Reply To: Challenges with this as a career.

[Angel Roldan]

PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW REPORT FORM

 

Name: Angel Roldan  Date:07/18/18  Interviewee:__________________

 

Employer: Interstate Signcrafters      Occupation: Creative Director of Art & Design

Arrange an interview with an individual working in an occupation/career that you wish to pursue. Send a thank you note to the professional who spoke with you about their occupation.

1)What kinds of skills do you see as important for success in this type of occupation?

Working for a sign company, the design discipline is very unique. Most, if not all, of the designers I’ve ever worked with or who have ever worked for me, start as “Graphic Designers” or “Graphic Artist” but this field lends itself very heavily to 2D and 3D Industrial and/or Environmental Design.

2) What attracted you to this area of work? What do you like most or least about your work?

I am very mechanically inclined and like to solve problems. I started as a temp over 20 years ago at a sign company in Chicago, IL. At first, the work was very repetitive and there was not much 3D design then. I have always liked the challenges in designing things (signs) that will actually be constructed. It is great to design something and then see it in person, out in the world, or occasionally on TV or in a movie!

3) What are the biggest challenges to professionals in this field?

The design field, in general, is just SO very saturated right now. I get calls almost weekly from entry-level designers looking for work. The other end of the spectrum is that since so many designers currently are entry-level or with low experience levels, it’s challenging to hire a Sr Level Designer. The more Sr Designers are strongly rooted and don’t want to move away from their jobs for new opportunities.

4) What major or academic preparation would you suggest to prepare me for this field?

For my field, specifically, study 2D and 3D Industrial Design. Also, if you’re looking to pursue a career in designing 3D models that are highly technical, studying construction methods, techniques, and applications is super-helpful! I mean studying whatever you can in your free time. It is much harder to get ahead if you never ask questions or explore what has already been done.

5) What was your college major? Does it relate to your present occupation? How?

I am self-taught in Design. I taught myself CorelDraw, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Blender to begin with. I’ve also added many other Apps over the last 20 years…but those are my staples and the programs that have paid the bills for over two decades!. After I graduated High School, I went to a Vocational school for Auto/Diesel Mechanics.

6) What is the five year outlook, in this field? What trends do you see for this kind of work in the future?

In my field there is always growth. Currently, the “baby boomers” are causing a surge in health care. So, larger hospitals are buying up local practices and such and making large health campuses. Anything that causes “re-branding” or brand changes is good for the sign industry. That will last another 5 to 10 years (as a boom). Financial changes are good too… Banks buying smaller banks… That will never go away. I’m currently focusing on property management companies since multi-use living and mall conversions are going to be booming for the next five years (get into architectural stuff, kids!).

7) What abilities, experiences or personal attributes helped you to get hired?

I was willing to learn. I was willing to do “grunge” work the first 5 to 7 years of my career. LOTS of copy-and-paste work! Lots of photo re-touching! I was mechanically inclined so I understood how to render parts, pieces, and constructions (a lot of the technical drawings and illustrations I do look like model building instructions!).

8) What is a typical day like? A typical week?

On a typical day I start by going line-by-line through the Design Request system at my office. I assign work to the designers and reach out for clarity to Project Managers for missing info. I regularly run and attend meetings to discuss projects and review designs. I normally spend about 2/3 of the day managing other designers, in meetings, managing projects, and doing paperwork. The other 1/3 of the day I draw or build 3D models. A typical week involves monitoring large programs or projects (this would take a lot of explaining…maybe another time!). Most of the 2D drawings I do are very technical, so my projects normally span 3 to 6 weeks. That means I will have a 40 to 120 page book of drawings completed when I’m done, usually. I build anywhere between (2) to (6) 3D models a week, usually. I do a lot of 3D modeling. In fact, now my workload is probably 50/50 where I spend half my time doing drawings and half my time building 3D models! I love it! Both of my Sr Designers are required to work in 3D as well. It is great for what we do!

9) What are the low and high end earnings potential?

Entry level in my department (Graphic Artist) is an annual salary range of $35,000-$45,000. Mid-level or Designer role is $45,000 to $55,000. A Sr Designer earns between $55,000 to $65,000. I make about 30% more than the highest earning Designer role.

10) What personality characteristics make it easier to do this work well?

Having a thick skin is at the top of the list. Most non-artist types are quick to judge and quick to voice their thoughts out loud. He constantly hear phrases like, “This is ugly” and “I hate it” and “This isn’t what I thought it would look like” and “It took this long to get this?!?”… et al… To go along with that, being able to listen and understand feedback is vital. Willingness to learn new things is essential. I’ve noticed that the more inquisitive personalities thrive in my particular design discipline. The most successful designers I’ve worked with in the last 20 years have been very hard workers. When you’re willing to do more and put in long hours so the end result is the best design that’s ever been completed, that makes it easier to do this work well!