Omar was one of the first students I met when I began teaching graphic design at Crown College in fall 2024. At the time, he was a junior marketing major with a digital arts minor. He and his brother came to Crown from Guadalajara, Mexico, having been recruited to play soccer.
Even in the middle of an intense soccer season, I was very impressed by how quickly Omar picked up Adobe design software. He approached those first design classes with a passion for sports graphics and sophisticated design taste. “This is what I want to do,” he told me. And then he did—he changed his major to Media Arts (without postponing his graduation date!).
Enter Coefficient.
Last spring, we heard from Crown grad and former film faculty member Jonathan Vinson that Ryan Gates was looking to add a new, paid digital design internship to his Minneapolis marketing firm. Ryan had worked with Crown video interns years earlier and hoped we could once again help connect him with strong student talent—this time for interactive design and Figma-based prototyping.
Though Omar was new to Figma, I thought he could rise to the challenge. He applied for the internship and interviewed with Ryan and Helen Krohn, Coefficient’s lead designer. They offered him the job, and he took it.
I’ve been advising young designers for over a decade, and I can say from experience that not all internship sites are created equal. I am always looking for internship sites where students can learn from senior designers, work on compelling creative projects, and be compensated for their efforts. Coefficient is all of this and more. Helen and Ryan have supported Omar with valuable time and resources, they’ve worked with him on complex international student requirements, and they’ve given him the flexibility needed to maintain a full-time courseload, serve as captain of the soccer team, and design for Crown College’s athletic Instagram accounts.
At Coefficient, Omar has been involved in website redesigns, identity design, social media graphics, documentary titles, and more. “I was very excited to have the opportunity to gain real-world experience and work with professionals in the design industry,” he said. “My goals were to learn and absorb as much as possible so I could become a more prepared and complete designer.”
Interestingly, his first project involved making titles for a feature documentary by Jonathan Vinson (Crown’s former film prof and our bridge to Coefficient). This and other experiences gave Omar opportunities to practice strong organization, ask for help and clarity, work with feedback, learn new techniques, and ultimately build his portfolio with real client work.
“We've really enjoyed having Omar on our team and he has been a great asset to our company. His creativity, willingness to learn, and team player attitude has been really refreshing. I have been continually impressed by the work Omar has produced so early on in his design career.”
- Helen Krohn, Designer at Coefficient
Another noteworthy aspect of this internship is its duration. Omar began working with Coefficient in June of 2025, and he is continuing to intern there through his final spring semester 2026. Though much of his client work can't yet be shared, here are a few examples of Omar’s designs for Coefficient:
We are incredibly proud of the work Omar has done and deeply grateful to Coefficient for investing in the next generation of creatives. Internships like this play a vital role in helping our students transition from the classroom into professional creative work.
