Linda Varghese Joseph

B.F.A., 2000, Communication Design: Graphic Design
Creative Director, Corgan MediaLab
Corgan Associates, Inc., Dallas

About

I enjoy finding new and creative ways to apply my experience and to leverage my strong management, communication and organizational skills for professional growth. I believe the only way to stay creative is to never stop learning, so I love exploring new ideas and experiences with others.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I work at Corgan, as a creative director for their MediaLab, where I conceptualize and direct a wide variety of project types such as renderings, motion graphics, videos, animations, and immersive experiences such as VR and AR. Previously I was in the Digital Design department at Fossil for a little over 15 years, where I went after obtaining a B.F.A. in Communication Design from the University of North Texas. Outside of work I devote most of my free time to the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of AIGA. I’ve been volunteering with them since 2017, initially supporting their diversity and inclusion initiatives and now serving as the chapter secretary.

What are your thoughts about keeping art and design in school curricula in K-12 and in higher education?

I believe there are two major benefits to keeping art and design in school. The first benefit is that students have demonstrated improved personal and academic performance when they have access to an arts education. The second benefit is that students need to learn that they can have a successful career in art or design - and how to do it — so we can continue to build a diverse and talented pool of creatives in the workforce.

What have you done in your career where you weren’t sure what the result of the outcome would be?

When I accepted the job offer with Corgan, I was very nervous about leaving my comfort zone. I was going from directing a team of fellow graphic designers to create things like websites, emails, and ad banners to directing a team of videographers, editors, motion designers, and visual effects artists to produce things I’ve never made before and had zero experience with. I was also not sure if leaving the world of UX/UI for something so different would be smart in the long term. It’s been about eight years since I took that leap and I have no regrets. I am still learning so much and really enjoy what I do and the people I work with. The architecture and interior design field is so different from retail, but after I got over my imposter syndrome, I realized that if you are a good storyteller, you can apply your skills anywhere.

Did you participate in an internship or apprenticeship while you were in college? What lessons did you learn there that have proven helpful in your career?

I got an internship with Fossil during my last semester of school. Everything we do and learn in school is in a safe space and we’re mostly working by ourselves. My internship taught me that the real world wasn’t as scary and competitive as I thought it would be, but I was still an important piece of a large puzzle and had to take that responsibility seriously. I also realized that I enjoyed being part of a large in-house art department and having access to so many talented people and a variety of resources. I am forever grateful for the experience, especially since it led to a full-time position with them after graduation!