Any time you visit a Walt Disney World park or resort, you will see

Any time you visit a Walt Disney World park or resort, you
will see work created by Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) all
around you. The graphic design Imagineers create the look
and feel for a variety of projects that support many lines of
business across property. From wallpapers and signs to food
carts and props, they create pieces with a distinct look to tell
a story in any environment. A recent addition to the team is
Professional Intern Bianca Kuo, who supports the team as a
Graphic Design intern.
As a child, Bianca loved experiencing the Walt Disney World
Resort with her family, and she soon set her sights on joining
WDI. "I chose my major and coursework in college partially
to work toward my dream job in Imagineering," Bianca said.
While she was in college, she participated in the ImagiNations
competition with a team of fellow students and worked to
create a ride concept. Her team of four created an interactive
adventure with multiple ride paths based on how a rider
interacts with the world around them, and they titled it
"Pandora's Peak: The Race for the Voyager's Cup." They
became one of six finalist teams and won Best in Show! Even
more importantly, Bianca's participation and personal
portfolio earned her a summer "Blue Sky" internship with
WDI in Glendale, CA, where she worked to design initial
concepts and ideas for projects.
After her first internship at WDI, Bianca returned to school to
finish her degree, but kept in touch with all her fellow
Imagineers from her internship. In May 2011, Bianca
graduated with a bachelor's degree in visual communications,
with an emphasis in graphic design. She knew she wanted to
return to WDI, so she began asking her previous co-workers
about open positions. When she heard that WDI-FL had an
opening for a Graphic Design intern, she knew she had found
the perfect opportunity!
Bianca now works in an office backstage at Epcot, and
supports an array of projects including the Fantasyland
Expansion. "I work with lots of different mediums, including
print design and environmental design," Bianca said. For
example, she's worked on food cart designs and menus for
the new Fantasyland Expansion.
Bianca has learned much in her new role during the past few
months. She loves the variety of work she does and all the
exciting projects she gets to be a part of. She is thrilled that
she gets to work on relevant projects and that her designs
that will be seen by millions of people! "I'm learning more
practical skills than I learned in school, including how my
designs need to be produced in order to resist wear and tear
in the parks," Bianca said.
While Bianca loves her role, she also faces some challenges.
"Imagineering is a very fast-paced environment, and I have
to juggle a lot of projects with tight deadlines," Bianca said.
She has learned about time management, flexibility and
working in a team environment. Her designs go through a
rigorous review and revision process; but she is happy to
make the changes to her designs to make them the best they
can be.
When asked what advice she would give to those interested
in a Professional Internship, Bianca said, "Polish your résumé
early on, and have a positive online presence. Also, network
like crazy!" She suggests attending conferences and
workshops to learn more about your field and meet more
people. "Talk to people about their work. It's scary at first,
but it really helps," she stated.
As for the future, Bianca is working in her current role until
March, after which she hopes to get a full-time job. She
would love to continue working for WDI, but is also
considering going back to school at some point to get her
master's degree. No matter where life takes her, Bianca has
honed her skills and learned a lot that will help her in her
future endeavors.
Fun facts about Bianca: Her favorite park is Tokyo DisneySea,
and her favorite attractions are the SpectromagicTM Parade
and WishesTM here at the Walt Disney World Resort. Her
favorite Disney movies include The Hunchback of Notre Dame
and all the Pixar movies, and her favorite scenes include the
"hellfire" scene from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the
"lifetime" sequence from Disney-Pixar's Up.