Senior Design major Ema Matsumura has been able to apply the skills she gained in her Design classes to her intern position at the USF Cultural Centers, where she creates visuals for the Intercultural Center and Gender and Sexuality Center. Ema shared how she’s using what USF gave her to give back to the campus.
How has your position at the USF cultural center helped you grow as a designer.
By working at the cultural center I gained more experience in how to work in a client and designer environment. While I meet and brainstorm graphics idea for posters and other marketing materials for the cultural center’s interns, I’ve been able to oversee what is the effect and best way to come up with ideas and design effective materials that is visually satisfying and offers to what the interns want in their marketing materials. I’ve been able to oversee what is the easiest way for me to work with interns as well.
What is you favorite part of being in the design program at USF?
Being the design program at USF I have enjoyed having access to XARTS lab to have a space to work on my projects when I do need that design space. Not only that but I also enjoy being able to take classes that develop my skills in graphic design with different materials. There are interesting and really helpful classes such the Design Internship, Sustainable Systems Design, and Copy Culture. I’ve been able to open up my mind than just to hone my design skills.
Matsumura’s 2017 book project You Are What You Choose To Wear for Copy Culture.
How have USF’s ideals impacted your designs?
Being here at USF as a design student, I’ve been able to think about designing things with purpose. Before, I thought that I would be designing for magazines and such but after taking different design classes, I’ve started to be able to think about how my designs will have effect. By starting on a project, I usually think about the audience and for what focus my project will bring attention and for the time being of it.
