Working in the Global Communications department for Tenneco has been an incredible experience, and I am proud to be part of such a large, influential company. With over 70,000 employees worldwide, I have had the opportunity to work with many talented people to produce all kinds of graphics. Not only this, but I have also learned a lot about the automotive and aftermarket industry. Below are some examples of my work throughout my internship.
Tenneco Internship Work
Global Campaign Projects
YES 2 ICE: Poster Campaign
With the rise of electronic vehicles, our Powertrain group remains committed to the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) market that is still vital to many industries. Tenneco’s program, YES2ICE, requested the creation of a poster that would be displayed in plants and factories around the world to bolster positivity among workers. This was the first large project that I worked on and it was really exciting to see them up in so many buildings.
Healthy Team, Healthy Tenneco (HTHT): Building Healthy Habits Coloring Book Campaign
Although America has returned mostly to normalcy after the Coronavirus outbreak, many countries such as China are still feeling the effects of Covid many months after. Maintaining a strict lockdown policy, many branches in Shanghai were struggling. To show solidarity, Tenneco’s “Healthy Team, Healthy Tenneco” program proposed the idea of creating a coloring book that promotes healthy habits, while also entertaining children stuck at home. This was an incredibly rewarding project, which I was able to see it on social media, being used around the world by children of Tenneco employees.
Yes 2 ICE: Stop Waste, Save Energy Poster Campaign
With environmental safety being a constant need in every industry, Tenneco’s Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) team requested a series of three simple posters that would get the attention of plant workers around the world to conserve energy in buildings- including turning off lights and machines when not in use, maintaining appropriate temperatures in buildings, and making sure to report all gas leaks to ensure equipment efficiency. For this poster, in particular, I also had to translate them into many languages, which was a cool new experience.
Large/Unique Print Projects
Pop-up Banners and Stands
For these projects, I certainly learned a lot of new rules and requirements for large designs. Because Tenneco participates in many campus recruitment and professional tradeshow events, banners and stands are a common request from departments. After plenty of exposure to different print companies and design templates, I feel much more confident now creating graphics that will print well at large scales.
Lit and LED Displays
Merch Mockups
These were both really cool projects that I got to work on. First, I made a hiring poster for positions in Germany. I had never made a poster that went in a lit street display before, and imagining it out in a city was really exciting for me. Secondly, I was able to make a digital ad for a high school basketball court. Unfortunately, both of these pictures are just mockups of what my design would look like, but maybe one day I will see them in person.
During my internship, I have been able to make a couple of designs on internal merchandise. My favorite design was making the 125 year anniversary for the company Glyco which is an important company many of our German branches work with. I also created the logo and mockup for the Performance solutions HR business group. I find using mockups makes the entire design process much more professional.
Digital Work
Digital Banners
Internal Logos
Since our company is global, digital communications are very important. I’ve had to make numerous email banners for announcements and upcoming events, graphics that go on the main page of our intranet site, and even new hire graphics for employees to post on their LinkedIn profile.
Logos are an important part of design and branding, and I was given the opportunity to make these early on in my time with Tenneco. What was interesting about this first logo on the left was the group was based in China, so deciding on a logo that appealed to a different culture was interesting to think about. In the end, our client chose the middle logo. As for the logo on the right, they chose the one in the middle as well.
Informational Design
Magazine Article
Fliers and Presentations
This was a cool opportunity, while my boss was out of town I was asked to help out creating a last-minute design for a coworker who was selected for the 2022 Directors to Watch Award. Not being able to check with my boss was nerve-wracking, but I received a lot of positive feedback on this design and was able to see it formatted in the actual magazine produced for the award.
In my role, I’ve found to work closely with recruiter and hiring departments to help create posters, fliers, banners, and templates that can be edited for different career events. This is one such example of an editable flier used for positions in Germany. I’ve also come to appreciate the ability to turn something simple, like a boring PowerPoint slide, and make it something visually appealing. It is actually very important to stand out as much as possible when talking with clients, and this is one way to do that.
Something I have really come to learn in this internship is Microsoft Sway. It is a unique platform that creates elevated digital newsletters that can be sent out to employees via email. My boss and I undertook the process becoming experts in Microsoft Sway and turned some of the current crowded, unorganized newsletters like the one to the right into something interesting and easy to read.
Microsoft Sway
Original Newsletter before Sway.