Hello from the Red Bridge Design Department, which currently consists of…well, me. Because of this, I think learning as much as possible from other designers in THE INDUSTRY is especially important.

I am currently reading the book Kern and Burn, which is a collection of interviews with design entrepreneurs about their success and failures in business (and design). So far, it’s been an incredible resource full of amazing advice. Because I have the memory of a goldfish, I hope that writing blog posts of key points will help me remember what I’ve learned. So here we go!

My next few blog posts will consist of advice from designers interviewed in the book and then my take on it, or how I can apply their advice to my role at Red Bridge.

Designers should be involved in startups from the very beginning.
For me, this involves committing more of my focus and energy to Red Bridge as a company and group of people I love and respect. Because until recently I have worked at Red Bridge while at school, this has been difficult. Now, I am about to get to a point in my life where I think I can spend more time really working to make RB amazing.

Build out things as much as possible before presenting them – show people what you can do.
For me, this means building out something, at least to a certain extend, before pitching the idea. This is important for me because good design isn’t always seen as necessary by clients who already have a certain level of design/branding in place. So if I think they need new branding or a new website design, I need to just DO IT or at least part of it, to prove to them I know what I’m talking about. Which I may or may not, at this point.

Be known for your work.
This also comes with commitment which is one the most terrifying things for me ever. But by committing to RB, I will be able to take more credit for my work as a full-time designer. So that is definitely a big factor as I continue to try and figure out my upcoming post-grad life.

Designers Should be able to build out what they design.
Red bridge builds out what we make. Architects build what they make. That’s why I went into architecture in the first place, and why I enjoy working for RB. When I design a website, it very quickly goes into production and becomes a real thing. Today I held my copy of Hacking Sales, which I designed the cover for. That was immensely satisfying.

Side Projects are Important
Having a balance of client work and my own projects is really important to me. When i was in school, I had my thesis to focus on alongside client work for Red Bridge (and at the time, Sales Hacker). Now that I am graduated, I have to make my own side projects to keep me involved in multiple design disciplines.

VW

  • Andrea

    Vonn with a post! I love it!