In the second week of class, we discussed what kind of designers we think we are. This was a time where we were informed the different avenues that we could potentially fit into. Everything from working at an ad agency to being an in-house designer at a large company. It became clear there are two paths most designers and creatives fall under: generalists and more niche industry folk. Based upon our work it’s our job to see where we lie.
Being that I’m actually an advertising design major instead of graphic design, I’d say I’m a generalist. Since I’m still a student, I’m not a part of a large team of creatives who have different departments to meet the clients needs. I’m the designer, copywriter, strategist, and researcher. This flexibility I think will work well in an ad agency because there will always be something to do. Although I’m used to wearing multiple hats, I really enjoy copywriting. Creative writing is something I’ve always enjoyed and in ads this passion has somewhere to stay.
For the past couple of months, I was anticipating hearing back on a design competition I entered for an internship in copywriting. This project in addition to taking 6 classes was a lot of work but I really wanted to put forth effort in my work as a future copywriter. As of yesterday, February 6th, I’ll be spending my summer as a copywriting intern at BBDO’s New York office. This is an opportunity I am very excited for and it falls in line where I want to be. It’ll also be a great addition to my resume.
Another skill I think is a strong suit is photography. I spend a lot of my free time taking pictures of various people and places that I come across. It’s a skill that has come in handy as an advertising design major because I can sometimes take pictures for my projects if appropriate. I want to include projects that I’ve taken pictures for and standalone images in the upcoming portfolio presentation.
Overall, I’m excited to gain experience in working at an ad agency and hope to learn a lot. This is a big break and an opportunity of a life time for me to potentially kick start my career.
