Elena Babushkina got her start at Electronic Imaging Materials in 2022 as a Graphic Design intern from Keene State. What began as an internship blossomed into a career. Following her internship, she joined the Label Experts, splitting her time between the marketing department (working on design projects) and pre-press (setting up print files, linking barcodes to data, and ensuring everything printed correctly), before becoming our full-time Graphic Designer in 2024.
A Day in the Life of a Label Expert
What does Elena’s day-to-day look like? “Fun!” But first, coffee. Nothing fancy, just basic K-Cups, to give her a boost and help her deliver the energy and enthusiasm she’s known for bringing to every project she tackles.
Immediate-Action Items
The first thing Elena normally does—after coffee, of course—is check her email to make sure there’s no pressing work or projects that need a quick turnaround. From time to time, the sales team may require updated specification sheets. Similarly, revisions to key marketing collateral and digital content are requested occasionally. All of which get top priority.
“Honestly, sometimes I don’t know how my day is going to go,” says Elena. The fact that no two days are the same and the dynamic nature of the work keep the job exciting.
Long-Term Projects
If she doesn’t have any fires to put out, Elena moves on to her larger projects. She typically has one or two in progress at any given time. One major initiative currently in her workflow is producing a company timeline—a visual display of EIM’s nearly 40 years in business—for the wall in our primary meeting room.
Elena notes, “I try to set some time aside every day for those big projects. Even if it’s just an hour or two to chip away at them.”
When not executing time-sensitive requests or long-term efforts, Elena devotes her days to creating content supporting a variety of marketing materials, including crafting infographics, brochures, banners, and social media assets.
Always Learning
Although Elena is immersed in design, she loves learning about every facet of marketing. Because graphic design touches so many aspects of marketing, she’s had the chance to work on a variety of projects and with a number of different people. She’s been taking advantage of the opportunity and absorbing as much as possible.
Behind the Designs
While most only see Elena’s finished work, it takes a lot of unseen effort to bring her ideas to life. Often Elena gets something simple to start with, like a Word doc or even just an idea, and has to shape it into something customer-facing, complete with branding and visual polish.
The Challenges
Elena admits that her passion for design can pull her so deeply into the creative process that she sometimes glosses over wording or a small spelling mistake slips through. But this is where it’s great to collaborate with her coworkers. “I’m lucky that we have such an awesome team that catches any issues before they go live,” she continues, “everyone is so kind and understanding.”
The Rewards
Elena appreciates the freedom to explore her creativity while working within the brand’s guidelines. She says, “I just love working with the brand and pushing it forward.” She continues, “It’s really exciting to take something like words on a page and turn them into something visually pleasing that people enjoy looking at.”
“Design is like putting a puzzle together. Each piece slowly comes together before the entire picture is revealed. It’s really satisfying to see the finished product.”
Favorite Project
Elena recently tackled EIM’s onboarding packet—transforming what was essentially a collection of Word documents into a much more engaging collection of materials. Almost finalized, the new informational guide features clever design touches, graphics, and illustrations, making it easier for new employees to familiarize themselves with labels.
Award-Winning Work
In April, Elena won a gold Hermes Creative Award for her redesign of our EverPeel label logo—updating aging branding with a clean, modern look and incorporating the label’s removability into the design. According to Elena, winning the award was “totally unexpected; my boss submitted it without me knowing, and I was super excited!”
Outside the Office
Elena has two cats, Cleo and Goose (they tolerate each other just enough, but you won’t catch them cuddling). Her cats coexist with her other passion: plants. Felines and flora can have a complicated relationship, Elena explains, “It’s like a hostage situation; if you keep the cats entertained (appeased), they won’t eat the plants.”
“We’ve developed this little routine where I play with them using a laser pointer while I make my coffee, and they don’t terrorize my plants.”
Lightning Round
Q: Cats or dogs?
A: I’m a cat person. Who doesn’t love cats!?
Q: Dunkin’ or Starbucks?
A: Neither. Local brands for the win.
Q: Email or phone call?
A: I’m Gen Z, so I’m partial to emails.
Q: Podcast or playlist?
A: Playlist. I like to listen to music that inspires me.
Q: Morning or afternoon meetings?
A: Morning meetings.
Q: Hanging plants or shelf plants?
A: I like hanging plants. They’re nicer to look at.
Q: Flowers or ferns?
A: Flowers.
Q: Mist or no mist for your plants?
A: No mist.
Electronic Imaging Materials, Inc.
Anyone who has ever worked with Elena knows how lucky we are to have her as a member of our team. Her enthusiasm and creativity are infectious, while her eye for design makes us all look good—literally!
Interested in meeting more Label Experts? Meet the team!
