I remember first falling in love with graphic design back in 9th grade when doing layouts in Microsoft Word was totally acceptable. Then, a year later I started taking some Graphic Arts classes offered by my high school and QuarkXpress came into my life. QuarkXpress took me on a journey of designing layouts after layouts of the smallest projects. Note pads, calendars, business card (who needs business cards in 10th grade)? The Graphic Arts program was actually a great introduction to the hands-on aspect of design. Our lab was complete from a dark room for shooting negatives to make printing plates for our industrial-sized offset printing presses to the large industrial cutting machine. We were fully equiped and I couldn’t have been happier. I was in the lab day in to day out and I enjoyed it more than anything.

Years later, I am still sitting in front of my computer creating layouts after layouts with the same youthful enthusiasm, only now with a more cultivated eye for the estetic. To me the beauty in design is in the details and my satisfaction comes from the process, and that’s why I still like being at the “lab”.