Toxic, authoritative and distressing place to work - Graphic Designer Graphek Design Studio Employee Review

I worked at GRAPHEK as an intern for 8 months. The team is amazing and everyone is great to work with. They go the extra mile to produce quality work for their clients, which is evident in their portfolio. The work is challenging creatively and fast paced but well worth it. As an intern I got to touch a variety of print and digital projects. My experience working with the team really pushed me creatively and gave me great tools to add to my belt as a designer. Everyone takes an interest in helping one another grow creatively. Ellen, Walter, and the rest of the GRAPHEK team go out of their way to create a wonderful work culture that really makes the environment fun to work in and fosters team building.

Hated that the internship had to end.

The art directors, designers, and project managers here are some of the most talented, dedicated people I’ve worked with. It’s a small but mighty team that produces exceptional creative work under pressure. The range of clients, projects, and creativity is impressive.

I should have trusted my instincts after reading previous Glassdoor reviews and interview posts — they echoed my experience with uncanny accuracy. Common threads include overwork, micromanagement, and leadership that “treats employees more like children than professionals.” One reviewer mentioned the “authoritative and uncomfortable management dynamic,” another described being “severely overworked,” and another revealed "inappropriate curiosity into my personal life,” all sentiments remain accurate. These accounts reflect the day-to-day reality at the company. While the proprietors can be personable, working under them is unpredictable and stressful. Priorities shift without warning, decisions are often reversed, and feedback swings from supportive to critical. The result is a high-pressure environment where even strong performers struggle to succeed. I was hired to replace one long-tenured Art Director while simultaneously overseeing another talented Art Director — someone the leadership clearly admired. That Art Director should have been promoted in the first place, making my role both exceptionally challenging and unsustainable. The workload, constant meetings, constant internal revisions, and rigid processes left little time for focused creative work. Even the hiring process — four and a half months long — reflected the overcomplication that defines daily operations. If you value autonomy, clarity, and healthy leadership, proceed with caution.