Sunday, 2 October 2011

Catherine Baird - Dashboard - September 30th 2011

Catherine Baird

















Catherine Baird - Sheridan Grad - Associate Creative Director from Dashboard visited us September 30th and gave a really inspiring presentation about what it is to be an interactive designer. Catherine has an amazing breadth of experience and has obviously worked very hard to get where she is now (and she has the project awards to prove it!) It was really enjoyable listening to her speak about what kind of company Dashboard is and her career path since graduating from the program.

 

DASHBOARD
www.dashboard.ca
  • Dashboard is run and owned by two people
  • There are 35 employees that think of each other as good friends
  • They push each other, brainstorm, build ideas, share recipes, play video games, play volleyball, have legendary parties, have very high standards and they just do great work
  • Dashboard is not just a website development company, they are strategists. They do print work, branding, stunts, social media work and pretty much cover everything a client could ask for!
   
 
JUST SOME OF DASHBOARDS CREATIVE WORK

ING DIRECT
  • They also have a great flash video project to make handling your money simple which I love love love! Check out the intro video here:
                
THE GRID
  • Eye Weekly went through a monster re-brand to become what we now know as The Grid
  • The Grid is quickly becoming a powerful political voice in Toronto
  • They came to Dashboard a few weeks before their site was supposed to launch after losing all confidence in their previous web development team, and asked Dashboard if they can help them out, and they was more than happy to comply
  • In three weeks they worked with the print and branding designer at The Grid and successfully launched a clever site
  • They wanted the site to be hyper-local so they categorized Toronto into specific neighbourhoods, because let's face it, everyone really wants to read what's going on in their neighbourhood

THE SANTA CLAUSE PARADE
  • In 2010 they really wanted to something special for the Santa Clause Parade, because they had a look at the work that was being done for them (the parade is funded solely on donations and sponsors) and it was just shameful.
  • So with no budget, only their time and Dashboard's sponsorship, they set off to make a website for the parade to make it easier for sponsors to donate and people to volunteer
  • What they intended to be only a website, turned into much more. They knew they needed more than a website to really set things off for the parade - and honestly no one else would have gone to these lengths
  • They went out and did their research and found the main reason people go to the parade is so their children can have great memories of Christmas in Toronto - and *ping* the lights went on and the creative started flowing
  • They created an illustrative map of the parade for bus stop posters, iphone apps of jingle bells, and a website that really incorporated UGC where everyone shared their Santa Clause Parade memories

LITTLE BIT ABOUT CATHERINE
  • Graduated from U of T with an art and art history degree in 2000
  • It was very hard to find a job, but she just knew that the internet was going to be huge, even though everyone said it was going to die
  • She saw or maybe I should say experienced a flash type video on the internet made by Arnaud Mercier (http://www.area17.com/people/arnaud-mercier) - and immediately knew that is what she wanted to do
  • He was such a huge inspiration for her, she really took it upon herself to learn video and signed up for the Interactive course at Sheridan.
  • Area 17 has always been a huge inspiration for her throughout her entire career. Check it out - they did work for Good Magazine! (http://www.area17.com/work/good-website) my personal favorite site!
  • She really was adamant that being an interactive designer shouldn't just be about getting a job, it should be an inspiration and a passion
  • Catherine got her first got at Ecentricarts Inc. which was a company really focused on arts and culture. She loved it there and loved the team, but knew if she was really going to make it she had to break into the advertising biz.
  • From there she went to Henderson Bas as a Co-Creative Lead and worked really hard there on some great projects. After a while she felt she needed a change from 70 hour weeks and picked up and moved to France to a new studio.
  • In France she slowly realized how hard it was to collaborate with a language barrier and quickly returned to Toronto
  • Catherine did some freelance work for Draft (a large agency) a while then went to Dashboard
  • She loves Dashboard because she says it's like working with family. Everyone is a really tight knit group. Dashboard is nimble and keeps up to speed with the industry, whereas the larger companies are not as flexible.
  • Most of her work involved a lot of really sexy Flash work but now that Facebook took off it really changed everything. Most of the projects involve Facebook pages.


5 STEPS TO SUCCESS

1) Don't forget to be a really REALLY good designer
  • Even when your overwhelmed with technology, you are first and foremost a designer and you will be getting applying for a design job
  • Creative directors don't look at your coding, they look at your designs and your variation
   
2) You have to understand (and LOVE) technology
  • Even if it's hard to understand, just push through and you will be a better designer in the end
  • Be giddy about your upcoming projects!
  • It's not ever JUST about web design, it's about interactivity

3) Learn for yourself: video, flash animation and how to properly design for social media
  • Spend some time looking at how advertising campaigns are being extended through social media
  • Know how to make Facebook pages look good and work properly

4) Understand UX & IA
  • User Experience and Information Architecture
  • The most important aspect of interactive design is designing for the user - having optimal user experience
  • So before picking your colours and textures and styles, make sure it works!

5) Work hard, be flexible and keep up
  • You don't get ahead by going home early every night
  • It's really about proving yourself worthy and competent
  • Be excited about the fact that your job is going to changing all the time


HANDY TIPS AND TRICKS
  • If you don't get any response from a creative director - it might just mean they are too busy and missed your file. Follow up. Be persistent. Don't be crazy and stalk.
  • Even if they don't think you are a candidate for the job, sincerely ask if you can have a portfolio review.
  • Have your business cards, portfolio and resume on hand at the grad show to really stand out.
  • Mood boards: Always do them! They are an important step to really get the client involved in what they want their website look and feel to be. Be sure to explain exactly what a mood board is supposed to be, some people just don't get it. Go ahead and keep them in your portfolio, they are great pieces of creative.
  • Don't tell your client "No, you can't do that or have that" you will lose their trust. Having a client's trust is key to a successful project.


RECOMMENDATIONS

BOOK
Catherine's contact and web pages:



 

 
 






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