Pre-Trip Answers

My expectations for the trip and the design appointments are that I will get a real sense of the various types of graphic design and creative jobs in New York and what I want to do in the future. I expect to get a sense of the pace and work environments at the various firms we visit and see what goes on behind the scenes in the creative departments of the house hold name companies we visit. I expect that the professionals that we meet on the trip will be friendly and open to sharing their experiences in the field. I expect to get a better sense of the type of firm that I would be best suited for.

I am really excited about all the appointments! If I had to pick one, I might say Nickolodeon Creative Services. Growing up I loved Nickolodeon. Canada didn’t have Nickelodeon when I was younger, but I used to be glued to it when I went to Florida for March Break. I loved all their shows and also remember buying their magazines and products.

I think Nickelodeon has such a distinct identity and such a positive long lasting image. When I told a classmate I was visiting Nickelodeon’s offices, they told me to read this book by Sarah Banet-Weiser, a Professor in the Annenberg School at USC called “Kids Rule-Nickelodeon and Consumer Citizenship”, about Nickelodeon’s success story and why it has resonated so much with kids. So I bought – I can’t resist buying books when SC faculty writes them.

I have been reading it and have been learning a lot about how the first fully kids centered network marketed itself. It was interesting to read about their children’s manifesto and the company’s philosophy and history. I am really interested to find out what its really like behind that friendly orange blob logo when we visit their office.

All of the firms overlap with my interests because they all protein to design, entertainment or some form of aesthetics. I am interested in the networks such as CBS and Nickelodeon because I have always been drawn to telling stories and have studied film and theatre in the past. Although I can say that I am excited to visit all of the firms on our schedule.

I would define “West Coast Design” as more outgoing and less rigid compared to “East Coast Design.” The West Coast is always know to be more easy going and therefore sometimes more out-there in terms of style. Although the West Coast does look to the New York as its been seen traditionally as the center of design, the East Coast now does look to the West Coast for fashion, entertainment and design a great deal. Although I have had the chance to see the difference between “West Coast” and “East Coast” fashion design and I will definitely learn more about the difference between the each coast’s graphic design in less than two weeks! I can’t wait!