Hi! Allow me to introduce myself.  I’m Rob, the new Web Design Intern here at Foraker and I’ll be your tour guide today as we go on a magical journey Through The Intern’s Eyes!

Oh…you’re still reading? Then let me tell you more about myself.  I was born and raised in Marlton, New Jersey.  That’s South Jersey, about 30 minutes from Philly (Go Flyers!).  No, its not like The Sopranos, that’s North Jersey (ew).

I went to school at The Art Institute of Philadelphia and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Web Design & Interactive Media.  In the summer of ’08, I interned at a company in Philly called The Neat Company which makes integrated scanner and software systems that allow you to organize receipts, documents, and business cards using their software and OCR technology.  After graduating I worked at Hoshino USA (the parent company of Ibanez Guitars and Tama drums) in Bensalem, PA for about 6 months working as an intermediary between their Graphic Designers and Developers.

I have been coming to Boulder to visit family and vacation since I was a baby.  My parents even met at CU!  I’ve always loved it here, and had been entertaining the idea of moving out here after graduating college.  In May, I finally made the move.  I miss good ol’ Jersey a little, but so far I really love it here.  Boulder is an amazing place to be.

Before the move ever happened, I had checked out Foraker’s website a couple times and was really impressed with their work.  I got to Boulder, saw the posting for a Web Design Intern, and contacted them immediately.  I was excited when I heard that they wanted me to come in for an interview.  I woke up at the crack of noon, put on my best tuxedo t-shirt and headed to the office. I felt comfortable almost immediately  and knew this was a pretty unique company and some place I wanted to be.  When preparing for the interview, “Who’s your favorite super hero?” was not a question I had practiced answering.  Thankfully that’s an easy one. Everyone knows Batman is the best.

The dynamic of Foraker is awesome.  Everyone here is very laid back and has a great sense of humor, and at the same time kick ass at what they do.  You might wonder how they can get so much done with only 20 people.  It’s because everyone kicks ass.  The people here are some of the best in their fields, and it shows in their work.  When I asked my interviewers what they liked the most about working at Foraker, they all said “the people”.  After being here for a little more than a month, I would have to agree.  The people here rock.  I have worked at some jobs where the people did not rock much at all, and it makes a big difference.  We also have the pleasure of working alongside plenty of pooches, which is awesome.  Now I can blame things on the dog at the office too!

What would ya say you do here?

Here in the Creative Wing, I sit across from Josh Giblette (AKA Gibbles and Bits), the Art Director and graphic ninja, and adjacent to Michael Herring (AKA Big Hectic) and Jen Siegfried (AKA Jen), coder extraordinaires.  Every day I learn something from these fine folks.

I spend my days designing web pages, banners, documents, and generally making Josh look good.  My favorite projects so far have been for BreastCancer.org. They are a great client and I’m extra appreciative as my Mom is a breast cancer survivor.

Some examples of projects I’ve worked on are:

• 2 complete site designs – a local skate shop and a sail company
• Banners and a PDF pamphlet for Breastcancer.org
• Making buttons to hand out at the CU Career Fair
• A multitude of site design comps

Some things I’ve learned so far:

• The importance of visual hierarchy
• Designing around content, not the other way around
• Small details make a big impact
• New Photoshop tricks and a lot more keyboard shortcuts
• How to use criticism to improve your design

Wow, you made it this far?  You know you don’t win anything for reading this right?  Well, thanks anyway.  I hope to learn a lot more here in the upcoming months and write some more articles for you to suffer through!