SilentTalkie

I recently got a new contract which is very like a real job.  Scary, I know, but it was necessary and so far it’s been good.  There are lots of pros and cons about working in a corporate setting.  Every morning there are free bagels and I don’t have to make my own coffee.  I’m also working on a pretty good Mac and the people in the office are cool.  I won’t get into the cons as most people who have ever worked in an office know exactly what they are.

One really nice feature of being the only designer in a corporate setting, is that you are seen as “special”.  People see you as having mysterious skills and powers which they could never possess.  Coworkers are generally in awe over what a designer produces, if it’s good and on time.  When you produce something which is well designed and meets the needs of the piece in a timely manner, you can be seen as a hero and saviour to the office place.  Even when it’s not your best work, people can be impressed.  Wow… what a feeling!

The tough times start when some people become a little jealous.  Everyday, they mess about with spreadsheets, TPS forms and cover sheets while they see that artsy kid playing around with imagery, color swatches and fonts.  Some see this as one coworker having a good time while others are forced to toil with numbers and charts.  In the past, I’ve been cornered by a person who has plenty of comments about how things should look, which colours to use and why my font choices are wrong.  I’m all for critique and suggestions but these people are really hard to deal with. Even if their ideas are good, it’s tough to take them as these people can not be encouraged.

Obviously, every one has their own skill set and that has to be admired.  I am often in awe of plenty of other people who do things I can’t and believe me there are plenty of skills which I am lacking in.  Sales and financial crap are often beyond me, so it’s amazing to me that people are really good at that. I’m never jealous of it, but impressed for sure.  I couldn’t even imagine walking over to an accountant and telling them to reformat their columns or charts or spreadsheets or whatever other money crap they have to do. Um, I guess that’s not my place…or is it?

There are days when I miss my cat and being able to commute in twenty seconds, but getting praise for my work and fast response time is really nice.  Even coming up with strategies to avoid the faux-designer can be fun.  In an ideal world, I’ll be able to work at home sometimes and in the office as well.  Both worlds are pretty great, but the combination of the two could be even better.  Can you picture it? A steady paycheck with out having to find a tonne of contracts, but also not showering and working on what you want to work on for a few days? That’s living the dream…

Oh and you’re riding a unicorn through fire!