Philadelphia Designer Finds Key To Happiness Is Working In Creative Environment
Kelly Lender is a designer at WebLinc, a successful e-commerce company in Philadelphia. WebLinc's commerce platform runs the online and mobile stores for some of the fastest growing retailers like Urban Outfitter's Free People and Terrain, Nasty Gal, Hello Kitty, and more. Kelly is a Drexel University graduate.
What sort of education is needed to successfully do your job?
"I received a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design with a minor in Business at Drexel University and this gave me an excellent knowledge base to start my career. I think my education was invaluable. I participated in a 6-month internship program that gave me real world experience and introduced me to the tech industry, and WebLinc. As far as technical training, being proficient in the Adobe Creative Suite as well as being familiar with CSS and HTML standards are all extremely important to being successful in my job. Although I may not be the one doing the front-end development, knowing the basics helps create designs that can be developed effectively."
What is the most relevant aspect of your education that applies to your day-to-day job?
"I went to Drexel for graphic design and the level of education I got was amazing, the amount of teachers that are still in the industry helped to keep the program fresh and relevant. My most valuable classes were night classes taught by full-time web design professionals. Learning about projects they were working on and the industry standards they were following was extremely helpful in furthering my education. Day-to-day I still use concepts that I picked up in my coursework, whether its bits of simple HTML to build an email template or design principles that help push my designs further, my education is always something I refer back to."
What is the most fun aspect of your job?
"I love what I do every day and being able to work in a place that has many different clients and unique needs keeps things interesting. I also love where I work, WebLinc is a place that fosters creativity, collaboration and personal growth. Everyone who works here genuinely loves what they do and is passionate about it, this attitude and environment keeps me motivated and excited about my job."
What advice would you give someone just starting out in the field of technology?
"The advice that I would give to someone starting out in my field would be that they have to be prepared to never stop learning. The design industry is as much about continuing education and staying on top of industry trends as it is about great design. Also, don't be afraid to go beyond your coursework to further your knowledge, try reaching out to professionals in the field to learn something new."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.