Working in-house is very different than working at an agency. Day-in and day-out, you are immersed in a single brand, along with its sub-brands. You never know what esoteric business need will require graphic design!
Advertising pieces are fun…there's a brief, some must-haves, and then you can be as creative as you'd like to be. A lot of design work isn't like that though. Most design work is about presenting information in the best way possible, and nothing is more rigorous than a catalog.
I led the 2023 catalog redesign, refreshing the templates, layouts, and working with the design director to modernize the look and feel, while still satisfying all of the (many, many) stakeholders.
It's always best to craft an advertisement while accounting for context. A billboard or bus stop is easy—you know exactly where it is! But with a magazine, there are no guarantees. I realized that our ad placement had run opposite to a "Realty Report" in this community magazine for 12 months without changing. What better way to convince someone to pursue a career in real estate than showing the possible rewards? The real estate agent in the image is showing off a listing, but her gesture draws the viewer's eye-line to the sales prices in the neighborhood.
3% of $3,000,000 isn't too shabby!
Direct mail. Sending postcards directly to consumers. By strategizing, segmenting recipients, and designing around the strategy, I reworked the monthly mail strategy and increased revenue from direct mail QR scans by more than 300%!
