Meg Kerr - Mozaic

Meg Kerr is a Social Media Integration Manager at Mosaic Experiential Marketing. Before coming to Mosaic, Meg Kerr studied Media, Information & Technoculture and Broadcast Journalism. You can contact her through LinkedIn, or you can follow her on Twitter: @meg_kerr.

It was great to have Meg in, to address the growing role social networks now play in our field.

What is Social Media?

"Social media is like teen sex: everyone wants to do it, no one knows how, and when they finally do it, they're surprised it's not better"

Meg Kerr gets a lot of requests from big brands who want to "to do social media". They are trying to jump in head first without deciding what their objective is. First a brand needs to decide what they need, and then discover how to get there, and it is not always through social media.

Social media = networks that make and share content really easily online.

Social media is here to stay, and it's fundamentally shifted the way people talk to each other, and that's why marketers are so interested in accessing that space.

Trends

1) Realtime + mobile devices

Technology that allows people to share information in realtime from anywhere is very powerful. This refers to smart phones and computers, etc. The velocity and volume at which information is shared will continue to accelerate.

Nearly 1/3 of Canadians own a Smart Phone. More people will soon be accessing the internet on their phones than on their laptops, which will have a huge effect on advertising.

Twitter is such a game changer because now news organization can never truly be the first to break a story. When news happens, people can turn to twitter first for first-hand accounts, photographs and videos. These sources are becoming much faster than traditional sources of media.

Example: When Tiger Woods crashed his car, within 15 minutes on twitter we knew details about the crash, 45 minutes before the news broke the story.

2) Location-based services and Geo-tagging.

Instead of telling your friends where you are, location-based services like four-square and yelp update your location for you. Some of these networks are easily integrated with your other social media sites.

Four-square: works by checking in locations via your phone. There is also a function on four-square where you can offer reviews on businesses for your friends. Four-Square has now layered on the ability for venues to offer deals via their site. There are now 15 million users on four-square.

3) Privacy

The industry perspective: If a site allows members to keep too much of their info private, that will effect what kind of information the site can sell, and therefore revenue.

There is risk involved in your information not being private enough. It was a great reminder for Meg to show us the news report about a family's tweet that led to their house being burglarized while they were away.

See a related news clip here

There is also risk that your information posted on social networks is searchable by anyone, and as we are all by now aware, could lead to repercussions.

Please Rob Me: A site that tells the world when you're not home by scanning twitter and facebook for posts about when you aren't home.

Privacy issues have always been a concern, but now that location is involved it is even more of an issue.

4) Social Media becoming less social

Mass networks fill up with "noise" and become cluttered, and now youths are seeking out more exclusive niche markets. Twitter and Facebook contain a mass amount of information, and it is difficult to cut through all of the clutter. Now social networks are moving away from inclusiveness. Example: you can create lists of what people you want to see what information online.

Now there are invitation-only social networks specific to interests. There are even sites where you are required to submit a resume to join. Online users are becoming overwhelmed, and wanting to segment their lives, and only see information that they are really interested in. Meg thinks we'll be seeing more and more of this.

The web 2.0 suicide machine:

A tongue-in-cheek social commentary about the amount of time we invest in social networking sites. This website will permanently erase your social networking sites upon request. This is a service that deletes your digital life.

The Athletic Therapy Centre

Our session at the Athletic Therapy Centre fulfilled the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities requirement that all programs provide students with Health and Safety training.

Beginning at 11am, we rotated through exercise stations and getting our personal assessments.

Those of us who had injuries and concerns had priority one-on-one appointments with a 3rd year

athletic therapy student. We were also led through different exercises to help us prevent further injuries as a result of our work in web design.

Common Signs and Symptoms to watch for include:

- tightness and ache in forearms

-tightness/knots in shoulders and neck

-tension headaches

-tingling and or numbness either intermittent or prolonged

-pain that can not be relieved with stretching

- decreased range of motion in neck, shoulders, wrists, lower back

almost all of these injuries are caused by changes in posture, and before the symptoms are too great, taking action is required.

How to Prevent Injury

Stretching is important, and it is recommended that we break for 5-10 minutes every hour we spend at a workstation.

We should vary our work tasks so that we can change body position. On our break we should try to move around, relax our muscles and change positions.

Some great stretch to do on your work break:

1. Shoulder roll: Slowly roll your shoulders backward five times in a circulra motion. Next, roll your shoulders forwards.

2. Back/side stretch: Interlace your fingers and lift your arms over your head, keeping the elbows straight. Press arms as far back as you can. To stretch your sides, slowly lean to the left and then to the right.

3. Back curl: Grasp your shin. Lift the leg off the floor. Bend forward (curling your back), and reach your nose to your knee. Repeat with the other leg.

4. Ankle and Flex Stretch: Hold one foot off the floor with your leg straight. Alternately flex your ankle (point your toes up) and extend (point your toes down). Repeat with the other leg.

My Experience

(photo by derek Woolam)

I had a wonderful time. I have since started using the stretches we learned on my breaks at home and I've realized how easy it is to ignore your body and the consequences of doing this over a long period of time. At the centre the student working with me addressed my neck and back pain (the result of bad posture and uncomfortable working positions). She worked on a knot at the base of my neck and it felt great, but I need to work on my posture and sitting position while working.

For more information about available athletic therapy sessions at the Athletic Therapy Centre, please click here.

Jason Bouwman, Compass Creative

Jason Bouwman

Jason Bouwman is a Sheridan Grad from the

Illustration program in 1994. He owns and operates a small design

firm called Compass Creative in Burlington, Ontario. You can contact him through Linkedin. You can also find him on Twitter.

Where Jason Started out

-He was an illustration student at Sheridan. He started out taking the technical illustration class, and this was something very different from the rest of his blue-collar family. For him to go into the arts was something quite unique.

- He knew he had a talent and a passion for the arts.

- He had always had a business mentality, a pragmatism, and at a young age was concerned with the idea of making a living. When he looked at his career, at the back of his mind there was a responsibility to turn this into a business.

- At first he went into industrial design, simply because he though there was a market for that.

- After a year of Industrial design he was unhappy and failed. He planned to go into business, but his friends encouraged him to go into illustration.

- At the time he was making these decisions to try and balance what he wanted to do with being ucccessful.

During School

- He didn't get as caught up with passing classes as with building a strong portfolio

- He looked for opportunities with classes to build his portfolio and in second year he began calling up companies promoting himself. This is how he landed his first job.

- He studied technical illustration in the hopes of the job market being strong there.

- At this point computers were not being used. When he started looking for work it became apparent computer skills would be apparent.

His First Job

- Howard Marketing and Communications was his first job

- "it was simply a job"

- He said he could do some things he had no idea how to use. He had to learn very rapidly and stressful, but sometimes in business you have to fake it till you make it.

- he was straight with his employer that he didn't want to stay there.

The Origins of His ambition for his own Company

- It comes from his family background, his brother and father both own their own businesses.

- Their family were immigrants, very responsible, very self-sufficient. Had to be strong enough to make a new life here.

- In his family there is this built in "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality.

- he had always had it in his head that he could do his own thing.

- Jason was stuck with a talent that he thought he had to use. But he didn't want to have to live in the big city in order to do what he loved. He was a small-town guy, and he wasn't a "schmoozer". It just wasn't him. He is a hopeless introvert.

- He brought in a consultant to ask what he was doing wrong, and the consultant told him he was very introverted.

- He can't be outgoing all day and every day, it will just tap his energy.

- Starting his own business was what he envisioned for his own future.

- "do an honest day's work, get a good job, get through life".

Leaving Howard

- "I've done a lot of things very intuitively"

- He made a lot of decisions rather intuitively.

- when he walked into Howard he Knew he was going to leave there one day.

- He told them that his goal was to be there for two or three years and move on. He was taken on as a freelancer. He worked long hours to accumulate funds for his planned future.

- He was so respected at his work that his employer gave him the keys to Howard in order to do his own freelance work there.

- He ended up staying there longer than two years and all the while he was doing things at nights.

- He cold-called companies that might need an illustrator. He still fancied the idea that he could become an illustrator.

- He thought maybe he could set up in Burlington and find a number of agencies to work for.

- There was a point in his life that he knew if he was going to jump, he had to jump then.

- one day he left Howard and started on his own.

Starting up his own business

- He converted the basement of his house into his own studio.

- He often had days he wasn't working, and would call up his brothers to do some construction work.

- A few years passed. He was working as an illustrator.

- But he wondered: after 20 years and I still going to be sitting down here? Twenty years by myself in a basement...I don't think that's going to do...

- When he looked at his business - there's only so many hours in a day. What he was selling was time. He realized he had to charge more per hour, it was his only way to get more money. and The only way to charge more per hour...

Discovering strengths to grow his Company

- What he decided to do: He decided to grow, hire somebody. He was going to try it. He knew he didn't want to stay in his basement too much longer and maybe now it was the time to grow.

- He went out and rented a space, and hired someone.

- Before he hired someone he asked why his clients hired him: they said he really listens, he's very concise and he creates solutions that a right for them.

- It wasn't about him, it was about his clients. He was almost like a translator for the story they needed to tell.

- It wasn't about him, and he needed to learn how they were so he started asking lots of questions.

- ever since then his company has been pushing that value in their work. Insight before website.

- People don't want websites. What they want is dollars. Sales.

- we tell our clients: they don't owe you money. You need to give them a story. and to know the story you need to know your market. and Prior to that you have to have a mission, and know why you exist in the first place. You need to delve into why they exist and what they are trying to do.

- figure out how you're going to change the world, then brand.

- visual elements all just individual pieces that need to support a core idea.

Compass Creative today

- works for a large number of small to intermediate sized companies

- we build websites based on insight and market reality. We reflect who they are and not who we are.

- a website on it's own doesn't help, it's about creating the right experience.

- His company has experience organic growth by word of mouth, and growing with their clients.

- They narrow down what they do now. They have figured out what they do and what they are good at. They need to keep finding new clients who are at that place.

How does Compass Creative Hire and what is the structure?

- In a typical firm there's probably about 30 different roles you can put a title to, and there are only 6 people in the team.

- He kept hiring designers, but then he has no visionaries and managers.

- They worked with a consultant, and just like a coach to a sports team they could see the big picture.

- It's about delegating the right share of responsibilities.

- Jason works on finances, sales, networking, marketing. He is also the chief creative director, responsible for the quality of work going out.

- his decision to embrace the web with his business was a struggle, but he did some hiring to develop that aspect of his business

- team also includes designer/photographer, web programmers, web designer, administrative assistant.

- One of his goals in life is to create a great place of Employment. He cares about the people he hires, because we spend the bulk of our life at work. We need to spend most of our life with people we don't care about to support the people we do care about. Make the place you work comfortable. Make it sociable, make it attractive. If people enjoy their work, they do better work and they tend not to leave.

-They pay a little bit more. They ask what they are looking for, judge their skills and make sure they have a good fit with the culture.

The Design Process at Compass Creative

- initial group brainstorming

- then separation into groups and individuals based on responsibility

- they push to put out the best product they can, but value is defined by the constraints you are under

- you create the best value you can working with the time and money you have

Working in a Creative field

- He started his business for very selfish reasons

- There was nothing in there about the customer, it was all about him, and he had to learn that it wasn't about him.

- What need am I fulfilling, how do I differentiate myself? This is ongoing. This is something you have to continually re-invent over and over again.

- creative people love what they do and are passionate about what they do, but they make a lot of poor choices to protect their ability to do that. You are going to have a wildly imbalanced life if you are going to protect your ability to do what you love to do.

- You get abused, you work 18 hours a day for nothing but you continue to do it because you are doing what you love.

- hard work is only hard when you aren't appreciated and it doesn't feel meaningful

References

Book: First Things First"

(how to break your life and your work into priorities)

- this book is about identifying the important things in your life, and how to live your life by as compass as opposed to a clock.

Book: "Things I wish I knew when I was 20"

Words of Wisdom

- figure out what's really important and live your life with those things in priority.

- what are the most important things to you? live your life by a compass and not a clock.

- We need to spend most of our life with people we don't care about to support the people we do care about. Make the place you work comfortable.

- hard work is only hard when you aren't appreciated and it doesn't feel meaningful

Alex Pejcic, Sonic Boom

Alec is the co-founder of Sonic Boom. You can find Sonic Boom's website here. Alec can be reached through Twitter and Linkedin.

About Sonic Boom

what they do:

"we’re in the business of helping our clients understand and maximize what they know they can do with digital media."

what makes them unique:

"We have a worldly view and now we take social media to another level."

"Sonic Boom is a digital media agency operating as an integrated division of NATIONAL Public Relations, Canada’s largest communications consulting firm. Since 1998, Sonic Boom has partnered with leading brands on a wide array of digital mandates.

Sonic Boom helps clients understand, embrace and optimize the massive potential of digital media. We work closely with our clients to understand their business, consumers and influencers. We then focus on their business challenges and apply our insights and experience to deliver meaningful digital solutions."

clients:

Aviva

Citibank Canada

Marsh

Pal Benefits

RBC Dexia

SEI Investments

Bell Mobility

Blackstock Leather

Campbell's

Gillette

Gourmet Settings

Grafton & Co.

Harry Rosen

Home & Rural Appliances

HomeSense

Honda Canada

The Interior Design Show

Jamieson Laboratories

NuGro Corporation

OK Tire

Pepsi

RIM

RJ Spagnols

ROMA Moldings

SIRIUS Satellite Canada

TIMEX

Unilever

Wrigley's

The Advertising & Design Club of Canada

Agro Zaffiro LLP

ARK Inc.

Astound Web Conferencing

(to name a few)

what is marketing:

marketing is about a one-way dialogue.

a one-sided conversation.

advertising is about yelling the loudest.

branding:

"I understand you’re a great lover"

public relations:

"Trust me, he’s a great lover"

eMerge:

traditional communications + social design + digital marketing

the problem with old spice guy - it’l die at some point. unless you have a community absorbing that and moving to the next level, it’s done. social design, taking it to the next level.

where he sees agencies going, take control of these three things to get people excited about the brand. it’s not about the agency anymore, it’s about being partners, integrating, striving for an internal understanding.

Our industry:

-advertising and marketing agencies

digital agencies

communications, public relations & consultancy

employees/freelancers

what does a digital agency look like on the inside?

-strategy

-account

-creative

engineering

production

quality assurance

subject matter experts & content

social media | monitoring, design, management

social media

everyone should be knowledgeable about this. you need to know about social media. Know what’s out there, what networks are important, what they do, what they’re capable of.

“you’d be amazed how much we can know about you”

sounds like Big Brother, but that’s the kind of knowledge we have nowadays to create more compelling arguments.

what will i need to understand?

meaning & role of brand

marketing basics

latest trends & technologies

follow:

mashable

the digital buzz blog

what should I possess?

- skills in your discipline

- strong portfolio

- references

- positive attitude

- willingness to learn

- passion

- be willing to learn

- within give minutes i can understand if you have passion

- he can’t believe a lot of people come from the industry looking for work and don’t know anything about Sonic Boom

get to know the company

- Get noticed, recognized & respected. It takes time.

- join interactive media groups

- submit your portfolio to online communities

- create your own online space

- ask for advice & interviews

- take opportunities as they come

- no ego! don’t be an idiot & always pay your dues

- if we have the time, we’ll sit down and talk to you about what we’d like to do with our careers.

- half of you might not end up as creatives. will you be prepared for the day that someone tells you, you suck as a designer. - have an open mind. If someone is being honest with you, and someone more senior is starting to see your strengths and comes to you to get you passionate about something else, take the opportunities as they come.

- if someone is honest with you, tells you you aren’t wired for this, take that as it is, sulk, or go to someone else who might be able to appreciate it.

- be passionate about what you do and love what you do. we really do work hard, it’s not an easy job. It’s a way of life. Be prepared for a place that’s going to work you hard, but you’ll love it at the end of the day if you’re passionate about it.

“A lot of my peers will come in and talk about how awesome it is. At the end of the day we also have bills to pay, and we have lots of work. It’s a career. And you have to be prepared for that reality”.

- stay put somewhere so you can really show your progression. stay and play in one place.

- you need to start from the bottom up.

what keeps him going - getting inspired by the people he’s working with.

- that’s what keeps you going at the end of the day, getting inspired.

which conferences does he recommend? what do you want to get out of them?

TED talks - by far the best for the future.

Jay Schacher, Henderson Bas

Jay Graduated from York in 2004 and graduated from Web Design in 2006. He started his career out at Organic as a production artist. He nows works and an Art Director with Henderson Bas.

Job Description

-brainstorming, concept development, designing, overseeing work, mentoring, meeting timeline deadlines, ensuring client expectations are met, and being creative.

Common traits of a good Assistant Director

- you love games and doodling

- you like playing around with photoshop more than you like television

- you have a favorite HEX value

- you have really creative passions and network names

About Henderson Bas Kohn

- Specializes in digital

- web, ads, mobile and print

- Jay Schacher is 1 of 60 people in the shop

- within his creative team there are 10 people

The Work Process

1) Brainstorm

2) sketch concept

3) present

4) design

5) build

6) Revise

Current Projects

LG - Get Connected Site

- product-focused site, a hub to showcase phones

- a shallow site, all artwork in-house

- just a drive-to-purchase site

LG Power up Your Life Intro Video

- Jay's roe was to art-direct

- he sat down with the creative team and sketched out ideas with them

Mercedes Benz Drive + Seek Game

- to showcase the new Mercedes Class

- Created an iphone app game

- they gave away a free car

Mercedes Benz Facebook

- They also do a lot of work with social media

Working with the Client

- You may love something but it doesn't always mean the client will

- You need to learn to let go of your ego

- You may need to go through many revisions

Building a Profile

- build an identity for yourself online

- he worked with a copy writer on his own profile

- create a brand for yourself and get found.

After You Graduate

- Stay close with your classmates

- make sure to network ( tweeting, google parties, facebook)

- be a team player, not a hero.

- the best thing to do is specialize

What to do when you have those non-creative days

- check out mashable

- Smashing magazine

- Colour Lover - helps you pick out colour schemes

John Alabaszowski

John Alabaszowski, V.P. Group Creative Director, McClaren McCann

John has been with McClaren McCann for seven years. While he was freelancing, McLaren offered him a full time job, and what he assumed would be a summer gig turned into a much longer gig.


This is considered "a very long time" for a creative to stay in one place. In explanation, John says that creative people can be fickle, and it is just the nature of the industry for people to more around frequently.

To him it has always felt like a new job.

How things get done at McClaren McCann

There is a pretty integrated environment at McClaren McCann. Initially a project is kicked off collectively and then the team members branch off and work on the different project components depending on their specialty.

John's strengths were design and ideas.

Key Clients

-GM

-641 Lotto Max

- Wind Mobile

Social Media

Now many of their projects are no longer about driving people to a site and more about finding them where they are on the internet and sharing with them there.

Some sites are now even making social media content the main material on their own sites.

This kind of many to many marketing is difficult for brands to control. A good example is theKitKat scandal, where nestle was revealed to be buying palm oil from a non-renewable source through a video created and shared by Greenpeace. Eventually Nestle was forced to stop purchasing from that supplier due to public outcry and media notoriety.

The industry today

As consumers blur the line between different media and technologies, it is up to us to catch up. Creatives are becoming more responsible for more aspects of a brand's identity.

Helpful Advice

- Don't take what falls in your lap. Go after a place you like where you feel comfortable with the work you are doing.

- In a small shop you must be a jack of all trades

- If you are a 9-5 production designer you will get paid and have normal hours but the work is unstimulating

- make sure to have an updated portfolio with your best work in there.

- make your strengths the feature of your work

- the cost of entry to a good job are good layout skills

-show anything in your portfolio that shows your passion for what you do

Interviews

- Be organized

- organize your presentation and pitch it well

- stand out

- always ask questions at the end of the interview. ask for advice about your work and your presentation

At Work

- Don't keep your head down

- volunteer for things

- if you aren't being assigned the work you want, ask for it

- don't be "drunker than your boss"

Closing thoughts

Keep things in your life in perspective. When I had a child I thought..."screw websites, I make people!"

Contact

John.Alabaszowski@maclaren.com

@johnala

Fall Tour Interactive 2011

Fall Tour Interactive 2011

About the Tour

The Fall Tour Interactive is powered by Oddly studios, a company that specializes in digital content. Oddly imagined the tour as a "way to give back to the interactive community", and it's a great way to bring the industry together and expose students and those aspiring for a related career to useful contacts and a variety of work environments. There are also informative and inspiring panel discussions in addition to the studio tours that take place.

My Take on the Studios

My Tour group had the great opportunity to visit Taxi, John st., Derooted, GripLimited, and Oddly Studios.

Taxi

Taxi truly owned up to its reputation of excellence in our whirlwind tour. We were guided through an immaculate and luxurious mod studio and shown a variety of projects, all of the highest caliber of workmanship. I found Taxi to be slightly intimidating because of both the reputation and the environment, but the presenters seemed friendly. Everyone at Taxi was dressed to the hilt in the industry standard style (fashion-forward hipster chick). I felt a bit like you needed to "walk the walk" and "talk the talk" to be considered for a place at Taxi. I was happy to hear that there are YSDN graduates working in the studio. I'm also sure that because of the size of the studio and the amount of great quality work for big clients, there would be a lot of late nights and long hours working for this studio to prove your metal and stay in the game.

Ultimately I'm not sure whether I would want to work at a location like Taxi right out of school. I might want to ease into an environment that fast-paced after I had learned the ropes at a location with less pressure and fewer responsibilities.

Grip Limited

When we first arrived at Grip, I was impressed with the spacious, naturally lit open concept space in of their studio. It seemed like a space well-designed for collaboration, socialization and integration, and over the course of our tour of Grip it seemed as though integration is key in the way this company operates and designs.

I appreciated the openness and directness of both speakers at Grip and felt like I came away having learned much more about the different roles within a company like Grip and their associated responsibilities and opportunities. It was here at Grip that the idea first arose that I would enjoy being a project manager. This Idea was further promoted after visiting Oddly and derooted later in the Tour.

I was glad that our speaker offered to hold an "informational interview" if we were interested in one, and I'm still considering asking him for one.

Derooted

It was at Derooted that I decided I would prefer to debut at a smaller 'boutique' agency where I would be given the opportunity to assume a larger number of roles and have more power to come up with ideas or manage my own projects.

At derooted I really liked how they were very forward thinking, always thinking about how they could utilize new technologies or create an innovative solution for a client, no matter the size or budget of the project. I could see in their work that they were always challenging themselves to be fresh and innovative, and I want that same kind of creative freedom in my own work.

Derooted is a location where I would consider interning, however because of the size of the studio i worry that they may not have a payed place for me there.


John St.

I actually felt the least drawn to the environment at John st. I found the studio to be much too large, and I think I would feel lost in the crowd if I worked there. I also started doubting whether I really would feel fulfilled working in ad advertising agency, being the mouthpiece of whatever corporation payed the bills.

I found their presentation to be a bit of a snoozefest. I wanted to know more about what it was like working at that studio instead of all about their one project for Tetley Tea. It seemed as though our visit was an afterthought, a minor annoyance lost in the shuffle of other daily chores.


Oddly

At Oddly I felt a comeraderie that was very appealing, however I felt as though their presentation could have been more professional. Their business model can't possibly be so easy! Nothing I make for fun is very profitable. I certainly couldn'y run a business on doodles.

Don't dumb things down for me Oddly, I'm an adult.

At Oddly I was happy to hear more about project management because of my interest having been sparked at Grip Limited already.


Discussions Panels: Collected Insights

- "Fail your way to success. Put the energy behind it and the energy will be recognized"

- "Don't apologize for your growth as a creator"

- "You've got 10,000 shitty drawings inside of you? Get them out now!"

-"Don't let fear and self doubt stop you from getting your stuff out there".

Website

http://www.oddlystudios.com/falltourinteractive/

Dwayne Grech - Momentum

Dwayne Greck is a designer with the Online Ad Agency Momentum, he is also the owner and designer at Sultan of Beard.

Quirky Facts:
- Back-packed Australia
- Speaks Japanese
- Started the Facebook Group - The Toronto Surf Club

A graduate of Graphic Design at Seneca college and a Web design Graduate from Sheridan, 2009 class, he has also worked at:
1) Organic Online Media
- worked as a production artist
2) Young & Republican
- an umbrella company for 9/10 different agencies
3) The marketing Store
- print-based DM agency opening up interactive
4) Sirius Satellite Radio
- user interface designer

About Momentum:

-DOAR for Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/Ram/Fiat
- His job was to lead concept design for microsites, branding and promotion
-Online loyalty support for Amex
-Momentum named for 3rd year in a row: Canada's 50 best managed companies
-Owned by Onyx, Canada's third biggest IT company

Currently Dwayne is tasked with the Company's site redesign
-the site will have easier navigation, will be quite dynamic

Industry Advice:
What to Expect:

1) It won't be easy
- a lot of graduates, a lot of competition, extremely competitive
- a lot of hard work. Once you earn trust you can move on to larger projects

2) Lack of sleep
- just what you have to do. not a 9-5 job, sometimes there are 14 hour days

3) Ultra-competitive Market
- 5 designers for each position
- how do you start out? It's all about how you present yourself, how do you stand out?
It's about personality, how you present yourself, how you stand out.
- go to networking events, participate in activities, meet people
- Sheridan students have a great track record

4) It's a small industry
- everyone knows everyone
- you can easily be blacklisted
- it's like a very small village
- be mindful about the first place you work go to

5) Crazy office politics
- - need to stay smooth-talking, level-headed
- let go of your project, put your ego aside
- designers work because the world gets to see what they do
- don't backstab

6) Toronto has heaps of agency choices
- avoid going to large agencies
- a lot of agencies have a revolving door environment
-start at a smaller agency to build confidence that will let you thrive and prepare
- everyone is miserable, you'll be unhealthy, an alcoholic, bad life decisions
-smaller agencies don't pay as well but the rewards are huge
-slow-paced learning easy on your soul
- larger agencies- they are going to ruin you and they want you to get ruined to give you a thicker skin
7) go to industry parties
- that's where you'll meet future friends and clientele


Options after Graduation

1) Small design house vs international agency
2) Contract work or permanent work:
- could be making a very nice living as a contractor - $60 ph 30 hours a week.
- contract work, great for resume, nice chance
-more permanent work
- nowadays there is no such thing as permanent work
- At this point a lifetime is 2 years in the Industry
-9-5 work ....more like 9-9.
- it is harder to get into permanent work

2)Designer vs Project Manager vs Account Manager:
- the industry is lacking project managers with a digital background
- project manager is the middle manager between the account manager and the designer
- Project managers are like the divorce lawyer
It is a crucial role that pays well.
- account manager - usually has a business background with psychology

Canada vs Abroad:
- you can live and work anywhere in the world
- the possibilities of going around the world are endless
- Brazil is booming, you could go down if you have the guts to do it


Industry Advice:

Life Lessons
1) Burning bridges in this industry is employment suicide
2) networking events are your easiest way into an interview, free food and alcohol
3) You are never too old to stop learning
4) the FWA.com is the best site
5) sometimes you'll have to sacrifice a weekend or six
6) redbull is the savior of the last minute all-nighter request
7) pay it forward, attend lectures, mentor juniors
8) if you're not enjoying the what and where, its time for a change. you have to love what you do or it will show.
9) booze is your friend. (?)
10) social media is king


My Personal reflections on the Lecture:

I'm worried about the high stress levels and working in a place that will eat my life/not be conducive to a family or extracurriculars. I'm not willing to be "broken" or sacrifice my health and personal life no matter the career stakes, and this lecture worried me about the implications of working in such a competitive, fast-paced industry. I also worry about burning bridges, because over the course of these lectures we've received several warnings, and I wouldn't want to have one falling-out ruin my career in Toronto.

Contact for Dwayne

Dwayne.Grech@momentum.ca

Catherine Baird - Dashboard

Who Is Catherine Baird?
- Associate Creative Director of Dashboard
- As an Art History graduate she was inspired by an interactive online piece by Anno Mercie to pursue a post-graduate degree in Web through Sheridan

Words of Advice About Choosing this Path
- You have to be really inspired to get into this business
- It's a hard job and it changes every day
- Every day technology will change
- do what you love! Be inspired

What it means to work at Dashboard
- 35 unique friends who push each other, brainstorm, build ideas, share recipes, battle it out in video games, take it on the volleyball court, take breaks to KFC, have Jam session, legendary parties and create ingenious work
- Most big agencies don't know how to combine people with interactive skills and more traditional media art directors
- 2005/2006 was when agencies finally showed up at the digital awards. butt they still don't understand a lot of people in the industry can do print, logos, art direction as well as interactive.
- Dashboard used to be the digital agency for larger agencies
- The senior art directors at Dashboard have 5 years of experience.

The Work
- a few big clients support the company
- ING is the biggest of these clients
- Catherine developed a strong relationship with ING before she came to Dashboard
- The Grid
- The Santa Clause Parade
- The $ Movement (through ING)

Five Steps to Success
1) Be a Really, Really good designer
2) Understand and love technology
3) Learn Video, flash animation and social media
4) Understand what UX and IA are
5) Work Hard, be flexible and keep up


Additional Comments during the Q&A
- Catherine got her first job through the grad show at Sheridan
- She brought all of her work in a book to the event which helped
-ask yourself where you'd like to be in 10 years and answer truly in interviews
- moodboards are integral. take them almost to the point of artwork
- having your clients trust you is the most important thing
- be willing to take a pay cut and take the opportunity to prove your worth
- get your foot in the door
- look into AD LOUNGE, it's a good way of getting people connected in the industry
-Pay expectations: 30-35 for first few years, 50-55 a few years in, 75 for art direction and 90 for creative director.

Contact for Catherine

catherinebaird.com

Taxi Website

http://taxi.ca/?redirect=true