Fun Starters

Getting to know the human side.

Main Course

A quick deep dive into the day-to-day job.

Tell us about yourself and your job.

I design a lot of KiwiCo's marketing materials, including emails, direct mail, web banners, and pretty much any visual representation of the brand. When I'm not working I make a lot of art for art's sake - because it's so much fun to express yourself creatively!

How did you end up in your field? What do you like about it?

I'm a VERY visual person and I pretty much always wanted to be either an artist or a designer. I spent my childhood drawing and painting, and when it came time to pick a major in college I went into Illustration. It felt too easy for me, so I switched to Graphic Design, which was the right move because it felt HARD! I'm glad I pursued GD because it opened so many career opportunities!

What does a typical morning look like on the job?

Make a to-do list! My work gets intense, so if I don't make a list, deadlines will slip away. I usually start working right away to take advantage of that caffeine energy!

Cool, then what does a typical afternoon look like?

I start working on either an email, banner, or direct mail piece. Marketing usually provides us a brief, so we work with that. My job includes putting together a compelling layout that feels on-brand and has a clear call to action. When I'm done designing I put it up for review to collect feedback, and then implement it later.

What types of projects and meetings are you involved in?

My work is project-based. The only meetings I attend are to either kick off a project or to present my designs and get feedback.

Who do you collaborate with within meetings and projects?

I collaborate a lot with the Marketing team because they provide the brief and in the end, they need the final assets, so we constantly stay in very close communication.

I also collaborate with fellow designers on my team, primarily because they can help me find the right photos/assets and give design feedback!

Dessert

Now for some juicy insights in the tea room.

What's the most challenging thing about your job?

There are a lot of challenges that come with remote work (during the pandemic), such as lack of communication, miscommunication, lack of recognition, motivation, and others! Sometimes deadlines are so tight, especially during holidays, that I get super overwhelmed and exhausted. As a woman, my challenges include surviving PMS, because I feel very low-energy and my brain goes crazy. 😜

What are some characteristics that can help someone succeed in your role?

1. Learn how to take feedback! I once worked with someone who got personally offended by any feedback and it was devastating to the team since we couldn’t improve our work without hurting that person's feelings. You gotta learn to not take it personally and have a positive attitude no matter what!

2. Provide several design options, so the reviewer feels like there are options to choose from. Very important!

Any advice on how to stand out and get hired for those just starting off?

Make sure your portfolio is TOP NOTCH! Make sure there are no typos or weird misalignment issues, make sure you research other people's portfolios and borrow some design elements from them. That's the first thing that any design lead looks at.

What's something that surprised you about your job?

No major surprises really, but maybe that's because I didn't have firm expectations about it!

What do you see your next step being?

I would like to be a freelancer and start my own design studio!

Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations for someone who wants to do what you do?

Reach out to people who are already in the industry! People generally love helping, just make sure you make it worth their time by thanking a lot and telling them how awesome they are! 😆

Drinks

Chat more over coffee or tea?