submitted by adamworx

Time Flies When You’re At Worx

Four months ago, I entered the orange walls of Worx as a nervous but eager interviewee. Since then, I’ve gained the skills and confidence that have helped me grow into a well-rounded employee in a fast-paced and demanding business. My time at Worx has been a blast, and I’m proud to add my varied accomplishments here to my resume. I was thrilled to find out that I’ll be staying here for awhile longer, so I’ll get to see some of the projects that I became involved with months ago develop even further. I look forward to continuing my work with all the great people here at Worx, and I’m excited to see what kind of projects will continue come my way.

During the last few weeks I’ve been improving and refining content documents for various clients’ websites, and even starting a few new ones. I’ve always enjoyed editing, proofreading and simplifying, and working on these documents is a great way to practice those skills while benefitting our clients and their customers. As Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This applies perfectly to website content, where the goal is to provide a lot of information in as few words as possible. It’s much harder than it sounds!

In other news, the CCSU Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony is this Saturday, May 18th at the XL Center in Hartford. Fellow intern and CCSU student Leah and I are both excited to attend and receive our diplomas, signifying the end of one major chapter of life and the start of another. Be on the lookout next week for a photo of our graduation caps!

Thanks for reading, and be sure to enjoy this beautiful but brief transition into summer!


submitted by joerinaldiworx

Guide to surviving design school.

Hello all,


Its strange to think that tonight I will be having my last Final and a week from tomorrow I will be graduating from SCSU. When graduating it’s important to look ahead to your future after college, but it’s also important to look back and appreciate how you got to the point you’re at now. As I’m taking a look back at my 5 long years at Southern, I figured I could take a moment to give some advice to students entering into a graphic design program, although this could apply to most studio art programs!

1. Shed your ego.

That’s not to say don’t feel confident about your work. You should always feel confident in what you’re doing, and if you don’t feel it, try something else! Don’t forget though, that you’re entering a college program in order to achieve a higher level of learning, so learn to take positive and negative criticism. If your instructor tells you that something you’re doing isn’t working, try something else. Seek the opinions of your peers and classmates, cherish the fact that you have 20 other people in the same studio as you who are willing to tell you what they think, you’re not guaranteed to be in a setting like that after college!

2. The instructor is not the enemy.
Yes, there is the looming knowledge that this person holds your grade in their hands and could fail you for various reasons. No, this person does not make that a personal goal. Instructors are there to teach you, if you fail, they fail, so work with them, not against them. If they’re teaching at a university, this means they’ve had experience in the field. Some of them have more than others, but all of them have more than you, so trust their word on things. Know when to argue and when to listen. If they challenge something about your work, its not an attack, its to get you thinking critically about it. College isn’t just about learning Photoshop, its about problem solving and critical thinking.

3. Learn how to talk about your work.
Explain your concepts and thought processes and if someone doesn’t understand or disagrees with them, don’t argue and don’t make excuses, but defend your work. Help them to see it. Abandon easy phrases such as “because I like it.” Don’t ever be arbitrary. Even the most abstract concepts have thought and motivation behind them. My personal mantra through the years has been “design with purpose.” If you believe the reasons behind your decisions, your presentations will exude passion and confidence about your work. You won’t be able to convince everyone every time, but don’t get discouraged, you’ll be pitching ideas to people who don’t understand them all your life, so get your practice while you can! 


4. Find a focus.

I wasn’t urged to do this until very late in the game (but luckily not TOO late), Graphic Design is a very robust field. There are many different areas of design, from advertising to publishing, to web design and many others. You don’t have to decide your first semester, but try to keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to find yourself focused in one of those areas. Learn the differences between them and decide to focus on something that suits YOU. Of course you should be open to entering any of the other areas of design, learn as many skills as you can and gain a well-rounded understanding of design, you never know when you’ll be asked to use those skills and they’ll always be a plus at an interview, but don’t forget that your best work will always be something you ENJOY doing, so spend some time deciding what that is.

5. Don’t forget to have fun.
There will always be work to be done. Meet all of your deadlines and do all that’s asked of you, but if you enjoy surfing, find time to surf! Design is something that finds its way into every aspect of your life (try eating at a restaurant who’s menu is entirely laid out in centered Papyrus after you graduate) but that doesn’t mean it has to take over your life. Never forget to enjoy the little things. 


College can be an overwhelming place, but it’s there to prepare you for the rest of the world, make the most of it to ensure you get the most out of it.


submitted by duglenskil

This week, we interrupt our regularly scheduled intern blogs for an exciting announcement. The college semester is quickly coming to a close – and many are recognizing students for their outstanding achievements.

Adam Saucier, our copywriting intern, received an award Wednesday at the 2013 School of Arts and Sciences Honors Convocation for his scholastic achievement in the communication department at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Fellow Worxer Becky, director of interactive project management, also happened to be in attendance at the event because her husband Dave won the award for the computer science department. She managed to snap this video of Adam winning the award.

Leah Duglenski, our account services intern, will be awarded the School of Business Third Hall of Honor Dean’s Merit Scholarship award for the marketing department at CCSU. This award is based on scholastic achievement and leadership skills. Wish her luck - she will be attending the awards dinner tonight and has a speech to make!

Congrats to our award-winning interns!


submitted by adamworx

Moving Forward

Now that my time in Italy feels more like a half-forgotten dream than an actual memory, life is back to normal here at Worx and at college. The website that I helped fill with content, www.all-stardriver.com, has officially been launched. Its new design looks really great, and it will make the process of signing up for driving school a lot more streamlined for its users. It’s easy to see the importance of functionality over design, but the team at Worx always manages to put the best of both worlds into their websites while capturing the spirit of the client at the same time.

I’ve been doing more work with clients’ websites using the content management system concrete5. It’s incredibly easy to use, but robust enough to build a comprehensive and professional website. I’ve used a few different systems in the past, but concrete5 has quickly become my favorite.

Meanwhile at school, my graduation is only one month away. Every semester went by a little bit faster than the last during my four years at Central Connecticut State University, so it’s no surprise that this final semester flew by in an instant. I’m happy overall with the time I spent and the education I received at CCSU, and I met some great people that I hope will be part of my life long after we enter the real world.

As always, thanks for reading. Talk to you soon!


submitted by joerinaldiworx

To New Orleans and Back

Unlike the other interns, for my spring break I stayed in the States this month. I visited New Orleans for the first time, and although it’s in Louisiana, it has an entirely unique culture of its own. I stayed in the French Quarter and everything I’ve ever heard about the food, music, and of course Bourbon street, was true. I traveled there with my girlfriend to attend the wedding of one of her close college friends. There is a wedding tradition in New Orleans called the second line, in which after the ceremony, the entire wedding parades around the street lead by a brass jazz band, waving handkerchiefs and celebrating the newly-weds.  It was an amazing experience.

New Orleans definitely loves their parades; everyone is familiar with the fantastic Mardi Gras floats. I got a chance to visit the workshops where they’re created! As an artist and design student, that was probably the most fascinating part for me - here are some of my favorite floats we saw: 

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Bat-man and Cap. Morgan

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The Leviathan

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Jedi Master Yoda
 

New Orleans is one of the best cities for artists to experience. Around every corner there are street performers playing music, painting pieces or just trying to sell their work. On almost every block there were full scale galleries. In a city whose  economy is very tourist-based, it seems like an environment where artists really thrive. 


Like everyone told me to, I also got to experience the famous food and music of the city. I took a walking culinary tour where I got to try some of the best gumbo the south has to offer and a slew of other delicacies from around the city. One night, I had VIP seats to a Jazz concert at Preservation Hall, which is dedicated to the preservation of classic jazz and blues. I was actually sitting on the stage and got to experience true improvisational jazz. 


Now that I’m back in Conn., I’m really hitting the ground running. I graduate in four months and all of my classes are coming down to their final projects, including redesigning my portfolio and resume so that I can start shopping around and hopefully soon I’ll find where my career will begin after school is finished!


This concept is scary to a lot of people my age, but armed with the tools that Worx has given me, I’m feeling more confident than ever! I’ve been given my first big web design project and I’m very excited to get started on it. I haven’t been able to get very much experience on web design through my classes and I’m glad Ive been given this challenging learning experience. I’ll have plenty of updates on that in my next post!


‘Til next time!

 


submitted by duglenskil

Ending the Beginning.

Hey everyone – it has been a hectic past couple of weeks at Worx Branding & Advertising. I have taken on a big project in preparation for our switch to new agency software, as well as a significant project for a veterinary client. I am also working on several smaller projects for a few different clients. Needless to say, I have been pretty busy. I had to play a little catch up because I went to Cancun, Mexico over spring break!

While the temperatures were barely reaching 40 degrees in Connecticut, I was in sunny, 85-degree weather in Cancun! I stayed at the Oasis Resort for one week with 15 friends from Central Connecticut State University. This was definitely the best trip I have ever been on. The teal water was a perfect temperature, and crystal-clear. The culture in Mexico was so much livelier than America. Everyone was more easy-going and friendly. I would definitely consider going there again.

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I have also been busy with school. Finals start May 3rd, but there is plenty work ahead of me before I take those exams. Projects and assignments are quickly piling up! I am keeping focused so that I can finish every assignment fully. At the same time, I am also really trying to soak in these few weeks because they will be the last in my undergraduate career. What a scary thought!

My life is going to be changing drastically over the next few months – and I’m so excited. I can’t wait to work in the field I am passionate about and experience new things. It will definitely be an adjustment from my hectic schedule when I usually am working and in class from 8am-8:30pm, but I’m not complaining :)

Can’t wait to see what the future brings.


submitted by adamworx

Back To Worx

As expected, my whirlwind week in Italy went by incredibly fast. Those days of eating gnocchi, drinking wine and looking out over the Tuscan countryside are behind me, but the imagery will stay with me for a while longer. The Italian way of life was refreshing to see; even though their jobs generally don’t pay as much as ours do, they seem to be genuinely happy and deeply connected to their culture and one another. Hopefully this picture can transport you there, even for only a few fleeting seconds:

I’m anxious to get back in the swing of things and help out the Worx team with various projects. Before I left, I began the process of loading all of the copy from my content document onto a client’s redesigned website using Worx’s custom content management system. Now that all of the visuals and graphics have been added, the site looks great and I’m looking forward to its official launch. It’s always gratifying to know that something you worked on can be seen and used by anyone with an Internet connection and a PC (or Mac, or tablet, or smart phone…). A company’s website is usually the potential customer’s first exposure to the brand, so it needs to be exceptional.

I should be getting back to work, but thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you again soon!


submitted by nadiajeann

Tips and Tricks for Landing Your Dream Job

Long time no see everyone!

If you do not remember me, I am Nadia, the Worx graphic design intern from Spring 2012! I’m back to bring you a very special guest blog entry, because I have some rather exciting news. I am now a full time employee at wonderful Worx Branding & Advertising! I just couldn’t get enough of being inside these orange walls it seems. I was hired at the end of December, and am an official graphic designer  - I couldn’t be happier.

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[My business card! Although this picture is officially dated. I recently chopped my hair in to a pixie! Change is good!]

Now as much as I can go on about how thrilled I am to have gotten my dream job right out of college, I want to take this opportunity to give you all advice on how to be a rockin’ intern. It’s difficult to find a secure job right out of college, but I can assure you that your work ethic, drive and attitude will take you much further than you can ever imagine.

Here are my tips and tricks on how to make yourself stand out as an intern, no matter where you work! Better yet, take this advice and apply it to the real world, and you will be sure to snag that dream job!

1.) Take your internship seriously.

This may not be your official job, but you should treat it like one. Show up on time. If you have a deadline on a project, try your best to meet it. Collaborate with your colleagues. You may have the title “intern”, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like one! You were hired as their intern for a reason: because you show awesome potential. So don’t make your employer forget that, and own it!

2.) Pay attention and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Two words: Take notes. Get a notebook and write, write, write! I couldn’t be more serious. Ask as many questions as you need until you have a full understanding of the project. You will not come off as annoying, I promise.

3.) Do more than what is expected of you.

Don’t be afraid to make suggestions on assignments as you see fit. Your superior will appreciate the extra lengths you are taking, and this will make you stand out. Demonstrate what you know and how you can contribute.

4.) Make yourself constantly available, and make it clear you want to be there.

You should never, I repeat, NEVER sit around twiddling your thumbs waiting for an assignment to be handed to you. Take the initiative to ask for more projects; there shouldn’t be a time where you are sitting still. If it feels like every minute is slowly dragging by and you feel incredibly bored, then I have news for you: this isn’t the job for you.  Also, if you ever have a chance to put in more hours than usual, take that opportunity! It makes it clear that you love your job.

5.) Get to know everyone, even if they aren’t in the same department.

Well this part is easy, just be friendly! Even if you don’t consider yourself the most outgoing person it’s great to get to know your fellow co-workers, even if they are working in a different part of the building.  You want to leave a lasting impression with everyone.

And there you have it. If you are currently an intern at a job you love, or if you are currently searching for internships in your field, follow these handy tips and you will go far! 


submitted by adamworx

Spring is Here!

Well, we’ve officially made it to spring. My favorite part about leaving winter behind?  Saying “good-bye” to the worry that a snowstorm could hit any day and make it difficult to drive to my internship at Worx.

I’ve been continuing to build copy decks for newly redesigned websites, which involves a lot of planning and organization. The document has to be laid out in a way that makes perfect sense to the designers, and lets them know where the content fits within a website’s pages and sub-pages. I feel that the process has made me pay even stricter attention to detail than I used to. I’ve spent a lot of time on one project in particular for a client that designs and furnishes workplace renovations. I had to pick and choose content from existing promotional material and write some of my own, and it was a great way to get experience writing in a brand’s pre-established style – in this case, straightforward and minimalist.

Spring Break is just around the corner, and next week I’ll be traveling to various cities in Italy for a CCSU course called Global Visual Communication. I’ll be analyzing the ways that Italian advertising appeals to society and comparing it with our own, and I hope to learn more about how the advertising industry affects different cultures (and vice-versa) while maybe even gaining some new creative ideas to utilize here at Worx.

Grazie per la lettura! (That’s “thanks for reading” in Italian – thanks, Google Translate!)


submitted by duglenskil

Client and Sun Fun

Hey all - just finishing up my day here at Worx Branding & Advertising. I’ve been working on a few different projects for clients. I’ve been implementing various changes to Blue Back Square’s social platforms to enhance them and attract more users. I took over the social media posting for Blue Back Square during the summer and am already happy to see such an improvement. It is nice to see that hard (and fun!) work is paying off. Truthfully, I owe a lot of the success to HootSuite. As I have mentioned in past posts, HootSuite is a social media management tool that makes it easy to organize social platforms and posts. HootSuite allows me to schedule posts in advance – which is great because I am only here three days a week. I truly enjoy posting for Blue Back Square just as much as I love going there! It is definitely a fun account to work on.

Spring break is fast approaching - in just 11 short days I will be on the beautiful beaches of Cancun! It has been pretty gloomy in Connecticut these past few weeks, so I am definitely excited for a week of sun and relaxation. I’ve only been somewhere ‘tropical’ once before, during high school. I knew for my last hoorah of college I wanted to go somewhere warm so I’ve been saving up for a while. And, I’ve been checking the weather down there - it is already above 80 degrees! I will be sure to bring back photos to share on here. Talk to you soon!


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