Summer is finally here, and with it comes warm weather, cool cocktails, and a fresh batch of Lemonly interns.
We’re thrilled to welcome Alex and Deirdre to the team as our 2024 SLICE cohort. Interns from past years (including yours truly) have made some incredible work at Lemonly, and we have no doubt that this talented duo will do the same. In fact, we happen to know they’re getting ready to serve up their first infographic soon. 🥒🏓
Here’s their take on Lemonly’s classic Q&A. Read on to learn more about their time exploring Sioux Falls, their lives at Lemonly so far, and their shared love of design and spinach artichoke dip.
The basics
Tell us a little about your background. Hometown? College and major? Past jobs?
Alex: I have been in South Dakota my whole life (which is both a blessing and a curse). I attended Southeast Technical College for two years, majoring in digital media production. Throughout college, I worked as a video content creator for a local e-commerce company, which is a fancy way of saying I created commercials for products sold on Amazon. I also do freelance videography for weddings and other projects.
Deirdre: I grew up in Westchester, NY, about an hour and a half north of NYC. I just graduated from the University of Cincinnati this spring with a degree in graphic design (go Cats!). Before interning at Lemonly, I was fortunate to have other internships in Dallas, Salt Lake City, and NYC.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Alex: In my free time, you’ll most likely find me hanging out with my friends and girlfriend. We’re probably out exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, watching sports, or walking around downtown Sioux Falls. On the rare occasion I have some alone time, I spend it playing guitar or flying my FPV drone.
Deirdre: Right now, I’m teaching myself how to rollerblade. It’s a little iffy since I don’t know how to stop yet, but I’m definitely getting good use out of my knee pads. Any other free time I have this summer will most likely be spent exploring Sioux Falls. I’m looking forward to coffee shop hopping and weekly farmers markets.
A few favorite things
What’s your favorite app? Appetizers or mobile apps are both fair game.
Alex: Apps are my favorite foods, so I like ‘em all. Recently, I’ve taken a liking to spinach artichoke dip, especially when it has melted cheese on top. As far as my favorite mobile app goes, I have to give the crown to YouTube. It’s the Swiss Army knife of apps, combining entertainment and education.
Deirdre: No Super Bowl party would be complete without a spinach artichoke dip. I’m still working on finding the perfect recipe.
What’s your favorite genre of music to work to?
Alex: I love all kinds of music when I’m working, but my go-to band is the greatest band ever, The Band CAMINO.
Deirdre: Does Taylor Swift count as a genre? (Kidding! Sort of.) If I need to get work done, my go-to is Taylor Swift’s reputation. It activates my inner beast mode, and I see how much I can do within that hour (well, 55 minutes to be exact).
Do you have a favorite podcast, blog, or source of design inspiration you’d recommend?
Alex: I wish I had more, to be honest! If you have any good ones, shoot them my way. Recently, I’ve been really inspired by Eli Corbett, who makes awesome graphics for athletes.
Deirdre: That’s a hard question because Lemonly used to be the website/blog that I would show people! Instead, I’ll say Lauren Hom, one of my favorite lettering artists. She mixes her passion for baking with lettering and illustration and creates stunning pieces out of food!
Life at Lemonly
What drew you to Lemonly?
Alex: I was immediately drawn to Lemonly because of the culture and how they presented themselves as a brand. Sioux Falls is a smaller city and can feel a bit mundane compared to larger cities, so it was amazing to see a local company producing such high-quality work for major clients.
Deirdre: One night, I Googled, “What is the best company that does infographic design?” Lo and behold, Lemonly popped up. I was in awe of the beautiful illustration and storytelling and have been a fan ever since! It’s wild how one Google search can alter the course of your life and cause you to move 1,000 miles away from home.
Name one dream client and why Lemonly should work with them.
Alex: From a design perspective, creating something for Apple would be fun. They’re on the cutting edge of technology, and their designs always reflect that. Tim Cook, if you’re reading this, maybe Lemonly can animate the next keynote.
Deirdre: The Tour de France! It’s such a difficult racing event, but most people aren’t aware of all the nuances and strategies that go into it. If Americans knew the ins and outs of the race, so many more people would watch it.
Share a goal you have for the summer.
Alex: My main goal this summer is to level up my skills in 3D animation. I’d also love to be able to beat the “Manimators” (our trio of full-time motion designers) in a game of Duck Game.
Deirdre: I’d love to hone my illustration and drawing skills more. The creative team at Lemonly is so prolific in that regard, and they motivate me to be better every day.
Diving deeper
Name something on your bucket list.
Alex: I’d love to travel to Egypt and visit the great pyramids of Giza.
Deirdre: I recently decided I would love to run a marathon. Am I a runner? No. Am I going to start running? Also no. But I do think about running, which is virtually the same thing, right? And if this is a bucket list item, I have my whole life to complete it. So stay tuned for when I break out the running shoes when I’m 80.
As a kid, what did you say you were going to be when you grew up?
Alex: It probably changed every day because I was always finding new things to be interested in, but a few I remember are a professional Lego builder (yes, that’s a thing) and a train conductor.
Deirdre: I wanted to be a bunch of different things. Before I settled on graphic design, I thought I would be an astrophysicist. Looking back, that would have been a big mistake, so I’m grateful I ended up in design instead.
What is one thing about yourself that would surprise people?
Alex: I think people would be surprised to learn I love to cook. I keep it under wraps, though, because once the secret’s out, I’ll be everyone’s personal chef!
Deirdre: That there are two of me. I am an identical twin!
What question are you dying to answer that we haven’t asked?
Alex: Are Legos for kids?
Deirdre: Do you want to play darts?
What’s the answer?
Alex: Absolutely not!!!
Deirdre: *whips out my favorite darts from my pocket* Game on.
And the most important question of all…
If you had to pick one for the rest of your life: burritos or pizza? Why?
Alex: Pizza is one of the most versatile foods out there. It can be served as breakfast or dessert, so you can’t go wrong with it. 🍕
Deirdre: I would be dishonoring my New York roots if I didn’t say a nice piece of thin-crust pizza. Full disclosure, though: I like pineapple on my pizza. Please don’t fire me! 🍕
And with that double victory for Team Pizza, that does it for now! This won’t be the last time you hear from this zesty crew, though. Stay tuned throughout the summer for intern Instagram takeovers, infographics, and more.
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