Morning Kickoff: Inside the Graphic Design World
Being a graphic designer there’s a lot of things other people in the office don’t normally see or hear on a daily basis. Normally my day starts around 8-8:30 am depending on traffic during the week. For someone in my position it’s pretty standard that my day starts around the same time as everyone else.
First thing in the morning the art department’s very own comedic relief, Jimmy (our Creative Director), arrives at the office. Depending on his mood of the day is based on how colorful and what little characters are on his shirt. Also, he might dance down the hallway, squeak his sneakers on the waxed floor, and be talking on his phone or all of the above, which hints to his overall mood for the day. By this time, I would have already started my day by checking to see what’s on my design schedule for the day. Occasionally I would be finishing up a job due EOD, then I would get up to say good morning to my boss, Wade (our Art Director), to let him know that something is ready for review before it is sent out. The majority of the time any job that comes in needs to be reviewed by someone above me in case they see any edits or updates. This is a normal process in the design world whether it comes from a superior or even from a client. Occasionally, other creative team members walk by my desk and give creative suggestions on what I’m working on throughout the day.
Lunchtime Laughs: Jimmy’s Hilarious Break Room Shenanigans
I normally take my lunch from 1-2pm and during this time I know a lot of little meetings might happen around the office so it’s fairly quiet. On the days I bring my lunch to work I get the occasional Jimmy walking by into the break room and asking “So, what’s for lunch?” and “How come you didn’t bring me a plate?”, in the normal joking manner. My lunchtime lets me know the tea in other departments with any conversations that happen in the break room.
Afternoon Rush: Tackling New Assignments and Client Projects
After returning from lunch, I might see various new jobs come in and/or Wade may swing by again to review something that I sent to him earlier in the day. Throughout the day I might see new jobs/edits needed for a variety of jobs to complete.
A few of the clients I work with range from James Hodge, Seguin Chevrolet, JK Subaru and various NFL Fit teams. I help design various social ads, eblasts, web banners and website graphics from various clients. With each passing day new clients and requests could change on a daily basis.
Desk Chronicles: Candy Bowl and Office Tidbits
Since my desk has a point blank view of a major hallway in our building, I normally know where someone went, if I noticed them walking down the hallway earlier to someone asking. The person that the majority of people look for when they venture into the art department is Jimmy. He is notorious for walking around the office while on calls instead of staying in his office. I’ve grown accustomed to pointing to wherever Jimmy walked off to after a person goes into his office and sees that he’s not there.
I supply the large variety candy bowl that sits in front of my desk, so I do get the occasional visits from people in the office that want a sweet treat after lunchtime. People visiting the candy bowl might also bring some side conversations about their day to me or that they want a specific candy from the backstock of sweets I keep in my desk drawer. Sometimes, I sign off for packages that get delivered to the office because my desk is near the front door. I honestly think it’s because the delivery drivers figured out I have the candy bowl, because they always take something for the road.
Office Observations: Coworkers Quirks and Habits
I am very aware of what happens around me and even people’s habits since my desk is out in the open and not in a cubicle. Things I’ve noticed: Jimmy is a walking Mountain Dew playing Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” on repeat. Jigar likes to eat bagels in the morning. Venes always has a bowl of fruit or pistachios. Erik and Mike seem to be sprinting everywhere. Wade is normally playing music in his office. Alex is always looking for Jimmy and normally prints paperwork in the morning. Stuart is normally very quiet until he needs to talk with Jimmy. Aubree forgets about her avocados in the fridge. Kait normally is very colorful. Stephaine is always talking with Jennie. Isabel is a certified yapper and Amanda likes to hide from Jimmy. Sasha likes to pop into the office like a State Farm agent commercial. Also, Kirk seems to be supplying the never ending Celsius addiction. 🙂
