I have to say it – Alphabet Arm is an awesome studio. I have officially decided that Aaron and Ryan are probably the coolest bosses I could have hoped for, and while they primarily focus their daytime lives on kerning type and debating Pantone colors, they also enjoy other interesting activities such as listening to a variety of good music, eating lamb shank (Ryan) and tofu (Aaron), cracking jokes left and right, scaling the walls of tall buildings, and shopping for bidets. This is all very entertaining for me!
But seriously, it’s been about a month at the studio for me, and they are great people to be interning for not only because they are genuine guys, but they kick butt at designing and they provide a great learning environment for me to grow as a young designer. The efficient work pace and high quality of design Alphabet Arm delivers time and time again is positively influential. And so far I am having a blast!
The design tasks I have been given so far include developing concepts for logos, designing business cards, laying our marketing collateral, and prepping files for print. So far I have learned some handy shortcuts, new tools in the programs, and fun terms such as “indicia,” “bug,” “antiquated,” and “lock-up.” Oh Education, how you follow me in even the most entertaining of places!
I am looking forward to my last semester of school and continuing intern duties at Alphabet Arm. I expect to design some fun pieces (already 99% of my projects have been fun), learn more about design, the programs, and myself as a designer. I especially expect to have a great time doing it. I am very lucky to have been given this opportunity and discover design in new ways.
I was asked to think of a spirit animal that would represent me, because the guys have all thought about their own animal metaphors before. Boneyard offered his suggestion of a puffin because I love orange and yellow, and I believe the puffin aesthetic relates because I am a fairly small person (puffins stand less than a foot tall). Puffins are definitely cool birds because they fly with their awkwardly shaped wings, but they also have the ability to dive into icy depths of salt water with their water-proof black feathers. So these little birds are adventurous, colorful, and have a fun attitude, which describes me! Now the studio is filled with the spirits of a dog, a puffin, a meerkat, and a cat!
Signing off, Amy “Pahkah”