Taxi

This week our guest speaker was Stephen Coomber, Interactive Designer from TAXI. Stephen graduated from the New Media Design program at Sheridan College. He started out at Organic for two years working as a Flash Designer. He then worked at Young & Rubicam for a few years before starting at Taxi. Stephen gave a very informative presentation about breaking into the design industry and he also handed out awesome t-shirts.

Basic Knowledge

• Remember your guest speakers since the industry is very small and networks are very important
• Relax and be yourself
• Know each design company within the GTA and the type of work they do, their clients and locations
• Location: what works for you? Where do you feel comfortable
• Look at companies major clients. Are they the best fit for you?

Find a Mentor

• They know your new job better than you
• They will know the ins and outs of the business and will help you grow
• They will help guide your path

Speak up

• Make your passion known
• If you see an opportunity, jump at it

Never take Shotgun

• Always sit in the driver's seat
• You should be in control of your career

Tweet

• Let them tell you
• @mashable, @jtoeman, @TaxiCanada, @ConanOBrien

If you Learn they will Pay

• There are tons of shows, conferences and festivals
• Google your interests and ask to go (nicely)
• Always stay current

Working Relationships Important

• Great ideas develop while hanging out at the bar with your team
• Friendships last longer then working relationships
• Life is fun when you can relax at the office

Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously

• It's a fun job, don't let it get you down

Be Passionate and Have Fun

• Passion will get you through tough times
• Pick some things you really like and be passionate about them

Saying No

• Too much can make your ideas and work not as successful
• It is important to know your limits

Paper Trails

• Document everything with clients and employees, such as positive emails
  

About Taxi

• Crazy and creative 
• They work you to the bone 
• Cutting edge and award winning
• You have to work a lot harder and longer hours to be award winning
• Main clients include West Jet, Telus, and Canadian Tire
• Taxi Toronto works closely with the New York office

Culture at Taxi

• Everybody loves what they do and go above and beyond expectations 
• The office features a cool cafe, gym, and foosball table
• Self organized drinking nights
• There are around 100 employees and Taxi 2 is down the street
• Creative Directors push you to your limit and they know their stuff
• Creative Directors will help you become a stronger designer
• Dogs are allowed in the office every Friday
• You have the opportunity to move to different offices

Contact Information

Stephen Coomber 
STEPHEN.COOMBER@TAXI.CA

Taxi Canada Inc.
495 Wellington Street West, Suite 102
Toronto, ON M5V 1E9
T: 416-342-8294 x424
F: 416-979-7626

Nurun

This week’s guest speakers were Hilary Jackson (Project Coordinator), Dondy Razon (Associate Creative Director), and Nadeem Visanji (Digital Strategist) from Nurun.

Then … Now … The Future

• Then  – We shouted at people (through advertising)
• Now – We listen (improve, ask, imagine, plan, create)
• The Future – We read their minds
• But seriously we start by – Asking the right questions

Advice on the Job Search

• Broaden your horizons (look at other positions)
• Be yourself (in the interview ask about the culture and environment and make sure they fit what you need)
• Take any good or bad experience (who do you want to work for, what environments you want to work in and asking the right questions)
• LinkedIn got Hilary the job (build connections)
• Will you fit with them (they already know your skill sets)
• Find something that separates you (talk about your passions)
• You as an individual vs. skills (100% honest about who you are)
• Talk about other things you are interested in
• It’s how you think
• Don’t plan, just be yourself
• Embrace your uniqueness

Work Environment

• Nurun is like a family 
• 100% there to help each other out
• Everybody is included
• Relaxed
• They get to see the brand come to life
• Team environment
• Deadline oriented work hours (more late nights near launches of campaigns)
  

Contact

Hilary Jackson
Project Coordinator
Email: hilary.jackson@nurun.com

Dondy Razon
Associate Creative Director
Twitter: @dondy
Email: dondy.razon@nurun.com

Nadeem Visanji
Digital Strategist
Email: nadeem.visanji@nurun.com

Nurun
96 Spadina Avenue, 9th Floor
Tel: (416) 591-6000
Toronto (Ontario) M5V 2J6
Fax: (416) 591-6100
Canada

Investors Group

This week our guest speakers were Rachelle Allen, Financial Consultant, and Adam Plaxton, Consultant, of the Investors Group. They did an informative presentation about personal financial planning.

We learned about new realities, which include how we are living longer and need to save money for retirement since we will most likely out live our money.

People tend to fail with their retirement money because:

• Lack of a plan
• Taxes
• Procrastination
• Investor behaviour

We learned how to build a portfolio, dollar cost averaging (investing on a regular basis and how when it's cheaper you buy more), and how to stop tipping the tax man.

We also learned about RSP loans and RRSP (which grows tax sheltered and subtracts from annual income. For example, if you earn 50,000 and contribute 10,000 then you only claim 40,000 on your tax refund (save 31%). We also learned how TFSA are not saving accounts and how there is no tax reduction, but when you take money out it is tax free.

We also talked about Insurance:

1.) Life Altering Illness

• Critical Illness Insurance covers 22 illnesses
• One time tax free lump sum of $50,000
• Premiums are paid back to you if you don't get an illness ($40-50 a month)
• Highest claims are from 20-30 year old women with breast cancer

2.) Mortgage Insurance

• If something happens to you
• Protection from them

3.) Term Life Insurance

• Protection for you
• Cheaper, same premium, coverage stays the same
• Beneficiary will receive money too
• Explore your options

Contact

Adam Plaxton 
416-695-8600
295 The West Mall Suite 700, Etobicoke, ON M9C 4Z4
adam.plaxton@investorsgroup.com

Rachelle Allen
416-860-1668 ext. 227
145 King Street West, Suite 2800, Toronto, ON M5H 1J8
rachelle.allen@investorsgroup.com

Presentation by Dashboard

Our guest speaker this week was Catherine Baird, Associate Creative Director from Dashboard. She is a Sheridan Web Design graduate and has currently worked with a graduate from the program every year since graduating here from 2001.



Her work history includes:

• ecentricarts,  Senior Designer
• Henderson Bas, Senior Designer
• Henderson Bas, Associate Creative Director
• 5emegauche, Paris France, Senior Art Director
• Draft FCB, Senior Art Director
• Dashboard, Associate Creative Director
   

Some of her advice includes:

• Be prepared to change consistently throughout the business.
• Micro sites are becoming less of a demand, instead the industry is moving towards Facebook, YouTube and other social media.
• Bring your portfolio to the graduate show and industry events.

Some clients she has worked with includes:

• Santa Claus parade (whole brand)
• Joe
• Kraft peanut butter
• Capital One
• Wagner
• Hellmann’s
• Ing Direct
  

 
About Dashboard:

• They are a Digital, Engagement Agency. They are about engaging people online.
• The personality of the designers is a mix of quirky and smart.
• Creative team is 6 to 8 people, and there are around 30 employees in the shop.
  

 
Her advice on 5 things you should do to get a job:

1. Be prepared

• Get your best work together in a simple easy to read format.
• This could be a website or better, a PDF with your resume and samples of work with links to live websites.
• Don’t make me work too hard.
• Don’t fumble around in an interview.
• No one will look at your resume if they don’t like your work.
• Email PDF (6 pages of your best work and resume). Make all photos clickable to your website if they want to see more.
• Want to see the work fast (1-2 minutes).
• Your work and your personality is the only thing that will get you a job.
• Just send your work, don’t ask if you can send a portfolio.

2. Do something unusual

• I get 5 emails a day from people who want me to look at their work.
• Do something different. Draw a sketch of the Creative Director, send a hand written card, brand yourself, and make a video. Even doing something unusual in your email is worth a try. Email is too easy.

3. Follow up and don’t write long emails

• Creative Directors are busier and more stressed out that you could possibly imagine. If it’s long, no one is going to have the time to read it.  
• If you stalk someone you’re not going to get a job. If you send gentle reminders, you’ll better your chances.

4. Show Diversity

• Show your paintings if you come from a fine art background. If you are musician, add some links to your songs. If you do anything other than design it shows you are well rounded, interesting, and creative. Show it. It’s also a conversation starter in an interview.

5. Network

• The easiest way to get a job is to network and build up a group of people who respect your work and work ethic.
• Be nice, work hard and don’t burn bridges. It’s a SMALL industry. Go to events, take people out for coffee, get out there!

Trick – If a Creative Director won’t get you in for an interview, ask him/her to do a “portfolio review.” They may hire you based off of your personality and “fit” with the company.
 
All about the Future:

• Welcome to the ever-changing job.
• Touch Screens, Apps, Facebook Brands, Cloud Computing, Argumented Reality, Unity, HTML5, and Web Fonts (Typekit).

Contact Dashboard:

355 Adelaide St. W. Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5V 1S2
Phone: 416.504.4422
Toll Free: 1.866.504.6354
Fax: 416.504.6644

Website 

Twitter

Contact Catherine Baird:

LinkedIn

Website 

Blog 

Leo Burnett

This week our guest speaker was Brendan Good, Associate Creative Director from Leo Burnett. The presentation was both informative and interesting. He started off the presentation by handing around two books, The Internet Case Study and Guidelines for Online Success, which are both by Rob Ford and Julius Wiedemann.

He gave us a lot of interesting resources, hints, and quotes, such as:

• Typodermic. Fonts free online by well known designer Tobias Frere Jones
• "The computer has played a role in destroying creativity with Photoshop. Everybody thinks they're a designer" - George Lois
• Clients from Hell
• "I'd rather be." Make sure to leave time for stress relief and hobbies … Get one (or 12)
• "Logos have become the closet thing we have to an international language, recognized and understood in many more places than English" - Naomi Klein
• Always present on a calibrated monitor
• Red Interactive Agency is a good place to work 
• All you need is PASSION 
• Legal. Everything I say today is my view, not that of the company I work for (always put legal in your designs)
• Camp Organic. Learn how to get out of your comfort zone
• Typesetting. Convergence is coming. Learn it. More font choices are now available to use on the web
• Use Post-it notes. They are like mind maps with 100 mph and 360 degree thinking 
• It comes down too: fast, cheap or good (pick 2)
• Music mimics art, art mimics music
• You will work for free at times
• Salary Guide is a great resource
• Creative Group is also a great resource
• FITC is worth the investment

Buy a moleskin

• Perfect to have when inspiration strikes (simple, well designed, and popular in the art community)
  
  

Types of Shops

• Futurists
• Brand Leads (ideas & clients)
• Independent (mom and pop or BFF shop)
• Vendor / Specialists (a skill: research, Papervision 3D, Wordpress)
• Social Crews (digital guerrilla)
• Freelance (join Behance - can work from anywhere)
• Co-operatives (get freelancers together with different skill sets)

More Good Advice

 About Leo Burnett

• Leo Burnett is the 4th most awarded design agency - only Canadian company on list
• 9 to 5 job 
• Creatives run the shop
• One of the most important aspects of being hired is that you have to fit into the company
  
• Clients include: Kellogg's, Healthy Choice, Bell, TVO, P&G, Blackberry, and more

Contact Information:

Brendan Good 
Linked In
Personal Website
Twitter

Leo Burnett
Website

OneMethod

This week our guest speaker was Steve Miller, the Creative Director of OneMethod. He gave an informative presentation about the company, resumes, resources, and interviewing.

OneMethod works on websites, advertising, mobile media, social media, digital content, motion design, branding, print design, interior design, strategy, and curriculum. Their biggest client is Nokia. To check out more of their work, watch this video.

Resume Hints:

1. Be creative about how you present yourselves, your resume and web portfolio 
2. Your portfolio website should be a work of art
3. Design a resume that shows you think differently
4. Info graphic based resumes are attractive to Steve
5. Have your resume consistent with your website

Interviews (Do’s & Don’t’s)

Work (50%)

• Presentation (consistent, professional and scaled at the same size)
• Brief/Rationale (why did you build it in Flash (or another program and speak intelligently about your work)
• Include mobile in your book
• Social (ex. design contest for Facebook)
• Show your process and ideas

You (50%)

• First 5 minutes (1st impression – what you are going to say and how you are going to present yourself)
• Speak intelligently
• No suits. No ratty t-shirts
• Have an open mind and develop a thick skin when being critiqued
• You’re only as good as your weakest website (people remember your weakest site – if you have 4 strong designs, include only 4)
• Don't have an ego

Resources

• Flickr (wireframe group, hundreds of examples)
• FWA (great websites)
• Designrfix (50 awesome website galleries)
• Twitter: Pete Cashmore, Adam T. Bailey, Grace Smith, Mitch Joel, OneMethod, Steve Miller
• Books: Outliers, Perfect Pitch (Jon Steel), How to Catch the Big Idea – The Strategies of Top Creatives, Collapse (Jared Diamond).

About the Creative Director

What

• Creative & Strategic Thinker
• Presenter
• Performer (get clients into their comfort zone)
• Communicator
• Client Realtor
• Marketer

How

• Marketing Course
• Presentation Skills
• Stay current and up to date on design, trends, media, new programs, etc.
• Practice and improve your skill set

Final Thoughts

• Think “Social” (current and up to date – get people involved – social means more then just adding a like button). Think contests
• Think “Integrated”
• Get on LinkedIn & Twitter
• Site (Blogger, Wordpress, Flavours.me)
• Dev Savvy (Flash, HTML 5, Wordpress)
• Offer more than “just design”
• You’re a salesperson
• Be a people person

Contact Information

135 Liberty St. Suite 201
Toronto Ontario CAN M6K 1A7
steven@onemethod.com
t 416 649 0191
c 416 816 7077
888 OneMethod

ecentricarts

This week’s guest speakers were Keith Durrant and Leslie Horan of ecentricarts inc. Ecentricarts is known for their design work, their attention to detail and their designs for large cultural organizations. Overall, the presentation was both interesting and informative. I really enjoyed learning more about ecentricarts and the design industry.

 

Some of the websites they showed us include:

• Kids Help Phone
• Osler
• Process of Osler (moodboards, revisions, etc)
• Canadian National Ballet School
• Want to Dance
• Textile Museum of Canada
• Munk Debates
• Toronto Museum Project
• Group of Seven
• Hal Jackman Foundation
• Canadian Crossroad International
• Honens

Ecentricarts is looking for an employee who:

• Has a great personality
• A person who is able to communicate well
• A person who can sell and pitch their designs

Advice on portfolios include:

• Attention to detail
• One spelling mistake equals a missed opportunity
• Range through body of work
• Online portfolio/traditional book
• Back up website just in case for the interview

Their work environment includes:

• 12 hour days
• Laid back and casual
• Hard working
• Deadline oriented
• Dogs hang out in office and there are inside bike racks
• Open concept
• People stay for a long time (8-10 years)
• 7-8 hires from the Web design program at Sheridan College

Contact Information:

LinkedIn Profiles

Keith Durrant 

Leslie Horan