Alexandra Felsenstein is a recent college graduate and is currently working as a junior graphic designer. View Alex’s portfolio.
How did you become interested in the field of Graphic Design?
Both of my parents are Graphic Designers and growing up, I was fascinated by the projects they were working on, so I decided to follow in their footsteps.
What type of training or education best prepared you for your work as a Graphic Designer?
I had a great art program in High School and my teachers always encouraged thinking outside the box and allowed us to experiment with different forms of media. Then I went to the University of Delaware which has a fabulous Design program. I chose a University because I did not want to go to an Art School, and also wanted to take classes that had nothing to do with art. I also took a summer program at The School of Visual Arts in New York City which is such a great school.
What types of projects are you currently working on?
I work at a company that has very random clients. We work on promotional materials for up and coming music talents, which means working on their websites and photo shoots, etc. We just launched a make-up line in the UK and I worked on the web design, packaging for the compacts, developing the brand identity, and advertising for the brand. We also helped launch an anti-ageing skincare line for the singer, Lulu, which involved branding a product line that is linked to a celebrity personality.
What do you like most about your job?
I really love what I do. I think that being a Creative is a job that is based on talent and opinion and observation and inspiration. It is not based on plugging numbers into a formula and out comes a solution. We have to constantly challenge ourselves and push our creative thinking beyond what everyone else expects and beyond what has already been done so that our products and clients stand out from the others.
What advice do you have for others who are interested in pursuing a career as a Graphic Designer?
Surround yourself with creative training and creative people whenever and wherever you can. Intern whenever you can, and read books about what has been done in design and articles on where the profession is heading. Also, observe anything and everything – not just design-related. Designers need to pull inspiration from the outside world in order to be able to design for the “outside-world” clients.
Learn more about Graphic Design Careers.
