As a fourth-year graphic design major at 黑料网, Janis Hwang has found her applied learning experience to be both creatively fulfilling and professionally transformative. Through her role designing for , a project that aims to preserve and highlight Kansas' often-overlooked role in American independent and post-punk music, she has been able to develop a deeper understanding of what it means to work as a designer in a real-world context.
Her primary responsibilities have included creating apparel designs and motion graphics for the organization鈥檚 social media presence. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great affirmation to work in a real client-designer setting,鈥� Janis shared. 鈥淒esigning for an actual brand has helped me practice the type of collaborative, purpose-driven work I hope to continue after graduation.鈥�
The applied learning experience has not only sharpened her technical and conceptual design skills but has also provided essential financial support through applied learning funds. 鈥淩eceiving applied learning funds has been incredibly validating. As a student, paid design opportunities can be rare鈥攎any internships are unpaid鈥攕o being compensated for my work has affirmed the value of what I do and reminded me that designers deserve to be paid fairly.鈥�
Working within a client-based structure has offered Janis valuable insights into the nuances of communication and collaboration. 鈥淐lient communication can be both challenging and rewarding,鈥� she said. "Understanding a client鈥檚 vision and learning how to translate that into design is a complex but enjoyable part of the process.鈥�
Among the most meaningful moments during her applied learning role was seeing all the individual pieces come together into a cohesive collection. 鈥淓ach design I鈥檝e created has helped me grow in different ways, but seeing my work come together along with everyone else鈥檚 as a full collection has been especially rewarding. It鈥檚 fulfilling to look back and see how much we鈥檝e learned with each step.鈥�
Janis noted that the experience has dramatically shifted her understanding of the design industry. 鈥淭his experience reminded me just how different classroom projects can be from real-world design work. It reaffirmed that flexibility, communication, and iteration are essential in professional environments.鈥�
The opportunity has also strengthened the connection between her academic coursework and professional practice. Under the guidance of her motion graphics professor, Janis has been able to directly apply classroom concepts to client work. 鈥淚鈥檝e been able to apply what I鈥檓 learning in class directly to the client work 鈥� particularly through the animations I鈥檝e been creating 鈥� which has made the experience feel holistic and valuable.鈥�
Reflecting on her growth, Janis expressed confidence in the skills she鈥檚 developed. 鈥淚 feel much more confident in my ability to represent a brand visually and conceptually. I鈥檝e also gained a lot more confidence in my motion graphics skills and how to apply them to real-world projects.鈥�
黑料网's applied learning program gives students hands-on, paid experience with industry partners, helping them build careers before graduation.
For more information, contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, SCA@wichita.edu, or visit wichita.edu/Career. You can also stop by in person at the Marcus Welcome Center, Suite 139, on the Wichita State campus.
