IDEA Grad 2021 Shares The Top 3 Things Learned During Practicum
We asked IDEA Grad 2021 to share with our readers the top 3 things they learned during their practicum. Here is what they wrote.
“Fail hard, fail fast, fail often. Don’t make assumptions. Be proactive.”
Sara Nguyen
Fail hard, fail fast, fail often. The phrase isn't something I picked up at 123w, but this "fail fast" philosophy is something I repeat every day now. Coming in fresh to the industry, I'm still learning about the industry project process, and what is best practice at 123w, so I need extra time for guidance, ask questions along the way, and make TONS of corrections. That's why I try to start and finish my work ASAP to get feedback ASAP. Always account for the feedback and revision time.
Don't make assumptions. If you don't understand something, ask for clarification or for people to reexplain it. If it's a job you're doing, try repeating what the other party said in your own words to clarify your next steps. As much as a question may "sound stupid" to you, it's usually a sign that there's a gap somewhere that needs addressing. It's always better to be clear and upfront with everything initially so that you don't end up doing even more work in the end. Or if you're like me and need time to digest what you hear first, go away first and come back with questions, but don't assume the answer!
Be Proactive—especially when working remotely. I remember clearly dreading the idea of coffee chats when I was in my first years of the IDEA Program. I say it like I'm an expert, and it's in the past, which is so not the case because I'm still quite awkward. However, what I learned is that everyone is always happy to chat, even if it's only 10 or 15 minutes. People are very open to sharing their journey and giving advice or just hearing where you're at in your career. So dare yourself to be brave, perhaps a little annoying—bug people! Sometimes you have to be a bit of a squeaky wheel to stay on people's radars.
Rachel Wong
Make the most out of your time.
Practicum flies by so fast; before you know it, you’ll be on your last week! It’s an opportunity for you to learn as much as possible, so try to be pro-active in booking as many coffee chats as you can, asking to be on projects that you want to learn more about, and asking if you can sit in on internal brainstorming or client meetings.
Let people know you are available to help!
There will probably be some slower work days where you finish a task early and have nothing else on your plate. If you find yourself in this situation, I highly recommend pinging some of your coworkers or the design team’s general chat and letting them know you are free to help out with anything! Even if it’s a small task like image sourcing or exporting assets, it’s great to make yourself useful and lend a helping hand to help lessen the workload.
Don’t be a stranger!
I’m sure others have already mentioned this, but coffee chats are so helpful in getting to know your coworkers better, especially when you are working remotely. There’s always something to learn from everybody! It’s good to prepare a few questions in advance, like asking the person about their career journey and what they learned at each place. It can be really daunting to book your first few coffee chats, but you’ll come to see that it really is just a casual conversation (as if you bumped into someone in the coffee room!).
Best of luck to the upcoming years of IDEA School of Design students who will be doing their practicum! It’s an exciting experience and you’ll be learning so much no matter where your placement is :)
Valeriya Kim
Time tracking is essential. Making games is not fast nor easy. You better be committed 100%. Work culture can and should exist outside the office.
Sarah Haglund
I learned how to take my hand-drawn artwork and bring it into Photoshop and Illustrator and make it digital (watercolour artwork). I also learned more about trend research. Lastly, I learned about Pantone colours and how to use work with artwork templates.
Abby Jocson
Take initiative — don't wait around for people to order you or to tell you when to speak. If you have something valuable to contribute don't be afraid to do or say it.
Be clear and concise — you don't need to use flowery language to present your idea, just be honest and straight to the point.
Be open — if something is bothering you bring it up with someone. Don't wait for the problem to fester and become worse.
Jeff Ellis
Learning the intricacies of building a character rig for animation. How to successfully complete a walk cycle using that rig. Set up and brushes for Photoshop backgrounds.
Amy Asin
Make the time to connect with the people in your practicum host company. They have lots of knowledge and advice to offer! For my practicum at PS Brand, booking quick 15-30 min chats was a great way to get more familiar with everyone since I was working from home.
Ask to be a part of as many things as possible but only if your hosts can accommodate. Even if it’s just sitting in on a meeting. When I was at PS Brand, I expressed some interest in advertising so they let me shadow them for a few projects. I learned so much just by observing. This is a rare opportunity to get a glimpse of the industry so use it as much as you can!
Don’t be afraid to show your hosts your work during your projects. Even when my work looked super rough, getting an extra pair of eyes on it always helped. Don’t worry, your hosts won’t judge you if your work isn’t your best. They understand the creative process with all of its ups and downs and they know that you’re there to learn.
Sharleen Ramos
As there are now real clients, from that, I've learned to prepare what we need for the next phases of a project, communicating progress, incorporate their feedback, and preparing files for delivery.
I've learned how to manage time and see how a typical workday looks like with various projects at different stages and tasks.
I've gotten lots of advice by having virtual coffee meetings with various Rethinkers, hearing their journeys, and connecting about the creative world. Any mentorship makes that leap into the working world feel smoother!
“Trust the process. Trust your instincts. Listen to John Lau!!!”
Alison Johnstone
Trust the process. The first two years feel a bit like you’re wandering aimlessly, but the third and fourth year will come and you’ll see your skills weaving together in the most wonderful ways.
Trust your instincts. Sometimes projects feel like they’re going nowhere, but if you get past that awkward stage and keep going, you might come up with something really beautiful!
Listen to John Lau!!!
I can’t believe it’s over. I feel like I’m leaving Narnia and slowly seeing the magic world being closed away, but then I get to grow up and become this whole new person that doesn’t forget about the magic land I learned everything from. I hope you’ve seen Narnia otherwise that metaphor might not make sense 😆
