Altitude VP critiques design student portfolios at NCC

Stan Zukowski, Altitude Marketing co-founder and vice president of creative services, recently critiqued student design portfolios at Northampton Community College (NCC).

“These graphic design students are learning modern design techniques using the latest software. The NCC program is clearly getting it right.”

Lehigh Valley marketing/advertising professionals, as well as creative professionals from area businesses and universities, were invited to participate in the portfolio review. Students in the NCC graphic design program rotated among the reviewers who were stationed at tables, getting different feedback and perspectives on their work.

“I was impressed both by the professionalism of the students and the quality of their work,” said Stan Zukowski. “These graphic design students are learning modern design techniques using the latest software. The NCC program is clearly getting it right.”

Stan spent more than 12 years in magazine and website publishing as an editor and creative director. He was invited to be a part of the NCC Portfolio review and, along with his fellow reviewers, provide real-world advice to the students.

“The biggest piece of advice I gave to them was to learn to divorce their egos from their work,” he said. “Commercial design is a paid service, after all. You have to get used to design by committee and multiple revisions. And occasionally you’ll finish with something you’re not 100% happy with. But that’s the nature of the beast.”