A Tale of Two Interns

One might wonder what they’ll find when inquiring about a company with the word “mad” in its name.

Well, 2023 intern Keyah Madaris says she found much more than a summer gig to build her resume. In fact, she described the multidisciplinary design agency as a “community” where “creative minds collide” and “spontaneity” thrives.

“I find that the name is fitting. Every day someone has something new to contribute. Just the conversations alone are what makes Madhouse, Madhouse. It feels like a community, even a family, that has brought me little by little out of my comfort shell,” Keyah said.

When applying on the Ohio State University’s posting system Handshake, Keyah was unsure of what her next step would be. However, she said she was baited by the creative job posting and enthralled by the idea of joining the team after skimming a few projects.

Keyah credits the project BRAVE for sealing her interest and ultimately leading her to apply.

“The video that advocated for uplifting the Black community was beautifully filmed. As someone who is also African American, I found the video to be special and almost poetic,” she said.

Inspired by the chance to “meet her goals, sharpen her skills, and produce projects that matter” Keyah joined the team and her contributions have been an integral part of business this summer.

“Some internships limit what [interns] are allowed to contribute towards. Madhouse prepares their interns for working with real clients and providing real solutions,” Keyah said.

As a soon-to-be alumna of OSU with a degree in visual communication design and architectural studies, Keyah feels more prepared to tackle her goals after spending a summer with the Madhouse crew.

“My goal is to work, whether it be with a design firm or freelancing as a designer. I want to specialize in branding and web design. In addition, I want to develop my skills as a motion designer and filmmaker. Essentially, I want to specialize in a few areas but have the capacity to do it all. I love all things related to design,” she added that her experience has opened her eyes to various realms of design and creativity.

“I was given the opportunity to go to a video shoot, work on website designs, branding, etc. It is one thing to learn how to sharpen design skills in school and it is another to actually apply them to real-world projects. I have done more diverse work in just this internship than [in] all my previous internships combined. I have even learned skills and techniques that I haven't learned or tried before.”

When asked what she’d change, Keyah gave Madhouse a 10/10 review.

“Honestly, I would not change anything about my experience. If I had the capacity, I would have loved being in-studio more often. However, I have found that the way in which I enjoyed and learned from this experience was the same for both remote and in-person,” Keyah said. In fact, she’d gladly come alongside the team again.

“I felt like myself while working at Madhouse, and if needed, I am always willing to continue the journey,” Keyah said.

UToledo’s own Cheridyn “Cher” Lyczkowski came to Madhouse by way of recommendation and after a summer spent working with the design agency, she understands why the suggestion was made.

“Madhouse truly cares about your growth personally and professionally, and will guide you in the right direction,” she said.

Cher – a senior at the University of Toledo studying marketing – desired to dabble in the whole gamut of marketing and design.

“This is my first internship in the marketing field, as my last one was [in] sales,” Cher said tapping into her creative senses daily was both a challenging and exciting experience.

“Madhouse has pushed me to try different areas that I have not yet worked in and discover areas that I am interested in such as creating the copy for websites, inputting data into development websites before they go live, and getting to learn more about Google Ads and Analytics. These have helped me to tap into my creativity and analytical skills,” she said.

Beyond her artistic ability, Cher credits Madhouse for teaching her the importance of expressing oneself.

“If I were to change anything about this experience, it would be to express more of my ideas early on to be critiqued. As an intern, it takes me a while to come out of my shell, but Madhouse has made me feel so welcomed and valued in the creative processes. There truly are no bad ideas,” she said.

Cher hopes to start a full-time career in advertising and brand marketing.