Alexandra Del Tufo
Experiencing the crossroads of art and business
As a junior graphic design major, Alexandra Del Tufo, considered changing her major to nursing. She craved a switch in a totally different direction. Turns out, she didn’t end up making that switch, and she has her semester-long graphic design internship to thank for that. Her experience interning with King Fish Media helped her realize that graphic design was exactly where she wanted to be.
Del Tufo says the experiential learning was invaluable, “No class is going to be able to teach the aspect of actually being there from 9-5, Monday through Thursday, being really involved in the company, client work, and associating yourself with the client and communicating with them.” She says, “It’s wild how much you can actually learn in the workplace.”
According to Del Tufo, she was thrown straight into King Fish Media’s fast-paced environment and was treated like an employee from the get-go—never an intern. “I felt comfortable enough, and independent enough that I didn’t have to go to my supervisor all the time. I was part of the company,” she says.
She stresses, “The internship really changed my whole opinion about graphic design. Having art and business mixed together makes for many opportunities.” Not only did she discover the potential of art and business, she also learned how to effectively prioritize when it comes to design, got an insider perspective of an art director’s role and process, and gained experience interacting directly with clients.