Ellie Benson
Graphic Designer
Senior, University of Arkansas
ecbenson318@gmail.com
@ecb.png
As I am preparing to graduate from the University of Arkansas, I am reflective on the time that I have spent growing in the Graphic Design program. I have built a wonderful community with my peers, and I want to show how grateful I am to each of them. As I work on my degree project, I am focusing on how to build a community through common interests at a wider scale than a thirty-two-person cohort.
Presently at Work
I have worked at Red Kite Coffee Company since before my Freshman year at the university. I began doing the design projects for my boss a year ago, but I have loved each menu I have made since. By talking with each team member, I can make something we all love as much as we enjoy each other.
I realize that, as a designer without industry experience yet, I might not understand the workings of an agency or industry-level projects. It is all right that I don’t have every answer, as I can work to understand everything better. I am confident that I am adaptable, kind, and a hard worker. I can sit down to understand a problem, to understand it first, then solve it. If the answer continuously escapes me, I can admit that I don’t know and will ask my teammates for help when I need it.
Kindness makes a better work environment with openness, and that helps everyone grow at the end of the day. If I can adapt and continue to work hard, then I can help grow a strong, healthy community with my peers.
Red Kite Coffee Company
Assistant Manager and Drink Trainer
July 2022 - Present
University of Arkansas
Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and a Minor in Art History
Skill Mastery
Adobe Creative Cloud
Figma
Canva
Microsoft Office
Typography
Branding
Layout
Color Theory