Alyssa Miller

Major: Visual Communication Design
Graduation Year: 2018

I began working as a student design and marketing intern in the E3 Program at CDME in January of 2016. In my last year and a half, I watched the Program grow and change as CDME acquired new staff, projects and offices. As the main creator of our foundational marketing material, I always felt a sense of importance and value in my work at CDME. Not only did I create original content for the Center, but for real companies and University groups as well. My E3 responsibilities required me to interact with CDME partners and clients on a daily basis, working with them on real-world projects and following a fast-paced timeline. Receiving this experience as a student has been crucial to my professional development and the refinement of my design skills. As a visual communication design student, I felt that I was ready to enter the design industry with the skills required to keep up with professional demands.

The main takeaway from my E3 experience was that nothing prepares you for the workforce better than diving into projects that you have never done before. Although classroom experiences are crucial to design education, interacting with projects that affect the physical world and the people for which you are designing allows you to truly understand the design process. This process teaches you how to be adaptable, solve problems and collaborate with others. These were extremely valuable experiences during my time in the E3 Program.

After working for one year in the E3 program, CDME connected me with Ikove, a venture development firm based in Columbus. Ikove focuses on pursuing early-stage investments with emphasis on the commercialization of technology. As Ikove’s new design intern, I created brand and marketing material for Ikove’s portfolio companies and their base technologies. Specifically, I worked with companies that specialized in medical technology. Due to my E3 experience, I was comfortable and confident stepping into these projects. My E3 Program experience provided the portfolio material needed to prepare me for the next steps in my career.

Photos

Alyssa and other CDME students
Alyssa is second from the left

Alyssa working with Instron equipment
Alyssa is on the right