A Final Q&A With Naomi

Six weeks can go by quickly, but a lot can happen in that time, especially during an internship. What starts out as a new experience full of excitement and nerves can quickly turn into real growth, new confidence, and a much deeper understanding of what life in a studio is really like.

Since joining the Generator team, Naomi Smuczer has had the chance to jump into the pace of agency life, build on her skills, and get a firsthand look at what it means to design for real clients in a real-world setting. Now that her internship is wrapping up, we thought it was the perfect time to catch up with her one more time and hear how the experience has shaped her over the past six weeks.

Now that you’ve gotten some agency life experience, what’s one thing about studio work that totally surprised you?

I would say that working at the agency has really shown me how to divvy up my time and how long it truly takes me to get things done. I think what surprised me the most is how much I’ve changed in just 6 weeks. I can see my work improve, my mind thinks differently, and I’ve gotten faster at producing good work.

Six weeks ago, you said you were excited by the pace and variety of projects. What ended up being your favourite kind of day here?

My favourite day here has to be the Friday lunches—not for the food… unless there’s pizza shhhh! The truth is, I really enjoy the combination of doing good work and getting together to chat and share ideas regarding projects and life in general. Its such a great, friendly environment and I think there’s room to grow and learn in so many ways. But getting to know your coworkers really makes the experience so much better because it becomes more than a job, it becomes a career, and you get to work with other people who share that same passion and interests. 

Has your love for InDesign stayed strong, or did another Adobe app try to steal your heart?

InDesign lover 4ever, sorry!

What’s one design skill you feel levelled up the most over these six weeks?

I think my Photoshop skills have really levelled up. I was pretty well-versed in Photoshop before; but there’s some keyboard shortcuts, tips and tricks, and commands you can really only learn from people who have been doing this for a while. I learned so many fun techniques and really improved my skills, which helped me become a better and more efficient designer.

Is there any advice you got from the team that you’ll carry into your career?

YES! Don’t be afraid to break design “rules” sometimes and always focus on ALL of the details. 

I learned that not everything is black and white; you would think I knew that because its a creative field. But truthfully, our minds naturally try to rationalize and make everything a format or template. In the past six weeks, I’ve really learned how to let go of that perspective and really learn to design, and let the work speak to me rather than trying to fit it into a “box”. On top of that, I’m really starting to view design from a different lens; tiny details are so so important – even the ones we think no one will see, it not only speaks to our integrity as designers but its also what sets us apart from others.

Did deadlines turn you into a stronger designer, a faster designer, or just someone who appreciates snacks more?

Maybe all three? I think it turned me into a stronger designer. I came up with a system, learned to stay organized, and get my priorities straight, which made me faster…. and definitely hungrier.

You mentioned loving branding, illustration, and motion graphics. Which one are you leaving most excited to keep exploring?

Branding! I think I still have so much to learn in all three areas, but I’d love to explore more branding; working with logos, colour palettes, and seeing a brand really roll out.

Which part of agency life felt the most natural to you by the end?

I became adjusted to the routine of working creatively from 9-5, having my own system, and regimented when I got here in the morning. I’ll really miss that stability.

If you could give “day one Naomi” one quick pep talk, what would you say?

You will get faster and better, and your designs don’t suck! I think doubting yourself is so common and in the past six weeks I’ve learned that sometimes you’ll just have an ‘off-day’. That doesn’t mean your a bad designer, it just means our brains need a second to catch up. We are just our harshest critics!

What’s one inside joke, memorable moment, or tiny office ritual you’ll miss the most?

I’ll miss throwing things at Ryan 🙁

Did working with real clients change the way you think about design?

Yes! It helped me learn to take creative critique less harshly. Every person has a different perspective on art because its so subjective. Working with clients taught me that sometimes two people can have very different visions.

BONUS SPEED ROUND

Coffee or tea during crunch time?

COFFEEEEEEEE—

InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects: choose your fighter.

InDesign :p

Best desk snack?

STARBURSTS, ALWAYS

One song that sums up your Generator era?

Anything they played in Alvin and the Chipmunks, idk why just makes sense.

One emoji for your internship experience?

LOL, rolling on the floor LAUGHING

Mando rank out of 10?

12!

It’s an understatement to say that we’re going to miss having Naomi at the office. We all sincerely enjoyed working with her and getting to know her. We wish her the best of luck as she begins her design career.