This summer, insight180 had the pleasure of working with graphic design intern Sara Nowasky over the summer. As Sara prepares to head back to school, we decided to do a quick Q&A to hear about what she learned and her favorite parts about working at insight180.
What was the most interesting/informative/favorite thing you learned at insight180?
I really liked working with Bethany, the art director at insight180. She was always happy to give me constructive criticism with my work. I liked watching her work on her projects to see her thought process when making logos or branding material. I also liked the errands I would have to make. I would go to a print shop to pick up large banners, business cards and tickets. I enjoyed seeing when a project was created in InDesign or Illustrator then printed large or small scale. I would also pick up information from clients.[/vc_column_text]
What was most surprising?
It was surprising starting my internship directly after a flood that had made insight180’s office space in Old Ellicott City unusable. The first couple of weeks the team worked out of the home of president Wendy Baird’s until we moved into a temporary workspace and the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship. The beginning of my internship involved peeling individual papers apart from binders that had been soaked during the flood. But then I was given projects such as image cutouts and photo editing. I was happy to help and be of service in any way I could.
What do you like to do in your spare time/for fun?
I really like running inside and outside. It’s the only form of exercise I do so I try to do it every day. I also play with my two dogs and spend a lot of time with my family, along with reading and watching Netflix. I like to try and draw in my bullet journal once a week, like monthly spreads or to practice my calligraphy and script fonts.
What was your favorite part about working at insight180 for your internship?
My favorite part about working at insight180 for my internship was learning how to work in an actual business setting. Before my internship, I had only known graphic design through a classroom. I got to understand how to professionally communicate with clients and my coworkers to complete a project. There would be days of constant emails back and forth making little changes to blog headers or business cards until they were perfect. I also liked that the work I was doing actually might be used for clients and seen by people other than me. I got to understand and learn about the applications insight180 uses for its clients, such as WordPress and Mailchimp, to create websites and send emails. It was an amazing experience that I’ll bring with me after I graduate college.
You mostly had snacks for lunch at insight180 – what’s your favorite snack?
Lol. I like to munch on little things throughout the day. My favorite snack for work was definitely the StarKist tuna creations pouch in Sweet & Spicy! It was good to eat on its own but also in a salad which is basically what I had every day. But sweets wise I would never be able to turn down a Kit-Kat or a chocolate donut.
What are some of your favorite logos/websites from a design standpoint?
I’m not sure if I have a favorite logo but I am always really intrigued to see logos evolve over the years. I like watching how companies and logos modernize to keep up with the times, such as CBS, IBM and Shell. I am always looking at logos and fonts everywhere I go, I love seeing companies that have strong logos and branding and am able to appreciate the time and effort the designer put in to create it. I also follow tons of designers and design companies on social media, like Instagram, so that I am constantly seeing how other designers create their logos and branding material. I like to continuously be learning from other designers to improve my own work and generate ideas.
Where do you go to school? Why do you love it there?
I go to Salisbury University on the eastern shore of Maryland. I had gravitated to Salisbury because of its small size. The bigger schools in Maryland like UMD and Towson overwhelmed me. I wanted a school where professors knew my name and where I might be in a class of 20 to 30 students. Salisbury was the perfect distance from home for me, only two hours, which was far enough away that my parents couldn’t drop by unannounced, but close enough that I could easily come home if I was feeling homesick. Salisbury was also a half hour from Ocean City which was great when I wanted to relax at the beach after classes or on the weekends.
What is your dream career goal?
I would love to work at a small advertising or branding company. From working at insight180 I was able to understand how a boutique agency operates. I really liked how there were so many creative projects like logos, business cards and newsletters going on at the same time as large branding projects. Each client had completely different themes and needs for their brand so no two projects ever looked the same. I also want to get some experience working for a large-scale printing company to understand how different printers and paper choices affect how a design looks.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Like many kids, I loved animals and thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. But it wasn’t until I graduated high school that I realized I wanted to study graphic design. I had always been artistic and creative growing up and was able to understand computers well by learning new programs. To me, the combination of creativity and computers was graphic design!
If you were to vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
I would vacation in Italy because there is so much history and culture there. It is also absolutely beautiful. I have family there that I had visited when I finished high school with twenty-three of my family members. So I would really like to be able to see my Italian family again.
Thanks for all that you have done with us this summer, Sara. Good luck (and have fun) back at school!
