The visit that became an interview
In September, our class planned a visit to a design studio. We thought that we would watch someone create a poster and then try the software ourselves. A student wrote on our planning sheet that everyone would leave with a finished design. The designer had not promised this; it was our own expectation. A week before the visit, the studio had to change its schedule. The designer offered an online interview instead. At first, we were disappointed because we had been looking forward to seeing the equipment. Then our teacher asked what we actually wanted to learn about the profession. We realised that using one program would answer only a small part of that question. We prepared questions about clients, revisions, deadlines and teamwork. During the interview, the designer explained that she spent a great deal of time clarifying what people needed. She showed two versions of a poster and described why a beautiful first draft had been difficult to read from a distance. We had expected a lesson about drawing, but we learned about communication and practical limits. Afterwards, we revised our own event poster using the same questions about audience and purpose. The changed plan did not give us the experience we had imagined in September. It gave us a different, useful way to explore the work behind a finished product.