MORGAN_BROWN
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HOUSTON
HOUSTON _2014
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A FULLY SICK REFLECTION CREATED BY: MORGAN BROWN, IN ASSOCIATION WITH BILLY BLUE COLLEGE OF DESIGN & HOUSTON GROUP AIN300A INTERNSHIP © DECEMBER 2014
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HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM... Walking into a new job is not unfamiliar territory; in fact I have been doing it for some 10 years now (yes, a scary thought
that I do not openly admit to). So I assumed walking into an internship would be a walk in the park. However something
this
whole
utterly
experience
incongruous.
was I
had
stepped into a world far different from the highly corporate environments I was accustomed to. And for the most part, I felt like an alien trying to adapt to a completely unfamiliar habitat. Putting my best self forward, I walked in to greet the members of the design team with a firm confident handshake. They looked at me like I was from another planet. Perhaps I didn’t get the memo, my ‘smart casual’ (still
slightly corporate) attire, was a far cry from the ripped jeans, oversized Adidas tees, and
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converse high-tops.
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ALIEN TERRAIN
As I stepped in to greet the Creative Director I felt an immediate rush of utter embarrassment and my face began to burn. As I looked down in horror, I noticed I was standing on some artwork from a recent shoot! “I’ll just move that out of your way” he said, as I awkwardly smiled and stepped to one side. Yep, great first impression! I took a seat and made a mental note for tomorrow: 1) dress down, 2) watch your step, 3) chill out! From day one, the whole process of organizing
the
internship
had
been
completely informal. At the initial interview, I felt like I was the one conducting the interview. My inner ‘people manager’ was screaming in disbelief.
I legitimately felt as though Houston had
sitting around, observing, browsing the
forgotten I was joining the team and they
internet for ‘inspiration’ and waiting to be
had nothing prepared for me. I am not
given something to do. I attempted to engage
ashamed to admit that I consider myself to
in conversation and asked the designers for
be an ‘organised freak of nature’, however
some work, or if I could help, again, they
this disorganized chaos made me feel
looked at me like I was from another planet!
uncomfortable and useless, so I sat there, in
I don’t think I have ever felt more awkward
silence… waiting….
and unable to communicate with a team
From that moment, it became clear, that to
of people in my life. I felt like a random
survive this alien terrain, I had to chill out and
‘business woman’ amongst a bunch ‘cool
go with the flow. I would soon learn that the
kids’. I was keen to get to know everyone,
Houston crew is a bunch of absolute legends!
hear about his or her experiences, and learn
Some of the sweetest, most talented people
as much as possible. Yet no one seemed
you will ever meet, it just takes time for them
interested in learning anything about me.
to accept the ‘new girl’.
Was I on a completely different wave length?
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I spent the most part of my first few days
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Learning to adapt to studio life was perhaps my biggest challenge throughout the course of the internship. I work as a Marketing and Campaign Coordinator (by day) for a large financial institution. It goes without saying I am used to working to a very organized structure. On a daily basis I manage campaigns, attend meetings, liaise with key stakeholders, nurture relationships and respond to an inbox full of emails. However on Monday and Tuesdays, these skills are packed away, to collect dust. To be completely honest, I did not have to develop intellectually, but rather ‘dumb down’ and learn to speak a new language to fit in. My vocabulary now consists of sayings such as ‘Dude that looks sick’ (shaking head
in disbelief). I did not feel mentally stimulated or intellectually challenged, and I need to be. Whilst I can see that this obviously happens at a higher level, I had hoped to be more actively involved in their processes, however it appears the designers only execute the Creative Director’s interpretation. I’m not sure what I expected, but I certainly thought there would be more group
collaboration,
planning
sessions
and debriefs (perhaps this is just the way
Houston operates). This whole experience has left me wondering if I am cut out to ‘just’ be a designer, and if so, for how long! I have a very practical mind and find it difficult to look ‘outside’ the box.
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ONE SMALL STEP FOR MORGAN, ONE GIANT LEARNING CURVE
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CAN I PUT MYSELF INTO A CREATIVE MINDSET, OR WILL MY PRACTICAL THINKING CONTINUE TO BUILD BARRIERS?
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DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF
KID, YOU DID GOOD!
I am hard on myself, I always have been, always will be. I unreservedly put 110% into everything I do
(even if it is just sourcing images for a campaign) and I would like to think that my enthusiasm and devotion to learning shone though. I aimed to engage the best way possible by asking questions, showing interest in all projects and asking for help when needed. Watching the other designers work so quickly and efficiently, definitely crushed my confidence in my own abilities. I had to keep reminding myself that they have been working as designers for years, and I am sure they all started out on a similar level as me. However it became blatantly obvious that my
technical
knowledge
and
skills
suck
(particularly in Illustrator)! I was often given tasks to mock up logo concepts in Illustrator. I felt totally inadequate and completely out of my depth. Although I had many ideas in my mind, knowing how to execute it was nothing short of a struggle. Not being equipped with the skills definitely gave my confidence a beating! It wasn’t until week 8 that the Creative Director paired me up with one of the senior designers to learn how to craft and create type. Wow, it truly is an art, so mathematical! This is something I wish we had been taught in college. I was reintroduced to the ‘Golden Ratio’ something I
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learnt (and left behind) in session one!
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TRUST THAT YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY HOPELESS!!
I was given a brief to create concepts for the Qantas Christmas card. Given the strict brand guidelines meant there wasn’t a lot of creative freedom. I mocked up a few ideas, thinking they where all pretty rubbish. Interestingly, my least favorite design went on to be the winning design with the Creative Director and Qantas! I must have done something right that day!
(Feeling slightly chuffed!).
ACTION PLAN IN PLACE Having now completed the internship, I will walk away with an action plan: Learn to think on a more creative level - Be more engaged with design. Spend at least 30 minutes a day looking at design for inspiration. - Read more. Blogs, design books, design articles. - Keep a design journal with ideas, inspiration and random thoughts.
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DEBRIEFS WITH THE EXPERTS
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LEARNING FROM THE PROS
Up skill (particularly in Illustrator) - Finding the time to do this will always be my biggest challenge, but with the holidays around the corner I plan to keep myself busy with some online tutorials. - Attend design workshops, especially in relation to crafting typography and logo design. Industry engagement - Familiarise myself with other industry professionals (photographers, designers, creative directors). - Research other studios, and investigate future internship possibilities in other studios (perhaps a smaller, more hands on approach would better suit me). Discover the type of designer I want to be - Ok, so this one might be a bit ambitious, and certainly not an immediate fix, however I think being more aware of the type of projects I want to engage with, the type of design I gravitate towards will help define where I see myself fitting in the future. Learn to trust myself and my abilities
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- This needs no further explanation.
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SKILLS V’S KNOWLEDGE
I’m sitting here staring out the window pondering on what I have ‘actually’ learnt throughout my academic studies and how this was applied to this internship… really tough question! At Houston, I don’t really feel I had a genuine opportunity to let the ‘real’ me shine, and the work I did do certainly missed the spot due mainly to my lack of industry skills. I think it’s obvious that I am well aware that my technical skills need work—that’s a given. Action plan in place, tick! But can I learn to engage the ‘creative’ side of my brain in a less practical way of thinking and apply it to design? Hmmmm this could be tricky! Since the new course came into play, there is a stronger focus on thinking and problem solving, which is great, however I have been questioning how appropriate these theorybased subjects are, when really, to get paid, you need technical skills! But as I reach the end of my degree, I can certainly appreciate that being a critical thinker will pay off in the long run, and of course I’ll be able to solve all the worlds problems with design (move over
Vince Frost).
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CAREFUL STRATEGIC PLANNING
STRATEGY FORMS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL GOOD DESIGN! Interestingly, I had a conversation with the Strategist at Houston, who gave me a clear insight into the level of thinking, research and process involved between the initial client meeting, and the pitch. Many moons ago I thought I’d become a Financial Planner (crazy, I know), and as such, I studied and worked for a highly acclaimed Adviser. Having witnessed the level of science, research and critical thinking that goes into every brand strategy, reminds me a lot of what I once did in the world of Financial Planning. It all comes down understanding the needs and requirements of the client—there are so many similarities! Having this conversation bought everything back into perspective and the pieces of the puzzle began to connect. I often think I wasted so many years on career paths that weren’t right for me. However, time is never wasted and all those life experiences have been inconspicuously moulding and defining my future path. The knowledge and skills Planning and working in Marketing will certainly benefit my future career in this industry, and in the long run (trying to justify
the cost of this degree!).
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I have obtained from studying Financial
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THE ALMIGHTY LEADER
SO WHAT HAVE I LEARNT? SKILLS? NO, INSIGHT? YES. I’ve come a long way since that awkward encounter on day one. Whilst it was a very different and slightly uncomfortable experience, I leave knowing there was a true purpose behind this mission. Houston is not just a team of people working together, it’s a family! Stu (the almighty leader ) is a gun! Although we didn’t have much interaction, it is clearly evident how well respected he is amongst the team. He really does make the magic happen, not just in the boardroom, but studio culture as well. Stu loves a party. On Melbourne Cup day he was like a kid on Christmas morning, pumping up the team for the festivities ahead. He is a very generous guy and rewards the team for all the hard work they put in.
HOUSTON IN A NUTSHELL - Houston loves dress ups! Theme parties and costumes are mandatory! - Houston parties and social events are plentiful. They work hard and play hard. - Houston love to eat! Food is lavish. If Stu is craving chips and gravy he will buy enough for everyone! - Houston aims to be ‘healthy’. Putting ‘greens’ in a smoothie totally counteracts the calories from the ice- cream blended inside. - Houston love massages. Massage Mel comes every Tuesday to pamper the team and reduce stress. - Big Brother in the house! the penny dropped in my final weeks! - Hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed.
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Stu’s EA is an ex Big Brother housemate…
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A SOCIAL BUNCH
IS HOUSTON FOR ME? It’s a tough question. I can only describe this experience as feeling like a square peg in a round hole. I found it very difficult to communicate with the designers particularly the Creative Director. However as time progressed, I realised it was nothing personal. That’s just they way they are, an introverted crew who speak like a bunch of 15 year old boys at the skate park. It’s just not me — simple. I can walk away from Houston feeling truly thankful for the experience. Houston provided excellent industry exposure and a decent learning curve. Although I spent many hours sitting around ‘observing’, not once was I treated as anything other than equal. I was given the opportunity to put my ideas forward, and help projects come to life. It was truly inspiring watching Alex (the Creative Director) work his magic. His ideas and craftsmanship is polished and sophisticated.
The
outcomes
produced
at Houston are very much ‘my style’, perhaps influenced by my corporate, blue chip background. I truly believe, given the opportunity to be there on a full time basis, I could learn SO much (on a technical skills
base level), however there is still something missing, and I’m not sure what it is. In summary, this internship showed me that I particularly motivating or inspiring. I need more mental stimulation and I’m not sure if I’ll be ‘content’ just being a designer in a large studio.
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want more! I did not find corporate branding
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FINAL THOUGHTS
SO WHAT NEXT? When I decided to enroll at Billy Blue, it was because I wanted to follow a path into the world of publishing and pursue a career as an Art Director for lifestyle magazines and books. Along the way I’ve been introduced to
many
new
ideas,
and
have
often
considered breaking into Advertising and Brand Management. At the end of the day, I want a career that is both inspiring and challenging and ultimately need to connect with people who buzz on the same frequency. When graduating next year, I will focus my energy on completing other internships to ‘test the waters’. I am inspired and driven by the extremely talented entrepreneur Lisa Messenger, the publisher and Editor in Chief of COLLECTIVE magazine and Owner and Creative Director of The Messenger Group. She has worked globally in events, sponsorship, marketing, PR and publishing and has authored and co-authored 17 books. Lisa
Messengers
aim
is
to
challenge
individuals and corporations to change the way they think, take them out of their comfort zone and prove that there is more than one
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way to do anything.
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REACH FOR THE STARS
Lisa Messenger encourages entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and innovation and lives life to the absolute max. For me, Lisa is someone I aspire to be. Not only is she a successful businesswoman, she’s also an inspirational and creative sole. I will find a way to meet Lisa and pursue the opportunity of an internship at the very least. She is a true inspiration, and could be the ultimate mentor. That is my immediate plan! Who knows what the future holds, or where my career path will take me. I could win the lottery tomorrow, in which case, everything would change! I’d pack my bags and continue to travel the world, perhaps buy a vineyard in Tuscany live happily ever after.
- Morgan Brown
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AIN300A INTERNSHIP © DECEMBER 2014