During her sophomore year at Woodland, Emma Conway was furiously searching the course directory booklet in hopes of finding an art class to add to her schedule when she stumbled upon a course called Graphic Design. In this class, students learn how to use design programs, like Photoshop and Illustrator, to make graphics to be used in logos, posters and even t-shirts.
“I just wanted another studio art class to pick up,” Conway recalls. “But, graphic design sounded pretty cool and it fit in my schedule so I decided to give it a try.”
And by “just giving it a try” Conway found her passion.
“I got really involved in the class and just fell in love with it,” said Conway.
Not only did Conway continue with higher-level Graphic Design classes, she expanded her skills by getting involved with the WRHSMedia Art Department. With the Journalism Department, Conway began making graphic art for and designing advertisements to go in the newspaper.
“As I began doing more design for different clubs outside of Graphic Design class I kind of became a freelance designer,” said Conway.
A number of different organizations in and around the Woodland community began approaching Conway to create graphics for them over the past year. Conway has designed t-shirts for the Football team and the Tennis team, and shirts for clubs like the National Honor Society and Poetry Club.
She has also re-designed the graphics in the advertisement booklet for the Woodland Football Booster Club. Recently Conway has also been working for the Public Defender’s Office of Waterbury, creating visual aids for court trails.
“So with all this work I was doing I began to think about how I could take my designing a step further, possibly make a career out of it” said Conway.
So Conway chose to create her own identity for herself as a graphic designer by forming her own business, ETC Designs. Right now, most of the business that Conway does for ETC Designs is for the Woodland community and connections from Conway’s parents. She is hoping that her identity as ETC Design will expand her cliental.
“With ETC Designs, I’m not just a person I’m a business. I’m really hoping that people will be more open to hiring me to design things for them this way,” Conway said.
Conway says that forming her graphic design business has also helped her narrow down her college choice.
“I want to go to school and major in graphic design and then I’m hoping to expand ETC Designs throughout college,” said Conway.
For information on the work that Conway does, she can be contacted at etcetera.designs@yahoo.com .
