Hands-on experience at RIT leads to career success for alumnus

Returning to RIT for graduate school was a no-brainer for Ben Camp. 

As an undergraduate student in the Media Arts and Technology program, Camp absorbed a positive learning experience filled with instruction from professors with diverse skill sets and opportunities to explore new challenges. It drove his decision to later pursue a master of science in Media Art and Technology. 

“Everyone knows RIT primarily as an engineering school, but it has a plethora of other great programs,” said Camp ’13 BS, ’18 MS. “I wanted a hands-on experience and learning environment and RIT was a perfect fit for me. The class sizes were small and involved. I feel you can really learn and retain information in a setting like this.”

In between his studies at RIT, Camp worked as a freelance graphic and web designer in central Massachusetts. He was also a graphic designer for Major League Lacrosse. 

Today, Camp is a graphic designer at Illuminate, a clinical sales training and development agency. Camp creates graphics for e-learning modules and custom content in the form of leader guides and workshop materials.

“The work I do focuses heavily on print and digital formats,” Camp said. “Collaborating with other team members is my favorite part of the job, and seeing projects come to life after months of hard work is very gratifying. The best part of what we do at Illuminate is providing the knowledge to help clinicians understand how new advancements in medicines can provide patients with pre-existing conditions a healthier, longer and more stable life.”

In RIT’s one-year Media Arts and Technology graduate program, Camp concentrated on using virtual reality as a marketable platform for media and entertainment. He said the experience challenged him to take new approaches to solve problems and gave him a stronger foundation in the graphic arts.

“The class I most enjoyed was 3D modeling and animation,” Camp said. “It was without a doubt the most challenging course I took during my master’s. I learned new programs such as Cinema 4D, Maya, After Effects and Mudbox. It was refreshing to break away from programs I regularly used and become adept at new software and ways to use them in new applications.”

Camp’s work could be classified as bold, exciting and eye-catching. He places great emphasis on the importance of self-branding and consistency, but said there is a level of adaptability required to be a true asset to any company a designer works for. 

“I have definitely had to adapt my style of design in each workplace I have been,” Camp said. “Each company has a brand ethos they stand by. Being consistent with your brand is extremely important, especially as a graphic designer. But when you’re working with other brands, you have to match the look and feel of their company as well.”

Camp employs his wide skill set in a variety of projects at Illuminate, including for new drug launches and training workshops — and the print publications that accompany them. 

Camp said he is grateful for the critical thinking and problem-solving skills he developed at RIT, which have contributed to a rewarding career thus far.

“I believe you can learn something new every day, in life or practical applications,” Camp said. “I am continuing to learn new programs to help diversify my skills as a designer. You always have to be open to new experiences and learning. I can’t stress enough about taking a risk and diving head first into it when it comes to education. You will learn the most from these novel experiences, challenges and failures.”