Paolo Rendon: Graduate Story – Graphic Design & Web Development
Meet Paolo Rendon, a Graphic Design & Web Development graduate from F.I.R.S.T. Institute. Paolo had many interests in the Digital Media Industry and honed his talents to use graphic design in his musical involvement. From being a musician to selling t-shirts, Paolo quickly realized he could use his love of design and create a career after attending F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
Where It All Began
Paolo had always been interested in art and creative work from a young age. He used to sell t-shirts when he was a child as he was known to have an eye for design.
Paolo dove deeper into the entertainment industry with his interests in music and film and realized that graphic design was a huge part of it all. Paolo came to see that the entertainment industry dealt with a lot of prints, logos, flyers, etc., and all of this tied together for him when he came into the Graphic Design & Web Development program at F.I.R.S.T. Institute.
From Music to Marketing
Paolo found from his interests that marketing is a consistent part of the entertainment industry. He credits the Graphic Design & Web Development program for helping him to keep up with industry trends and teaching him how to make his work look sharp for clients. He now uses these new skills to market his band and create awareness for his personal brand.
Taking Sketches and Making a Career
Paolo says he always carried a sketchpad with him when he was younger. Once he grew older, he realized there is money to be made with his sketches. F.I.R.S.T. Institute opened up his eyes even further when he realized he could turn his sketches into digital art. He explored the world of logos and other useful art for businesses during his time at F.I.R.S.T. and took these ideas with him post-graduation.
One-On-One Interaction with Instructors & Classmates at F.I.R.S.T.
Paolo knew that because he was already in the career field, he needed to make his time in class worthwhile. He enjoyed the fact that F.I.R.S.T. Institute offers small class sizes so he could have one-on-one time with the teachers. Paolo appreciated being able to ask questions and feel accomplished during his time in the classroom.
Paolo appreciated being able to work individually as well as with group members. In Web Development, Paolo remembers working on a group project where each team member contributed to the coding for a website.
Seeing Your Work in the World
Paolo says he really enjoyed the logo project that he completed in one of his courses at F.I.R.S.T. Institute. He loved seeing an idea from a sketch pad come to life in digital media and then make its way in the world on merchandise and signs. One of the best feelings for Paolo is driving by an establishment and seeing your logo work displayed for the world to see.
Coming Full Circle
Paolo details how rewarding it was to see his education come full circle in his life. Paolo had always been into music and decided to take the skills learned at F.I.R.S.T. Institute to market his band. His band was performing at Ace Café and before the show, Paolo used all his knowledge from school to create a marketing campaign and bring people to his performance. With the use of his graphic design and videos skills learned at F.I.R.S.T., Paolo made flyers and commercials and ended up packing the venue.
Advice for F.I.R.S.T. Institute Students
Never be afraid to fail. Find different opportunities and do your best, but if it doesn’t work out it’s okay. Brush yourself off and get up, because you can only come back stronger. Take things back to the drawing board to see what went wrong in your trials, and then keep trying because you’ll only improve. Involve yourself in many projects to give you the experience you’ll need to succeed.
