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I’m pleased to announce that I just finished The Corporate Creative: Tips and Tactics for Thriving as an In-House Designer by Andy Epstein. I had the pleasure of attending two of Andy’s seminars at the 2009 HOW Design Conference in Austin, and it’s worth reporting that Andy is responsible for my current quest for knowledge on the intricacies of running (or being a part of) an in-house corporate design department.
I’ve described a few of Andy’s points that really hit home for me:
One of the most powerful actions you can take is to consistently forge strong personal relationships with your clients and upper management. Embrace the tenets of customer service! Your clients will be the biggest advocates for you (and your department) when you provide them with great service. Want some real-life proof? Here’s an excerpt from an e-mail my in-house team got yesterday:
“Hey marketing geniuses, our meeting with [name omitted] could not have gone any better! The book you all prepared for us made the meeting go incredibly smooth… It’s one thing to have a good program and talk about it, its another to back it up with the style and class you put forth… Thank you again! [Department name omitted] would still be in the dark ages if it weren’t for Marketing.”
Practice the Three-R’s: Retreat, Reflect, and Respond. Whatever that zinger is about to slip out, either mentally or physically withdraw from the situation, think about what result you’d like to have come out of that situation, and act appropriately to achieve that result. Us designers tend to wear our hearts on our sleeves… my current boss even told me once that I have no poker face. (This further explains why I don’t really care for poker.) Be professional, be polished, and be proactive.
If a client asks for something to be completed in an unworkably short period of time, don’t use the word unreasonable, which could be interpreted as your seemingly self-serving option. Use the word “unworkable” and explain why it’s unworkable. Technical constraints? Quality concerns? Need time for the creative process to happen? Tell the client, be specific about it, and over-communicate your progress!
Remember, it’s who you are that matters. Andy suggests remembering these four points:
1. It’s not enough just to be a good designer when working in-house.
2. It’s not enough to satisfy your creative muse through the practice of design.
3. It’s not enough to coast through your job.
4. And it’s definitely not enough to skirt the big issues regarding your career and blow off taking the time to really determine what you want in your professional life…As an in-house designer, you need skills that your peers in agencies and studios don’t.
As a designer, you are one of the “experts” of your brand. Andy advocates avoiding “brand blindness” by asking yourself these three questions:
1. Who buys our product?
2. Where is the first point of contact made?
3. Is the brand message clearly communicated in our design?
Focus! Interpret what the client is saying (ie. “Make the logo bigger!”) into something that will make the design better (“The client is telling me that our branding needs to be clearer to the end user… making the logo bigger may not be the best solution, but I’ll think of other ways to achieve this goal.”).
Define the problem before you offer any solutions! Whenever your client starts to art direct (and they will), move the conversation back to the marketing goals. As I mentioned in a previous post, ask questions… ask a ton of questions!
Don’t forget about quality: in your work, in your relationships, in your environment, and in your talent… if you don’t effectively advocate for quality in your companies, you and your team are destined to become mere order takers with fixed inputs and outputs, devoid of quality thought and design, that add no real value to your company.
Don’t give up! We all have our bad days, but remember to stay positive; your mood will be reflected IN your work, and in your performance AT work.
When your job beats you down, or your clients disrespect you, when you get little support from upper management, and all your peers are constantly complaining, it’s easy to throw in the towel and become just another apathetic disaffected in-house designer. If you’re unfortunate enough to get to that point, you should either quit (your job) or start taking positive action to improve your environment. Otherwise, you’ll end up far worse professionally, creatively, and personally.
Be a creative consultant; think differently than your nondesign peers and contribute perspectives and insights on nondesign problems that will be innovative and valuable. What else can be said? Make yourself available, and make yourself known as a knowledgeable and talented resource to your clients!
Andy’s book is full of very useful, and incredibly relevant information on all aspects of building, working in, and maintaining a successful, productive, and respected in-house design department. This book is so comprehensive that I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone: a current in-house designer, a designer switching over from an agency, a student, or perhaps most importantly, the Vice President of your company (who’s probably not exactly sure what the heck it is you do).
In the meantime, go buy Andy’s book at Amazon.com, or at MyDesignShop.com. While you wait for that to arrive, visit Andy’s blog, the InHOWse Designer Blog, which offers daily posts on in-house design.
With the press of the page down button, you’ll be able to confirm that it’s been over two months since I last posted on this blog. Well, I’m happy to officially report (on this blog) that I’ve just recently started a new job back in Boston, and everything is going well. I feel like I’ve adjusted very quickly to my new surroundings, and I’m already looking forward to a productive tenure with the new company.
The six months leading up to this job offer were difficult. The unemployment rate hovered in the 9-10% range for months, and it seemed as though there would be no reprieve. Slowly but surely, the economy improved, bringing with it a less-grim job market.
Before all that, though, the year at work leading up to my September 2009 lay-off was very difficult. Each morning, I pep-talked myself out of bed: today will be different… you’ve done great things for this company… you’ve brought them to the next level… you’re doing the work of three people… you continue to provide value here! When your entire industry is in economic shambles, and layoffs are looming, there’s often little you can do.
My time with that company turned out to be a really great learning experience; working there opened my eyes to a lot of things. Here are some of the lessons I learned along the way, both from personal experiences, and watching those around me.
- Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.
- You really do reap what you sew.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Always keep an open eye on the big picture.
- Always have data to back up your decision or recommendation. “Gut feelings” rarely get recognized.
- Be able to hear and give the bad news when needed.
- Research pays dividends. Look before you leap.
- Take care of your employees—they’re the best advocates for your company, and their loyalty pays off.
- A house in order will stand over a house divided.
I set off to Florida in 2005 to get work experience: I gave myself one year, and that quickly turned into four. Having closed this chapter in my life, I look forward to the learning experiences yet to come as I start over.
“Often the identity of an organization that has many subsets can best be brought to life by the use of its supportive materials within the systems (promotion pieces, packaging, websites, signs, merchandising materials). This is an especially effective methodology because it can allow for a logo or identity system to gain resonance and recognition over time in connection to materials that are capable of being far more expressive than logos. For example the Nike logo, which has evolved over time into its current form, became a powerful symbol to the masses because of its effective use in advertising campaigns. The “cool” of the logo happened in connection to some brilliant campaigns by Wieden & Kennedy, and the effective positioning of the mark on merchandising materials. As pure form, if the “swoosh” appeared alone in a design school critique (or on a design blog) it would most likely have been dismissed as too thin, weak, and pointy, looking like a checkmark and not really conveying motion.”
Via Paula Scher’s article What they don’t teach you in design school, on IdentityWorks.com.
A lot of other sites have reviewed this movie far more eloquently than I could, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be adding much to the praise already given to this short film. Publisher of Adrants and film participant Steve Hall summarizes:
“Lemonade is a 40 minute documentary about how people changed their lives for the better after having been laid off. In the film 16 people, including yours truly, tell their individual stories. There’s the guy who got laid off and posed nude Burt Reynolds-style to find a new job. There’s the woman who lost her job and launched a yoga business. There’s the guy who went to an interview and ended up in a truth campaign commercial. There’s the guy who lost his job and decided to change his gender. And there’s the guy who lost his job, got colon cancer and started a little blog called Adrants.
Each story is unique. Each story is heart warming. Each story illustrates the fact there is life after the pink slip.”
Before we get to the movie links: if you’re a creative-type like me currently looking for work, be sure to check out Please Feed the Animals. You can create a profile, search job listings, and read a blog chock-full of useful information. Film (and PFTA) creator Eric Prolux points out some ways that you can support Lemonade.
Watch the trailer here:
Catch the full version on Hulu here (not sure how long it will be available).
The story is inspiring to anyone watching- if you’re currently employed, or recently-separated from your job, you’ll find something valuable to take away from the film.
Me? I made some posters based on some of the quotes in the film (after the jump):
Make lemonade out of those lemons.
Featured on the HOW Blog, here’s my submission to their HOW Conference sticker contest:
As I mentioned last June, I was fortunate enough to attend my first HOW Conference in Austin, TX, and I can’t say enough good things about my trip. I met some great people, attended several informative (and relevant) seminars, and returned back with a wealth of new information and skills!
If you’re a designer (or marketing professional) on the fence about whether or not you should go, spend the money and go- it’s worth it!
“Thank you!” to the folks at the HOW Blog who were nice enough to publish my submission.
The Concrete Goals Tracker, developed by David Seah, is a helpful form that helps you track the work you’ve done over the course of a week. Available in multiple sizes for printing or as an Excel spreadsheet, this form will help you get your productivity back on track. David writes:
“As you accomplish various goal-related items throughout the day, fill in the appropriate bubble to log the points. At the end of the day, you will see how well you did (or didn’t). Each CGT form tracks an entire week, so you will see how you did every day, and week-by-week… and most importantly, what you did to move yourself along your path. Since the items on the task list award points only for tangible results, you will have made actual progress.”
Via Lifehacker and David Seah.
Okay, so it may not be a nightmare per se, but ABC News columnist Michelle Goodman interviewed several current job seekers and employment professionals who identified the top-five worst hiring trends of 2009. As a current job seeker, I’ve been exposed to every one of these. Don’t get me wrong- I’ve been very interested in working for the companies that I’ve interviewed with, but as Ms. Goodman points out, there are some not-so-great hiring trends out there right now (of course, these are not aimed at anyone in particular- this is just the consensus of Ms. Goodman’s research).
Let’s take a look at the list:
1. Labyrinthine Job Application Systems:
As a web designer, this might be my biggest pet peeve. Finding a job that I’m genuinely interested in is hard enough, so after I’ve taken the time to research the company, tailor my resume, and write a beautiful cover letter, I head over to the company’s online job application system (with much trepidation).
After I’ve spent about an hour performing data entry, 4-out-of-5 times it ends the same: their system crashes!
I’ve learned how to deal with this, though, as I now have a ritual of rubbing a rabbit’s foot on my keyboard as I say a few magic words, sprinkle some fairy dust, pray to various deities, clap three times, and and do a rain dance before pressing the “send” button.
So far, so good.
“If there’s one thing I hear more job hunters harrumph about, it’s the maddening online application tools so many companies use. No one’s suggesting employers do away with online job applications altogether, just that they bring their systems up to twenty-first century computing standards.”
2. Overly Demanding Job Listings:
I tend to pride myself on having a broad skill set, but when the job description is a full two pages long, even the most savvy job seeker has a hard time tailoring his/her resume to fit the needs of the employer.
“Once upon a time, a person could apply for a job as a plumber, software programmer or public affairs officer. Now we have job listings calling for programmers with marketing experience, plumbers with a project management background and publicists who have a knack for accounting, mediating personnel issues and troubleshooting a leaky toilet…
“Some have crazy requirements,” said Deirdre, who’s grown accustomed to seeing listings for executive assistants who can work on call 24/7, drive a limo and speak a foreign language — all for 30 percent of what she earned before the economy tanked.”
3. Unscrupulous Recruiters:
I don’t have anything against recruiters; as a matter of fact, I’ve been helped by several that are very good at, and enjoy what they do. As Ms. Goodman states, “Legions of them are stand-up individuals who excel at connecting job seekers with employers.”
There’s a flip-side to every coin, and one recruiting agency that I’ve dealt with personifies the word “unscrupulous”. Not only have they failed to return multiple calls and e-mails, but they are notorious for posting nonexistent jobs on their blog(s) and twitter accounts. Unfortunately, this is something that a job seeker has to find out for him/herself.
“I’m talking about the situations where a recruiter calls up frantic over ‘a really exciting opportunity’ but can’t say anything about the position over the phone. It’s only after a face-to-face interview and two hours spent filling out applications that you realize that the recruiter is just trying to fill a contact database — and that the recruiter has as many actual positions available as he or she has brain cells.”
4. Endless Interview Loops:
As a candidate, I don’t mind participating in phone interviews. I don’t mind coming in for an in-person interview, and I certainly don’t mind coming back into the employer’s offices for a second round. If it works out, I know that I’ll be ecstatic; if it doesn’t, I look at the time I’ve spent interviewing as a great practice tool for future interviews.
Interviewees in Ms. Goodman’s article urge similarly: when candidates are blind to your hiring process, it can take their attention away from pursuing other opportunities in the meantime. We realize that you’re probably interviewing several people at the same time, so just give us an idea of where you are in your search, and what your company’s interviewing process consists of. This leads us to…
5. No Follow-Up with Finalists:
I know that hiring managers and HR departments are busy; I spoke with a hiring manager two weeks ago who had received hundreds of resumes for one job posting! I’ve been in the position to hire people in the past, and I can tell you that resume evaluation is by far the hardest part of the process: so HR folks, you have my sympathy!
“For candidates who’ve made it through a couple rounds of interviews and have been told that they’d need to start ASAP if hired, this radio silence is especially frustrating.”
Here’s hoping that 2010’s hiring trends tip toward the positive!
Michelle Goodman is a freelance journalist and former cubicle dweller. For more information, see Anti9to5Guide.com.
According to Steve Rubel, it’s become easier than ever to implement data-driven tools into your daily life.
“Self-tracking goes beyond just capture, though. You need to use the data to glean insights. Google Spreadsheets has a great way to do this with their gadgets. You can even set up forms for to make capturing the data even easier. For more on this topic, read Chris Brogan’s “three words,” Flowing Data and The Quantified Self. Other tools to look at include 23andMe, Nike Plus, Evernote and a host of others.”
Via SteveRubel.com. Check out Flowing Data for some of 2009’s best data visualization projects, too.
“The government is telling us that the economic stimulus is working and the recession is over. But you wouldn’t know it from looking at the unemployment numbers. While we may have dodged another great depression, unemployment is at its worst since then, having fallen to 10 percent by the Fed’s own reckoning.”
(Click to enlarge.) Via Mint.com.
Scott Belsky from The99Percent.com shares some tips from leadership guru, Stephen Covey on how to not let your concerns get the better of you.
Whenever I get frustrated with something, my stepfather always tells me to “just worry about the closest alligator to the boat.” Truer advice has never been spoken. Covey’s theory, similarly, is that there is a circle of influence around you: assess which concerns you have control over, and fix them!
Belsky takes Covey’s advice and applies it to designers:
“As creative people, our passion for our work makes it more difficult to worry selectively. Why? The more passionate you are, the more protective and perfection-driven you become. Any concern becomes exaggerated just based on your beautiful vision being obstructed. Regardless of whether or not you have influence, you will want to tackle every problem as it emerges.
This tendency is dangerous. Your energy becomes fractured as you start to obsess over details and situations that are beyond your control. Ultimately, your ideas and projects suffer.”
In my current job search, the last thing I want is for my energy to become fractured by runaway worry. By identifying what I can control, I will be ensuring that I can do whatever I can do to get myself noticed above other job applicants (the assessment). My resumes, cover letters, and personal brand will all be in order (the preparation). Finally, I have to remember that my drive, my abilities, and my talents yielded success at a previous employer- and that they’ll do the same for me at my new employer, too (the focus).
With the proper assessment, preparation, and focus, runaway concerns can be a thing of the past!
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