Hannah joined us this summer while visiting family here from Ohio, where she attends college! We were thrilled to have her join us for video production work on the town square, website production, and creating graphics this summer. We are lucky to have her intern with us remotely into the school year, as well. Get to know her a little more from the Q&A below!
What are your favorite projects to work on and how do you want to grow professionally?
My favorite projects to work on are ones that have to do with missions that I am also passionate about. This includes things like accessibility advocacy, anything animal-related, and general informative/public awareness. I particularly enjoy projects that have to do with fun video edits or web design and prototyping. I am passionate about making a user experience that is not only efficient and intuitive, but also fun – we all know how frustrating bad user experiences can be. Professionally, I would love to one day design a working mobile app.
Where do you pull inspiration from for creative work?
I pull most of my inspiration from real life, everyday experiences. This includes the websites and apps I see, content I view on social media, design work from my peers at school, and movies I watch. These give me a sense of what is changing in the field, what rules people expect to follow in a designed experience, and new developments. I also seek out inspiration from websites like Httpster when I want more dynamic and professional ideas to draw from.
What’s a bucket list item you’ve held off on completing for years and when do you hope to complete it?
I have always wanted to see a show on Broadway but being from California, I haven’t yet had the chance to go the distance to New York City. I would love to go when I can after I graduate college!
What small object in your house means the most to you and why?
A small object that means a lot to me is a stuffed bear I got this year. I raised a service dog in training, Bluey, for a nonprofit and after almost a year together, she left me to become a breeder for the program. We made the stuffed bear at Build A Bear and I got to hold onto it as a keepsake. It has stayed with me through all of my travels this year.
What advice do you have for small businesses looking to amplify their messaging and brand?
I would advise that you not be afraid to put yourself out there and don’t sell yourself short. Specifically find what it is that makes you and your business unique, find your audience, and emphasize it tonally through every element of your branding. I also think that paying attention to trends on socials and then following a few can be a fun way to boost your engagement.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I have several hobbies that I rotate between sporadically. I have always loved reading, particularly high fantasy, and now I am a massive nerd who also loves Dungeons and Dragons. At school, Cedarville University, I am heavily involved in a student org that works with a nonprofit, 4 Paws for Ability. 4 Paws raises and places service dogs with kids and veterans who have disabilities. I am about to raise, socialize and train my second full time foster, Jabber, while I am at school, and I am on leadership for the org for the second year. My free time is also filled with creative writing, learning new design softwares, and drawing. Creativity has always been a passion of mine and I credit a lot of my interests now to all of the countless hours I spent reading when I was younger.
Who keeps you inspired and why?
While I am originally from California, I have spent 6 months overseas in 4 countries, I have family everywhere, and I attend school in Ohio. Because of this, I have traveled a lot and met many people of different cultures, both on a household level and a national level, all of whom have informed my perspective on the world. Currently I am in Ohio about to begin my last year of college, and I am so grateful for the village that I’ve found here. It is amazing having so many people that I can fall back on whether it is work, school, or something hard that happens in life.
What’s your favorite life lesson you’ve ever learned and held on to?
Communication is so important, whether that is with friends, professors, colleagues, clients, or supervisors. I’ve learned that overcommunication is better than not enough and that it is always kindest for both sides if expectations are always clear. Since I began applying this lesson to my life, things have been so much easier on my mind because I know what is expected of me, and if it isn’t clear, I don’t have an issue kindly talking about it.
What are you grateful for? What are you hopeful for?
I am beyond grateful for the people in my life who are such supports. It is amazing to have so many uplifting people who I can give back to. I am also so grateful to get an education in this field and for Transcend Ideas for taking me on as an intern. I’ve learned so much in the few weeks I’ve been here and I hope to continue growing. I am hopeful for my future in the industry after graduation as my skillsets continue to grow and receive feedback. Design is a wonderful opportunity to provide some small moments of joy.
What are you proud of right now?
Right now, I am proud of the life I’ve built and the people I’ve vetted and surrounded myself with; I’ve made it a habit to hang out with people a lot smarter than myself and I’m much better for it! I’m in the stage of life where I’m still figuring out how being an adult works and how to set myself up for success in every way, and learn from mistakes, and I feel that I learn quickly.
