Welcome to the Real World
While not completing any more honors experiences this past year, I had an entirely different challenge to face this past spring. Coop. I was scared; I’m not going to lie. Since coming to UC the idea of coop has been daunting, looming in the distance. Well, the distance became the present all to quickly, and even after a year and a half of classes I didn’t quite feel like I was ready. I didn’t feel old enough to be taking on a real job, to be working 9-5 and commuting all the way to Dayton. But I did it; and much like anything else I fell into a routine, a routine that quickly became habit, which then became enjoyable. Imagine that.
This past spring I worked at Interbrand Design Forum an environmental design company that specializes in retail brand experiences. Changing the way that consumers think, act and shop. We worked with diverse clients, from large American retail chains to unique international boutiques. My responsibilities were also quite diverse, from creating 30x60" large format panels for various client meetings and marketing conferences, to gathering images, designing interior graphics for clients, creating recap decks from client meetings, to marketing initiatives such as creating a grocery trends report for the marketing department and our newsletter for the first quarter.
I worked in a barn. Not a barn filled with straw, farming equipment and livestock, but a people barn. A design barn. Interbrand Design Forum doesn’t take itself too seriously, epitomized by the shape of the building I worked in. I love the building because it is unique, in place of boardrooms we have the silos, where discussion takes place around large circular tables. The ceilings are exceptionally high and in the afternoons I have sunlight streaming in from skylights to piss me off by creating a glare on my screen. There were bold red trusses overhead and pops of yellow paint around the skylights. It wasn’t a monochromatic office space. Even the way the cubicles are set up, if you can even call them that, encourage collaboration. And different kinds of designers are seated together so they can witness the progress of other projects they might not be involved with. The barn brings us together as a community, not isolating us into our own ill lit corners.
As a graphic design intern I am working with so many different people at the office everyday, other designers, the marketing team, architects and engineers, strategists, even client services and marketing personnel. Each of these groups are integral to our company, to truly develop the best retail experiences for our clients. In school I am primarily designing for myself and for other designers. As only one of the types of designers in the building, it is also interesting to see how my work translates into the final product. To see how the different people and parts work to create a complete experience. In class we don't get to experience projects of the scale that I am working on now or get to see them actually become something. Coop isn't theoretical, and that’s one of the reasons that it's so exciting.
One thing I loved about working at IBDF was the collaborative environment. Teams were constantly fluxing and adapting. So at any given time I was usually working with three different groups of people. It is something that was super beneficial because no one works the same way and no one leads the same way. So learning the internal structure of these groups and the methods they take to solve problems and create experiences for clients was eye opening. I was never been stuck in a corner to work independently. I have learned a great deal about the structure of my company and the flow of work from marketing and client services as it makes it way to design. I have also really begun to understand my role within the company as a graphic designer something I didn't understand the integration of before.
Coop is like a family reunion, there are some people that you know really well and some that you are meeting for the first time. There are the cousins near your age that you can joke with, where everything is informal. But there's also the great uncle you are meeting for the first time, who you are trying to impress. In this case, formalities are taken, proper hellos and how are yous. This is the way that communication takes place in the office. With many of my fellow designers, conversation is casual, easy going. We work off of each other's ideas and feedback, presented informally. They are like your immediate family. With some of the client services team and the marketing team things become a little more formal. The aunt and uncle you only see once or twice a year. You have a good background on each other but are sure to be polite. Still friendly but a level of formality is introduced. Communication with clients is the most formal of all. The relatives you are just meeting, trying to make a good first impression with. Communication here takes two parts, you listen attentively trying to learn more about them and also explaining yourself and how you work. In design, the client usually has the hardest time understanding how you're thinking, how you got to what you created. For each of these audiences, progressing in formality, the explanation usually lengthens. Knowing your audience has been the largest transition from class to coop. I was used to speaking to other designers, designers who's skill level was near my own. Now I am speaking to not only other designers with skills greater than mine, but industry professionals as well. I have also learned that some people no matter their position want to be spoken to, or communicated with in general, a certain way. Our CCO is one of the most laid back people in the office, but some of the other designers like to be spoken to with a great deal of formality and respect. I have found that you really need to be aware of your audience and to always be respectful and grateful no matter who you're communicating with.
I like where I work, because the people I work with like where they work. Also they genuinely like each other, which makes a difference. People are passionate about the work that they are doing and the clients that they are doing it for. Our teams work together, because they have to. There is a stream of information that flows through other sectors of the company before it reaches the designers, sectors that are involved in the entire process. It’s an interconnected process and an interconnected workplace. One that I am very happy to have had the opportunity to be part of.
One of the greatest takeaways that I have from this semester is how graphic designers fit into a professional network. How they fit into an office that is not made up entirely of other designers. I have learned how inspiring it is to be surrounded by other creatives that are doing things I can’t even comprehend. I have learned how much I want to work in a collaborative environment, like I have gotten to here at IBDF. I have learned how much half an hour every friday afternoon with a beer in hand can raise everyone moods. And I have learned to believe in my own work and that working hard and dedication is half the road to success.
This past spring I worked at Interbrand Design Forum an environmental design company that specializes in retail brand experiences. Changing the way that consumers think, act and shop. We worked with diverse clients, from large American retail chains to unique international boutiques. My responsibilities were also quite diverse, from creating 30x60" large format panels for various client meetings and marketing conferences, to gathering images, designing interior graphics for clients, creating recap decks from client meetings, to marketing initiatives such as creating a grocery trends report for the marketing department and our newsletter for the first quarter.
I worked in a barn. Not a barn filled with straw, farming equipment and livestock, but a people barn. A design barn. Interbrand Design Forum doesn’t take itself too seriously, epitomized by the shape of the building I worked in. I love the building because it is unique, in place of boardrooms we have the silos, where discussion takes place around large circular tables. The ceilings are exceptionally high and in the afternoons I have sunlight streaming in from skylights to piss me off by creating a glare on my screen. There were bold red trusses overhead and pops of yellow paint around the skylights. It wasn’t a monochromatic office space. Even the way the cubicles are set up, if you can even call them that, encourage collaboration. And different kinds of designers are seated together so they can witness the progress of other projects they might not be involved with. The barn brings us together as a community, not isolating us into our own ill lit corners.
As a graphic design intern I am working with so many different people at the office everyday, other designers, the marketing team, architects and engineers, strategists, even client services and marketing personnel. Each of these groups are integral to our company, to truly develop the best retail experiences for our clients. In school I am primarily designing for myself and for other designers. As only one of the types of designers in the building, it is also interesting to see how my work translates into the final product. To see how the different people and parts work to create a complete experience. In class we don't get to experience projects of the scale that I am working on now or get to see them actually become something. Coop isn't theoretical, and that’s one of the reasons that it's so exciting.
One thing I loved about working at IBDF was the collaborative environment. Teams were constantly fluxing and adapting. So at any given time I was usually working with three different groups of people. It is something that was super beneficial because no one works the same way and no one leads the same way. So learning the internal structure of these groups and the methods they take to solve problems and create experiences for clients was eye opening. I was never been stuck in a corner to work independently. I have learned a great deal about the structure of my company and the flow of work from marketing and client services as it makes it way to design. I have also really begun to understand my role within the company as a graphic designer something I didn't understand the integration of before.
Coop is like a family reunion, there are some people that you know really well and some that you are meeting for the first time. There are the cousins near your age that you can joke with, where everything is informal. But there's also the great uncle you are meeting for the first time, who you are trying to impress. In this case, formalities are taken, proper hellos and how are yous. This is the way that communication takes place in the office. With many of my fellow designers, conversation is casual, easy going. We work off of each other's ideas and feedback, presented informally. They are like your immediate family. With some of the client services team and the marketing team things become a little more formal. The aunt and uncle you only see once or twice a year. You have a good background on each other but are sure to be polite. Still friendly but a level of formality is introduced. Communication with clients is the most formal of all. The relatives you are just meeting, trying to make a good first impression with. Communication here takes two parts, you listen attentively trying to learn more about them and also explaining yourself and how you work. In design, the client usually has the hardest time understanding how you're thinking, how you got to what you created. For each of these audiences, progressing in formality, the explanation usually lengthens. Knowing your audience has been the largest transition from class to coop. I was used to speaking to other designers, designers who's skill level was near my own. Now I am speaking to not only other designers with skills greater than mine, but industry professionals as well. I have also learned that some people no matter their position want to be spoken to, or communicated with in general, a certain way. Our CCO is one of the most laid back people in the office, but some of the other designers like to be spoken to with a great deal of formality and respect. I have found that you really need to be aware of your audience and to always be respectful and grateful no matter who you're communicating with.
I like where I work, because the people I work with like where they work. Also they genuinely like each other, which makes a difference. People are passionate about the work that they are doing and the clients that they are doing it for. Our teams work together, because they have to. There is a stream of information that flows through other sectors of the company before it reaches the designers, sectors that are involved in the entire process. It’s an interconnected process and an interconnected workplace. One that I am very happy to have had the opportunity to be part of.
One of the greatest takeaways that I have from this semester is how graphic designers fit into a professional network. How they fit into an office that is not made up entirely of other designers. I have learned how inspiring it is to be surrounded by other creatives that are doing things I can’t even comprehend. I have learned how much I want to work in a collaborative environment, like I have gotten to here at IBDF. I have learned how much half an hour every friday afternoon with a beer in hand can raise everyone moods. And I have learned to believe in my own work and that working hard and dedication is half the road to success.