IFCC holds events for informal child care providers to help better themselves as providers for children. I attended one event as a helping hand and photographer. The event was the Spring Into Wellness event, which was held on Saturday, April 14th 2018  from 9:30am-2pm. I created the flyer for this event as I mentioned and showed in a previous blog. The event was a way to help providers feel good and happy through activities that were going to happen at the event. I got to the venue at 8:30am to help sign people in and direct them to the area where they will wait until it’s time to start. Once the event started, I spent the rest of the time taking photos of the event. Before we continue, while I did take photos for this event, I was told not to post any of them anywhere.

There were three activities that the event had available. They were Afro-Flow Yoga, Healing Through Art and Nurture and Nourish Your Natural Beauty. Afro-Flow Yoga was yoga with some dance movement to get the blood flowing. There was a drummer there to set the mood for each segment. People were really getting into the poses and mood of the room. There was good energy all around. Everyone felt lighter and better after the yoga session was over. After this, they were separated into two groups. One group did Healing Through Art and the other went to the Natural Beauty seminar. After an hour, they would switch and do the other event.

Healing through Art was an art therapy session lead by an art therapist that explored struggles and strengths through arts and crafts. An activity they did was take a circle piece of watercolor paper and on one side express a struggle you have with the kids they care for. On the other side, they expressed a strength they had. The providers used crayons, watercolors and markers to express how they felt. Afterwards, they shared their pieces and talked about it. One of the people broke down crying when explaining hers and everyone was very supportive.

The Nurture and Nourish Your Natural Beauty was a seminar run by the CEO of the Brown Crayon Project about skin and hair care products that are safe to use on children and made with organic ingredients. Everyone that came to the event got some of her body care products and she went over what each one was and how to use them. Then she gave them yogurt, honey and brown sugar and taught them how to make a scrub for themselves. It was an informative class about whats good for your skin and what is not good for it.

When the event came to a close, IFCC held a raffle and three people won books and toys that the kids they care for can play with. Then we gave away bags with the hair and skin care products and other goodies for the providers to enjoy. After that, I was dismissed and told we would go through the photos the next time we met. This was a very wholesome event overall. Everyone came together and felt better about themselves and supported each other. They learned from this experience and came out of it a stronger person in the end.

For the most part, the projects I have worked on were done by me with no teamwork involved. I would get a project, I would do it, I would email my supervisor the finished piece and if there were revisions to be made, I would make them. There is an exception to this and that is the Resource Guide. The Resource Guide is a 68-page booklet that has information on museums, parks, food markets and libraries all across New York City. It’s going to be sent to every child care provider under their wing so they know where they can take the kids they care for.

It started back in 2015 where two interns at the time were working on it. One intern was gathering all of the information while the other intern designed the layout of the book. From then, it was taken over by another intern and passed on for three years unto me and one other design intern. Because this has been passed down from intern to intern, each one had a certain way of doing things or didn’t know to do things when it came to saving and packaging a file once it was done. Because of this, by the time the file reached me and the other intern, there were over 50 links missing and the file itself was damaged. It took a long time for it to save, make a PDF and respond to anything we did to it.  We thought we finished and sent it in a few weeks ago. It was around this time that the other intern completed her time and left the organization, leaving me with the work that suddenly sprung up with this project. First, one of the images were missing even though it was in the file when we sent it because we packaged it. Second, as I explained in the previous blog, there was a creep problem because we had the name of each borough lined up close to the edge of the paper and the creep would cut the name.

After I fixed those problems and send it into the printer, I thought we were well on our way to getting this guide printed. The printer sent a proof to the office the next week and I looked through it. The creep worked but it did look like it was folded and cut a little unevenly. It was more of a printer’s fault that happened than ours but y supervisor found another problem with the guide. Because this project has been ongoing since 2015 with problems and revisions needing to be fixed and completed, she forgot to add contact information for most of the venues we listed in the guide. Now, you would think that all I would have to do was go into the InDesign file and add the information. Unfortunately, the printer said that he wasn’t going to accept any other updated InDesign files and instead would make the changes on his end. All I had to do was make a Word document, indicating where the changes needed to be made. I made a 15 page Word document explaining what needed to be added and what needed to be changed. Going through the whole document again, I saw a lot of errors and even addresses wrong on every Staten Island Library branch in the Guide and I made these in the Word document.

It took two days to do but once I was done, I sent it to my supervisor and believed to be done. Come the next week where my supervisor’s boss found even more errors with the guide and sent down a printed PDF of the guide to make changes to. The font and font sizes were inconsistent so my supervisor told me to compared the printed PDF with the InDesign file and look to see which fonts needed to be switched along with fixing the sizes and write it on the printed PDF. She also said that we should just send the printed PDF to the printer so add all the changes I put in the Word document into the PDF. This project is still ongoing but I am almost done transferring all the changes I put in the Word document onto the printed PDF. This project has helped me grow as a designer in catching mistakes so less time is wasted on corrections and more time is dedicated to working to my fullest potential and printing out the Resource Guide.

I create a lot of printed work for IFCC, from flyers to guides. Everything I have designed for them gets printed. Most of the time, they print it in house. However, there are times where they will send it to the printer. I have learned how to write an invoice for the printer and what to give them in order for them to print the project exactly how the client wants it. For example, when working on the resource guide, there was a creep error. Because the guide was going to be saddle-stitched, which is when staples binds the booklet through the fold, when the book is folded, it causes the inner pages to extend further than the outer pages. Naturally, you would cut it so it’s even. However, the way the book was designed was there was text near the edge of the page and the creep would cut the text. So, I learned how to find the creep for the book so it would print in a way where it wouldn’t get cut. In order to find the creep, you have to take the total pages in book, which was 68 pages, divided by 4, then multiply it by the paper thickness. The paper thickness was 80lbs gloss. Take that number, and divide it by the number of flat sheets in your book. After doing this equation, I got 0.1264 inches for the creep. It’s going to be a small number, but it’s just what we need to make this guide keep its information intact.

When I’m not doing design work, I also help out the people in the office with non-design tasks. One time, one of my supervisors need me to put address labels on envelopes to send out to their child care providers. They were using Brooklyn Public Library envelopes and wanted me to cover it up with their address labels. It was a small box full of them but I did it with ease. I also helped with sorting items into bags for an event they had on Saturday. They were giving away bags of items to use with kids if the child care providers came to events the organization holds. I had to put one of each item into 50 bags. Luckily, I had the help of two other employees so we worked out a system and got it done quicker than if we were to work alone.

I have worked on a few projects so far at IFCC. One of them was a flier for an event they are having called Spring Into Wellness. Spring Into Wellness is an event that promotes self care. It’s exclusively for informal (legally-exempt) providers. There’s going to be activities like healing art, yoga and natural products to improve yourself with. One thing that IFCC does is they like to put all of their information onto the flyer because if they say everything that gonna happen at the event, then it can get people to come. However, they wanted the flier done on letter size paper (8.5 in x 11 in) so if not handled carefully, it will look very cramped.

I believe I did fairly good at presenting all of the information on a tiny space in a clean matter. It started with not a lot of info but then events were confirmed and I had to accommodate it to the poster. It went through a lot of changes before the final was created. I added a tree in the background to show that it was spring but my client didn’t want flowers since they were cliche. I made the tree in Illustrator with the shape tool. I used circles for the picture frames instead of squares to give it a more inviting feel to the flier. Because this was about self care, having a soft, round look would add to the tone of the event. Squares have sharp edges which would ruin the tone. That’s why I went with circles.

The font I used was Oswald. It had a bold yet soft look to its form that would help bring in the attention of potential participants. I used both bold and italic weights for contrast so you can differentiate the information. I left space at the bottom of the page because each flier IFCC sends out has to be approved first and once it is, they put a bar code on it. They must not be any important information near the bottom or the bar code will cover it. Overall, I’d say I did good on this project.

Spring_Into_Wellness_Poster

When it comes to design, sometimes it’s not the actual designing you have to worry about. Sometimes, you have to think about printing as well. When designing on the computer, you don’t fully realize how big or small something is until you print it. This can be easy to forget if you’re just emailing back and forth the information. It’s always a good idea to print the project out to see what it would look like when it’s right in front of you. Another printing tip that I didn’t know until doing this internship was pages. When making a booklet, in order for your booklet to work without a hitch and no unintentional blank pages, the number of pages must be divisible by four. For example, a booklet can be 16 pages but it can’t be 17 pages. The reason is because of the binding that is used. Most booklets use saddle stitch to bind itself together. To keep the spread count even, it was must divisible by four. They’re cant be missing pages so if you don’t have enough pages to fill the booklet, then you have to use a white page.

I have learned to put on a smile and talk the language they talk at the organization. While everyone at IFCC is nice, their tones and mannerisms are handled with care and professionalism. In order to show that I am an adult and not just a college student, I show my professional side when handing PR. I come off as nice but very orderly and hardworking. I want my clients to see me as someone they can rely on.

When I’m not designing, I’m editing PDFs. When a file needs to be edited, my client will send it to me to fix. Unfortunately, they don’t send me the InDesign file to fix. They will send the PDF to fix instead. It’s understand that they won’t have the InDesign file since most computers don’t have InDesign. However, it’s hard to edit a PDF and keep it in the same format. I used Illustrator to fix a phone number because it was the only program where it would mess up the format of the flier. Still, this was a good learning experience because now I know how to handle the situation should it ever happen again.

Sometimes, we have to accept that we’re not perfect. Sometimes, we need help with a problem we can’t solve ourselves. When this happens, it’s always good to ask someone who knows the subject for the answer if you can’t figure it out on your own. Asking for help is better than keeping quiet about it and potentially hurting people in the process. Sometimes, the other interns don’t know why InDesign isn’t working the way they want it to or how to align text when it starts off with a line where people can check off. It’s good to ask so you can learn how to fix it and thus becoming more knowledgeable about the software.

The program I mainly use at my internship is InDesign. Because of this, one rule have been made very clear to me. The rule is to package your files. I’ve learned to always package the InDesign file if someone is taking over a project because if the file hasn’t been packaged, then you won’t have all the link and will have to spend time looking for every missing link. It’s always good to backup your files as well. If you only have one file of a project and it gets damaged, you are stuck with that file and all the problems that come with it. The problems that could occur with damaged files are taking a long time to export a PDF, slow reaction time when working on the file and not being able to open the file, resulting in having to do the entire project from scratch with nothing but printouts to work off of. Knowing this information will make any designer’s life a little bit easier.

I have learned how to properly write and answer emails. Even though everyone is near each other, they have their own jobs to do and are very busy. However, if you need to get feedback on a project you are working on for them, then you would have to watch until their lunchtime to answer them. Luckily, everyone at my internship answers their emails very quickly, making it the most effective way to communicate with my clients.

I do more than just design work at IFCC. I do non design tasks as well. One of them is formatting PowerPoints to be consistent. When I had no assignments to do, my client came to me with six PowerPoint presentations, each with 30+ slides and asked me to format it so all the logos were on the same place on each slide, all the text was the same font and size and anything else that would help them look appealing to work with. I took on the assignment and while it wasn’t hard at all, I have been using InDesign for a while now. I was so used to having a lot of options and easier ways to fix things that when I tried applying the same thing to PowerPoint, it didn’t work. It required a lot of focus and precision but I was able to make all six presentations look nice and consistent.

When I have to meet with a client, my day starts the same as any other but I dress nicer come off as professional. First, when I get to my desk and set up, I send a confirmation email to my client, asking if today’s meeting is still on. Once I get their confirmation, I wait for the time by doing assignments given to me. Once it’s time, I pack up my laptop and head to the meeting place. One time, I met my client in a conference room on the floor they reside on. We discuss changes and I show them what it looks like on my laptop. If there are any files they have to send me that has to go with the project, they send it to me and I add them. Once the meeting is done, I leave with the revision sheet and keep working on it while keeping them posted via email.

Interning at IFCC, I have learned a few things when it comes to design. The hierarchy for content is different for each project. You can’t use the same format for every project unless you’re doing something very similar like calendars. I’ve learned small things like how to align everything with a shortcut on InDesign so the sessions for events are listed in an organized matter. I learned how to use the eyedropper tool to sample typefaces and size instead of doing it manually. I learned how to use overlay on Photoshop to give an illusion of a picture with a tint of color on it. These small lessons were used to make the projects assigned to me look visually pleasing.

While I learned design tips and techniques at my internship, I also learned about the people of the industry. Most of my clients are not designers. They don’t know design as well as someone who has taken classes and studied it. Because of this, they come to me with projects that a designer can do for them and have it look nice and clean.

Aside from design work, I have also done clerical duties. One of them was changing the logo on Word documents and PowerPoints through Dropbox. My client gave me the invite to Dropbox and I went straight to work. It wasn’t every hard to do but there were a lot of files that needed changing. The weird thing was even when I changed it, it would say “Saved automatically to project” but it would still say the old logo. I had to cheat it a bit in order for the documents to save correctly. The good thing about this assignment was almost everyone uses Word and PowerPoint so knowing how to use these programs as well as work around it when it doesn’t work properly is a good skill to have.

IFCC is opened from 9 am-6 pm but I go in at 10 am. To access the entrance to IFCC without ringing the doorbell is with a key card that was given to me on my first day. It’s registered so it can only all the CUNY office doors. I go in and set up my desk for that day. I do all of my work on my laptop since most of the computers they have don’t have Adobe Creative Cloud. I work until 4 pm which is six hours of work in one day so I am allowed a 15 minute break. If I worked 8 hours, then I would be granted a 30 minute break. Other than that, I would work on design assignments from my clients in the building. We all communicate through email because the clients are busy doing their work but they respond to emails fairly quickly. Sometimes, we partake in small talk with other people in the room with us. Other than that, phone calls are being made so a lot of work is being done at this time.

The atmosphere of IFCC feels friendly. While everyone is and holds themselves as professionals, it isn’t uptight to the point of suffocation. While on my first day, I came in wearing business attire, Angelica said that I can wear jeans and sneakers and be fine. As long as it doesn’t look like I just woke up and came in pajamas, it was acceptable. We all work in shared offices or open office spaces in small rooms. Because IFCC share the office with employees with irregular office hours, I change my seat often so the employees can do their job. It isn’t hard finding space since there is always at least one seat available so I don’t mind.

IFCC is opened from 9 am-6 pm. The employees have irregular hours so they come in when they’re not in the field that day. To access the entrance to IFCC without ringing the doorbell is with a key card. They enter the office and set up at their desk. If they work at least six hours of in one day then they are allowed a 15 minute break. If they worked 8 hours, then they would be granted a 30 minute break. Sometimes, there is small talk with other people in the room. Other than that, phone calls are being made so a lot of work is being done at this time.

At IFCC and the other CUNY programs in the building my internship is, I am the graphic designer anyone can call upon to make whatever they need. I mainly make fliers for them but I also take on projects they need for their company. The main company I intern for, IFCC, has a director who is the head of the program. Her name is Angelica Velazquez. I found out about this company through my professor when she was telling us about places where they are hiring interns. The place was close to school and they were looking for design interns so I decided to try it out. On Sunday night, I sent an email introducing myself and saying I was looking for an internship and would love to work for their company. Then, the next day I called her once in the morning and once more in at lunchtime. I didn’t hear anything from her until Tuesday night when she emailed me, asking to call me about the internship. We made plans for me to call her the next day after class.

On Wednesday, after class was over, I called her. She introduced herself and started asking questions about myself. She asked what was my major, where I go to school, when I was graduating, how did I found out about the company and what were my skills in terms of graphic design. I told her I was a Communication Design major at Citytech graduating next fall. I had found out about her through my professor and I knew how to use Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. She then told me about herself and what she did and what she would ask me to do if I were to intern at IFCC. She was the Director of IFCC who specialties in helping family child care providers through workshops they hold at IFCC. They would have me do flyers for the most part but a project they had in mind was a photo journal of a program they have called the Caring and Responsive Engagement Program (C.A.R.E.). It was a program that helps child care providers of children from birth to five years old. It gives them the knowledge they need to take care of the children through weekend sessions and workshops. Angelica’s vision was a photo journal of all the people and children in the program that can be given to the people who participated. In order for this to become a reality, they would need someone who knows how to take visually pleasing photos. She asked if I have any photography skills to which I said I did since I have taken photography courses at Citytech and knew the fundamentals of photography to know how to achieve pleasant pictures for the book. After asking me her questions for me, she said that the space is small and that it is share with everyone on that floor. She asked me if it was okay if the space was a little tight. I said that was fine with me. With that, she said she would let me know if she would take me as an intern before the week ended. We said our goodbyes and that was the end of the call.

The next day, I get an email from Angelica say she will take me in as an intern and told me to email her my free time and she’ll make a schedule for me out of that. She also said she would like to see some of my work and if it’s physical to just bring it when I come in. I was very happy but also confused as to why she hired me so quickly after a phone conversation. I was expecting to go in for an interview before being chosen. It wasn’t until I told my professor about it and she asked if I did it through phone interview that I was being interviewed when I called her. I was used to interviews being stiff and professional. I’ve done phone interviews before but they didn’t sound as human as when I talked to Angelica. It was a nice change of pace for the interview to feel like a natural conversation instead of a strict by-the-rules interview.

My name is Amanda Ernano and I am a Communication Design major at NYC College of Technology. I am interning at New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute in Brooklyn as a graphic designer. I work mainly for a non-profit organization called Informal Family Child Care Project or IFCC for short. They are part of CUNY and it shares its space with people from other departments. All the CUNY companies in the building take up three floors in total. While I work mainly for IFCC, if needed, I also do design work for any company in the building that is under CUNY like New York Works for Children | The Aspire Registry and QUALITYstarsNY. The companies themselves are small considering each company that’s under CUNY has 5-12 people in each one. While they are all under CUNY which would make them a public organization, they mainly handle child care providers so it can also be considered a private organization as well. IFCC’s main focus is help Family Child Care Providers be the best they can be through workshops and events they have for them at the location. They also give away free items for them that can be used with children like books and toys. Most of the clients the company has are child care providers since IFCC keeps in contact with them for events and activities they have so they can grow as child care providers and be the best they can be.