Mackenzie Kern Learns Valuable Design Skills as Intern for City Church

from FSU Art BA ’20 Mackenzie Kern:

My job as a graphic design intern for City Church includes meeting with department heads, working on design projects from the initial idea to the final production, collaborating with the head designer, communicating and ordering with print shops, among other things. I have created social media graphics, brochures, handouts, logos, t-shirt designs, and posters both individually and with a partner. My main goal in a design project is getting across the message that the client needs as both efficiently and creatively as possible. I have learned the importance of communication in this in order to make sure I have a true understanding of what it is that the client needs. I have learned to be able to ask leading questions to point the client in the right direction and to get them to think creatively about their needs along with me. Before having this internship, I had no experience doing this in a professional setting but I learned the in’s and out’s of communication very quickly (though I still probably have much more to learn). I have also learned the importance of thinking off of the computer screen. When designing objects for print, the weight, size, color, texture, etc. of the paper needs just as much consideration as everything else. I have developed a process of starting with paper, cutting different sizes, and then drawing out designs and getting creative with that before I move to the computer screen. This has also forced me to learn more about the functionalities of the design programs because coming up with ideas off the screen first does not limit me then to my knowledge of the programs – I have an idea first and I figure out how to execute it later. The most enjoyable part of my experience as an intern here has been meeting with the head graphic designer every week, Rebecca Strickland and getting to pick her brain, work side by side, and critique each other’s work. I also really enjoy meeting and talking with department heads that have design requests – being able to talk through and encourage creativity while thinking as a designer with clients is a largely rewarding process, and I have made some friends along the way. My portfolio of work here can be found here.