The annual Design Week series of events highlights the process, craft, and business of design while connecting students with industry professionals and alumni. This year’s program concluded with a daylong trip organized by Assistant Professor Chris Smith, giving eight students the opportunity to visit Shepherd Advertising Agency and Wingard Marketing, two firms known for their creative output and strong ties to Flagler graduates.
Students selected both agencies for this year’s tour, reflecting a growing interest in Jacksonville’s creative sector and its proximity to Flagler’s campus. The trip also served as a chance to explore potential career paths in a nearby market where many alumni have found success.
The first stop was Shepherd Advertising Agency, one of North Florida’s most established firms and home to several Flagler alumni. The visit began with a presentation from Mason Mushinski, a Flagler class of 2019 graduate, who offered insight into agency life, the evolving landscape of the industry, and how Shepherd operates daily as a top agency.
Mushinski discussed everything from post-pandemic workplace shifts to the importance of collaboration across departments, emphasizing how designers, strategists, and account teams work together to meet client needs. He also encouraged students to take advantage of professional development opportunities and to remain proactive as they transition into the field.
“As you’re moving out of college and into the workplace, if there’s an opportunity to attend conferences or workshops, take it,” Mushinski said.
The group also learned about Shepherd’s creative process for managing large clients and explored new tools shaping the industry, including emerging AI features in design software.
A tour of the agency’s modern, relaxed office space followed, where open work areas, collaborative spaces, and glimpses into daily operations gave students a firsthand look at workplace culture in action.
For Brenna Knotts, a senior art director at Shepherd and a 2004 Flagler graduate, welcoming students back into that environment was especially meaningful.
“It makes me feel really proud to have Flagler students come visit, because I started there once, and being able to get out and into the real world really kind of made me hungry to want to keep going in my career,” Knotts said.
Knotts also emphasized the importance of building connections early.
“It’s good to get started and plug in. Networking in this industry, or any industry, is huge, and you start now when you’re a student,” she said.
The group then traveled to Jacksonville’s historic Five Points neighborhood, where they shared lunch together, continuing conversations sparked during the morning tour before heading to their second stop at Wingard Marketing.
Located in a two-story office in the heart of Five Points, Wingard offered students another perspective on agency life, with a different scale, structure, and creative approach. The tour was led by Shannon Werling, a web designer and developer at the firm, who graduated from Flagler in 2015.
“I love being able to talk to current Flagler students,” Werling said. “I feel like my time at Flagler was so special and so important, and it informs my choices here at Wingard every day. So, if there’s anything that I can communicate and give to Flagler students now, I want to do that.”
As students moved through the space, they gained additional insight into how teams collaborate, manage projects, and bring creative ideas to life for clients.
For students, the experience provided a tangible look at potential career paths and reinforced the value of hands-on learning opportunities.
“I think doing tours like this and exploring the Jacksonville business community is important. Events like today really allow us to experience a tangible feel of what this industry looks like,” said Hannah Kasprzak, a senior graphic design student.
Kasprzak noted that Design Week consistently offers opportunities for students to engage beyond campus.
“With Design Week there’s so many opportunities to get out there, and a lot of people don’t realize how many experiential opportunities there actually are,” she said. “They do this every year with these studio tours, and there’s also a lot of opportunities to connect and network in the industry within Design Week.”
By connecting students directly with alumni and industry professionals, AIGA Flagler Design Week continues to reflect Flagler College’s commitment to experiential learning.
