The name’s Fiers, Liza Fiers. I am a soon-to-be senior graphic design student all the way from Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. My university’s graphic design program requires an internship after junior year. Now don’t get me wrong; Indiana is great. I was born and raised in the Hoosier state and I’m proud to call it home. However, I knew this was the summer I needed to get away. What better place to go than Colorado?

So, on a leap of faith, I got online and searched for “Colorado graphic design firms” and applied to a few. Oblique Design stood out to me not only because of the small size, but also because of the owner, Janice. She too moved from her home state to Colorado, and I took comfort in knowing someone had gone through what I was about to endure. I applied, and was soon offered the intern position.

I’ve been in Boulder and with Oblique Design almost 5 weeks now. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. My last internship was designing for MainSource Bank. It was very corporate and structured, so I knew Oblique was about to be vastly different.

Here are a few things I’ve learned so far at Oblique:
1. Small agencies are fun!
Working at a small, three-person agency has been enjoyable. It allows you to create intimate relationships much quicker than at a large agency. It’s been cool to see how a small firm made up of different people can feed off of one another and hold their own against larger firms.

2. Interns matter.
Just because you’re an intern does not mean you’re unimportant. My coworkers have been in my shoes, and they want me to get the most out of my time here. The people here at Oblique Design have been very welcoming and beyond helpful.

3. Be bold.
When I first started at Oblique Design, I immediately had the dreaded realization: “I’m not sure if design is what I want to do.” I was stressed, constantly upset, and putting way too much pressure on myself. Unbeknownst to me, my coworkers could tell. I finally worked up the courage to meet with Janice about how I had been feeling. This conversation was a wave of relief. My coworkers have been so great and flexible with me, and have been allowing me to explore different areas of the business aside from design. I’ve learned that good things happen when you’re honest and not afraid to ask for help.

So, I’m almost halfway through with my internship at Oblique Design and summer in Boulder. It’s already notably different than I ever imagined. I never thought I would be questioning a career choice I used to be so passionate about. So, I’ll continue this journey of finding myself, and check back at the end of the summer.