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.

Social Butterfly | Meg Kerr

This week's blog is brought to you by the letters A and M and the number 11; as in 11am. Which is how late I slept in and missed this week's guest speaker Meg Kerr, Social Media Integration Manager at Mosaic Experiential Marketing (that's a mouthful). Fortunately today's blog is also brought to you by my lovely and talented class mates whose notes and own blogs I referenced for this information. Thanks guys.

MINIBIO
How exactly does one get to become Social Media Integration Manager at Mosaic Experiential Marketing I hear you ask. Well first off you should know exactly what Social Media Integration Manager at Mos...sheesh. What that is. The position was custom built for Meg, her expertise in social media and savvy marketing mind satisfied a need that until recently hadn't existed. Having honed her skills as a Broadcast Journalism student, a grad of Western's Media, Information and Technoculture, a newscaster with Corus and a Promotions Coordinator at Exclusive models, she eventually wound up at Mosaic working as Labatt's Brand Ambassador. Stay with me now. At Mosaic Meg found herself managing online communities, moderating and strategizing, and she was doing it for Coke, Diageo, Matell, Rogers, Labatt, to name a few, and that's how she became Social Media Inte... that's how she got her job.

THE WISDOM
Ever wonder how social media works for advertisers; or even what exactly social media is? Well wonder no more. If you're sharing content, chances are you're involved in social media. Any network that allows you to share content easily among others is at it's core a social media network. It's like teen sex, social media (to paraphrase Avinash Kaushik). Everyone wants to do it. No one knows how, and when it's finally done, there is surprise it's not better. Advertisers quickly latched on to social media networks because it works. People trust peer to peer information much more than they do advertisements so let people distribute ads for you. Companies can also target people based on very detailed information or analytics. Digital media is always changing because user habits are getting more savvy, says Meg. So companies need people like Meg to keep up with the world of social media. 

MEGG SAYS

4 CURRENT TRENDS IN SOCIAL MEDIA

REAL TIME + SMART PHONES = GAME CHANGER

Word of mouth on steroids
1/3 of Canadians own a smartphone
1/2 all web searches are via mobile devices
Traditional News Media is no longer first line for breaking news
Twitter breaks stories instantly

LOCATION BASED SERVICES & GEOTAGGING
Foursquare, Godwalla, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter
GPS enabled smart phones allow location relevant sharing
Let your friends know where you are easily
It's a game

PRIVACY

Users are more sensitive to privacy issues online now
Increased privacy attracts users, but limits info/revenue
Services need to find happy medium
There is always risk involved with using non-private social media 

SOCIAL MEDIA GETTING LESS SOCIAL

Too much sharing going on
Users just want to get through the noise and access the features important to them
If you like you can commit social suicide!

WORKS

Mosaic does some fantastic work. Check out their portfolio and even read up more about Social Media Integration on their company site.

SO?
Kevin has checked in at "Bed" at 11am on Friday morning. Maybe there's a social media service that could check my phone's GPS and see if I'm at class when I'm supposed to be and if not could trigger an alarm or send me a message telling me to move my ass. Maybe I just need a better alarm clock. So, I'm disappointed I missed what seems like it was a very interesting and informative talk. Maybe if I wasn't up all night on Facebook...

Need more? Say hi: Megg on Linkedin, Twitter.

Stretching Our Legs | Physio Clinic

Enough hard work, let's play! No guest speaker this week, instead we got our legs moving and trekked up to Brampton to Sheridan's Athletic Centre to learn about the dangers of being a lump at a desk. Also, to use the gym and get some treatment. Play time and a massage? Um, yes please.

STRETCH

Ok so since this trip is really about stretching and keeping active here's some notes on how to avoid desk related injuries.

COMMON INJURIES

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Eye Strain
Sciatic Nerve Irritation

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Tightness and aches in forearms
'Knots' in shoulder and neck
Tension headaches
Tingling/Numbness
Decreased range of motion
Pain

WHY STRETCH?

Lack of movement can lead to muscle strain
Stretching helps prevent further damage to injury
Issues untreated may require surgical treatment

WHAT TO DO

Take a 5—10 minute break every hour spent at a desk
Vary your work tasks.
Stand up and move around
Look away from screen occasionally
Relax, stretch and change positions

NOTES

Try to get an adjustable chair and desk
A good chair is extremely important
Keep wrists as straight as possible.

Don't slouch

PLAY

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the gym. The range of equipment at in gym put a big smile on my face and a slight worry into muscles. I hit the bike, the free weights, the chin up bar, the big machines, more free weights, medicine balls, kettle balls, jump rope, and the yoga mat (for a quick lie down). Best of all though was the undulating ropes. A little plyometrics in the morning really gets the blood flowing (and the sweat).

TREAT
After a few hours of trying out all the equipment in the gym and getting sufficiently sore and tired I headed to the physio room to get 'treatment'. Fortunately for me I don't have any lingering issues so I didn't need fixing. More fortunately that meant I just got a heat pad and a massage for my newly sore muscles. 

Check out Derek the Designer for some awesome shots of the day.

Small Town Big Talent | Jason Bouwman

There's a little country twang in the air coming up from Burlington Ontario this week. So come back down to earth with the grounded and magnetic Jason Bouwman, owner, founder, and principle creative of Compass Creative, all thirty feet of him.

MINIBIO
Jason has roots: blue collar immigrant family roots, small town roots, industrial design and technical illustration roots. And there's no better way to stay grounded than to know your roots. From humble beginnings at Fanshaw and Sheridan to opening up shop and running his own business with Compass Creative, Jason's remained grounded. With hard work and a keen business mind, not to mention incredible design/illustration skills, he's clearly found the balance between what he loves to do and getting paid for it. Also, he loves me... he told me so.

THE WISDOM
Work Hard. Be Smart. Have Drive. Care. Do what you love and suffer through the pain of it and the burn outs. Develop skills, many of them. Find your market, not understanding the business you are in will lead to problems. It's hard to listen to Jason speak and not see the value of hard work and passion. Maybe impossible.

JASON SAYS
DO AN HONEST DAYS WORK

Work hard and do a good job
Have integrity in what you do

BE A TRANSLATOR
Organize given information
Make it make sense
Ask questions!
It's not about you

INSIGHT BEFORE WEBSITE

People don't want websites, people want dollars

BRAND

People buy from people, not entities, not corporations
Push clients on positioning and branding

CAREER = 3 THINGS

Passion
Skills
Market

JOB vs. LIFE

Take care of business
Take care of self
Create an area of expertise
De-passion the business side of work
Live by a compass, not a clock

WORKS

Check out all the case studies on Compass Creative's site for some examples of their fantastic work. Myself, I'm partial to the Mike Fisher branding (Go Sens Go). If you like money... or more specifically, coins, Jason still forays into the world of illustration with some awesome commemorative pieces.

SO?
Self declared introversion aside, Jason came through as one of the most motivational and inspiring speakers thus far. Hard work is king and know it's possible to stay grounded in the big flashy world of design. So key your compass for success and work until you get it. And remember to put your big rocks in first. 

Need more? Say hi: Compass Creative. Jason on Linkedin, Twitter.

Super Sonic | Alex Pejcic

Get out your protective ear wear and brace for impact. The high flying Alex Pejcic, Co Founder and Vice President of Sonic Boom Creative Group is here. Mach II, Go!

MINIBIO
Ever heard of that internet thing? Alex Pejcic has. Fifteen years ago he and his basement cohorts decided that there was gold in them there hills and set out to create a viable internet business. Today Sonic Boom Creative Media does work for giants like Bell Mobility, Pepsi, and RIM. Not a bad step up from going door to door in Hamilton selling web services. 

THE WISDOM
Head, heart, and hands. Be smart. Care. Be skilled. If you can do this you can succeed. At the end of the day, this thing we do is still a business. It's still driven by money and while creativity and passion are so so important, you still have to get paid. It's not all foosball and beer, but if you're smart, if you take the work to heart, and you can do the work (and do it well), you'll thrive.

ALEX SAYS
USE THIS
Know social media
Know what's out there
Show that you can use it and are interested in trends

UNDERSTAND THIS
The meaning and role of a brand
Marketing basics: Direct & Mass
Latest trends & tech
Social design

POSSESS THIS
Proven skills in your discipline. Know your stuff!
A positive attitude. Be a team player
A willingness to learn. You know nothing.
References. Good ones
A strong portfolio
PASSION!

DO THIS

Get noticed, recognized, and respected. It will take time
Join interactive media groups
Submit your portfolio to online communities
Create your online space
Ask for advice. Ask for interviews
See an opportunity? Take it
Find inspiration outside of work
Lose the ego
Pay your dues!
Be prepared for shittiness

PAY YOUR DUES

Work. Hard.
Don't be disillusioned. It's not all fun
This is a job. It's business

WORKS

So much to show... I suggest you just check out the portfolio at SonicBoom.com. Just be sure you check out the fantastic TrufflePig Travel Site and the very cool WWF polar bear tracking site.

SO?
A lesson from the business side. The suit jacket tipped us off I think. Though the same core messages came through: be passionate, get involved, work for it, pay your dues. Now if your seat backs and tray tables are in the upright and locked position we'll be off... at Mach II. Boom.

Need more? Say hi: Alex on Linkedin, Twitter.

On Being Creative | Jay Schacher

Are you being creative right now? Jay Schacher is. It's his job (officially it's Art Director at Henderson Bas Kohn). He may be the nicest guy in our industry (so says Gillian) but he knows how to play a mean prank and design an even meaner website. So cue up your favourite playlist and rev up your creative juices; it's learning time.

MINIBIO
Four years isn't really a long time. It's the amount of time between the good Olympic games (read:winter); it's how long you have to wait for a leap year; it's how long an American president has to screw up the country. In four years a maple tree only grows about four feet, the earth only travels 3750 kilometers around the sun (ok that one's pretty impressive); and yet, in only four years Jay Schacher took himself from a bewildered recent grad of Sheridan's Web Design program with a BFA and New Media certificate from York University to the suave confident and influential Art Director of Henderson Bas Kohn, one of Toronto's top ad shops. How'd he do it? Lucky us, he's here to explain.

THE WISDOM
Your job is to be creative. Every day you could be brainstorming or concepting or designing. Every day you'll need to be creative. Find ways to push your creativity, unleash your skills. Just make sure client needs and timelines are met too; possibly in creative ways.

JAY SAYS
WHEN WORKING WITH THE CLIENT
Chances are, it's not always going to go the way you want
You may love an idea or design and they may not
At the end of the day it's about what the client wants
So have a thick skin and be willing/able to adapt

SKETCH
Do it

BUILD A PROFILE
Create a brand for yourself online
Be exciting, be punchy, promote yourself
Exploit social media channels
Get your name out there
Get Found!

AFTER YOU GRADUATE

Stay close with your classmates
Network a lot (talk to as many people as you can)
Be a team player, not a hero
There are no heros!

SPECIALIZE

Understand a bit of everything but do one thing exceptionally well
You want to be a designer? Be a designer
Find inspiration
Be creative. It's your job

YOUR PORTFOLIO

Know the shop your going to and customize your book accordingly
Dress your work and your résumé for the work they do
Show the whole process
Believe in your work
Emphasize your creativity

WORKS

In his rise to the top Jay's put his time in at some pretty heavy hitters in the Toronto Ad Market, including Organic, Sonic Boom, and now HBK. A fact that is reflected nicely in the collection of work he laid before us. A repertoire that includes clients Mercedes Benz, LG, and Timex. There's much more to see at JayShack.com. 

SO?
A few lessons. Nice guys don't always finish last and creativity is the fuel that drives our industry. Jay came in a proved that it's possible to have fun and enjoy your work all while getting to work on some big name, exciting projects. The other lesson to take from this, is we are still three years away from decent Olympic coverage.

Need more? Say hi: Jay on Linkedin.

Out & About | Fall Interactive Tour

Coming Soon. I swear.