Austin Taylor

PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

(PCA&D) I am a senior at PCA&D studying to be a graphic designer. Over the past three years, I realized that I enjoy graphic design more than I thought I would. Before going to college I didn’t know what I was going to do; all I knew was that I liked creating stuff. So I took a shot in the dark and went to school for graphic design and I’ve been enjoying it ever since. I was part of PCA&D’s 2022 winning team for America250PA’s statewide marketing competition. I am a big fan of the automotive industry so when I have the chance to design something related to that, it’s always a fun time. As a designer, I want to push myself to be the best version I can be by taking on unique challenges and seeing how far I can go.

WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO IN YOUR FIELD? EITHER TODAY OR HISTORICALLY?

The person that I look up to would have to be my design teacher from high school, Mr. Lewis. He was the one who showed me what the design world was and that I could make a living from it.

DO YOU CURRENTLY, OR DO YOU PLAN TO, DESIGN FOR ANY CAUSES OR CHARITIES?

As part of the college’s in-house design team, The Agency, I’ve created the branding for several area non-profits. I also participated on Designathon teams for two years, creating one-day branding work for nonprofit organizations.

DO YOU FEEL THAT DESIGN SCHOOL HAS PREPARED YOU TO SEARCH FOR AND FIND A JOB?

Yes, I feel that design school helped me prepare for finding jobs. One way is through my work with The Agency, where I took on a leadership role as the Creative Director, learning how to manage the workflow for several projects and supervise and assign work. As The Agency’s first student leader, I also created a Guidebook to help those who take on this role after me.