Week Two

Its is my second week at the Publishing House and the only way I can sum it up to be fair (and not hurt anyone’s feelings) is that there are good days and bad days. I’d much rather say that the work world is a bitch but I’m pretty sure that would be offensive so I will stick with my previous choice. I thought it would be magic and awesome and fun everyday but its not. I’m still set on graphic design and nothing can really break me of that I am just realizing that I will be very particular in choosing a design firm. (Of course when I say choosing that is in a perfect world where employees have their pick of jobs. If the economy stays like it is then I’ll grab whatever is thrown at me). I think what I dislike the most about working at the Publishing House is that I’m in the Marketing Department. Or maybe its that I’m in the Marketing Department for a religious publisher. There are so many rules. No barefooted kids. No Jesus on the cross. No Easter eggs. No Easter Baskets. No Christmas trees. No stockings. No tank tops. This kid doesn’t look happy enough. This kid looks too flirty. This woman isn’t Asian enough. Have you counted the African American people on this page? Have you balanced the number of boys and girls on this spread? 

I know that I will have to get used to pleasing the client over pleasing myself but there just seem to be an awful amount of restrictions. Other than image restrictions there are design restrictions that I find very formal and dated. They don’t reverse text. They don’t use light colors. They don’t waver from their 3 specified fonts (2 sans serif and 1 serif). All in all I’m learning more about the restrictions and procedures that come along with a corporate job than I am with design. We have approximately 10-12 people (copywriters, designers, advertising directors, etc.) on our side of the hall that have to see a catalog page or an ad before it ever gets routed elsewhere. And that’s someone’s job, too! Its someone’s job to route projects. And its someone’s job to make PDF’s. They sit at a computer and make PDF’s all day long and enter them into the system. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve learned a few neat design tricks along the way, too but most of it is this stuff.