Q&A with Cheryl Hark
Cheryl Hark
Graphic Designer, Office of Communications
Tell us the story of how you came to work at NYU Law.
I was previously working as a 3D modeler for the fashion industry and found that I had a greater interest in 2D work, so I left my position to become a graphic designer for a nonprofit, as charity work has been a passion of mine that since my teenage years. After my second day, I was told via email that I clearly wasn’t a good fit for the position and was essentially terminated. I called the office to speak with somebody, but the line had been cut, and when I went to visit in person the next day, the entire organization had moved out of the space, and there were literally bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling!
This led me to make it my full-time job to rebrand myself from scratch as a graphic designer and pursue further training from NYU School of Professional Studies, where I had gotten my master’s degree a few years prior. I eventually landed a position as a one-person design department for a luxury real estate brokerage, but after several years, I still felt drawn toward nonprofit work and craved peers in the field from whom I could learn.
When I was invited to interview at NYU Law, my aunt and uncle were visiting from overseas and I was their tour guide, so they waited for me at Ben’s Pizza across the street while I met with HR and several members of the Communications office who later became my colleagues. I ended up being offered the position along with a similar one at PepsiCo, but since I prefer Coke, the rest is history.
What’s a typical day for you like?
I moved to Long Island during the pandemic so my typical day starts and ends with rushing to train stations while obsessively checking the train time app for fear of missing it, as the next one would be at least a half hour later. Once at my desk, I like to reply to and file away as many emails as I can so that my inbox is as empty as possible while I work. I can’t stand to have things hanging over my head.
I’ve always got some combination of InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator open while I work, and I spend the day at my desk—see favorite spot on campus question below—and have been so absorbed some days that I forget I have to catch a train, so now I have a recurring alarm set.
What’s the most challenging thing about what you do? And what’s the most rewarding?
Coming up with new designs for the same events/materials year after year, especially as I started in January 2012. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of reusing templates to quickly knock out materials for an annual event, especially when it’s busy season and there are a lot of tight deadlines to meet. Since we are a law school, there are limitations on what I can design and still be appropriate, so it takes some real creative thinking to give it that extra “umph” which I think makes NYU Law stand out from other schools. When I do come up with something new and the client absolutely loves it, it’s a home run feeling.
What do you wish you’d known about the Law School on your first day of working here?
What a tort is. I remember designing a social media post that said something along the lines of “may the Torts be with you” and now regret it.
What is your favorite spot on campus, and why?
This may sound weird, but probably my office in D’Agostino. It has a view of the Village with a little bit of sky, and I have a cozy set up. I spent over a decade seated in interior office spaces where I didn’t have natural light or privacy. Plus, I have three young children at home, including twin toddlers, so my campus office is a zen space where I get to interact with adults!