Anyone who goes through Digital Design knows the philosophy of the program: a good designer is a provider of creative solutions, who can work in any medium, and is equally adept freelancing or working as part of a team at a large studio.

Graduate Renee Alarid couldn’t embody that philosophy any more if she tried. We caught up with Renee to hear about her career thus far, from the Discovery Channel to AOL.

How do you describe yourself as a designer?

I describe myself as a multi-functional designer… some days I am a print designer, or a web designer, or a motion graphic designer. It really depends on what job I need to accomplish. I love all three and I can’t really focus on one aspect of ‘graphic design’.

What kind of design do you enjoy most?

Oh, that’s a toss up… for me, print is the most enjoyable part of design. A lot of people forget that print design is still a huge part of the industry. I love it… I find it to be very creative and rewarding. I had an ad that was in Time, Newsweek and The New Yorker; let me tell you, it was such a thrill to see it in those magazines. I remember it like it was yesterday, I was at Barnes and Noble jumping around like a child at Christmas… needless to say, I bought four copies of each, and told everyone that I created those ads.

How did you first get started doing work for the Discovery Channel?

I started working at Discovery Channel on a two-week contract in March of 2006. I was hired to work on the Affiliate campaign of Shark Week. From there, my contract was extended, and I worked there for a year and a half.

Can you describe what you did for Discovery Channel/TLC? Were you freelance, or an employee?

I was a contractor and my title was Graphic Designer. I worked for the in-house print/web department.

My contract was a little unusual, because I didn’t work on just one network… I had a chance to work on TLC, Discovery, Travel Channel, Animal Planet, Health and Discovery Kids, to name a few. It was really rewarding to learn each brand and create pieces that everyday people see… very cool.

Any thoughts on the challenges/rewards of working as a freelancer?

I see some challenges as a freelancer. The biggest one is time management. For me, I can be at a job (contracting or full time) between 8 to 10 hours a day. After that, the day is over, I have to come home and fulfill work for other clients. If my time-management is a little off, I could possibly screw myself out of future work and future clients.

Now, the rewards are awesome… for one, you have more work in your portfolio. And the connections are endless.

Congrats on your new job! What exactly does it mean to be a Senior Visual Designer at AOL?

Well, I visually design a page. AOL has a lot of departments that work together to create what consumers see. Once the UI designer creates the mock up, it is given to the Visual Designer, like myself. The Visual Designer visually creates the page based on the UI mock, and then goes to the Development team to program.

How do you see your career evolving as time goes on?

I hope to become a Creative Director in the next 5+ years. I know that is very ambitious, and it will take a lot of time and energy to make it happen. But if you can’t place your eyes on a goal… you will never succeed.

What made you decide to attend VFS?

I wanted to go to VFS for a couple of reasons. First of all, the amount of time…a one year program. I was already in the graphic design field and needed a school that wouldn’t cost that much and that would get me back into the field. I also didn’t need a school that would hold my hand through the whole year.

VFS being in Vancouver was just an extra bonus… I really do love that city!

You were already working in the field before coming to VFS. How did the Digital Design program help prepare you for what you’ve been doing since?

It was a great opportunity to see design projects through an eye of a designer, and not through a corporate eye.

Any advice for current or future Digital Design students?

If you have a dream, go for it. We are all talented, creative and are lucky to be in this profession. I was lucky to be apart of the Digital Design program and will take what I have learned with me throughout the years.