Liz McBride
Year- Junior
Major/Minor- Graphic Design, minor in Illustration
What is your favorite part of graphic design?
I think my favorite part about design is how expressive it can be. You can pretty much do whatever you want. It can be freeing.
What do you want to do with your GD degree?
I would love to get into some type of post-production/video work. That’s kind of vague, but I get a lot of inspiration from Blue Design (www.bluedesign.tv). I eventually want to work for some type of gaming studio, like Bioware or Valve.
Have you done any internships? If you haven’t had an internship, where do you want to go?
I haven’t done any internships yet, though I wish I had. There are quite a few places I’ve been thinking about applying to though. Main studio is Blue Design, a post-production studio in Philadelphia. My plan is to do two internships over this summer, and the second internship will be one of many places I’ve been considering. My top two are Marvel and Bon Appetit Magazine, both in New York.
If you weren’t a graphic designer what would you be?
That’s a very good question. I really don’t know. I’ve known for a while that I wanted to go into some sort of art field. I think that if I had made different decisions about my paths in high school I would still be dancing. (No, not that kind of dancing. haha). I always loved ballet/hip hop and sometimes I think about going back to it, but in the end I’m happy with the paths I’ve taken.
What does it mean to be a department rep and have you enjoyed so far? What is the best part of being a rep?
Essentially a department representative is a liaison between the students of the department, and the teachers/faculty/staff of the depart- ment and school. The best part so far would have to be watching the girls in our department connect. Most of the time we just all get caught up in our own work, that we forget there are over 50 girls outside of our class that are working towards the same degree. Col- laboration is really important in our field, as well as any art field, and connecting with people that have similar interests can be amazing.
Have you had any problems come up?
No major problems so far. Though we are having a few issues with the tech in the department, so I’ve been trying to handle that. The tough part is most of what we need as a department costs money, which then takes longer to solve because of researching the budget and such. Though lucky for us Marah Carpenter is our “leader” and is very resourceful and full of knowledge.
Tell us a little about some of the interesting projects you have going on. (Your worm farm ect ect)
For Graphic Design I’m working on a project called “Compost Revolution.” It’s a campaign to reduce food waste by composting. The whole premise of the project is to make people aware that composting isn’t just for
people who have farms in the country, but even those who live in tiny, city apartments can compost. I also tend to get really involved with my projects, so this became a real thing. I created a blog on Tumblr. It hasn’t been updated much yet, but I’m hoping after finals I can actually make this project come to life. (compostrevolution.tumblr.com if you want to check it out)
In addition to the blog, I started my own compost system at home using worms, aka vermicomposting. It’s been pretty amazing thus far, and it’s interesting to see how little trash I end up putting out for pick up since I recycle and now I’m recycling my food scraps as well. I’ve also become very close with my worms, haha. I check in on them from time to time, and wonder if they’re happy in their home. Some people may think that’s odd, but it’s like I have 200 little pets in my basement, and I’m feeding them off my table. I don’t even feed my cat table food anymore.
How are you handling balancing being a rep with all of your school work?
They mesh pretty well for me, actually. I’ve always found myself very driven when it came to trying to make a change. When a group of us is in the studio and we’re just chatting about things and something comes up that we could actually change, I want to do it. Because why not? We have voices, why not try and do something? Which is why when I was offered the position as department rep I accepted without hesitation. Coming back to the question though, I don’t find that it’s really effecting my work load in anyway. It may not seem like it, but the only additional work I do is answer a few extra emails and plan a few extra events.
What advice would you give to students that want to get involved in this in the future?
Know what your limits are. It has taken me quite a bit of trial and error to know how far I can be stretched. It’s different for everyone. Right now I’m dealing with school, dep reps, peer tutoring and work study- but I know myself enough that I can handle that, though if Iadd any more I won’t be able to. A very smart lady once told me to not be afraid to say “no,” and that’s one of the most important things you have to remember when you start taking on larger responsibilities.
What are your plans for the future?
I am the kind of crazy, nerdy person who makes “plans.” And by plans I mean that I have a 5-year plan. After graduation I’m hoping I can get a video production job, or if not at least a “bread and butter” job as my mom likes to call it. I also want to take some business courses as well as culinary courses. Ideally, I would like to work full time at a design studio and work part time at a bakery, learning all about what it takes to run a bakery so that, in 5 years, I’d like to open one of my own. I have most of the details worked out, but that’s a whole different story. Longer term, I’d like to have that bakery, and then do freelance design on the side.
Any advice for the students finding it hard to keep going?
The things that help me vary. It really depends on the situation. If you’re feeling lost and unorganized-write lists, make a (realistic) schedule, and stick to it. Even if you just put down one thing for that day, it’s something. Then, when you finish that task, you can move on to the next, even though it’s on the next day. I’ve done that before and it feels like I’m getting ahead, so it motivates me to do even more. If you’re feeling stressed/depressed/upset- talk to someone or if you don’t feel comfortable doing that then just write. And if that doesn’t work for you, then do something you like. For me, it’s gaming and baking- and tumblr, actually. Sometimes just venting in a space that I know my friends are listening but I don’t have to sit down and have an awkward chat with them is nice.