Two weeks ago, I officially wrapped up the semester and attended Portfolio Night. The centerpiece was the Big Brothers Big Sisters website redesign. Hearing feedback from peers and professionals was incredibly validating; the most consistent compliments focused on visual clarity – how much cleaner and more intuitive the site looked compared to where we started.
But in design, a successful gallery night doesn’t mean the work stops. Immediately afterward, I was hit with yet another round of revisions from BBBS. Instead of letting the frustration stall me, I leaned into the final phase of the project: handing over the keys.
BBBS: The Final Hand-Off
Last week was all about empowerment. I built a comprehensive Squarespace tutorial tailored specifically to their new 9-color layout and Fluid Engine setup. Once that was complete, I spent an hour in a live training session with the BBBS team, walking them through the back-end infrastructure so they can maintain the site long after my internship ends.
Right now, the site is sitting on the launchpad. We are just waiting for the final green light to transfer the domain and official ownership over to their team. For all the hurdles, shifting requirements, and moments of “friction” this project threw at me, the final product is beautiful, and the clients are genuinely thrilled. It taught me that a designer’s job isn’t just to build something pretty; it’s to deliver a tool the client actually knows how to use.
West Bend School District: Building the Presence
While one door is closing, another has swung wide open. Now that my HR paperwork is finalized, I have officially started my work for the West Bend School District. While the website work is still on the horizon, I’ve jumped straight into the driver’s seat of their social media marketing, focusing on building a robust digital presence.
Instead of just posting blindly, I started my first week by conducting extensive research into what other school districts in Southeastern Wisconsin are doing with their social platforms. Analyzing our regional neighbors has given me incredible insight into what resonates with local families. I’m looking at how they highlight student success, handle community announcements, and utilize video content. This competitive analysis is helping me map out a distinct content strategy for West Bend – ensuring our social media isn’t just noise, but a purposeful, engaging, and image-forward window into our schools.
School district social media isn’t just about posting updates; it’s about storytelling. It’s about highlighting student achievements, showcasing classroom innovation, and creating a cohesive visual brand that the community feels connected to. Shifting my brain from the rigid grid systems of web design to the fast-paced, content-driven world of social media marketing is an exciting challenge, and it’s giving me a much broader understanding of digital strategy.
With the semester officially behind me, looking back at the trajectory of these projects is surreal. I went from wrestling with platform limitations to training clients on how to navigate them, all while stepping into a marketing role for a major public school system.