Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having a conversation with Bianca D. Chandler, the Marketing & Development Director of the LRCE. Together, on the phone and with the help of the screen-share feature on Microsoft Teams, we went over the newsletter I've been working on using Canva.com. Also, I had the opportunity to ask many questions.
The biggest problems with my newsletter is that the information is presented in an odd order, with valuable information being saved for last and unimportant information presented right away. Another problem is that the text is too cluttered, and needs to be spread out. There was a minor problem with the colors - I used green and grey instead of the LRCE's red and white - but together we fixed that issue quickly. As for the font, it was incorrect according to the LRCE's graphic design standards, but, since Canva.com didn't have those fonts available, this mistake was permitted for the time being. Still, I tried my best to find fonts that appeared very similar to the ones required by the graphic design standards. Besides those few corrections, everything else was left for me to handle alone and at my own discretion. I was fine with this, since it allows me to work with a large amount of creative freedom. However, since this is my last week, I expressed my worry to Mrs. Chandler that I wouldn't be done with the newsletter in time. We agreed that I was not required to have the newsletter done, but I'd do my best to finish it and turn it into her by the end of the internship. If not finished, I still plan on turning in what I have.
Besides discussing my newsletter, we talked about the LRCE and the role she played in making it such a successful information institution. Like me, Mrs. Chandler was originally an intern, but thanks to her graphic design skills she eventually gained a full time position. She told me about how, no matter my employer, I should be open about my artistic skills, because those are always in high demand. Another piece of useful advice is that whenever I'm asked to do make something for an organization, I should ask them what their graphic design standards are. Every organization has their own colors they use in their memos, newsletters, and ads. The LRCE's colors are white, grey, and red - and this helps the LRCE to avoid confusion with other similar organizations. It just so happens that the colors I originally used - pale green and light grey - were actually the main colors of a competing organization.
Overall, my time with Mrs. Chandler was very informative and insightful. I learned much about how the graphics design process works on a professional level and its relationship with libraries. I look forward to applying what I've learned from this discussion, and from all the creative projects I've done for this internship, as a part or full time professional in a local library.
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