Full Sail Stories

Full Sail grad Tariq Ricks had a unique introduction to art.

“My auntie and uncle were tattoo artists and they used to leave sketchbooks around. So I got interested in drawing around 11 years old,” he recalls.

After taking several art classes in middle and high school, he chose to pursue Full Sail’s Digital Arts and Design bachelor’s program. He enjoyed the variety of classes and getting a taste of everything from photography to film to production design.

“It was an awesome experience. I met a lot of amazing people, and of course the instructors were great as well. My time there was well worth it,” he says.

Tariq now works as a Graphic Designer/Marketing Coordinator at Furkids Animal Shelter, the largest no-kill, cage-free animal rescue and shelter in the southeastern United States. Headquartered in the Atlanta area, the organization has an adoption center, shelters, and thrift stores.

“It's been an amazing place to work for, and it's so unique to be in a role like this,” he shares. “The mission is just to save animals' lives, so I'm happy to be here.”

Tariq’s day-to-day work involves creating graphics for print materials, signage, billboards, van wraps, and digital platforms. He also develops branding and visuals for the company’s two big annual fundraisers, Paws for Cocktails and an anniversary party. His small team includes a Director of Marketing and Communications and a Social Media Coordinator.

Prior to this job, he held a wide range of positions across multiple industries, including AMB Sports and Entertainment, where he designed social media graphics for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC soccer team. Previously, at Maverick Studios, the in-house creative agency at Inspire Brands, he produced graphics for in-store signage, table displays, and menus for major restaurant brands like Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John’s, Dunkin’, and Baskin-Robbins.

As for technology, he’s a Mac user and primarily works in the Adobe Creative Cloud, including Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, and InDesign. He occasionally uses Canva as well. He says he learned the foundations for these software tools at Full Sail.

Tariq explains how he makes a particular visual piece come to life and what he finds most rewarding about the whole process.

“I try to approach each project from the standpoint of the person that's going to be seeing it, and then I build it from there. My favorite thing to do is evoke emotion… I love the feeling of doing something creative and then [seeing] somebody immediately understand what I intended to do with it.

“There's not very much micromanaging that takes place in good design roles. I think a lot of times, you're entrusted to deliver something from your brain that fits what the intended point is of something, but you're not being forced into a box.”

He offers some sound advice to anyone interested in pursuing a design-focused career.

“It's all about patience. Just taking it a day at a time, learning things and practicing your craft on your own time, being open to different careers and industries… all of these things are very effective tools to help you eventually land where you want to land.”

In addition to marketable skills and persistence, Tariq says simply being kind to others goes a long way.

“People will remember you more for the type of person you are,” he says.