Illustration Practice MFA at AARP

My journey with AARP began when I was actively searching for internships in publication design. I discovered the opportunity through a faculty member who taught designing for a diverse and mature audience. I secured the internship after a competitive application process, which included a phone call and an interview that tested my design sensibilities and understanding of AARP's audience.

My primary responsibilities included working on layouts for the upcoming issues of AARP's magazine, creating branding assets, assisting in preparing presentations, and providing support for social media campaigns. I was deeply involved in the conceptualization to final production stages of several key layouts, which taught me the intricacies of publication design in a real-world setting. I am most proud of a layout design I created for a feature article in the magazine. I’m eager to see the response of the readers.

The most important thing I learned was the significance of empathetic design – creating with an understanding of and sensitivity to the audience’s perspective. I acquired new skills in advanced layout design, typography, and digital publishing tools. My proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign and Photoshop, improved significantly.

This internship has been instrumental in clarifying my career goals. It reinforced my passion for publication design and my desire to work in a creative role that has a meaningful impact on its audience. It also opened my eyes to the vast potential and responsibility that comes with designing for diverse demographics. It was an opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects and grow both professionally and personally. 

Baltimore Tree Trust Internship

This semester, I got to work with Baltimore Tree Trust as their communication design intern. I was lucky enough to meet my supervisor, the senior communications director at Baltimore Tree Trust, at the fall semester Practice and Pie event hosted by Career Development. Immediately, I became obsessed with Baltimore Tree Trust and the work they do for the Baltimore community. Baltimore Tree Trust is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that is focused on providing trees, environmental education, and career pathways in forestry to the Baltimore community. The bulk of what they do revolves around their team of Neighborhood Forestry Technicians – an awesome team of people born and raised in Baltimore who go out into the community and plant trees in neighborhoods that need it most.

Beyond just planting trees, Baltimore Tree Trust also provides educational resources on the importance of green spaces in urban environments and seeks to unite different Baltimore communities through city greening. This sort of work was super inspiring to me, so I reached out to my supervisor not long after the event, and somehow managed to impress the BTT team enough that they took me on. The bulk of my work at BTT was centered around helping the current communications team – which consisted of my supervisor and two other wonderful people – by creating email and social media graphics, print material, and fun graphics for fundraisers and events. Other than my supervisor, most of the team didn’t have a lot of graphic design education, so I was there to help create visuals for some of their messaging. Most of their communications revolved around environmental education and fundraising, and I was able to learn a lot about Baltimore’s native ecosystems through my research for the different campaigns and events they were involved in. I was able to create a lot of really great work that I’m super proud of (and which will definitely go into my portfolio), learn a lot about Baltimore’s environment and the importance of green spaces in cities, and create connections with great people doing important work.

This experience has definitely helped me realize that I want to continue doing work in the realms of activism and education, and showed me what my strengths are as a designer as well as gave me the opportunity to work on my weaknesses. I’m super thankful for the team at Baltimore Tree Trust for giving me the opportunity to work with them this semester, and for Career Development for not only having this for-credit internship program, but also for hosting Practice & Pie! If not for that event, it would have been a lot more difficult for me to secure this internship.

BEGA Intern

During my internship with my supervisor, a remote, creative, professional specializing in graphic design and website development, I engaged in a diverse array of tasks that enriched my understanding of the field. As my supervisors direct mentee, I collaborated closely with him on various projects, including creating website mood boards tailored to clients' needs and preferences.

Despite the logistical challenge of being in different time zones, I learned to manage my time effectively and maintain open lines of communication to ensure seamless workflow. Additionally, I had the opportunity to expand my skill set by mastering Prezi, an AI platform, to craft visually compelling presentations for client pitches and project proposals. Under my supervisors guidance, I gained insights into the nuances of graphic design within a professional context, learning not only the technical aspects but also the importance of effective communication and client management.

As I navigated the intricacies of remote work, I developed a heightened sense of adaptability and resilience, quickly acclimating to the company's preferred project management tools and collaborative platforms. Reflecting on my experience, I take pride in my ability to deliver consistently high-quality work amidst the challenges of remote collaboration. This internship has been instrumental in clarifying my career aspirations in graphic design, providing me with invaluable hands-on experience and equipping me with the skills and confidence to excel in the industry. 

MICA RCCE E/Studio Internship

I was thrilled when my advisor introduced me to the RCCE E/Studio Internship that aligned perfectly with my interests in business and entrepreneurship. I quickly began preparing my application and polishing my portfolio to showcase my skills and passion for the field. This internship is eligible for credit which was another aspect that made it an ideal fit for my academic goals. It also provides hands-on experience and knowledge that will undoubtedly shape my future career in the business world, and I was eager to seize this opportunity to learn and grow. 

The Executive Creative Director at Andre Bean Brand served as our internship director at the RCCE E/Studio Internship. Throughout my time under his guidance, I gained insights into the world of marketing, drawing from his wealth of real-life experiences. The knowledge and personal stories he shared with us proved to be incredibly valuable resources, as they are not typically accessible within the confines of a traditional school setting. I deeply appreciated our director’s adept leadership skills, as he skillfully directed our team, fostering a collaborative and productive environment. Thanks to his mentorship, we were able to successfully tackle tasks for our clients and I am grateful for the opportunity to have learned from such a seasoned professional. I will carry the lessons I learned from him throughout my career in business and entrepreneurship. 

During my internship, I had the opportunity to take on significant responsibilities for both Oopsduck and ORA the Brand website deliveries. As a lead, I devoted much of my time to crafting engaging and user-friendly UI/UX designs for both projects, ensuring a seamless online experience for their audiences. Additionally, I contributed my photography skills to enhance ORA the Brand's visual appeal. Moreover, I collaborated closely with others, offering my insights and ideas for the motion graphics used in Oopsduck's captivating intro video. Being involved in these diverse aspects of the projects allowed me to gain hands-on experience and strengthen my skill set, making this internship an incredibly fulfilling and enriching experience. I am grateful for having had the chance to begin my professional journey at RCCE E/Studio and am enthusiastic about continuing to grow and thrive in the business and entrepreneurship realm.

Athletics LLC

Athletics is a mid-size independent creative studio based out of Brooklyn, NY. Their clients range from large companies, such as IBM and Square, to smaller companies like Turf, Galileo, and Tia. The Athletics teams work on everything from strategy to design to create incredible products for their clients. My supervisor was a Design Director who has been at the company for many years.

I found out about this internship opportunity through one of my instructors at MICA. I asked him if he knew of any companies hiring summer interns, and he presented me to a colleague at Athletics. I went through the interview process in January and was hired.

The main project I was involved in this summer was designing a website for 826NYC, a nonprofit in New York City that helps underprivileged students improve their writing skills. My job was to take the wireframes designed by the team and figure out the best way to organize all their information clearly, keeping in mind that their main audience is low-income families who oftentimes don’t speak English. This involved clarifying the system in which programs and workshops are displayed/filtered, figuring out how best to apply the brand’s visual identity, and organizing huge chunks of information to help the site communicate clearly.

My supervisor guided me through every step of the project yet gave me a lot of responsibility as time progressed. I was also involved in other projects, such as designing a booklet for Catskill Art Space, or assisting in creating brand guidelines for their clients Trace and XQ.

I’m proud of how much responsibility I was given as my internship progressed, as well as how quickly I learned a variety of new skills. I learned so much about how a real agency works, how projects are organized, and how much thought and work goes into a high-level design project. Most importantly, I created valuable connections with my co-workers and learned so much from them in terms of communication and presenting ideas.

At the midpoint of my internship, I was offered a full-time opportunity after my graduation. In the meantime, I was promoted to Associate Designer in a part-time, 24 hour/week capacity. I did a lot of UX work this summer, which solidified how much I love creating digital products. I hope to continue down this path, but what this internship has taught me is that new experiences will show me what path I need to go down.

Wray Ward

When searching for a summer internship in the United States, I knew I was going to be staying in North Carolina. I was looking to work for a marketing agency, so I found one in the area and applied to Wray Ward’s FORM internship. FORM is a paid, 10-week, full-time summer internship where you’ll work on real projects with eight other interns. I was accepted into the program and I had a great host family let me stay with them for the duration of the internship. 

Wray Ward is a full-service agency creating inspired marketing solutions for brands in the home and building categories based in Charlotte, NC. My direct supervisor during my time there was a motion and design director at the agency.

My responsibilities at the agency were to help with my assigned department’s projects. I created short logo animations and primarily created promotional videos for a non-profit visual arts organization called Charlotte Art League. For our campaign with Charlotte Art League, we created a marketing communications plan and a visual campaign to increase awareness in the Charlotte area and effectively communicate everything Charlotte Art League does and offers. We also created videos for this campaign. As a videography intern, I was mainly in charge of these.

I am proud that I was able to work on real client projects for this internship. My biggest takeaway would be how to work in a team. We had a total of nine interns, and we often had to collaborate. I learned how to better communicate within the group and manage my time. Additionally, I learned how to set up lighting and use Premiere Pro at the internship.

Through this internship, I have become more confident but also realize that I need more experience in marketing agencies and design studios to achieve my long-term goal. One day, I want to create my own successful design company in Korea.

 

Marine Lane

Marine Lane is a NYC design+branding studio founded in 2012. It is a place composed of highly inspired women, bonded by a shared love of design and belief in the power it has to connect, inspire, sell and amuse. To secure this internship, I went on the company's website, found their email and wrote them a cover letter expressing my interest in the position and introducing myself.

My supervisor was the Creative Director and responsible for giving me tasks as well as revising and troubleshooting them with me. Her role within the company is to coordinate all the design related things, making sure they are perfect to be sent to the client. My involvement in the projects depended on the demand that was needed that day. On Fridays, we had an overview meeting of what the next week would look like, but sometimes we had to play it by ear and change the plans a little. I worked on branding projects, social media, animations, website design, presentation decks, packaging, etc.

I am proud of going through the interview process with so many candidates and getting the job of my dreams in NYC. They liked my work so much that they invited me to work with them in the future, after graduating. I'm also proud for scoring the entrepreneurship scholarship, which made it possible for me to achieve all of this. 

I have learned that not always things are going to go as planned and what designers deem as perfect might not always be what the client wants in the end, and that is okay. During this experience, I believe I have definitely developed my communication skills – from presenting projects to clients, to explaining concepts/ideas to coworkers.

Since Marine Lane is women owned, it is very inspirational to see females thriving in the biggest city in the world, making amazing design products and getting recognition for it. It was incredible to see their business model and understand how they make it all work. 

Cleveland Metroparks

This summer, I was fortunate to serve as a brand and creative services intern at the Cleveland Metroparks. The parks system has received the National Gold Medal for “best in the nation.” It includes 18 reservations or parks, golf courses, and a zoo as well as several other properties. Their mission is to protect nature, connect communities and inspire conservation in our world.

I became aware of the internship opportunity after spending a day with the Metropark's Marketing Team as part of a high school senior project. I applied for a creative services internship role later in the fall and after several interviews and sharing my portfolio, I landed the job.

My supervisor was the Director of Brand and Advertising at the Cleveland Metroparks. As a brand and creative services intern, I was assigned a series of impactful projects. I leveraged my graphic design and illustration skills to develop actionable concepts for the Metropark’s 2024 Calendar, 2024 Eclipse merchandise, commemorative seal art for each of the 18 reservations, and digital marketing collateral for events and exhibits.

I am most proud of the commemorative and collectible seal art. I have created something “on brand,” that will increase engagement with the parks, be scalable to other properties, and highly merchandisable for the Metroparks.

This internship opportunity has both clarified and affirmed my career aspiration to be a graphic designer and illustrator. Additionally, the role has helped me improve in and acquire many skills, including: project organization, project presentation, technical skills with Adobe Illustrator, photography, collaborating and contributing as part of a high performing team.

On the long list of things I have learned this summer, most important is the need to be intentional with my art. I learned that as an artist, I have an important role in protecting and enhancing a company’s brand and reputation. This means that while I can push boundaries with a concept, I must stay true to my client’s brand and brand guidelines. That said, I must also maintain energy, optimism and belief in my concepts which conveys to my clients, it’s an overall balancing act.

Saint Lucy Books

Last fall the founder of Saint Lucy Books was invited to MICA to talk about his recently published book. In the spring when I was trying to find an appropriate internship site, I was urged to reach out to the founder about possibly assisting him with some work. I was incredibly excited about the idea of working with a small Baltimore-based publishing company, especially as Saint Lucy’s focus is on female artists and the collaboration of text and images.

The founder Saint Lucy was my supervisor and I joined him in May to help with current and future titles and the brand identity of Saint Lucy. We attended ICP’s photobook fest where we were one of over 50 independent photobook publishers. Once back from NYC, my supervisor and I started working with a past faculty member at MICA on her upcoming book. During this, I helped with image selection, essay editing, and even some of the early ideas pertaining to the physicality of the book.

In early June I began working heavily with my supervisor on transforming the Saint Lucy website and brand identity. I completely overhauled the design of the website which hadn't been changed since 2016. I also designed digital and print PR materials for a recent book as well as set up templates for my supervisor to use in the future. During all of this, my supervisor and I would meet regularly to discuss future books and artist collaboration. These conversations and stints of research were by far the most exciting thing for me personally as I felt I was on the ground floor of the type of thing that I hope to do in the future.

The best thing that I got from this experience was a real assertion of my own knowledge and value in these spaces. My supervisor and the artists and people we met (both during meetings with artists and at ICP) seemed to not only respect my presence but my ideas and writing as well. Through this experience, I feel as though I have really improved in my professional skills and communication methods, as well as more technical things like using online business platforms and bookkeeping. My time at Saint Lucy stretched how I see research and writing as not only something I want to continue for my future professional career but my art practice as well.

AARP

AARP is an interest group in the United States that focuses on issues affecting those over the age of fifty. I worked within the ICM (Integrated Communication and Marketing) Department. A professor of mine shared the link to the Publication Design Intern position and along with the application, he connected me to another professor who actually works at the company as a designer who I was able to reach out to with my materials and exchange a few emails.

For the most part I worked with the Associate Art Director. Though she was more of my day-to-day supervisor, I worked with several people on different projects. I worked with the Assistant Art Director with The Ethel Newsletter’s social media posts. I was also specifically tasked with designing the International Women’s History Month campaign. There is another newsletter by AARP called the Veteren’s Report for which I was asked to design bi-weekly covers of the stories featured. Additionally, I was trained in the software used by the company to work on the publication and eventually tasked to design some small spreads and sidebars. Lastly, I worked on “sizzle reels'' which are essentially quick motion graphics that introduce the upcoming issue.

I am quite proud of the newsletter reels as I did have to quite quickly learn their brand identities and be able to depict them accurately to an audience base that is different from what I am used to. Additionally, I feel as though I was quite proactive in asking for more work through the duration of the internship which I did in the hopes of leaving a positive impact and impression on the team.

My biggest takeaway was how strenuous, fast-paced and collaborative the publication process is from conceptualizing to print. I also learned a lot about working in a large corporate setting with a hierarchy of positions to report to and get approvals from.

I have learned several new skills through this including practical ones like new softwares, and also other skills like time management and organization required to multitask. This has helped clarify my career goals as I definitely still hope to work in editorial/publishing. It was earlier simply an interest, but now I have experienced it in a very real setting at a company that is extremely established. Instead of deterring me, I only feel more excited to hopefully step into it in the future.

The Compound

This semester I spent one day per week helping out at the Compound, a small non-profit institution based in Baltimore that provides affordable live/work spaces to artists, holds cultural programming events, and supports small local businesses. I have a friend who worked there in the past and got me an internship position through word of mouth.

The Compound has been around for over 20 years and has maintained an active presence within the art scene in Baltimore.For years it was mostly underground, providing warehouse spaces for artists to live and develop their practices. Over time it has developed into a legitimate 501(c)(3) non-profit that actively engages with the community on a more widespread level. There are regular music events held at their venue which fairly compensate musicians, community gardening events, 2 local businesses that use the space and employ residents of the Midway neighborhood, and 8 artists-in-residence that benefit from the below market rate housing.

The Compound itself had a few projects in motion that we worked on together—a website redesign, grant proposal design, general branding, event promotion and email newsletters. That said, I also did work for Phrame, which is an art handling business which operates out of the Compound. I worked on their pricing sheet design, some label designs, and a proposal packet for a major DCPL job.

I am most proud of the work where I got the most individual liberty and artistic freedom. I designed a flier and event signage for the first official concert at the Compound post-pandemic, where I was allowed to be as experimental as I pleased. For this, I modified some code I wrote which auto generated flier layouts and used the same visual language across the board for all of the signage. Because the institution is non-profit and within the arts, they were supportive of my more experimental tactics and overall loved the work I produced.

My biggest takeaway from this experience was the illuminating experience of working in the non-profit design sector. Seeing the mechanics of how non-profit organizations can actively participate and function within communities—and how design can be used to elevate their goals. I learned how to work in a professional environment and communicate with board members to meet the needs of the organization. This experience reiterated my desire to work in an industry that functions not for excessive profits but to work for the greater good.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

I found out about this internship as I was scrolling through the website for my school work. The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) holds a strong place in my heart, but I never thought about interning there as it doesn’t have a connection to my major. It was a stroke of luck that I manage to secure it as I found it three days from the application deadline date. My amazing professors were extremely kind and helped me write a letter of recommendation (I found out later it was my letters of recommendation that pushed me ahead of everyone else). Otherwise, using the 3 days, I asked as many people as I could to read through all my materials, including Career Development and my Academic Advisor. 

NMWA in Washington, DC champions and supports women artists. It is the only museum in the world solely dedicated to women artists. They feature a variety of art forms, mostly focusing on contemporary art. The department I worked in was Digital Engagement, this applied to all social media platforms, website, photography, all online activity. My direct supervisor was the director of Digital Engagement. As NMWA is quite small, her role encompasses almost everything related to the department other than website coding. 

My list of responsibilities varied during my internship, depending on what the department needed help with. I drafted Instagram posts highlighting women artists/art pieces, wrote tweets for Fresh Talks and calendar events, researched and wrote about exhibitions for the website, edited and sorted old photographs to upload to a digital server, photographed weekly gallery talks and events, researched and read case studies for previous museum’s social media initiatives during closure, and made guides for future interns. 

I am most proud of the connections I made through exhibition openings and talking to curators about their work. I never thought I would experience a job like this, so I made sure to learn as much as I could doing many different things. 

My biggest take-away and clarification of my career goal is that I would rather not work a 9am-5pm job when I’m older. This experience was amazing, but only because I worked with a museum that championed women artists. It’s hard to imagine putting in this type of time for an organization/company that doesn’t have a good ethos. With working Monday to Friday and commuting from Baltimore, the time to make art was extremely condensed. I learned that social media is currently one of the largest factors of business success. The Digital Engagement department is linked to every single other department and social media brings in more people than any other platforms (e.g. advertisements, email, print) for the museum. 

Creative Capital Shanghai

I learned about this Creative Capital Shanghai (CC) from a MICA alum. CC is a brand advertising company and now it is collaborating with Altavia, a French advertising firm. My direct supervisor was the creative department manager.

I participated in design idea generating, presentation designing and even designed a project independently. I learned how to present my work more professionally. When I was in school, I only needed to think about my own feelings about the design, but when I work, I have to think about how everyone feels about the design, not just from the designer's point of view.

I am most proud of my time management and multi-stream working schedule. I learned about managing my time with various projects going on, and I think designing culturally is the most important thing I have learned. I am also more familiar with Adobe Suites.

This internship experience has given me a better understanding of what people at a branding company do, and showed me the right attitude to have at work. I'm also more responsible with my work, because the design is no longer just your own responsibility, it’s about the whole team.

WIX Design Playground

I had my first internship in the US this summer, and it turned out to be one of the best experiences in my design learning. Instead of being like an internship, Wix Design Playground is more like an academy of website design and project management. It is affiliated to Wix.com, who attribute their expertise and powers to help and educate the young designers. 

I learned the information about this program through the MICA Career Fair. Vuong, the head of Wix Design Playground, visited MICA and had a brief interview with me. Afterward, I had one more online interview with another program leader before I was accepted. This 7-hour a day, 5-day a week for 3 months program is actually a little bit

heavy for the summer, however, I enjoy the intensity and am very satisfied with what I

acquired.

During the 3-month program, we are given diverse resources to develop our own interests and careers such as lectures, workshops, and one-on-one instruction. In the meantime, we have gained a lot of professional knowledge and experiences through real-world projects, for example, making a marketing landing page for One World Book, and designing the front-to-end website for non-profit organizations. In the end, we are also re-building our own portfolio in an online space under the mentorship of the Wix team.

I learned by practicing every aspect of a high-end website design project including

UI/UX, production, styling, content writing, code & content management, and

client & project management. More importantly, the people I met in the program are the most valuable takeaway for me. Both my fellow group members and mentors are passionate about what we do, which creates a positive and supportive environment to learn and to improve. It further facilitates us to explore our potential and more possibilities for creative performances.

I feel more confident in my abilities as a designer as well as getting clearer ideas about my future career path. It reminds me of what I stepped into the design industry for and provides me a very good reference for my career development.

SONY Music

I got this internship through a family friend who used to work at Sony. She put me in contact with Sony Music Canada director of the office I worked at then he linked me to my supervisor. 

I am very proud of the new skills I learned such as improving my Photoshop skills and learning how to make GIFs. I have also learned how to network and create professional relationships. 

I was responsible for designing GIFs for artists, create playlist album covers, helped with some artists websites. I was also asked to help film for GIFs, videos, and for photography artists. 

This internship helped clarify my career goal and helped me realize that I want to work

more in the music and entertainment industry, but still as a graphic designer.

Pentagram

Working at Pentagram Design has been a dream internship and a dream summer. Not only was it an amazing experience to be working at Pentagram, but I couldn’t have asked for a better, more fun team to work in!

Team Oberman does a lot of work in the entertainment industry. I was lucky to be a part of the team that was working on the identity of Space Jam staring LeBron James. My logo made it to the top two and it was an intense ride perfecting it for the final presentation. I was lucky that the director and the producer saw the logo. It is a great learning experience I will always remember. I learnt so much in those three weeks, collaborated with the team and kept on pushing myself. My mentors were incredibly helpful too.

Other than this major project, I worked on the identity for Words of Art, a card game for art lovers made by Scholastic for Agnes Gund’s art collection. That was a completely different experience and a lovely one too. I also worked on the extended identity for Fisher Price which involved advertisements, videos, and bumpers. 

Other brands I worked on were Lovevery, a kid’s brand that does different products. I worked on Jopwell strategy, it is an upcoming brand for job hunting and making connections aimed towards people of color. I also worked on Dock 72 Ferry schedule, an icon for League of Legends, storyboarding for Film Independent Spirit Awards, etc. All in all it was an incredible experience.

Hyperakt

During my internship this summer at Hyperakt, a design studio in Brooklyn, I got the amazing opportunity to work with a passionate group of designers, strategists and developers.

The great part about Hyperakt is that they believe in the power of design for good. All the work that is done was for clients who are working towards social justice. The highlight of my internship was working on developing a brand identity for Donors Choose, a crowdfunding platform for public school teachers. My concept went onto become the final option and the entire team worked together to build a whole world around that identity. It was a huge learning experience for me to see the trajectory of the idea grow from a simple sketch through multiple renditions to the final shape it took.

Other than that, I worked on developing options for other brands like MTV Social Impact Squad, WeWork Veterans in Residence. I also worked on creating illustrations and graphics for Zealous, a conference for public defenders as well as iconography for

brand languages that have already been established. Team critiques and feedbacks were so valuable and learnt so much by creating presentations to pitch ideas to the client.

It was a pleasure being part of a team that values empathy as well as hard work.