Appetizers, the rapid-fire industry showcase held for each graduating class in VFS Digital Design, isn’t just a chance to show off the work students have created during their year.

It means coming face-to-face with the industry. It means presenting both your work and the sum of who you are as a designer. It’s a test. A celebration. An audition.

It’s no guarantee that some creative director or recruiter will hire you on the spot. But the connections you make at Appetizers have the potential to be huge, as recent graduate Nancy Sun will explain.

Guest Post by Nancy Sun
Digital Design Graduate

It’s been just over four months since I presented at Appetizers, the Digital Design industry event, as part of the August 2010 graduating class.

I was fortunate enough to secure a great job as a result of that evening. I now work as an Information Architect at iQmetrix, which provides retail solutions for the wireless industry. Specifically, I work on the XQ retail product team.

Grad Nancy Sun now works as an Information Architect at iQmetrix

Our goal is to innovate ways to draw customers into retail environments, effectively engage them, and provide superior in-store experiences. One of the really fun aspects of my role – aside from the open keg! – is that I get to work with emerging, interactive mediums, such as customer-facing screens, lift and touch product displays, and Microsoft Surface touch tables. The best part of my job is that I have great mentors, but more on that later… First, let me tell you a little bit about what it’s like, as a graduating student, to prepare for your moment in the limelight at Appetizers.

My year in VFS Digital Design passed so quickly, like a shooting star. It left me with a powerful feeling that something great had happened in that brief period of time. We learned how to work our hardest, deliver our best, and build great relationships. It was truly phenomenal. The most glorious moment of the year was not my graduation day, as you might think, but rather the industry night – Appetizers. It was my time to shine in front of a theatre full of industry veterans – people with decades of experience. It was at once frightening and exhilarating.

iQmetrix User Experience Lead Anne Forkutza is Nancy's mentor

Earlier that day, before the big event, I snuck into the theatre to rehearse my speech, and imagined what it would be like to present the work of which I was most proud to an audience who had made their careers out of remarkable bodies of work. Tons of questions raced through my mind. What would they think about my ideas and execution? Do I have what it takes to make it out there? Will they laugh at my jokes, or will they laugh at me?

When it was time to present on stage, all my uncertainties faded. It was just the joy of being able to share my passion. I soon learned that presenting wasn’t the hardest part. Instead, it was the mingling afterwards. The networking portion of the evening was my chance to make connections and meet potential employers. It represented a myriad of possible futures. The first few minutes of socializing were like going on a blind date and waiting for your date to show up! Eventually, though, I overcame my shyness and started approaching people. During the evening, Amber Bezahler, our head of department, introduced me to Adrian Moise from iQmetrix. Adrian was looking for someone with touch screen expertise and felt my involvement, as an information architect on the VFS Compendium iPad transmedia magazine, was very relevant.

I was thrilled when, shortly after Appetizers, Adrian invited me to the monthly iQmetrix office party. It was a great opportunity to meet the team and experience their corporate culture. An interview soon followed and, before I knew it, Adrian phoned to ask if I could start work the following Monday!

Nancy reviews UI designs for the QX Retail application

As I hinted before, the best part of my job has been the opportunity to work with and learn from our team. In particular, I’m extremely fortunate to work under the guidance of Anne Forkutza, our User Experience Lead. She’s a seasoned senior information architect and usability specialist who knows everything there is to know about how to create immersive interactions that engage customers, boost operational efficiency, and increase sales and profitability, all while honouring the users’ needs and creating a fabulous customer experience. I’m learning a tremendous amount each and every day!

I’d like to thank VFS Digital Design —the instructors, our industry mentors and our head of department — for providing a stellar student experience and giving us a phenomenal networking opportunity. In parting, I’ll share my bit of wisdom from that glorious night at Appetizers — “Don’t be nervous, walk with the confidence, and let your passion shine!”