You’re in a fabulous mood, the weather is gorgeous, the sun is shining but as you stroll down any U.S. city street not even the Prozac-free among us can avoid the depressing vision of vacant storefronts; a constant reminder of one of the ugliest economic times in our nation’s history. So what’s a city to do?
The San Francisco Art in Storefronts project (an effort by The San Francisco Arts Commission, in collaboration with the Mayor’s office of Economic and Workforce Development and Triple Base Gallery) will launch a unique initiative on October 23rd to revitalize local neighborhoods hardest hit by the economic downturn. At this inaugural event, San Francisco-based artists and designers will temporarily place original art installations into 10 vacant storefront windows transforming them into inspiring works of art.
Among the initial storefronts to be unveiled is a thought-provoking piece by the San Francisco design firm MINE™. In a darkened storefront a neon sign proclaiming, “Everything is OK” will hover above rows of canned “products” that promise instant “OK-ness.” According to Mine’s founder and creative director Christopher Simmons, “The installation is designed as a provocation through which passersby are challenged to explore their relationship to the status quo and the term ‘OK.’ Does ‘OK’ signify ‘good’ or merely mediocre? If everything is mediocre, is that what we’re being asked to accept?”
This installation could not be more appropriate as the world sits with bated breath wondering, “Is the economy improving? Is everything OK?” With innovative economic revitalization efforts like this one, I don’t know about you, but my little black Magic 8-Ball reads “outlook good.” So let’s go shopping…window-shopping that is! And hey, more good news, it won’t cost a dime.
WHEN:
Friday, October 23, 2009, 5-7PM
Formal Remarks at 5:30, followed by an unveiling of the the window installations, live music, and an art walk with the artists.
WHERE:
Storefronts located along Market Street between 5th and 8th Streets.
Reception and remarks at 989 Market Street at 6th Street
(originally appeared in SF Examiner 9/23/09)
I recently went to a design lecture at Sacramento State University in which renowned graphic designer Kit Hinrichs discussed his 40+ year career including working at the prestigious design firm,Pentagram. During the question and answer period, a young designer working as an “in-house designer” (a.k.a. working in the design department of a particular company rather than for a design agency itself) asked Kit’s advice on the best way to grow and improve as a designer. Kit’s (rather blunt) answer was “don’t do it [in-house design].” He elaborated that, in his opinion, working for a top-notch design firm surrounded by the best of the best, learning, absorbing, and working your tail off is the optimum means to hone and refine your skills.
That’s all well and great, but how exactly does one go about working side-by-side with the most talented people in the design industry? And do you really need to give up your right arm or first-born child to get in the door? To help shed some light on the subject, I interviewed some of my favorite San Francisco graphic design firms (selectively chosen for producing a body of work that is at once conceptually brilliant, typographically amazing, and aesthetically gorgeous): Joel Templin and Katie Jain of Hatch Design; the current president of AIGA SF, Brian Singer of Altitude; and president emeritus of AIGA SF, Christopher Simmons of MINE™. Moderated by San Francisco graphic designer and copywriter Stephanie Orma of Orma Design and She’s SO Creative, the three design firms share insightful tips and advice for newbie design grads to seasoned professional alike seeking to get in the doors of the most prestigious design firms in the country.
What are the top qualities you look for when hiring a graphic designer?
Hatch Design: We look for designers whose talent it is to develop conceptual solutions to a problem all the way through to formal execution. So it’s not only big-picture thinking, but typography, illustration and knowledge of different production techniques that matter.
Altitude: Talent. Passion. Personality. Not necessarily in that order.
MINE™: In a portfolio I look for several things: First and foremost, I’m looking for a point of view. That is, I want to see a unique perspective in the work that distinguishes it from the work of others. Anyone can solve a problem formally, but if all you bring is style I’m not really that interested. The most compelling portfolios are those that demonstrate the designer’s unique thinking, as well as their technical skill. I also take particular note of typography skills — type is almost always the Achilles’ heal of the portfolio. Extraordinary type skills are essential to design, and are especially important in our studio. Because we do a lot of logo and identity design, I look for those projects as well. Identity projects tell me a lot about a designer’s thought process, drawing skills, color sense and typography. I look for designers who can write. I look for confidence, but I expect humility.
Other than the designer’s portfolio, what other things weigh heavily on your hiring decision?
Hatch Design: Our hiring decisions are based on 3 main components. The first being the portfolio and quality of work, which should demonstrate the qualities mentioned above. But being a small-sized studio, personalities also matter a lot! We have to know that a designer is a good fit within our studio and that they have a willingness to work hard and pitch in on any project. The interview is a very important way of discovering this fit. And finally, since designers often interact with clients directly, communication skills are very important–the ability to craft written communication and articulate the thinking behind a particular design solution are invaluable assets–not only for working at Hatch, but for a designer’s entire career.
Altitude: Strangely enough, many designers’ portfolios look the same. This is actually true of most design firms too. When it comes to making a hiring decision, the work needs to be excellent, but it comes down to many other factors. The ability to articulate concepts. Personality. Is this someone we want to spend 40+ hours a week with? Availability. Affordability. Timing is strangely important. We had an informational interview set up with a recent graduate for a Friday morning. Thursday afternoon, we landed a sizable project. Guess who started work on Monday?
MINE™: If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s to hire on personality, not talent. Whoever I hire, we’re going to have to work together every day. We’re going to trust each other’s opinions, respect each other’s ideas, style and work ethic, etc. There are tons of talented designers out there, but only a handful that are suited to our work environment, the kinds of clients we have, the pace we keep up, and (frankly) my personality.
When you are seeking to hire a new designer would you post an ad on CraigsList, AIGA job board, or ask a colleague for word-of-mouth referral?
Hatch Design: We have the best luck finding a new designer either through word-of-mouth referral or from someone sending in their portfolio…we’re always looking for and open to hiring exceptionally talented designers, so waiting for a job posting wouldn’t be a good idea if you really want to work at Hatch.
Altitude: Our first approach is to use our network (word-of-mouth) and there is nothing better than a personal referral. After that, we’d use the AIGA job board or Creative Hotlist.
MINE™: It’s almost always word of mouth. On average, we also get a 2-3 inquiries a day from people interested in designing or interning for us. I personally look at every portfolio we receive. Many of them are pretty poor or just not a good fit for us. Many, though, are really impressive. When we need to hire a designer or intern or freelancer, I’ll refer to the books we’ve already seen, and put the word out to a few trusted colleagues. I think its better to focus the search on a narrow selection of pre-qualified people then to cast the net indiscriminately wide.
If you did post an ad on CraigsList seeking a designer, what are some immediate cover letter indicators that the designer is or is not right for your firm?
Hatch Design: Honestly, we evaluate the typography of the cover letter first! Then, we’ll want to make sure that the candidate has an understanding of us and our work – that it is not just a form letter sent to hundreds of firms.
Altitude: A form letter or generic response is the first indication that a person isn’t serious. If you expect us to take the time to review your work, formulate an opinion, and be able to discuss it with you in an interview, please have the same consideration for our work. With the number of people sending us their work (even when we’re not hiring), a form letter is a sure way to disqualify yourself.
MINE™: I recently received an email “cover letter” from a young designer who was eager to work at our firm. I noticed in the “to” that he had CCed 55 other designers. I wrote him back stating simply that if he wanted to stand out from the crowd he should begin by not addressing prospective employers as a herd. I also CCed the group. I’m sure that was an embarrassing lesson for him, but hopefully one he’ll take to heart. A good cover letter is personal. It’s brief, but it takes the time to demonstrate that the prospect is hoping to work for/with one specific firm. It can be as simple as saying, “I really admire the work you did for ________.” For extra credit, you might go on to say why. We all know that you’re sending very similar letters to other firms as well, but everyone likes to be treated as though they are special. The letter should also state your ambition with the firm (i.e. what you hope to contribute and what you hope to learn). It should be professional, but demonstrate some personality, without being gimmicky. It should be spelled correctly (we are MINE™, not MineSF) and it should be addressed to someone (not “Dear Hiring Manager”). It should be well typeset.
What are some things designers do during the interview process that turn you off?
Hatch Design: The only thing that could be a real turn-off is, going back to it, lack of communication skills. If someone sends in a great portfolio then isn’t able to explain and articulate the thinking behind their work, once we meet in person, it can be a bit of a let-down!
Altitude: Being late. Chewing gum. Knowing it all.
MINE™: Chewing gum. Not turning of a cell phone. Checking a text message. Not listening. Making disparaging remarks about anyone. Also, we don’t wear shoes in our office. I think it’s pretty obvious when a person comes in and sees all the shoes lined up that that’s our custom. I wouldn’t say it’s a turn off when a visitor doesn’t remove their shoes, but I like people who are perceptive.
Do you look for designers that have web programming skills as well as design skills?
Hatch Design: Yes. Web skills are not a must-have, but certainly could be the deciding factor between two equally talented designers.
Altitude: When we hire designers, it’s great if they have some experience with the web, but we don’t expect them to be programmers. Just like when we hire programmers, it’s great if they’ve got a good design sense, but we’re usually not hiring them to do design. It’s hard to find people who can both design and program well, though, they’re out there.
MINE™: No. But I wish I did. Usually we sub out the programming phase of our more complex web projects.
How important is it for your selection whether the prospective designer has been featured in design annuals, won awards, etc.?
Hatch Design: This is not very important to us – we base our decisions on the quality of someone’s work, whether publicly recognized or not.
Altitude: An award or annual may create an awareness of a prospective designer, so in that respect, it’s important for increasing visibility. But, if it comes down to winning an award, or being able to articulate your design solutions, We’ll take the articulate designer every time.
MINE™: It’s not really important. Even our own awards we just keep in a drawer.
How important is where the designer went to school or if they’ve worked for other prestigious firms?
Hatch Design: Again, it’s all about the design work – not the name on the diploma or resume. We believe you can create outstanding work at a relatively unknown studio or school and still be very successful in your career.
Altitude: The school doesn’t really matter. That said, some of the better schools graduate a higher percentage of students with talent, and, some have wider ranging connections for placement upon graduating. As for previous experience at prestigious firms, I think that helps in two ways. First, it shows that you come to the table with some experience (hopefully good experience) under your belt. Second, it almost pre-qualifies you. It shouldn’t, but it does. It’s hard to look at a resume with internships at Volume and Office, and not want to interview the person.
MINE™: This depends. I teach at the California College of the Arts (CCA) and I studied there too, so I’m very familiar with the curriculum there. I happen to prefer the philosophy at CCA, and if an applicant graduated from CCA I know what it means that they studied under Bob Aufuldish or Jeremy Mende, Emily McVarish, or whomever. Similarly, if an applicant worked at SVA or for Cahan orMichael Vanderbyl, I know what that means. Ultimately, though, it’s about the individual and how they fit into our small, tightly knit team.
How do you like designers to follow up with you after the interview process?
Hatch Design: The follow-up can be very important. As we get busy and move on to other projects, a polite reminder from a designer is sometimes what we need. And it shows great initiative on behalf of the designer.
Altitude: Gentle persistence.
MINE™: I think a handwritten note goes a long way. A follow up email is ok too. The Thank You note is a dying art and one which I still appreciate.
What advice do you have for designers that want to work for your firm?
Hatch Design: Put together a beautiful portfolio – PDF is fine – which clearly shows your work and send it in.
Altitude: Bring it. Other options include: Fix the economy and we’ll talk. And bring something besides design to the table. One of our last hires wasn’t a designer at all, but an artist with a lot of printmaking experience.
MINE™: It depends why they want to work for us, but in general I’d suggest the same for us as for anyone: Get to know our work, our thinking, our clients. It’s easy to find our work in annuals, and you can Google up interviews and features, etc. pretty easily too. I speak a few places a year, so it wouldn’t hurt to show up to one of those events and introduce yourself. I’m still in contact with a number of people I’ve met at a lecture or portfolio review. We haven’t hired any of them yet, but I’ve recommended some of them for freelance work from time to time. The point is, we have a relationship. We’re getting to know each other over time and if something opens up they’ll be top of mind. Of course, they’ll probably be settled in great jobs someplace else by then.
What is the best way you have found to hone and refine your own design skills?
Hatch Design: We believe in a very collaborative work environment – often everyone in the studio will help brainstorm solutions for a new project, so we’re always learning from each other and building off one another. We also continually search for and collect interesting design ephemera, which goes to our ever-expanding design library and serves as inspiration for our design projects.
Altitude: By exploring things other than design.
MINE™: Work. Look. Read. Listen. Discuss. Share. Repeat.
(originally appeared in SF Examiner 4/15/09)