Going into an internship or a job on the first day can be terrifying. You do not know what to expect and you hope that your best will be good enough. As a graphic designer sometimes I feel as if school did not prepare me for this. They did not prepare me for the many different sides of graphic design I would see, or for the business aspect of it. Sure they showed me how to use Photoshop and all the rest of the Adobe programs, but what about all the other knowledge I would need to survive as a graphic designer. Yes, knowing the programs is a great place to start, but as I am finding out it is only the beginning.
School may have taught me how to be creative and think outside the box, but it did not prepare me for working with clients. When it comes to clients yes creativity is great, but it cannot be overly used. A client has a certain brand or look to them and you can not just ignore it. I was also not prepared for taking on multiple projects in a short time frame or for the many little rules that come with the job. Coming in to work everyday, I have learned that school is very different from the real world of graphic design. As I have spent more and more time at my internship everyone who works here has given me great advice that I know I will carry with me as I go back to school in the fall, and even when I finally move on to becoming a graphic designer after I graduate. As the summer progresses, I want to share all that I am learning here in hopes that it will help out graphic designers just starting out like me. The tips I will post in this “Survival Guide” are helping me to survive this challenging and incredible experience; I hope it will help you too!
Come back later for our first tip!