Graphic Design InternAt — Fullerton Museum Center

Fullerton Museum Center – Internship Program

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Graphic Design Intern at the Fullerton Museum Center. Our Internship Program is designed to provide hands-on professional experience while enhancing students' understanding of museum exhibitions, visual communications, and public engagement. This is an unpaid internship that may be completed for academic credit or for non-academic professional experience and lasts for the duration of one academic semester.

Position Overview

The Graphic Design Intern will join the collaborative team at the Fullerton Museum Center and gain real-world experience creating visual materials that support museum exhibitions, educational programs, public events, and community initiatives. This internship provides valuable experience in graphic design, branding, print production, and digital design within a municipal museum environment.

The internship is open to currently enrolled college students or recent graduates, regardless of whether academic credit is required.

Responsibilities

Typical responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Designing promotional materials including flyers, posters, postcards, brochures, banners, exhibition graphics, and signage
• Creating digital graphics for museum displays, presentations, and promotional campaigns
• Assisting with the design and production of exhibition interpretive materials, labels, and educational resources
• Developing digital assets for the museum website, email communications, and other digital platforms
• Assisting with photography, image editing, and digital asset management
• Collaborating with museum staff to develop visual concepts for exhibitions, programs, and special events
• Preparing files for professional print production and coordinating with vendors when necessary
• Maintaining organized project files and following established museum branding standards
• Assisting with other design-related projects as assigned

Candidates who are creative, organized, detail-oriented, and able to work in a collaborative, fast-paced environment are strongly encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled college students or recent graduates
• Pursuing or recently completed coursework in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Digital Media, Fine Arts, or a related field
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign (experience with Canva is a plus)
• Strong understanding of typography, layout, color theory, and visual design principles
• Experience preparing artwork for both print and digital applications
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines
• Professional, reliable, creative, and detail-oriented
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment

Training:

The Graphic Design Intern will receive hands-on training and mentorship from museum staff throughout the internship. Training is designed to familiarize interns with museum design standards, project workflows, and professional practices while allowing them to progressively take on greater responsibility.

Training may include:

Introduction to the Fullerton Museum Center's mission, branding, and visual identity standards
Orientation to museum operations, exhibitions, and departmental workflows
Instruction on creating print and digital materials for exhibitions, educational programs, and public events
Training in file organization, version control, and project management practices
Guidance on preparing artwork for professional printing and digital publication
Best practices for typography, layout, accessibility, and visual communication in a museum setting
Experience collaborating with museum staff through project meetings, design reviews, and constructive feedback sessions
Opportunities to observe exhibition installation and understand how graphic design integrates with physical gallery spaces
Professional development through portfolio-building projects and one-on-one mentorship

Interns will receive regular feedback throughout the semester to support skill development and ensure successful completion of internship goals.

Learning Opportunities

Although interns are generally supervised by the museum's communications and exhibitions staff, they will have opportunities to observe and participate in other areas of museum operations, including exhibitions, collections, public programs, visitor services, and special events. Interns will gain valuable experience creating professional design work while learning how visual communication supports museum interpretation and visitor engagement.

The Fullerton Museum Center staff will work with students and academic advisors to support internship and independent study requirements at their educational institution, if academic credit is being pursued.

Duration & Compensation

• Internship Duration: Academic semester
• This is an unpaid internship
• May be completed for academic credit or for non-academic professional experience
• Academic credit arrangements, if applicable, are the responsibility of the intern and their educational institution

Disclaimer

This list of responsibilities and duties is not exhaustive and represents the current scope of the position. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or assign additional responsibilities as circumstances require, including emergencies, staffing changes, workload fluctuations, or operational needs.

Learning Outcome:

By the end of the internship, the Graphic Design Intern will be able to:

Develop Professional Museum Design Materials
Design and produce high-quality print and digital materials—including exhibition graphics, signage, promotional pieces, and educational resources—that effectively communicate museum content while adhering to institutional branding standards.
Apply Industry-Standard Design Practices
Demonstrate proficiency using professional graphic design software and production workflows, including preparing files for print and digital publication, managing revisions, and organizing project assets according to industry best practices.
Collaborate Within a Museum Environment
Work effectively with museum staff to translate exhibition and program concepts into engaging visual communications while managing multiple projects, meeting deadlines, and responding to feedback in a professional setting.