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