BG University: What I've Debunked Since Graduation

Hey everyone, this is my first blog post as the Graphics Intern here at Bailey Gardiner! I knew that working would be different than my four years as a Graphic Design major at SDSU, but I wasn’t positive about how it would actually differ. I’d like to share some of my previous misconceptions and what I’ve learned so far from my time here.

College is the peak of learning

Sure I learned the elements of design and useful skills in school, but I’ve learned so much in just six months at Bailey Gardiner. In college I would sometimes work in Photoshop or Illustrator in roundabout ways, but since I’ve been here, I’ve learned to create much more efficiently. From “aha!” moments using the pen tool, to the diligent management of layers, the learning never ceases. This is one of my favorite aspects of working here, that I’m constantly forced to learn how to do things that I’ve never encountered before. Whether I’m learning it from Google, asking a coworker, or just poking around in a file someone in the creative team has worked on, I’m always eager to gain knowledge of new methods.

Clients are just like teachers.
Nope, they’re not. They’re similar in that we are attempting to please them with the work we present, but they are vastly different in other respects. We were essentially paying teachers to help us become better designers and get a degree, but clients are paying to help their business. It doesn’t matter if I really like the color blue: if I can’t defend how it’s going to benefit the client, I’m going to use the color they want.

You do the work, send it to the client, and it’s done.
The process of creating here is much more involved than I anticipated. Work passes by numerous pairs of eyes, internally in our office and externally with the client. It’d be a disaster if the Traffic Manager and Coordinators didn’t keep us organized. Job bags with CSRs and print outs circulate through the office, where coworkers initial and mark changes, then it’s sent back to the Creative Team to make the revisions. This process is repeated before it’s ever sent or presented to the client, who then has more adjustments. This series of steps is repeated a few times before the final piece is approved and can move to production. This differs greatly from school, where we completed all revisions as students, and teachers made comments which were much more vague and discretionary. When we turned in work to be graded, we never really knew what grade we’d receive. Conversely, when you finish work with a client, you know they are pleased with it or they wouldn’t have signed off on its production. Sometimes getting to this point is a challenge, but it’s always rewarding to see something you’ve worked on come to fruition.

People at work will be boring compared to people at school.
The office, at least here at BG, is actually more laid back than most of my classes were. I feel lucky to be here, which is home to a ping-pong table, a hula-hoop and an office full of awesome people. My coworkers find a way to balance being productive with actually enjoying their time spent here. We spend more time at work than anywhere else, spend more time with our coworkers than anyone else: it’d be miserable if nobody talked or laughed or played music for the office to enjoy. I’ve met some of the coolest, funniest people here. Although two of the greatest ones recently left (miss you, Ashley and Michael!), there is rarely a shortage of camaraderie here at BG.