When I found out that I had been accepted to SWOOP, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Now that I have been in it this summer, I can truly say it has been one of the greatest creative experiences I’ve been a part of.
Meeting so many different clients, working on various projects, it has shown me how
vigorous a career in advertising can be. Being one of the three art directors on the team, it is our responsibility to conceptualize ideas presented by the rest of the team as well as keeping to the vision of the client. Because of this, you have to be prepared to constantly revise what you’ve created. Sometimes it means changing a couple things while other times, it means you have to completely start all
over. This makes it frustrating because of the many projects going on at the same time. You think you are finally done, allowing you to put your time and attention on another project but more times than not you are sadly mistaken.
I don’t write this to discourage anyone from joining this program. I actually want to recommend it to all students who want to see what the advertising world has to offer after college - or at least catch a glimpse of it. At first it might seem very overwhelming, but after some time you will start to realize that you are part of something special.
One of the keys of being successful in SWOOP is to have an open mind. There are so many ideas being discussed, it’s so easy for you to stick to your idea, but way harder to listen to others. By allowing yourself to be immersed in other people’s
ideas, you allow yourself to grow personally and professionally.
Second, time management is key. Each project will have different time constraints and obstacles. Best way to counteract this is making sure you give yourself enough time for each project. This includes time for any changes that you might need to
do. If you want to be a creative in SWOOP and don’t know how to build up to it, I would recommend making a solid portfolio of your work when you apply. All you need is creativity and good knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.