DESIGN DOC

Internships used to mean that a student would work alongside a seasoned senior design professional or an art director in a design studio or advertising agency for a proscribed period of time. The intern would learn the ropes from someone who understood the demands of the real world. This was (and still is) an extremely valuable experience for both the intern as well as for the Art Director. In the good old days, this used to be called an “apprenticeship.” What better way is there to learn that which can’t be taught in a school environment. It’s also a great way to see if someone is a good fit for an organization. In some cases, I consider internships to be the equivalent of another year of school. Three months at MTV can go a long way! More >

There is no question that clients can be quite a challenge and managing them is as much a part of being a designer as coming up with a great concept. If there is a client that wants something “yesterday” a big red flag should go off in your head. My advice is to smile and say, “I’d love to work with you, but before I do anything, we need to have a strategy meeting. After the strategy meeting, I’ll work up a quote for you and we can talk about your concerns.”

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