Self-Evaluation

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Self-Evaluation (English)
Self-Evaluation.en.es (Espanol/Spanish)
Self-Evaluation Journal Entry Audio

Translation and audio generated by software.

As a designer, I understand the importance of paying attention to detail and producing work that visually conveys the brand’s vision. I believe that, so far in my internship, I have been doing well and have completed the tasks assigned to me. I feel I have also been able to put my creative spin on visuals for projects and they have been well received. I’ve received positive feedback from my supervisor on multiple projects that I’ve worked on already which leads me to believe that I’m accomplishing exactly what I set out to do at this internship. 


I have also been making sure to familiarize myself with the brand, and the mission, and understand the organization’s function within the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) and B2B (Business to Business) space. As for my relationship with other members of the team/staff, I believe we have a good rapport as well. As an intern, I have been utilizing my time to the fullest and making sure to meet deadlines promptly when it comes to the projects I am working on. As a designer, I am making sure to have a positive attitude every day whether I am in person or working remotely, and taking supervision from my supervisor seriously (as I really respect the work she is doing, and want to keep learning more from her). 

During this internship, I have also been learning how to manage the Amazon Storefront/Brand page, and creating assets such as banners, headers, and featured images that live on the Amazon page. I am also learning how to utilize Klayvio and create templates for email marketing/assets which was not something I was initially familiar with at least when it comes to the platform. I feel that I am getting to apply all of my old skills and combine new ones at this internship. 

 In the presentation below, I discuss my experience searching for an internship and landing the job. I also give an overview of my role/responsiblities and some of the different projects I have worked on so far. In the last portion of my presentation I talk about what I have learned, skills I have gained working at this specific internship and reflect on how I’ve grown overall though this experience.

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Translation and audio generated by software.

Connections and Collaborations

Image from blog.pop.work

Collaborating is a huge part of working as a designer. Most projects have multiple hands and eyes on them during the creation process. Over the last few weeks, I have primarily collaborated on projects with my supervisor directly, especially since we are a small team and company. Together, we have been working on multiple projects simultaneously such as content for Amazon and brand assets. The main project we are working on now is Amazon A+ content, banners, and headers to place on the brand’s Amazon Storefront page.

The way we have been communicating for the majority of the projects is remote during most of the week using Slack and Google Meets. We have also been able to meet in person at least once a week to work together as well. I have also been able to work with our Social Media Manager briefly, mostly just sharing assets over Slack. I believe most of our collaborative efforts have been successful so far. My supervisor and I can communicate effectively and make sure we are bringing the visuals together cohesively.

I have also had the opportunity to meet with some other members of the entire team via Zoom/Meets and learn more about the retail and distribution side of the business which has really helped me to understand the business as a whole better.

Official Internship Start | Projects 1 & 2

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Yesterday was the official start to my internship and I’ve already begun working on two project that are related to design. On day one, I met with my supervisor via Google Meets where we discussed the brand, the brand’s story and mission, and went over the pitch deck. We also discussed the scope of the projects I will be working on over the summer and the brands needs going forward. The first project that I’m currently working on are brand assets/brand personality drawings that can be used thoughout pitch decks. I was able to start working on this project already and receive feedback on the current state of the project and what updates can be made. For this project, I was assigned to make pngs of elements that align with the brand using Adobe Suite.

On day two (today), my supervisor and I met in person at a local cafe to get more in-depth about the future projects and collaborations we’ll be working on together. During this meeting I was also assigned my second project which entails updating the brand’s Amazon Storefront page, and listing images for the CPGs. For this project, I will be working on updating the storefront banner, and creating updated imagery for the product listings. As well as working on creating “cute” nutrional layout images to post on the listings.

As part of our meeting today we also discussed scheduling, and set dates for initial project feedback as well as due dates on the projects. For now, I will be able to have a week at least to work on a project and touch base about revisions before getting down to the final. My supervisor and I discussed scheduling generally when it comes to the times I’ll be working and it is super flexible, which was really important to me coming into this internship as I’m not only a student, but a parent so this allows me to get work done in a timely manner and takes a majority of the stress off. We have already planned our next in-person meeting, and will continue to communicate via Slack, email, etc. in between.

Projects I’ve Worked on | Pre-internship Week

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Image from Vecteezy

To give context, the company I am interning for is a startup that also collaborates with a venture capitalist company. A venture capitalist company is a firm that invests in startups and emerging companies with potential for significant growth. The venture capitalist company that my internship is partnered with is specifically in the tech sector. The VC company that is investing in my particular startup ran a week-long pre-internship program during this week where our cohort participated in workshops and mini-sprint projects that focused on preparation for internships, personal and professional skill building, learning about sustainability and generative AI. Throughout all the sessions, we focused heavily on preparing for our upcoming internships, how to show up professionally, communication, and applying the tools we are learning/will learn to our internships as well as our daily lives. We were also introduced to speakers and encouraged to engage with our peers as much as possible during the week and throughout the internship. 

During our combination of in-person and virtual meetings, our leaders encouraged us to be curious, ask questions, and to genuinely take in the learning experience from our internships. They expressed how to utilize SMART goals and define tangible measurable goals throughout the internship. We were also highly encouraged to learn about our company’s culture, and not to stress so much about being perfect. We were given a few different challenges during each workshop to complete and discuss such as, creating as a group an actionable plan for a company (whether existing or not) to incorporate sustainability principles. 


One of the more hands-on projects that we were able to work on was with generative AI during this pre-internship program. We were able to learn how to create a custom chatbot using ChatGPT, and Vibe Coding. This was the project this week I enjoyed the most because I have never really used A.I. in that particular way before. I usually do not use it at all intentionally. Learning how to essentially create a learning assistant is very new to me, however I enjoyed this aspect of it. The prompt was to build a custom bot, define its purpose, customize the instructions and behavior, use it, test it, and refine it. I was able to create a chatbot that would come up with a speech therapy plan for the summer for my six-year-old. Even though this was a more personal and specific task, it was beneficial to do it this way because you are able to insert specific, personalized information. By doing this, it assists the bot in learning the instructions and behavior, and this in turn helps the user receive more accurate feedback and results. Being able to utilize this type of tool in relation to our industry is important because many of the companies we work for or will be working for in the future are already utilizing these tools. A generative A.I. can also be a helpful tool in assisting with tasks on the jobs themselves and creating better workflows. 

My Role and Responsibilities

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For my role within the company, I’ll be joining as a Design Intern. I will be specifically working with the president of the company who was formerly the Director of Sales and Marketing before moving up to their new role. I selected this role after weighing my options as to which position would be best suited to me at this current time when it comes to skill level and availability. Another key reason I chose this position was because I felt that I aligned with the company’s work culture and team. The process by which I received this position involved an online Zoom interview, during which I only interviewed with one person for this position. The person I interviewed with was in fact the president and the person I’ll be working closely with on projects. The time between the interview itself and the job offer was rather short, I ended up getting the offer about 1 to 2 days later. I did request some time to thoroughly think through my decision because at the time I still had a few interviews left to fulfill. After my other interviews and offers, I was able to come to a decision and contacted the interviewer to let them know I wanted to accept the offer.

Some of the questions I was asked during the interview were pretty standard of course. For example, “What interested me in the role at the company?”, “What do I expect to learn?”, “What programs I am familiar with/feel comfortable with?”, etc.

To my current knowledge, my responsibilities in the role will be centered around collaborating on developing and enhancing the company’s website, assisting with marketing assets such as social media graphics, presentations, etc. I will also be conducting research on trends and competitors to help inform marketing/branding strategies and assisting in creating fresh ideas, and branding initiatives. I’m excited about this role, and I hope to accomplish all of this and more if possible to contribute to the team and the company.

About the Organization/Internship

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For my internship this summer semester I’ll be working with an ingredient company focused on fighting global food loss by upcycling byproducts from food manufacturing into premium ingredients and plant-based products. Their flagship ingredient is organic okara, a high-fiber, high-protein, gluten-free flour made from nutritious leftover soybean pulp and the company has been able to add more ingredients to the list since starting up. The company is a woman-owned business that was founded in 2016 and based in Oakland, California. It is also a private company and they focus on building an economy of food that is better for people and the planet. Some of the company’s customers or clientele are other companies that use the ingredients in their CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) products. 

The company is backed by a few of the industry’s top culinary minds with products and recipes developed by a 5x James Beard award winner. This award is given out annually to recognize individuals and organizations in the culinary arts, hospitality, and broader food system by the James Beard Foundation. Another milestone is that the company won the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Future Food Disruptor of the Year award in 2018. In 2022, the company was able to launch six products into Whole Foods Market stores nationwide, and with its sales diverted more than 66,000 lbs of food waste according to the company, and an article in Food Business News. The company has also been featured in Forbes, Insider, The Washington Post, Today, and FOOD52. 

The company is small in size with about 2-10 employees. I’ll be reporting directly to the president of the company. The now-president originally joined as a Director of Sales and Marketing but quickly maneuvered into the presidential role after taking on additional responsibilities at the company. I believe I’ll also be working closely with the Social Media Coordinator. I know that I’ll be working on various projects including marketing assets, enhancement of the website, campaign development, refinement of informational documents, etc.

During my research about the company, I was able to find two articles that briefly go over the company, and how it is a part of the game-changing solution to global food waste. In the first article “Can Upcycling Solve Our Big Food Problem? Why the Trend Could Change Everything”, the company’s product is mentioned as number three on the list of products and companies contributing to reshaping the future of food. The company is a part of transforming how we view waste and turning it into high-quality products. The second article posted on Food Business News details how the company secured funding for its growing business in 2023. This funding aided in expanding the company’s product line, and this helped the company to continue ensuring its’ mission of putting food to its’ best, and highest use. 

Citations | References

  • Axworthy, N. (2025, February 17). Can Upcycling Solve Our Big Food Waste Problem? Why the Trend Could Change Everything. VegNews.com; VegNews. https://vegnews.com/upcycled-snacks-environment-food-waste
  • Watrous, M. (2023, June 6). R****** M** secures funding to expand product line, distribution. Foodbusinessnews.net; Food Business News. https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/23961-renewal-mill-secures-funding-to-expand-product-line-distribution

Searching for and Obtaining an Internship

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Image courtesy of WOOBRO LTD.

I began my internship search around the Fall semester going into Spring 2025. When I first initiated my search, I contacted a colleague who I knew in the field to inquire about whether they knew of any available positions, or if they would be willing to take me on as an intern. Unfortunately, because of the timing, we were unable to follow through with that as his position changed within the company. During this time I was still applying to internship postings I saw online via LinkedIn, Indeed, and Handshake. I also needed the internships to be remote and/or hybrid due to my schedule as I am also a parent to a young child. Through Handshake I was able to secure four interviews with four different companies all of which offered remote/hybrid scheduling and were very understanding of my situation.

The interview process moved along relatively quickly, and I was excited to even get responses back to be interviewed as I lacked some confidence in whether my work was good enough to even get through the first step of the process. I ended up receiving offers for all four positions, and so the most difficult part became deciding which one to choose from. Weighing the options was a little difficult for me because I wanted to make the right decision, and pick one that aligned most with my current skillset that could also help me grow new skills as well. The decision was also difficult because of course, I wanted to make sure I made decisions promptly so as to not hinder the company’s hiring process/interview process for other candidates.

I was able to finally decide on one I felt the most comfortable with, and the most aligned with. I’m grateful that I was given all the opportunities I was presented, and I am happy with the internship I chose. I’m excited to be starting next week and begin meeting with the team.

Ethics in Design 2B: Fairey Copyright Case

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When it comes to the Fairey Copyright case, I believe the arguments and outcome were fair. As described in the “Case Study on Fair Use. and Fair Dealing: The Hope Poster Litigation”, Shepard Fairey did not take the correct course of action ethically when he created the initial design/work. He failed to obtain permission or the rights to use the Associated Press photograph by Mannie Garcia in the Hope poster, which became the optimistic symbol of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, according to an article written by Randy Kennedy in The New York Times. On top of that, Fairey also tried to hide that fact to cover up his initial mistake which in my opinion was also morally wrong. Fairey also made claims that he never personally profited from sales of the image, which A.P. disputed. 

Ultimately I do believe the decision to fine Fairey and sentence him to two years probation was a fair decision as not only was Fairey ethically in the wrong on the copyright side, but he also tampered with evidence from the case. It goes to show that in a case like this no matter how great the work or design is we must always give credit where credit is due, and take courses of action to be fair and to gain the proper permission to use other’s work if we plan to utilize it in our own. This case is also a good reminder for artists and designers alike to study and understand how copyright, copyright laws, and usage work to avoid these types of mishaps. 

Citations | References

Ethics in Design 2A: Artist Credit

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The readings/chapters from AIGA’s Design and Business Ethics Handbook have strengthened my perspective on my owndesign work and my understanding of being a designer. I already knew how important it is to be an ethically responsible designer. Still, I do feel that I have learned more in-depth information about ethics in design after reading the chapters. I believe learning about copyright, the use of illustration, and the use of photography can aid me as a designer and inform how I approach design work currently, and in the future.

As the chapters outline it is also important to credit artists for their work. For example, an illustrator’s work should not be used without gaining permission from the creator. Another example, for photographers an agreement as to whether the photographer will receive authorship credit for photography in the final design project needs to be agreed upon by both the client and photographer according to AIGA. 

In the past when I have used other work to produce design work I typically would use fair use material or free to usematerial without requesting permission from the original license owner. In the work that I have done in collaboration with other students for class projects or real clientele, I have always made sure to credit the people who have worked on the project with me or make sure that it was known that the project was not done solely by me. I will continue to credit other artists where credit is due, and request permission to use work that is not solely my own. As designers, we must all havethe knowledge necessary about the legalities, copyright itself, and crediting artists appropriately.

Citations | References

  • “A Client’s Guide to Design: How to Get the Most Out of the Process” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard GrefĂ©, AIGA. 
  • “Guide to Copyright” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard GrefĂ©, AIGA.
  • “Use of Illustration” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard GrefĂ©, AIGA. 
  • “Use of Photography” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard GrefĂ©, AIGA. 

Ethics in Design 1B: Confidentiality | Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

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Image from Inc42.com

An NDA or non-disclosure agreement/confidentiality agreement is a contract by which one or more parties agree not to disclose confidential information that has been shared as a necessary part of doing business collaboratively. It is a legally binding contract and protects confidential information such as trade secrets, business information, and intellectual property. This type of document establishes how confidential information is to be handled, and ensures that the work is only used for the agreed-upon purposes.

So far in the process of onboarding and obtaining my internship, I have not had to sign this type of document as of yet. I believe for a company of this size (relatively small) it would be a good idea to have this sort of agreement to protect their assets and IP (intellectual property) as at this time many smaller artists/companies are being taken advantage of by larger corporations. I have only had to sign the internship agreement form for this course thus far, which contains my personal information, the information of my supervisor, and the tasks/duties that I will be performing when it comes to the internship. If there is an NDA to be signed, I will be sure to adhere to the clauses in the document. I will also make sure to follow the guidelines set forth for me by the organization, and my supervisors, and will work to create works that positively reflect the company.

Citations | References

  • “A Client’s Guide to Design: How to Get the Most Out of the Process” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard GrefĂ©, AIGA. 
  • “Guide to Copyright” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard GrefĂ©, AIGA.
  • RocketLawyer. (2025). Non Disclosure Agreement. Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/91894008/Non-Disclosure-Agreement