Studio Visit appears first in print, in Sunday editions of The News-Gazette. Here, Melissa Merli visits with graphic designer Vanessa Burgett. In the Jan. 29 newspaper, we'll have a visit with percussionist Ricardo Flores.

Q: Are you on the board of CUDO (Champaign Urbana Design Organization)?

A: I've never actually been on the CUDO board, but I've participated in some of their events. I'm on the board of UCDA, the University & College Designers Association. I'm their chair for their conference in October 2012 in Montreal.

Q: What made you go into graphic design in the first place?

A: I think it was the balance between being able to be creative and artful and then having the structure of parameters in place. It's a nice equation to have to work within. It's sort of where the left brain meets the right brain.

Q: Did you study graphic design at Parkland College or the University of Illinois?

A: I did it a little bit backward. I started at the UI and ended up getting a degree in rhetoric. I was still insistent on getting a degree in graphic design, so I doubled up and went to classes at Parkland and the UI for a couple of semesters. I got my bachelor's first and my associate degree second.

Q: I've heard Parkland has a great program.

A: The big thing I say now that I have my degree is I'm just grateful for how accessible and inclusive that program is. It's open to a lot of different levels. It allows you to develop skills, even when you're not necessarily stellar at the beginning.

Q: How long have you been working at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts?

A: I'm coming up on five years. I'd been at university housing before that, for almost four years.

Q: How many people work in graphic design at Krannert?

A: Within marketing, I'm one of three graphic designers. My focus is print as well as Web and motion graphics. I get to work on the TV spots, and I manage the screens out here in the lobby.

Q: Of all that, what do you like doing best?

A: I always have fun doing the short videos for The Promenade gift shop. Not only does the Promenade have a lot of fun merch to work with, but I'm able to be more experimental. While I'm learning more and more each year about motion graphics, I'm allowing myself to grow by doing the videos for the Promenade.

Q: Do you use a video camera a lot?

A: Actually, I don't. I work with a lot of video footage. Primarily, we deal with motion graphics and animation, so it's a lot of manipulation of elements like typography and lights as well as illustration and photographs — lots of photographs.

Q: Did you put together the "micro-urban" video?

A: Yes, along with a team of folks at Krannert Center. That same team just finished a video for the College of Fine and Applied Arts that's on Krannert's YouTube channel.

Q: I noticed that you recently received recognition in HOW Magazine's In-House Design Competition.

A: I put in for an award for nonprofit in-house work for Krannert's calendar mailings. You pay to submit your work. It's a great honor to be in a graphic design annual like this. I can cross it off my bucket list. It is national, so it's a pretty coveted spot. I shared the recognition along with MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York. They cleaned house.