Hi, I’m Ruut, current Art Director of Aalto University Business Students KY. I come from outside of KY, with a very different background from the business school. However, I have studied in Aalto Arts, so KY wasn’t completely unfamiliar. Nonetheless, the KY community welcomes the “outsiders” with open arms and embraces new ideas and knowledge from other disciplines. So this position comes with supporting coworkers that will always assist in any questions or doubts you might have.
The Art Director is responsible for visual materials in KY, so the tasks may vary a lot, which also makes the role very versatile and fun. The AD is a visual planner, a graphic designer, illustrator and sometimes a photographer in one package. The tasks may include for example designing social media templates, creating business cards, leaflets and other graphic design materials, creating visual content to KY’s internal communication, designing merchandisers, photographing etc. AD is also responsible for the layout and visuality of Kylteri magazine together with the Editor-in-Chief. So you will need good organizational skills alongside basic knowledge of Adobe programs, good visual eye and also some basic illustration and photographic skills are a benefit. AD gets a lot of creative freedom, which also allows you to bring your own project ideas to the table. So in the end, how your year as an AD at KY will look, is mostly up to you.
What I appreciate the most about working as an AD at KY, is the creative freedom and the responsibility you have for your own work. It has given me the opportunity to learn new design skills as well as refine the old ones. For example, I have been very interested in learning more about motion design and animation. Within the year, I have been able to implement that to the work I’ve done, which will be highly beneficial later on. Where your interests lie in design, whether it’s illustration, photography, animation, graphic design or something else, this community is an open-minded, fun and safe place that gives you the opportunity to also develop your own skills.
Many projects during this year have been a blast, but what makes it more meaningful is the community around. It’s uplifting to see how much emphasis is put to the wellbeing of each individual as well as the group.
After all, my year at KY has been fun and easygoing. I’ve felt welcomed and I’ve felt like my work has been highly appreciated. It’s been a great job aside from my other work projects, allowing me to work half time as a freelancer as well.
