Stepping Up to the Plate
Arsena Vikan / Globe Printers / Design Intern
I hadn’t originally planned to do two internships in one summer, but as life goes, I saw an opportunity and I went for it. Globe is one of the largest printers in the Fraser Valley, but they are still as “close community” as they come. Globe had never hosted a practicum student before and they were excited to welcome in a “fresh perspective” on their marketing strategy and goals.
As a new face in the office and on the print floor, I had to observe and understand what makes Globe, Globebefore I could start figuring out what they wanted to say in their marketing and how they might want to say it. The best part? My mentor gave me every opportunity to step up. What they had going for them already was already close to being a “full picture” in terms of design and the phenomenon we identify as a “Brand”.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had Chris Klein as my mentor during my time at Globe, from day one his guidance and enthusiasm made for a far richer and well rounded experience. My first few weeks were spent between the desk and the print floor, working on a few client dockets and using my hands down in bindery, getting used to the flow of things. Once I got into the spin of Globe’s atmosphere, we started working on the website with plans to delve into social media later on.
The website quickly turned into a far bigger picture– and I decided to take a holistic approach to what they had going on marketing-wise. I asked permission to expand on their brand guidelines, as the one they had previously was quite short, and lacking the details that we are being taught in-standard in class. As well as not leaving them with much to actually use to produce things like social media posts. I cleared up the hierarchy, provided them with brand assets, and left clear instructions on how to treat the brand. I called several meetings between myself, Chris, Globe’s owner, and another marketing team member, to ask questions, present progress, and gain feedback. By the end, I overhauled the website, giving it a fresh new look that better reflected Globe’s spirit, generated two scheduled social media campaigns, and gave their brand more space to continue achieving what I had laid out–
And most importantly, tied them all together.
If Chris hadn’t told me that this was his first time having a practicum student, I still would have said that his methods were outstanding. I was treated capably and my thoughts and opinions were asked for and valued by not just Chris, but everyone involved. Globe has so many talented, kind, and smart people under their roof and it has been a privilege to have been under it with them.
Arsena is a 4th year BFA student majoring in Graphic Design.
