I am currently in my junior year spring semester at Towson University. I have been interning at Mjach Designs for about a month and a half, and I’m enjoying my time here. Although art majors at Towson do not receive credit for internships, this has been a great opportunity to improve my skills and gain overall knowledge/experience. I highly recommend getting involved in an internship, regardless of pay or class credit.

On my first day at Mjach, I was asked to replicate a company logo in Adobe Illustrator. I have had previous experience using this program, but not in a professional setting. The typefaces used in the logo were unidentified, so I used Suitcase (a font distinguishing program) to find the fonts that I needed. This task alone caused me to pay close attention to the details of each letter in the logo. I was then able to identify the fonts. I was also very precise when replicating the graphic aspect of the logo, so it would look the same as the original.

Throughout my time at Mjach Designs, I have worked on/helped with various types of projects. More specifically, I designed an advertisement layout for the Lyric Opera House, updated a Cystic Fibrosis event invitation, developed professional dental portfolios to show to clients, put together comps of business cards for clients, and created a ‘business service’ booklet for Fed Hill Smiles employees. Although I am familiar with many of the Mac programs, I still have plenty to learn. Here at Mjach, I’ve been shown different shortcuts and techniques that I have not yet learned in the classroom.

I recently had the chance to go to Baltimore Color Plate, a nearby printing company. I got to see how advertisements, books, and other literary materials are printed in large quantities. Our sales representative at Baltimore Color Plate, Signe, was kind enough to give us a tour of the company’s machines. She explained that different presses are designated to different jobs, based on the number of colors used. She also explained the importance of communication amongst the Printers and Graphic Designers. The Graphic Designers should get a preview of what is printed, to make sure colors and layouts are correct. They should also inform the Printers of anything that isn’t correctly colored/formatted. By communicating expectations, both Graphic Designers and clients will be fully satisfied with the final product.

With my hands-on experience at Mjach Designs, I am getting a feel for the profession of Graphic Design. I’m fortunate to have such a laid-back, friendly atmosphere to work in. My boss, Melissa, and co-workers, Jennifer and Stacy have taught me a lot. When I go out to get my own job, I will value all that I have learned in my internship. I will also have a few more pieces to use in my own professional portfolio. Through the relationships I’ve made at Mjach Designs, I will get the opportunity to meet others in the field, and learn the various aspects of the Graphic Design career.