Category Archives: Alumni

Paid Full-time Job Opening: CUP Change In Design Fellowship

The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) is announcing the call for the 2020 CUP Fellowship for Change in Design! Learn more on the Application Page.
The CUP Fellowship for Change in Design is a paid, year-long, full-time, training program designed to promote and support individuals in gaining the skills, contacts, and experience to help them excel in their design careers. The Fellowship is an initiative to support the development of a pipeline of talented individuals from historically under-represented communities into the design fields, and to dismantle the systemic biases that stand in the way of their advancement as leaders in these fields. The 2020 Fellow will be selected through a competitive, juried process and will work with CUP from July 2020–June 2021.
Applications should include:
– A cover letter addressing why you are interested in the Fellowship, what you hope to get out of it, and what your goals are for your career
– A current resume
– A portfolio of your design work. We are looking for your skills to work on a range of visuals and with type. Please describe the context that your projects were completed in and your role.
– A list of 3 references, with contact information
Please send all materials as a single PDF (max 5 MB) to apply@welcometocup.org by Monday, April 13th at noon, EST. Include “CUP Fellowship for Change in Design” in the subject line.
Please note that we will NOT review applications that do not provide all requested materials. No phone calls, please.

CUP is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fair and inclusive employment practices, and strongly encourage people of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and others who may contribute to the diversification of ideas to apply.

Facebook UX/UI Design Event

This event will be catered to those students who are interested in Product/UI/UX Design, Content Strategy, UX Writing career path.
 
Facebook Design is coming to New York City to host an event at the Facebook office, on Thursday, November 7th at 6:30 PM. We will have Product Designers, Haley Madigan and Andres Arbelaez hosting a presentation on “Introductions to Design at Facebook”before diving into “What I wish I knew before going into industry.”
There will be a chance to get your work reviewed, so please come prepared with work to show.
There will be food & drinks provided. 
To be selected for this event, please RSVP using the link below. The recruiter will confirm your attendance on October 30th, 2019. Please RSVP soon to guarantee your spot!
Event password: FBNYC19

UX / UI Designer, Solidus Labs

UX / UI Designer – full time, NYC
Market surveillance and transaction monitoring tailored for digital assets
We are looking for a UX / UI designer to play a key role in shaping our ML-based products.
 

The Position

Solidus’ designers provide creative solutions to the rising challenges financial markets are facing in a blockchain-powered ecosystem, using user-focused design methods. From manipulation detection to case management, our product needs to be user-friendly, innovative, and beautifully designed for our clients who combat compliance challenges daily.
A strong candidate should have outstanding design skills and know how to translate complex technological solutions to elegant user interactions. She/He should feel comfortable with research tasks and remain focused on deliverables, while also having exceptional interpersonal skills that are needed when working in close collaboration with developers, data scientists, engineers, and clients.
Required Skills

  • Minimum of 2+ years relevant design experience at a high tech, product-driven company
  • Experience designing digital apps and systems, ideally in the SaaS/B2B space
  • A strong portfolio that showcases work, illustrating involvement in web-based projects
  • Well-versed in design principles, typography, layout, UX, UI, and interaction design necessary
  • Experience in creating wireframes, user flows, process flows and sitemaps
  • Proficient in Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite and prototyping tools (like InVision) is a must.  Abstract version control and Zeplin.io is a plus
  • Strong team player, yet simultaneously able to work on independent initiatives
  • Basic understanding of data analysis and knowledge of HTML / CSS / JS is a plus

If interested, email careers@soliduslabs.com. Please include a resume and a portfolio.

Jiacheng Guo (aka Rex) selected to present at AIGA NY Warm-up on 10/25/2018

Jiacheng (Rex) Guo (class of 2018) has been selected to present at AIGA NY Warm-up on Oct. 25, 2018!!!!
His presentation will be followed by Jon Contino’s talk – Brand by Hand

DATE AND TIME
Thu, October 25, 2018
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
Add to Calendar

LOCATION
Parsons, The New School
63 5th Avenue
Tishman Auditorium Rm U100
New York, NY 10003
View Map

To find out more and reserve a ticket visit

QC Student Takes Top Honors at Rarebit Animation Festival

Congratulations to Jadxia Carbajal, Christian Dantzler and Jessica Hong for having work selected to screen in the 2018 Rarebit Animation Festival at Queensborough Community College.  Additionally, the jury awarded Jadxia Carbajal’s film Battery, about her personal experience with Type I Diabetes, the top honor and she took home the 2018 Rarebit Award.

Christian Dantzler’s film, Ruptured, was about learning to love while simultaneously navigating childhood society was created using Flash and Photoshop, as well as some traditional pencil on paper techniques.  Both Christian and Jadxia’s films were two-semester projects in Professor Grella’s ARTS 370 Animated Documentary course.

Jessica Hong’s film Ghost Ice Cream is a humorous yarn about a ghost that is in love with ice cream.  Hong, an upcoming senior, created her film in Professor Cowan’s Intro to Animation course.  She is currently working on a film about irrational fears, to be finished in December.
This was the second year for the Rarebit Animation Festival which takes its name from Dream of the Rarebit Fiend, the innovative and often surreal comic strip by one-time Sheepshead Bay resident Winsor McCay (c.1867-1934). Perhaps best known for his popular strip Little Nemo in Slumberland, McCay was a pioneer in the art of animation–his  cartoon Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) was one of the very first animated films ever created.

Design Internships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab Studio

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA center in Pasadena, California https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
At the studio we work on a wide variety of design projects from graphics for Mission Proposals to Sculptures + Interactive Displays featuring live mission data, etc. We help the scientists and engineers “visually think through their thinking”.
Here is a link to the studio to give you a better idea.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/thestudio/

We are often looking at portfolios for freelancers and internships. The studio doesn’t currently hire interns but other departments often ask us for recommendations.  It would be great to connect with any graphics / illustration /environmental or industrial design students that might be interested in internships. Or alumni /graduates that are interested in freelance opportunities.
There currently is a Systems Design Internship opportunity for Early Mission Formulation. This a hands-on opportunity, fast paced and geared towards design thinking, industrial / product design.
As for interest in the studio can email here: studio.questions@jpl.nasa.gov
Any interested students should apply at the link below for either Summer or Year Round Internships.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/intern/apply/

Alumni Interview: Ginine Gordon

Below are excerpts from a conversation between Queens College Design graduate Ginine Gordon (Class of 2017), and Assistant Professor Ryan Hartley Smith about entering the job market after graduation, and advice for current and prospective Design Majors.

Ginine Gordon


RHS: Hi Ginine, thanks for doing this! What are you doing professionally now that you’ve graduated?
GG: I am an Art Director [at Ogilvy, an NYC advertising agency].
RHS: Entering into the professional field of design is extremely competitive and it can be difficult for recent graduates to balance supporting themselves, making new work for their portfolio, and networking / applying for jobs. How has this process been going for you?
GG: I knew the design industry was a highly competitive field and it would be difficult to find a job. I can’t stress enough how fortunate I am to have been a part of the One Club internship program. Professor Weinstein and Justin [from the One Club] found an agency that was the perfect fit for me, and I’m fortunate the agency has kept me on the team long term.
RHS: How would you describe the work you’re making now?
GG: I love the work I’m doing now. I enjoy the challenge it brings. Plus, I get to make gifs for a living, how many people can say that?

(c) Ginine Gordon


RHS: What are your professional goals for the near future? How do you plan on achieving them?
GG: I want to experience many different kinds of projects. I plan on developing my skills at multiple agencies as a senior Art Director or a Creative director. I want to be able to grow and evolve on more than one team.
RHS: Did you participate in an internship while at Queens College? If so, what was it? How did you get it? And what was the experience like?
GG: Yes, I completed two internships while at Queens College, both under the One Club. During my last two semesters, I submitted my design portfolio and resume into a competition headed by Professor Weinstein. The One Club then selected 7 students to intern at big agencies. I was fortunate enough to be chosen both times. My first internship at BBDO was a culture shock experience.The environment was faster-paced than I expected, but, it gave me a great taste of the advertising world. My second internship, which was at the agency I currently work for, was even better. I was able to get a lot of great feedback on my book. I was eventually scouted by a Creative Director. He said he always liked to pass my desktop to see what I was working on, including my book. I thanked him and gave him my card. The next day I was told he wanted to hire me on his team. In one word, it was awesomeness times two.

(c) Ginine Gordon


RHS: What was your favorite Design course at QC and why?
GG: My favorite design course was book design with Natalya Balnova (yes this is a shout out). It was one of the first times I had a professor kick me into high gear. There was no sugar coating in class. We also had a chance to make great projects for our books. My advice for students considering a major in design is to understand this is not the “easier” courses. This major will take a lot of time to master (I’m not even one yet!). But, it is worth it. It’s not a major that is not really grade focused (although you should always aim for that A!), but more about the quality of the work that you produce. Half-a**ing is not welcome.

(c) Ginine Gordon


RHS: What advice do you have for students who are considering pursuing a major in Design?
GG: One Club, One Club and if I forgot to mention, One Club. It’s the go-to place for a chance at internships with big companies. Professor Weinstein is always posting new internship opportunities on her website. A clean resume and portfolio are a given, and it should be on your personal website. I’m not going to tell you what your professors have probably been telling you forever, but it is important.

(c) Ginine Gordon


RHS: What advice do you have for QC Design majors who are beginning to search for internships and their first Design industry job(s) after graduation?
GG: I would definitely apply to more internships during my time there. I would have also taken more After Effects courses. I found that in this business, most art directors don’t know how to use After Effects and most clients like motion in their work.

(c) Ginine Gordon


RHS: Where can we see your portfolio (website, behance, anything else you want to share…)?
GG: My website is ginine-gordon.squarespace.com. I also actively make gifs for Ibmblr from time to time, so you van see my work there as well. Make sure to also check out Art with Watson, the Josephine Baker portrait. I was an art director on that team.
RHS: Thanks Ginine!
GG: Happy Designing!

(c) Ginine Gordon

Alumni Interview: Freddy Japa

Below are excerpts from a conversation between Queens College Design graduate Freddy Japa (Class of 2017), and Assistant Professor Ryan Hartley Smith about entering the job market after graduation, and advise for students considering a major and career in Design.

Freddy Japa


RHS: Hi Freddy! What have you been up to since graduation?
FJ: I‘ve been keeping myself busy on personal projects for my portfolio. Professionally I have been doing freelance work for clients thanks to social media. I am also currently applying to internships to obtain more experience and hopping to soon be part of a well-known agency.

(c) Freddy Japa


RHS: Entering into the professional field of design is extremely competitive and it can be difficult for recent graduates to balance supporting themselves, making new work for their portfolio, and networking / applying for jobs. How has this process been going for you?
FJ: Entering into the professional field has been competitive. There are many talented individuals in the field. Using the social media platform like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Behance have helped me a lot in exposing my work and networking. Throughout the social media platform I have been able to obtain many clients since I am currently a freelancer. LinkedIn has also become a great resource for me right now, as I am applying for both jobs and internships. For me exposing my work on every social media has really helped me a lot, I believe the more you expose your work the more individuals get to see it and could be a potential client.
RHS: How would you describe the work you’re making now, (both professional and personal work)?
FJ: Lately I have been focusing more on logo design and character design for clothing brands that are both small and large businesses. A recent project I worked on was creating a logo for a new restaurant called the “Kings of Tacos”. It was a nice experience and pretty awesome to see a restaurant use a logo I created.

King of Tacos branding (c) Freddy Japa


RHS: You’ve done an amazing job at developing a huge social media following for your work. How did you make this happen and how is it useful for your career?
FJ: At the beginning I was very scared to put my work on social media. My fear was that my work would not be good enough and that people would dislike it. I ignored my fears and gave it a try, posting all my work on social media. The outcome was amazing! I was surprised to see how many people loved my work.  I was completely over my fear and posted kept posting more of my work. People did not only like my stuff but started to contact me for design work ( logos. T-shirt designs, business cards etc.). I would definitely recommend using social media, it’s free so take advantage of it to expose your work to the world.
RHS: What are your professional goals for the near future? How do you plan on achieving them?
FJ: My professional goals for the near future is to create more work and try to develop my style more, so agencies can see what I am capable of creating. I would also like to work on getting more people to know about my work and expose my work more. I recently started a YouTube channel with videos of how my work is done in time-lapse.

Twelve Clothing T-Shirt Design (c) Freddy Japa


RHS: Did you participate in an internship while at Queens College? If so, what was it? How did you get it? And what was the experience like?
FJ: I did participate in an internship while I was at QC. It was at an advertising agency J. Walter Thompson. I did this internship with other fellow friends from QC. The [Winter Semester] One Club program guided us into getting the internship.  The experience was really amazing because it gave me an glimpse of how a agency actually functions and we had the opportunity to work alongside with head of art/ design to develop concepts for advertising campaigns.
RHS: What was your favorite Design course at QC and why?
FJ: The course that I enjoyed in QC was poster design. The instructor was Natalya Balnovaa, and I enjoyed her way of teaching the course. I also loved how she would challenge us and push us to work harder. She helped me develop my style eve more. I learned a lot and enjoyed creating poster designs and other projects.

Felix the Cat Poster Project (c) Freddy Japa


RHS: What advice do you have for students who are considering pursuing a major in design?
FJ: The advice that I have for QC design major who are considering into pursuing a major in design is to work super hard all the time and to never be shy in asking for advice or help. I use to be shy and that held me behind a lot. The second I stopped being shy I started to ask help into building my portfolio. Thanks to all the feedback from great instructors I was able to build a strong portfolio. My last advice would be to get many internships because experience is very important.
RHS: What advice do you have for QC design majors who are beginning to search for internship and their first design industry jobs after graduation?
FJ: The advice that I have for QC design major who are beginning to search for internship and their first design industry jobs after graduation is to have a really solid portfolio. Have a lot of variation of projects from school and personal projects.

JL Carpentry Interior Branding (c) Freddy Japa


RHS: If you had to go through the QC design program again, what would you do differently?
FJ: If I had to go through the design program again, I would work even harder to create better projects for my portfolio, but most of all work on my typography.
RHS: Where can we see your portfolio?
FJ: You can all check out my work on my website www.japadesigns.com. I am also on various social media which are all listed on my website. I also have a YouTube channel- japadesigns, which you can subscribe to and watch some speed art videos of my work.

Design Major Receives Prestigious Honor for Illustration

Congrats to recent QC Design Alumnus Jiemin Yang, who is a winner in one of the most prestigious student illustration competitions in the country!
Every year since 1981 the Society of Illustrators holds the annual Student Scholarship Competition. This year, a little over 200 works were chosen from more than 8,000 entries submitted by professors of college-level students nationwide. The work is judged by professional illustrators and art directors. Pieces are accepted based on the quality of technique, concept and skill of medium used.

(C) Jiemin Yang, 2016


Jiemin’s piece “Foodie Town,” which he created in Assistant Professor Ryan Hartley Smith’s Illustration II course, is now on display at the Society of Illustrators along with the other winning entries. The exhibition is up now through June 3rd. More information here.