Back at the old stomping grounds. Jose got to relive some of his fondest college memories hanging out with ACU’s senior graphic design students this week for a workshop. Instead of offering a masterclass on typefaces or Illustrator, Jose wanted to teach the students something they wouldn’t learn in a typical design class: the pitch.

A few weeks ago, Jose had the students read a brief and try their hand at working within the confines of the client’s request to test their skills at strategy in branding. Monday, he sat in on the class and had them pitch the work, asking them to explain the reason behind every design element in their project, like how a certain color choice would make the product stand out on the shelf, or how an illustrated element would appeal to a wider audience.

It was difficult, it was stressful, and it was awesome. The students were excited to learn more about a skill they’d need in the “real world” of graphic design, and they had some great conversations with Jose about what it takes to really sell your work. We always have a great time working with young designers, and getting to work with them at our alma mater is even better.