During the first week of my internship at TANKindustries, I focused on solidifying my understanding of my responsibilities and expectations for the following seven weeks. One key expectation was that we meet remotely every day and that I document any questions arising from my conversations or meetings with the design team. It was established that I would communicate with Jason and the team through Slack, a messaging app for businesses similar to Discord. Having used Slack for announcements in my COMD2300 course with Professor Jason Falk, I was already familiar with the platform. Additionally, I was to use a Slack extension called Jibble to clock in and out, helping to keep my timesheet organized and accurate. Jibble also allows the organization to input different project codes to evaluate the time spent on each project, ensuring accurate billing to clients.
My first project involved creating collateral, including business cards and letterheads, for an IP lawyer. Jason introduced me to the concept of a visual landscape, a collection of direct and indirect competitors in the industry, to identify elements we wanted to emulate or avoid. I learned to look for patterns within the visual landscape, focusing on aspects like color, structure, and space, particularly in logos. Weeks before, Jason and his team had worked on a logo for the IP lawyer, and I had the opportunity to see their process through a Figma Jam Board. Figma is an app that facilitates the natural flow of ideas digitally, allowing users to present processes and presentations using various tools.
For my first project, I was instructed to draw inspiration from modernist design, a style established in the early 20th century characterized by bold, chunky lettering and overall minimalistic design. I was also guided to incorporate values such as conservatism, activity, professionalism, and connectivity into my designs. I began with the business cards, drawing inspiration from my collection of business cards amassed from various art events since 2015. The exciting aspect of this project was the opportunity to explore the dichotomy between creativity and conservatism, given that the client frequently interacts with artists in the realm of IP law.
Throughout the process of creating collateral for my first client, I learned numerous keyboard shortcuts that made my work easier and more streamlined. I gained this knowledge by presenting problems to Jason, who showed me how to fix them via Zoom screen-share. Additionally, I discovered that incorporating intricate details within a logo or collateral provides more opportunities for expanding brand assets.
And that wrapped up my first week @ TANKindustries!
(I have obtained permission to use TANKindustries’ name)
