"Let's you and I have lunch."
"We're trying to do things on the cheap."

"Well I know some Photoshop..."
"This could be good for your portfolio."
"Are you happy here?"


Because in their head the answers will be:
"Please, God, no."
"I figured that one out myself."

"...no you don't."
"If you don't insist on a bastardized version."
&most importantly:
"No, not really."

I've been contemplating going to grad school recently.

A few weeks ago I was talking with my friend Chris, who is looking into creating his own major as well and he wants to mix music into communications design.. um... so I told him that wouldn't work and blah blah why is he going to a school that doesn't even have music and he said "well Emerson doesn't have graphic design..."

And, now, I had this freakout around December. Yes, Emerson doesn't have graphic design. But I will never ever ever find a group of people I fit in more with. We are crazy, dramatic, culturally and politically aware, driven people. I love me some Emersonians. I thought for a split second about transferring and decided against it.

So I'm designing my own program, including proarts courses at SMFA and MassArt, and thinking about summer programs at RISD, SVA, or Pratt.

Or, maybe, grad school. If I get my BA in Communications Design, with a concentration in marketing materials and magazine production -- and then a MA or MFA in Communications Design/Graphic Design/Packaging Design (at RISD), Graphic Design (SVA), or Advertising Design (Pratt) -- that'd be a pretty impressive resume, I think.

And I can go into grad school a year early!

What Every Good Marketer Knows: by Seth Godin, yoinked from here, via swissmiss.

* Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.
* Making promises and keeping them is a great way to build a brand.
* Your best customers are worth far more than your average customers.
* Share of wallet is easier, more profitable and ultimately more effective a measure than share of market.
* Marketing begins before the product is created.
* Advertising is just a symptom, a tactic. Marketing is about far more than that.
( * Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That’s not marketing, though, that’s efficiency. )

From time to time, I find this just about the most inspirational thing. Not only is it the city I love so dear, but beautiful video animation integration. Done by the talented folks at Motion Theory.

Isn't this vaguely reminiscent of Ocean's ElevenTwelveThirteen? I think so. That music? So David Holmes. Good call, Jobs.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm expecting too much professionalism out of these companies. When my sister was interning, she was working for record labels in New York. The big ones. She herself interned for RCA and I couldn't wait for when I could work for a name.

Well. It's not like I'm going to find a name on Craig's List, which is one of the main sources I've been looking at, but I would expect some kind of professionalism.

Like a functioning website.

Or someone who was actually looking to hire.

Respect that even though I'm 18, working for free means you have to be at least a little flexible. Especially, if you aren't a name. I'm being professional, I expect you to return the favor.


That being said, after 2 phone interviews, one in person interview, and a planned second in-person interview... I'm feeling more optimistic about the whole internship thing. The first phone interview was a disaster. The man on the other end ranted at me for 5 minutes, alluded to me being spoiled because I'm from Long Island. Second phone interview? Better, but the internship wasn't what I wanted. First in-person? Knocked it out of the ballpark today. I was offered a position at Resource Magazine but it's 2 hours to get there. Both ways. Unpaid.

Ehhhh.

We'll see what's next - a book cover internship :)

20x200: It's art for everyone. New original editions weekly at ridiculously affordable prices.

Pantone's color of the year for 2008 is similar to Emerson purple!

Getting hired as a graphic designer for Emerson College was pretty much the best thing that could happen as a first semester freshman. This is my first job, my first venture into the world of getting paid for something more than a few nights' babysitting.

So, through a connection at an Emerson event, I got hired. I've been working in this office for about 5 months now and I thoroughly enjoy it. I get handed print stuff, web stuff, I'm building up a massive portfolio that I'm really proud of -- and I'm getting paid.

But I suppose I'm learning alot about dealing with a client. I never particularly wanted to do in-house graphic design or marketing, I really feel like when you're young is the time to be in an agency, before you grow attached to a brand... not that I could join an agency as young as I am, but I feel like working for the college is in-house. And. Well.

I'm not going to say I work with incompetent people. I'd just call them, design ignorant. Student ignorant. Ignorant.

I was sitting at work last week when I got a tap on my shoulder from one of my bosses, asking for design advice. I was lead to another department in the college, to a woman I've never met before who went ranting about how she had an event in L.A., needed an invite, and the students who were supposed to design the invite for her had given her a piece of shit (my words, not hers). It was implied throughout the whole conversation that I would be the one to help her. I don't really mind that, since it's a prestigious event, and I was working on a flash animation that was driving me crazy.

Except I had a 7 page paper due in two days.
That I hadn't even started.
And she needed it right away.

So I chose career over academics for a night, worked hard to get out a design, emailed her with it, and got my paper done on time. I'm not saying the designs were amazing, but they were better than she'd been given, and I gave her 9 mock-ups. Nine. In less than 12 hours.

Yeah, try getting that turn around in anyone other than an over-eager design student.

And today, 3 days later, I run into her in the office and we go to sit down and 'discuss' and she goes with another design.

I suppose this is a bit of a personal rant, that my design wasn't chosen, but part of me isn't upset at all. It's a taste issue. The design she chose looks more like a still from an ipod commercial, which is cheesy and has been done a million times - saturated background, silhouetted figures. My designs were a little bit more geometric and dynamic.

The typeface on hers? A curved sans. For a film festival. Um... yeah. Yeah. It's so boring I could die. And then she told me she wanted to use an element of my design in something else. Well, good luck trying to wrangle me for that one. I really made myself available for this opportunity and it's all gone to waste.

Like Gauge Mag. I have no idea where that thing is. It was supposed to have gone to print- I haven't seen a mock up, haven't touched an interior layout. I don't even know if I got the cover. I haven't heard from the CD in weeks.

I'm sick of putting my heart and soul in design and not getting feedback. I'm just feeling very disheartened lately with design on a whole. It's a tough industry, it ain't just CMYK and champagne.

On a brighter note, I have my spring break in about... mmmmm... 8 hours? Not soon enough.

I haven't written here in awhile, mostly because I've been really busy. Second semester started not too long ago, and after my first tests and papers were due, I've only just got some down time. And what am I doing with it? Looking for internships.

Come May, I'll be officially a junior here at Emerson College, which makes me eligible for credit for my internships. My goal between now and March 14th is to procure at least an interview with a company. In this matter, Craig's List has been my savior. This week I'll apply to at least 2 internships and try to set up interviews during my spring break. I'm genuinely excited to start these internships and work at these companies. The only thing I'm not pumped about is working in New York City in the summer, where scorching days can graze 100 degrees, and I'll be obligated to commute. Still, the opportunity is amazing.

I've gotten to thinking about proper work attire as well. At my job, thankfully, I can show up in sweatpants and as long as I'm laptop-in-hand, my boss(es) don't mind. I dress nicely when I can, of course, my school is very self-image-aware but on days where PMS is getting the better of me, I know my job is 'come-as-you-are'. Unfortunately, It's dress to impress with internships... and all my classic day dresses are mostly dark in color.

This won't really be a problem, I suppose, the only time I'll really be sweating the heat would be on the subway system, and there it won't matter what color I'm wearing, but I think some lighter dresses might be appropriate as well, so I've been looking at breaking my black-only professional wardrobe and expanding it. As any college student knows, Gap and H&M are great go-tos for simple and cheap(ish) basics - but if I could have the dream dress-to-impress wardrobe, it would branch into suit pants from Victoria's Secret (If they could make my butt look even remotely like Gisele's, I'd build a statue in that company's honor), and accessories from some of my favorite design houses (Kate Spade, Burberry, and Marc Jacobs).


So while these Gap pants are attainable, what's under the cut are my dream items! (I'm really feeling cream/kelly green and mustard/strawberry lately... but the periwinkle pants were just too cute).

( wishlist goodies under here )
As you can see, I've been thinking alot about the perfect handbag. I was originally saving up for a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag -- but to be honest, I already have enough Marc by Marc Jacobs things. Trust me. 2 wallets, a purse, a coin purse, keychain, weekender -- it's cute, and relatively cheap. That makes me a happy girl. But I want a savable item -- so I was aiming for Burberry, Mulberry, Aquascutum, Chloe, one of the old couturiers, but it doesn't seem like I'll have $1,000+ to spare anytime soon. Kate Spade is cute, and relatively affordable. They're savable pieces, plus I love the company's new brand identity (that and Coach).

And yet... fuck the names. Because this is a thing of beauty:


It's an Unfold by Working Class Heroes, and it's GORGEOUS. A laptop bag, leather, felt, wear it a million ways. We'll see what I decide to buy in the end, I just feel like with that I wouldn't have to carry an extra bag for my laptop -- the 15" monster that doesn't fit in a normal handbag.

//end fashion rant.

The next time I write, I promise it will be design related, I've got some projects to share.

After months of painstaking thought and review, I finally have a functioning online portfolio. I'm currently reading two books on the business side of creative freelance and I'll be ordering business cards in about a week. I've been dreaming about katedigilio.com for years -- wahoo, it's a reality!

As a transported New Yorker, I find myself absolutely in love with anything NY. I was born and raised here, and yes, I say "cawffee". These fabulous "Brooklynese" dishes from the quirky and wonderful Fishs Eddy will be finding their way into my dorm room soon, don't you doubt it.

So I survived my first semester as a college student (woohoo!) and the next battle, I suppose, is creating my own major. Emerson is really great about making the process seem painless, but I guarantee it's a bitch. Regardless, I think it will be better for me to be a Communications Design major rather than be declared as an Advertising major with a minor in Publishing. We'll see how it works out.

I feel as though my job on campus as a graphic designer, and the work I do for extracurriculars is really helpful to my experience. My job teaches me about client-relations (like how I had to spend 3 hours of my vacation time tweaking edits on a flash animation that should have been given to me before I boarded a bus and came home). My extracurriculars teach me about... well...

Gauge magazine is something I'm really excited and passionate about. I feel as though I can really gain alot of knowledge out of this club and the creation of the magazine, but the CD, I swear, just doesn't want the magazine to exist. I send him emails, ask for things to do, and get little or no response. And if I do get a response and I disagree is it my place to bring up to the CD that a lowly design team freshman like myself finds issue with this evolution:

into

Admittedly, the design is to be a spotgloss on that skin tone - so I understand the loss of graphic quality, but the typeface is SHIT and there should NOT be coverlines on a spotglossed bare cover. (FYI: "Bare" is the theme of the magazine). It just frustrates me, but then again getting chosen (as I may well have been, but won't find out for weeks) would be exciting.

Have we done work inside of the magazine? Of course not.

Right now, I'm busying myself with making some form of a website. When that's done, I can relax a little and get the one job this vacation I have lined up done with - a website for a nutritionist.

Is it Christmas yet?

Etsy.com always provides me with something to do when class is painfully slow, or a paper refuses to be written (it's often, too often, I swear). A search for 'Alice in Wonderland' lead to fabulous invitations for my 18th birthday party; handmade one-of-a-kind jewelry at decent prices; browsing that stimulates the perfect Christmas gift.

These cards, alas, are not the perfect Christmas gift (except for maybe a recent ex) but the simple typography, stark illustration and wit are irresistible.

What I love about design as a field is the feeling that anyone can make it if they have the talent. I'm just a freshman in college, but I feel as if I'm making strides in the design field, and I plan to take some leaps and bounds into the future.

I'm attending Emerson College for Marketing Communications at the moment, but I plan on an ultimate emphasis on graphic design. At the moment I'm working for the college's department of Institutional Advancement as a graphic designer, as well as for the design team of Gauge magazine on campus, and the Dirty Dishes account of EmCom (the school's advertising agency).

What I don't love about design as a field, is the feeling that I'm not doing enough. You can be born with talent, but every artist needs lessons and practice to hone in on their skills. When design conferences are blogged about or broadcast, such as the HOW design conference, or AIGA's annual conference, or even the Ad Club of Massachusettes' lecture series -- I feel this compelling need to be there.

Sure, I'm only 18. I don't have an extra $3,000 laying around to do with as I wish. Not to mention, I forewent art institutions like Pratt to feel more intellectually stimulated and well-rounded here at Emerson... but I want to go.

How much can I realistically hope to take on and accomplish with the background I'm attaining at the moment? I'm really not sure. Can I expect to be taken seriously as a creative force after attaining a somewhat business career? Can unschooled talent be the equal of schooled? Can an unexposed designer accomplish what one who tours, interacts, connects, and networks at these conferences can?

What opportunities am I missing out on by not graduating with a graphic design degree? What opportunities am I missing out by not breaking my back, and bank account, to go to and immerse myself in these industry orgies? I guess I'll find out the hard way.


To add insult to injury, the HOW design conference of 2008 is in Boston, where Emerson College is located, at a time I most likely could attend it -- and the 2008 AIGA conference is in New York City, 25 miles from my hometown, at a time I could most likely attend it if I were not traveling abroad next fall. Woe is me.

It's only fitting that I start this blog of inspiration and design with a first post dedicated to the wise, wonderful, and inspirational SwissMiss. As a blogger, career woman, and mother, Ms. Roth juggles it all with poise and wit. Daily posts of clever, simple designs are what I've come to expect from this page. Miss Swiss Miss is at the moment, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, my Firefox homepage. I suggest that everyone puts a little joy in their life with this slice of web heaven.