For my STEP signature project, I worked the summer at The Ohio State Office of Student Life as a graphic design intern. I was working directly with professional graphic designers to create designs for student organizations and other departments on campus. This included a large range of deliverables including print (posters, hot cards, business cards, etc.), digital (tower signage, screen signage, social media graphics, etc.) as well as merchandise design (t-shirts, pens, etc.).
In terms of how the actual internship experience transformed me, there are several ways I would say it did. My understanding of self was transformed greatly simply because this internship was my very first professional experience. Working with professionals and with clients outside of the class setting was a new experience for me and changed the way I view myself in that sense. It helped me learn how to better communicate with others and within that, how to stand up for myself and have more confidence in my design choices. This better communication also came from messaging with clients which was a learning curve for me. This professional experience also taught me how to use design software professionally, which gave me more confidence in my skills and ability to design for clients.
The overall experience of my internship, even outside of the actual work, was very life-changing. To work the internship, I moved of my parent’s house and into my very first apartment. This was very transformational for my understanding of myself as I had to learn how to do many new things. I had lived in dorms prior to this but living in an apartment is much different. I had to learn how to grocery shop, cook myself food, drive and park my car on campus for the first time (it went poorly), and just how to be on my own fully. It was really difficult at first and taught me a lot about myself, like how I really thrive having my own room and how my mental health has been impacted over time in relation to that.
The first thing that I experienced during the project that led to the transformation I described in in relation to my experience with my boss. She was a key player in my experience because she was very supportive and patient with me as I learned all of the new things I discussed inside and outside the office. She was patient when I forgot how to send emails to clients or didn’t understand something someone was asking of me. She really allowed me to have the room to grow in the ways I described by being so willing to teach me. She also was there for me during my struggles outside of the office, and was there to listen when I was having a rough day.
Another relationship that was important to my transformation was my interactions with my other co-workers. For a majority of the summer I was the only intern, there was four other full-time graphic designers beside my boss, and one other full-time employee that I would talk to almost every day of the week. We would talk about our weekends on Monday mornings, eat lunch and chat together every day and play games during our lunch as well. There also would be a field trip every other Wednesday where we went to places like the gaming center on campus and the planetarium on campus. These interactions were so special for me and my experience because it helped me feel included and valued in the workspace which was helpful for my growth. I think feeling safe and supported helps me grow a lot easier so this was very crucial for me.
Another experience that was important to my growth was the interactions between me and clients. Relating to what I said previously, the conversations exchanged with clients was really crucial in growing my communication skills. Because of the nature of my major and school, I’ve learned to approach design problems from a much different standpoint. I usually receive the prompt with all the information I need to know and ask my professor if I have any confusion. These interactions taught me that this doesn’t really happen in the real world, the clients are no longer hypothetical, they are real. Learning how to ask questions and get the information I need in a professional manner was a learning curve for me. I feel that I’ve taken the first steps in learning to how to communicate as a professional which I believe will help me greatly in my future career.
This internship relates directly to my major and future career, graphic design. Because this was my very first internship and experience outside of school, I believe this experience will be extremely valuable in my life. As I have alluded to previously, this experience taught me so much about technical skills, professionalism, and the industry that I will utilize for the rest of my career. For example, I didn’t really understand the difference between RGB and CMYK before this, and now I really understand the difference and what each is used for. This is is just one small example of the countless things I learned during the time. This translates to my academic and professional goals as it as provided me with many more tools to utilize in my class projects as well as my career. The experience was significant to my personal life because it taught me a lot about myself and how I handle situations. Specifically relating to what I previously mentioned about living on my own for the first time, I have seen countless benefits cmoe from my choice to move out. I was able to get a grasp on how to live this way before school started in a time that was much more relaxed and forgiving.
