This summer, I was lucky enough to intern with 160over90, a branding agency located in Center City, Philadelphia. 160 is fast-paced perfectionism functioning at its finest. They had me sprinting to keep up, to say the least.My intern supervisors, Jenny Tondera and Doug Richard, acted as the hip and forever-cool Mom and Pop of the Creative Interns. They provided guidance in- and outside of the office. Need help picking a typeface? Need to find a great local bar? Check and check. The two of them had clearly worked to create a program that engaged their interns beyond the normal 9-5 office shift. They assigned me projects until I had proven my work ethic and abilities, at which time the company treated me like any other employee, assigning me regular work directly.
For the first couple of weeks, I helped build case studies, run errands, and carry out other small jobs. It was not until another designer at 160 got bogged down with brand concepting (a process that requires 90 hour work weeks…) that I finally had the opportunity to prove my talents and dedication. The responsibility that the managers handed to me was liberating and invigorating, and I will be ever thankful for the chance.
I dove into work for major clients like UCLA, the New York Jets, and Felician College. The work was intense, and at times highly-stressful, but the emotional payoff was rewarding and I came out of the internship with a far better idea of future directions I may pursue and my creative process in general. I feel prepared to enter the working art world as an immediate contributor, but am likely to follow a more socially-conscious path at first, perhaps for an NGO or community organization.
