The Business We Are In | Sapient Nitro

On the Fall Interactive Tour, I visited Sapient. When we filed out of the creaky building I felt like I had come to a solid decision about my future employment. I did NOT want to work for Sapient. Today, a team from Sapient came by to talk to us about Design, Information Architecture, and the Koolaide. Here's a chance, I thought, for a more personal meeting, maybe Sapient can win me back. 

MINIBIO

Sapient is a huge player in the design industry. They have offices all over the world and a global workforce of around 10,000 employees. The Toronto office houses 240 people that's admittedly "heavy on the senior side". Being a large company really attracts the attention of the big name clients though: like Dodge, Target, and Fiat. 

THE WISDOM

I had a hard time seeing the wisdom of what the Sapient team was saying. There were definite good points about putting your client first and treating them as partners. And how empathy should be a driving force in design. However I couldn't get past one little quote that stuck with me. With a generic car ad flashing on the screen and the team explaining their involvement, I heard "these ads are manipulative and putrid in my opinion, but that's just the business we are in". If that's the attitude Sapient expects then I just reinforced a decision about my future. Sapient, you are not winning me back.

SAPIENT SAYS

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SAPIENT

Environment for learning
Big clients
Variation
Opportunity for promotion
Mentorship
Amazing culture

WHAT SAPIENT EXPECTS FROM YOU

Forward thinking design
Fluency in digital channels
Typography
Presentation Skills
Eagerness
Compassion & Drive

HOW SAPIENT HELPS YOU SUCCEED

Choose your supervisor
Own your stuff
Contribute & Collaborate

WORKS

I can't deny Sapient Nitro does fantastic, interesting and beautiful work. Much of which can been seen on their website. 

SO?

I didn't drink the Koolaide. Maybe it's the size of the company that turns me off, maybe the culture. In any case it's a lesson in my future. If there's one thing I've learned it's that it's just as important to find out where you don't want to work as it is to find where you do. So cheers, but I'll be having water.

Need more? Say hi: The Sapient Nitro team was Norma Penner, Gail Leija, Kim Welch, and Sonia Janovjak.