Interned at an Advertising Agency

TINY DROP IN A BIG BUCKET

While finishing up USC courses, I found an ad on campus. It spurred me to call, apply, prepare my art portfolio, reach out for references and connect at the interview. I felt like I won the lottery getting a chance to intern through the MAT program (Minorities in Advertising Training). Although not in the art department that I wanted to be in, I learned about the world of media walking in the shoes of a traffic intern.

At Dailey & Associates, an advertising firm in Los Angeles, I physically walked ad designs in production between the art, copy, and production departments. I was the human Dropbox of the ’90s. I called and faxed newspapers and magazines to confirm ad placements while performing office tasks. I got a chance to see how Celestial Seasoning’s copywriter and art director collaborated to create the tea brand, saw how Honda Motorcycles’ art director corrected proofs with comments and suggestions and got a sense that I wanted to contribute to the visual aspect of design.

Ran the Production Backroom of a Photography Agency

BECAUSE SPORTS PHOTOS GOT TO BE IN TV, NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES STAT

Fresh from graduating college, I led the production backroom of Allsport Photography, a sports photography agency bustling in Pacific Palisades. I managed and processed the film slides’ labeling, sleeving, packaging, and shipping while maintaining the equipment. We imprinted thousands of duplicate film slides daily that went out to over a couple of dozen media subscribers, like the Associated Press, Reuters, and Sports Illustrated. I got to see photos from the Olympics and other major sports events before the media did. That was pretty cool.

I honed a detailed-oriented eye, shared good camaraderie with fellow coworkers, and valued a sense of needed humor. Worked real hard. The agency’s vibe clicked as quickly as their photographers’ fastest shutter speed. I kept up. I saw what manifested passion looked like from the photographers and editors. The exposure there sheds light on what it takes to focus, be organized, and be timely. It illuminated my love for visual impact.

Immersed into Learning the Trade

TAKING STEPS TO PREPARE FOR A WORLD OF GRAPHIC DESIGN

The Experience at Allsport impelled me to go back to school, make steps towards my own passion. I wanted to be a graphic designer, learn how to apply beautiful photos and illustrations, arrange them with words, and move people. I wanted to have confidence through preparation and build a skill base. So, I found Platt College in Cerritos, close to my hometown, a technical school where I learned about the trade hands-on from experienced industry practitioners.

There, I built on the theories that I learned from my USC art and design classes. I got to sketch concepts, draw products with markers, mask layouts with Amberlith, cut out elements with Exacto knives to bring a composition together for print production, the old school way. Then, I loved learning the vital design programs, the quoting exercises, and the concept presentations that would be part of my professional toolkit moving forward into the digital era.

Working in Graphic Design

Print, Web, and Digital

MEANS STAYING ADAPTABLE, CREATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND OPEN TO GROW

The Story of drawing from creativity and growth, and applying them to projects, continue.

The first two decades of 2000 filled Professional Me with web, digital, and print work. I got a chance to work with mom & pop shops, a few fortune 500 companies, and everything in between.

My experiences include work with clients like LG Phone, Qualcomm, Jack in the Box at Apollo Interactive; Verizon SuperPages, a top online resource for local businesses retailers; AECOM, a multinational engineering firm; and MCM Group International, an architecture and planning firm.

I look forward to creating work where I can better understand different people, their unique wants and habits, and develop thoughtful visual and experiential solutions to connect them with helpful products, services, and ideas.