Name: Rafik Massoud
School: Texas A&M University
Degree Plan & Graduating Year: BBA in Marketing, Minor in Economics, Graduating 2012

What made you want to study design?
I sort of stumbled into design by accident to be honest. At first, I just did stuff for myself, just following some tutorials here and there to learn how to use the Creative Suite. Eventually I started experimenting, making up my own designs using the techniques the tutorials taught. I was never happy with what I came up with, so I just kept working at and now I just can’t stop.

When you aren’t at school, what are you doing?
That’s a great question! I’ll let you know when I find an escape route out of school…I’m just kidding. School takes up a lot of time, but to answer your question, on the odd chance that I do have some free time, my all time favorite thing to do is catching up on some sleep. I also like playing soccer, hanging out with friends, trying to stay sane, drinking coffee and of course staying caught up on all the great design blogs out there.

How long have you been an AIGA member and what do you get out of being a member?
I’ve been an AIGA member for almost 3 great years now. I first joined just to learn some basics about the design. Thankfully, I got more than I was looking for. Being in AIGA helped become more passionate about design. That’s the sort of thing that happens when a bunch of really creative and passionate people get together. I learned a lot from AIGA and it really opened a lot of doors for me. I think the most important thing I got from it is just the opportunity to learn more. There are so many great conferences and lectures that AIGA sponsors. It’s almost impossible not to learn something new.

What are your top 5 design websites you like to visit?
http://www.behance.net/
http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew
http//Logolounge.com
http://emberapp.com/explore/
http://www.thedieline.com/

How would you sum yourself up as a design in 5 words?
I would like to think of myself as simple, clean, organized, a little out-of-the-box and slightly perfectionistic.

What is your dream job?
Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it that much. I would have to say that as long as I get to keep designing, I’d be happy…assuming I don’t have deadlines or unreasonable clients who insist on bad typefaces and bad color combinations. I know it’s probably going to be really hard to find a job like, but it’s a dream right?

What did you do this past summer?
I worked and went to summer school mostly. I also got to spend a lot of time with my friends. overall, I just tried to stay relaxed and get caught up on some much-needed drawing time.

Where can we find you?
Portfolio: http://rafikmassoud.com/
Behance: http://www.behance.net/rafikmassoud
Emberapp: http://emberapp.com/rafikmassoud
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rafikmassoud
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rafikmassoud
twitter: http://twitter.com/rafikmassoud

About Rafik Massoud:
Rafik never has enough space for his design books and he can’t stop buying them. He loves brand design and is often found glued to his mac working on a new project. His favorite typefaces are Helvetica and Clarendon. He dreams in code and can’t wait till the day that IE6 disappears. He loves soccer. If he’s not designing or coding, it’s a safe bet you’ll find him out on a soccer field…or drinking coffee. He loves coffee!