You probably know that Designity’s model is a game-changer for businesses looking to outsource their creative marketing needs.
And as innovative as Designity’s model is for businesses, it’s just as much of a game-changer for talented designers, artists, video production experts, copywriters, and more looking to jumpstart their creative careers!
So, what is it like as a new Designity Creative?
Let’s ask Mike C., one of the newest creative forces here at Designity. Today’s interview is a 1:1 with Mike, to dive into his creative journey, his background, and what drew him to Designity in the first place!
Whether you’re curious about the inner workings of Designity or just need some creative inspiration from one of our upcoming stars, Mike’s story has got what you’re looking for!
Pull up a chair because it’s time to meet Mike!
How did you get into design? What’s your origin story?
I always knew that I wanted a career doing something with art. I got into design in high school and fell in love with it. Plus, I knew it was a career I could make a living at instead of being a starving artist trying to paint. I studied design in college and have been doing it ever since.
What was your first creative-related job?
I interned for a couple places in college, but just a couple of local spots. There was a local music magazine in Providence that I interned for. I did a couple of band logos and a couple of article layouts.
After college, I did some pre-press work, which I hated. Then, after grad school, I got a job at an agency in Boston that did a lot of education work, which is really a lot of fun. They did student handbooks and multi-page layout-type stuff. It was a very small job; it was the two co-owners and me.
I basically did layout work for brochures and books and stuff like that.
What drew you to Designity?
I was just filling out an ad for a job. I had been freelancing full-time for a year and a half and I’d been trying to get back into a more permanent job, something not so “feast and famine,” something more steady.
I found Designity on Dribble and I filled out the application and they emailed me back. We did this info session, and Qu (Designity's Head of Talent Acquisition) did a very informational, “this is what we’re about, this is what we do.”
And then they did the design workshop where everyone just goes in for a couple hours and does something and I really liked it. It was a lot of fun and the people seemed really cool, and the work seemed really good.
And I just kind of stuck with it and it’s been fun ever since.
What did you think about the hiring process?
It was different, very fast-paced.
Basically, everyone had a time slot to join on a call and we all joined in a Zoom call. We all went into a Miro board and, depending on what your discipline is, you have a different project to work on and an hour and a half to get it done.
It was interesting. At first, I thought, “This is so fast-paced. I don’t know if I’m gonna like this, this is not what I’m used to.”
But it was an interesting take, and it worked out.
What has been your Designity experience so far?
It’s been good so far. I’ve been working with Joseph and Lana, who’ve both been phenomenal.
We’ve been working on the creative for Seabourn Cruises and it’s been going really well. They like the stuff we’ve been pumping out and it’s been really positive so far.
How has it been different from your experience at other design jobs?
I think Designity really lets you be yourself compared to working at other agencies. There isn’t such a rigorous process of getting approvals or feedback or going through rounds and rounds of revisions.
You’re still kind of bidding because people post jobs on Slack, and you still have to bid and say if you’re interested. But I think once you kind of get your foot in the door and everyone knows what your experience is, whether it’s web design or whatever.
It feels like, once you get going and you’ve worked with certain Creative Directors, it gets easier.
What is your favorite thing about working at Designity?
I would say two things.
One, is the people.
I’ve been talking about Joseph and Lana, but Qu has been really good, and Heather (Designity's Community Manager) has been amazing. When I started my first week, I was like, “I don’t know what I’m doing,” and I would just ping Heather. I had a million questions, and she was so good and really took the time to help me out.
And, two, I think are the types of clients. They’re different from what I’m used to working on. I did a lot of tech and healthcare stuff. And now I’m working on a cruise company. The work’s been really, really fun.
What is your favorite kind of project to take on?
I would say either a new logo or branding or a website.
I’ve kind of doubled down on those for the last couple years and I love a good branding or web project.
What would you say is your most challenging kind of project?
I hate doing trade show booths.
It’s just … they’re all the same and you don’t really get to do a whole lot with it. You just do a background and logo and some bullet points and that’s it. There are so many restrictions and it’s just not a lot of fun. Unless you have a client that spends a ton of money, then you can do anything. But mostly it’s just a backdrop and a podium.
How do you keep yourself up to date with design trends?
I’m on a few mailing lists that I get sent to me in my email every morning.
Between tech stuff and design stuff. There’s a handful of them and I’m always looking at what’s new on Dribble or what’s out there. I get a bunch of stuff sent to my inbox on stuff about AI or a new development tool that’s getting popular.
I’m always looking to see what’s out there.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I try to stay pretty active.
I play golf, I play volleyball. I try to go hiking with the dog. I just try to keep busy. I’m also a big movie buff. So, usually, I look for different stuff to do.
I had a fixer-upper house that I completely gutted and redid years ago. I’m hoping to build a new one soon, so that will probably take some of my time in the future.
<div class="c-blog_comp-cta cc-component-2"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-wrap"><img src="https://global-uploads.webflow.com/61cdf3c5e0b8155f19e0105b/63695243d096983691046ac3_Potential-Creative.png" loading="lazy" alt="" class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-img"></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-right cc-dark"><div class="c-blog_comp-content"><div class="c-text-wrapper cc-mb-32"><div class="c-title-4 cc-bold"><strong>Like to work as a freelancer with consistent income?</strong></div></div><div class="c-text-wrapper"><div class="c-text-2">Designity's collaborative model is designed to give you all of the perks of being a freelancer without the income instability.<br></div></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-wrapper"><a href="http://designity.com/creatives" target="_blank" class="c-button w-button"><strong>Join Our Creative Community</strong></a></div></div></div>
Do you have any words of inspiration for new Creatives?
Keep at it. Keep creating.
Don’t give up. Once you get your foot in the door, you’ll be fine.
