Daniel is a seasoned designer and creative director with over a decade of experience in crafting beautiful design, experiences and product development. He’s worked for the likes of Nike, Google, Adidas and many more brands you’ve most certainly heard of. Inspired by talented artists such as Barry McGee, Mike Kelley and graphic novels (he also publishes his own), Daniel has a unique ability to combine different art forms to craft stories through design.
Artisan Creative caught up with Daniel to find out about his unique background and how he approaches his career and successes. If you’re looking to get started in your career or you’re wanting to seek inspiration and guidance from the world around you, read on to find out the valuable insight Daniel has to share.
Seek inspiration from what’s around you
Daniel believes we can focus on the positives and negatives to keep balance. “Be inspired by both good and bad creative directors. They teach you what to do and what not to do. Not everyone you work with is going to be awesome, so learn how to manage yourself to be successful.” No matter what your job is, if you’re working in a creative field what you’re doing is storytelling and understanding tropes. When you’re looking for inspiration and you’re going to talk about a product or a service, consumers will always have certain needs. “Start understanding story structure and how it goes into creative development. How does an audience bond with a message? Do they have an emotional attachment?”
Become unstuck from creative block
Daniel likens creative block to surfing which is a great analogy in this situation. “When you’re surfing and you paddle onto the ocean you won’t always catch a wave. Let it go, play a game, read a book, watch a movie.” In surfing, it’s expected that you’re going to fall off the board and get back on again (and again). It also teaches you to be unafraid of both risk and failure until it’s second nature. And while you may not have any creative ideas right now, you can rest assured the waves will start coming with perseverance. In times of creative block, you may also want to think about the state of your surroundings and do some digital housekeeping. “Workflow will always help. Organise your files, do some of the busy work to get on top of things. When you sit down the next day, you’ll feel much more ready to get things completed.”
Be a realist when it comes to your job search
With unemployment at one of the lowest levels in recent years, the job market has never been so competitive. Job seekers can afford to be picky; however, that doesn’t mean it’s not tough out there. “Be realistic when you’re looking at the job market and think about what you want to be doing in your next role”. If you’ve been designing emails and want to transition into mobile, what can you highlight on your resume and in your portfolio that shows the breadth of your skills and understanding? “Make new projects to showcase in your portfolio if you don’t like the work you’ve been doing. Keep at it and keep going. And breathe!” It’s easy to become discouraged during job searches, “always aim high, accept rejection and eventually you’ll get to do something really great.”
We hope you’ve enjoyed the 487th issue of our a.blog. If you are looking for your next career opportunity, or if you are looking to expand your team, please connect today and start the conversation!