Discover what it’s like to work for a marketing agency!
Caden Buchanan
GD 498 • Summer 2023
Van Spec Marketing
This summer, I had the very rewarding experience of doing a practicum at Van Spec Marketing, a marketing agency specializing in SEO (search engine optimization), web design and social media marketing. The team at Vanspec was terrific to work with! They not only welcomed me onto their team but also were super supportive and made me feel like the work I was doing for them was valued.
This experience has been very impactful for me as a designer. I feel like I have grown tremendously while learning how industries are run and observing how they communicate with each other while working remotely. I gained valuable experience working independently towards collaborative goals that we set together each week, and I discovered what I am interested in as a designer at a deeper level. I learnt many new things about marketing design that I never had the chance to dive into in any of my previous classes, including how to create a social media strategy. This was a valuable skill to learn and something which I feel every graphic designer needs in their tool belt.
I chose to do my practicum during the summer while I wasn’t taking other classes. I would recommend this to any student. I could still enjoy my summer while not feeling overwhelmed by other classwork. Overall, it was an awesome experience for me, and I can say that I feel well-prepared for my future!
Caden is a fourth-year BFA degree GDD major student with a diploma in GDD
