Standing Up For Creative 2021

Standing up for
Creative
R E P R E S E N T I N G Y O U R I N D U S T R Y
M I K E R U S S E L L

About me
2
@mikerdzign
• Creative Service Specialist for
Discover Flagstaff oversee web
and social media.
• A Flagstaff native and NAU graduate.
• Second graduating class of
the Art Institute of Phoenix
• Married 26 years with
3 sons

About me
7
by Adrian Shaughnessy
Published in 2005

8
“I’m assuming that the readers of
this book are designers who have a
point of view–or, to put it another
way, designers who don’t see
themselves as doormats.”
How to Be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul
Adrian Shaughnessy, 2005

9
Signs you might
be a doormat
• You keep sacrificing your time, energy,
or values at your own expense.
• You stay around and let toxic people
treat you badly.
• People pleasing. You always put
everyone else’s needs first.
• Changing your mind when someone
disagrees with you.
• Doing favors for others without getting
much (or anything) in return.
Being Treated Like A Doormat? Reasons Why And What To Do
https://socialpronow.com/blog/treated-like-doormat/

10
“There’s a mule-like instinct in nearly
every designer…It’s an instinct,
inherent in all designers, that says: a
little bit of my soul has gone into
this, and it is not going to be
removed without a fight.”

11
Find
yourself
“To be born
is to have a
soul,
I guess.”
-K

From 1998-2021
My Design story
Government
In-house
14 yrs
Freelance
17 yrs
Publishing
In-house
7 yrs 24 yrs
Graphic
Designer
Marketing/
PR Agency
1 yr

Creative
environment
The ecosystem of a small in-house agency
Public
Relations
Creative
Photo/
Video
Sales
person
Editor/
Copywriter
Marketing

Marketing Ecosystem
Mullen Advertising

15
In-house design
Advantages
• Perks of a traditional work environment
• A steady paycheck
• Professional development
• One brand to develop
Disadvantages
• More rules
• More communication
• Design by committee
• A non-design environment
Where do Graphic Designers Work? In-house vs. Agency vs. Freelance
https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/design/blog/where-do-graphic-designers-work

16
Isaac Irvine - "Star Wars taught me everything I know about design."
@theisaac https://twitter.com/theisaac

17
“The true challenge is sitting across from a
person, or group, who know absolutely
nothing about design, showing them your
gorgeous work and trying to sell them the
idea and why it’s the right one for them.”
All Designers are Liars
https://thenuschool.com/all-designers-are-liars-how-to-market-yourself/

18
“‘Creative’ design is a large part of a
marketing package which can critically
affect the success of a business. Well
designed communications take a great
deal of skill and effort to make.”
What is the Value of Graphic Design
https://oskucom.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/what-is-the-value-of-graphic-design/

Believe in
your
intuitions
“You know
the business
and I know
chemistry.”
-Walter White

20
“We have something called
creative intuition for which we can’t
always offer a rational explanation,
but which is nevertheless a tangible
and vital part of our life as a
creative producer.”

Don’t let
anything
stop you.
“Nobody in
life gets
what they
thought they
were going
to get.”
-Conan O’brien

23
“I hate cynicism — it’s my least favorite
quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere.
Nobody in life gets exactly what they
thought they were going to get. But if
you work really hard and you’re kind,
amazing things will happen.”
Conan O'Brien's farewell has lasting impact
Conan O'Brien Feb 16, 2010

24
Perception
https://www.freepik.com/vectors/design

25
Production Artist
Animator
UX designer
Art Director
Multimedia designer
Web developer
Layout Artist
Graphic Designer
Publication specialist
Creative Specialist
Visual Communications
Motion Designer
Contract designer

26
“Many of the companies we work for
are still learning the value of design. At
the same time, we ourselves are often
too hasty to throw out terms and
adopt new ones. In many ways we lack
self-confidence as an industry.”
Designers, let’s redesign our job titles
https://www.corralldesign.com/blog/2019/8/21/job-titles

27
“When our roles are ambiguous,
our outcomes and success stories
can be as well.”
Are you T-Shaped? Jack of all trades, Master of One – And How to be both
https://www.primermagazine.com/2017/live/

28
14 Reasons Graphic Designers Are Seen as Order Takers
@creativeboostco https://creative-boost.com/reasons-graphic-designers-are-seen-as-order-takers/

29
How Do I Get More Work & Scale My Design Business? w/Aaron Pierson
@ap_creative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swiG31QGKVc

Know the
work you
put in.
“How much
more can they
take from me?”
-Mad Max

31
Great advice for
designers who feel
unempowered:
Get out of
passive/blaming/victim
mode.
Work to change it.

T-shaped Design
32
Are you T-Shaped? Jack of all trades, Master of One - And How to be both
https://www.primermagazine.com/2017
“The vertical stroke of the “T” is a
depth of skill that allows you to
contribute to the creative process.
The horizontal stroke of
the “T” is the disposition
for knowledge for
collaboration across
disciplines.

Four Principles of
the T-Shaped
Individual
• Be invested
• Seek new experiences – make
connections.
• Be generous with your knowledge –
teach and mentor others.
• Find mentors - learn from the
t-shaped people in your life.
33
Are you T-Shaped? Jack of all trades, Master of One - And How to be both
https://www.primermagazine.com/2017

Know how
to sell
yourself.
“It’s times
like these
you give and
give again.”
-Dave Grohl

35
“Too many designers, some of them super
talented, remain throughout their career
at the bottom of the design world’s
pyramid for the simple reason that they
don’t know – and what’s worse, don’t
want to learn – how to sell their work.”
Which personality types make the best designers?
https://www.creativebloq.com/career/which-personality-types-make-best-designers

36
Introversion and
creativity
A design professor at Mississippi
State University Beth Miller and a
group of researchers found that an
introverted personality type
was the most prevalent among
its postgraduate designers.

37
“Introverts are slower to speak their
minds because they are more careful
when processing data; they think
before making decisions. They're good
with detail and have better focus.”

38
"Studies suggest that innovation
often requires solitude. The majority
of spectacularly creative people
across a range of fields are introverts,
or at least comfortable with spending
large chunks of time alone."

Stand up
for your
industry
“We survive
this by pulling
together, not
apart.”
-Rick Grimes

40
“Impersonating a doormat is a poor
way to be an effective graphic
designer. In fact, standing up for what
we believe in — ethics, morality,
professional standards, even aesthetic
preferences — is the only way to
produce meaningful work.”

Why designers don’t get respect https://www.sarahdayan.com/blog/why-designers-dont-get-respect
• Be good at what you do.
• Don’t budge from your values.
• Act the part.
• Take responsibility.
• Help build those around you.
• Believe in yourself.
41
Final thoughts

42
Thanks!
Any questions?
Twitter: @MikeRDzign
Instagram: @MikeRDzign
Linkedin: Mike Russell
Twitter: @DiscoverFLG
Instagram: @DiscoverFlagstaff
Facebook: Discover Flagstaff
Linkedin: Discover Flagstaff

Standing Up For Creative 2021

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