Product photography serves MIAD alum’s business
Briana Hibbs
Briana Hibbs ’12 (Photography) started her own handmade earrings business, Made by the Lake, in January 2019. She relies on her eye for product photography to show her jewelry in its best light, and the business now boasts a successful following of over 2,000 customers on Facebook.
“It was an opportunity that came after [graduating] that really opened my eyes to product-specific photography,” says Hibbs. After a former classmate helped her get a job at a photography studio post-graduation, her interest in product photography took off. “A bad photograph of an item will never sell, so it was important that I already had this skill going into opening my own online business,” she explains.
Drawing inspiration from seasonal details, customer requests and other small business artists, Hibbs crafts popular earrings out of wood and acrylic. She creates many of her own designs, but also purchases patterns from other makers. “I love supporting small businesses near and far when I can,” says Hibbs. “I think this type of community building is very important because we all know how difficult it is to start out, and all have our fair share of dealing with imposter syndrome.”
As a student, Hibbs interned with MIAD alum Jessica Kaminski ’01 (Photography), who helped guide her decision to start a business. “MIAD helped me get in touch with a great group of people that taught me experiences beyond college and pointed me in the right direction of what it was that I wanted to do for my future,” she continues. Hibbs hopes that current students chase their dreams and stay flexible. “Even if you think it’s a waste of time, do it and get what you can out of it,” she advises.
Keep up with Briana on her website and Facebook, read more about her business and learn how you can do what you love for life at MIAD.
News
Pallas Textiles competition provides real-world experience
First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.
2026 First-Year Exhibition showcases professional growth
An annual tradition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from late March through September, the juried First-Year Experience Exhibition celebrates students’ yearlong personal and professional growth.
Meet Carmen Briones and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Echo
Carmen Briones ‘26 (Product Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Cambria, Wis., president of the MIAD IDSA student chapter and an intern at SI Jacobson Manufacturing. Briones designed a device called “Echo” that removes ovarian cysts without surgery.
Meet Eeshaan Dutt and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Indra Supreme
Eeshan Dutt ‘26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from India and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. Dutt’s work centers on visual storytelling through sequential art, where he explores how narratives can engage and connect with audiences.
Poster designs boost professional skillsets, children’s nonprofit
Continuing an annual tradition begun in 2010 at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), Illustration juniors worked with Cramer-Krasselt and Penfield Children’s Center to design posters for the center’s Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser.