Graziella's Journey as a Junior Designer at the ArtSciLab

Graziella “Ela” Detecio worked on the ArtSciLab team as a Junior Designer. During her time here, she contributed to the design of project and marketing materials of the lab. As it’s time for her to move on to the next step in her career, Yvan Tina, team leader of Creative Disturbance, sat down with Ela and asked her a few questions as a part of her transition out of the ArtSciLab.
What attracted her to the ArtSciLab position?
Ela found the ArtSciLab through cofounder, Cassini Nazir. This job was a chance for her to gain design and marketing experience and work toward her career goals: consulting or client-based work for a creative marketing or design firm.
How did Ela rate her experience the ArtSciLab overall?
Towards the end, the position was not exactly what Ela expected it to be. She was expecting more graphic design and marketing work from the position and would have preferred it if there were clear goals because some of the ideas were good but seemed to “trickle into obscurity.” Creative Disturbance, though, was an overall good experience.
Is there any new skill or insight that Ela has acquired through the experience?
Ela valued the experience running the ArtSciLab website, as well as the exposure to academic research conducted in a lab.
What would she change from her experience?
After Ela’s mentor Cassini transitioned, she felt lost in her role. A more consistent art/design supervisor would have been ideal.
According to Ela, what makes a good manager and what should be their attributes?
Ela says it’s important for a manager to set an overall vision for the team by identifying practical goals to work towards. She valued Roger encouraging students to pursue their interests within the lab
What are some difficulties of teamwork?
Communication with the team is a difficulty. She found that horizontal hierarchy presents challenges for the younger student workers. Using Trello and Airtable for transparency and progress tracking can improve these issues within the lab.
What project management experience did she learn?
“I learned a lot” Ela says. The structured nature of Creative Disturbance taught her that organization can lead to improved productivity.
Where is she heading next?
Ela is joining the Student Union and Activities Advisory Board (SUAAB) at UT Dallas to work with the marketing chair on developing awareness of SUAAB on campus.