Over the past year+, we’ve been fortunate enough to have a really great group of interns working with us. Before they all head off to various post-graduation lives, we wanted to take a moment to thank them and hear about their experiences at Drexler.
Aaron Cary
Where are you from and what do you study?
I am a Baltimorean born and bred. I just graduated from Johns Hopkins with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Marketing Management.
What brought you to Drexler?
I had heard about Drexler through a friend and quickly fell in love with the work and style. To me, there wasn’t anything else of the same caliber in Baltimore. I applied for a short summer internship last May, but didn’t hear anything back for a few weeks. It wasn’t until a friend offered a much less attractive internship opportunity in New York that I ran home, printed copies of my resume, rented a Zipcar, and sped to Harford Road. I wasn’t able to join immediately, but by October I had tacked on enough HTML and CSS knowledge to be able to help with our email projects. From there, I was able to carve out a role in strategy and production.
What are the top three things you learned from your time at Drexler?
- Let your personality shine. Maybe a month into my internship I realized that the stuffy workplace persona that I had dreamt up wouldn’t score any points at Drexler. It was much easier to be my natural self and focus on generating great ideas and getting work done.
- Focus on the now. Design is iterative and necessarily undergoes changes. Designs get recycled, tossed out, and flipped on their heads all the time. Not every design needs to be timeless; using current aesthetics can be equally rewarding.
- Perfect your process. Working on strategy there’s a lot that gets taken care of before a designer even gets started. Each project starts the same, but by dedicating time to doing the proper research and getting a deep understanding of the client, they’ll end up with a unique end product.
What are your next steps?
I am moving up to New York for an internship at BBDO. I expect it to be completely unlike my time here. The feeling of being able to improve so many different businesses and organizations was uniquely satisfying, but I’m excited by the prospect of working with large clients at a global scale. Living in Brooklyn should also be cool.
BONUS: What’s your favorite memory of Bones?
We split a bag of sweet potato chips!
Joar Heiberg
Where are you from and what do you study?
I was born and raised in Norway (that nordic country on the other side of the Atlantic), but have lived in Baltimore for the past three years. On May 15th, I graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from MICA, which is what brought me to Baltimore.
What brought you to Drexler?
I had completed one previous internship in Baltimore and had my eyes set on Washington, D.C. for the summer. Through a long and elaborate process of Skype interviews and waiting, my plans did not work out due to scheduling conflicts with a summer class I had to take. Brockett, the chair of graphic design at MICA, asked if I had considered Drexler. After perusing the website, I sent an email with my portfolio. The rest is history and I am coming up on my one-year anniversary at Drexler in a few days. Based on what I was hoping to get out of an internship for my own personal growth, I believe Drexler turned out to be the best option.
What are the top three things you learned from your time at Drexler?
- Don’t be afraid to take risks or design outside of your comfort zone.
- I am a more independent designer now than when I first came to Drexler.
- I have gained a greater understanding of type on screen.
What are your next steps?
My wife has commuted to Prince George’s County for work while we have lived in Baltimore. We are looking to relocate closer to her work while I am applying for jobs in the Washington, D.C. area.
BONUS: What’s your favorite memory of Bones?
Just one? Bones is very photogenic and there are a number of photos in my camera roll.
Kelly Webber
Where are you from and what do you study?
I am from the suburbs of Philadelphia (Fort Washington) but I have lived in Baltimore for the past four years while attending college. I just graduated from MICA with my BFA in Graphic Design on May 15th.
What brought you to Drexler?
Last summer, during my internship search I was applying to a wide range of internships and I was about to accept an internship with the National Park Service in D.C. when a professor of mine introduced me to Mike and Chris at Drexler. After having an interview at Drexler I was eager to be able to accept a position here instead. Drexler interested me more because of their quality of work, impact within a local setting, and variety of aesthetics. Added bonus: fifteen minute commute! I’m so happy that I have been able to continue on at Drexler part-time after my initial summer internship was over!
What are the top three things you learned from your time at Drexler?
- How to generate multiple design directions and ideas for a project without having my heart set on one.
- How to present designs that do not follow exactly what was recommended, believing that I could be generating a valuable new idea.
- How to design in multiple styles. Even though uncomfortable at times, I was pushed to broaden my personal design vocabulary.
- I have a fourth one: How to make a gif in Photoshop… All those gifs in email designs forced me to finally learn this!
What are your next steps?
After my wedding and a cross-country roadtrip, we’ll be moving to Maine where I’ll be starting a new gig as a designer for L.L. Bean.
BONUS: What’s your favorite memory of Bones?
When bones can sit still long enough to sit in my lap during Monday morning meetings.