Rock & Roll Hall of Fame // Graphic Design Internship

I learned that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame offered internships through my previous internship at the Cleveland Metroparks. I was able to have an informational interview with the head of marketing, in which I gathered the timeline for my application about a year in advance. I prepared my application by further researching the organization and catering my design projects towards this internship. I selected classes that would be advantageous for curating my portfolio. I made sure to find a professor for my recommendation letter far in advance and prepared my other application materials. I was able to secure an interview and internship offer by the second week of April through this entire process.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a renowned, non-profit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio with the mission “to engage, teach, and inspire through the power of Rock & Roll.” The Rock Hall carries out this mission through their educational programs, library and archives, and through the operation of their world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets Rock & Roll. My supervisor was the Director of Brand and Content Strategy. This role manages the media channels at the Rock Hall and leads the creative team consisting of designers, photographers, and videographers in order to create engaging content for fans.

I was most proud of the research and different iterations I created for the Rock Hall’s YouTube channel. One of my projects included an audit of the channel’s content. I was able to help clarify a system for organizing the content and developed a document for the strategy moving forward. I gained a greater appreciation for the research end of brand strategy and how this overlaps with design decisions. One of my biggest takeaways from working at the Rock Hall is the value of collaboration and adaptability. I was able to learn how I can approach my time management with the fast paced deadlines and how I communicate with different departments.

This position gave me art direction skills that involved communication and carrying out the organization’s branding. I edited photos for marketing purposes and learned how to design for

large format printing. I was able to refine my ability to give critique to the other design interns as well as communicate my desig
n decisions with other coworkers.

This experience has affirmed the fact I would like to work for a values-driven organization in the future. I enjoyed working in a highly creative environment where my peers are passionate about supporting the organization's mission. I also found that I greatly enjoy the research and strategy side of design and branding. From a design perspective I’ve learned that I prefer to work with stories and powerful imagery. I felt that this internship was a great opportunity to support the Rock Hall through working on tangible projects.