Rithiga Vijayakumar
MS Digital Media ’25
Hometown: Chennai, India
Co-op: Marketing and Design Intern with oohjacquelina

What challenge did you tackle during your co-op?

Brand Expansion and Cross-Platform Creative Development – This co-op provided me with the opportunity to support a small, handcrafted jewelry brand’s evolution into fashion apparel while maintaining brand consistency across multiple creative disciplines. This involved transitioning from physical jewelry design to digital fashion design while simultaneously developing the visual storytelling, branding, and technical documentation needed to launch an entirely new product line.

How did you approach solving this complex organizational challenge?

I seamlessly transitioned between roles (Designer/Maker Intern to Fashion Designer) while contributing to jewelry design, CAD modeling, sales support, social media, and branding.

This opportunity allowed me to leverage both traditional craftsmanship (handcrafting jewelry) and digital expertise (CAD modeling, technical sketching) to bridge physical and digital design processes. The owner of the company empowered me to take ownership of visual storytelling, trend forecasting, and creative direction for the new fashion venture, establishing foundational brand elements from the ground up. I worked closely with website developers and other stakeholders, providing strategic input on layout, content hierarchy, and user experience based on her digital media background. This was not just a design problem, but an opportunity to shape both the aesthetic and narrative of a new fashion venture.

What skills did you develop and apply during this experience?

⚡ Ready to hire exceptional talent like Rithiga?

Contact Sydni Cosgrove at [email protected] to connect with our Co-op students!