons I could bring into my overall design abilities.
Graphic designers are creative, they push the boundaries and reach for the stars. Web designers are logical, they design with purpose and usability. Combine the two and you have a force to be reckoned with.
I believe all designers should work towards at least learning the basics of one another’s work as this can help us to improve how we work together and design the best possible experiences.
Final thoughts
Being an intern at YSJ has taught me many things, not just about design but also about myself and about how the world works. It has given me the ability to see the bigger picture and focus on user needs. It has also helped me understand how important research and statistics are — even to a designer, whatever we design we should be able to back up.
I would like to end this blog by saying how thankful I am for the opportunities I have been given, how thankful I am for the support and development my team have gave me and lastly the experience I have gained to take my future forward as a creative.
This was my experience.
I hope you enjoyed and watch this space for more amazing content, by amazing people!
