Welcome Lauren, our newest “Rock Climber” is a welcome addition!
It’s time to welcome a new team member — Lauren Allen — to the Porch. She’s a graphic designer and photographer. We love adding members (and their fun rock-based titles) to our team, and we’re so excited to introduce you to Lauren Allen. You can read about her on our team page, and today, we’ve asked her a few questions about her perspective on graphic design, so you can get to know her better. And then you can send her a big “howdy!”
What is the biggest misconception about design today?
That anyone can label themselves as a graphic designer because they can make a graphic with canva.
What advice would you give your younger self, Lauren?
Love yourself, and be kind to people. You are beautiful.
What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned so far in your career?
Not everyone will like your style of design but as long as you are proud of your work, you will excel.
What does good design look like?
Good design is making something that the client can be happy with and proud to show off.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?
I’d love to go to Japan to experience the culture and have great food!
If you could go to dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?
My grandma on my dad’s side. I never met her but apparently, we are very similar and I’d love to see if that’s true.
Describe Lauren Allen in 3 words:
Kind, Funny, Honest
Tell us about a major milestone in your life?
I finished my cleft lip journey 4 years ago. It took about 20 years from multiple surgeries and a lot of dental work, to complete it.
How would you describe the culture at Front Porch Marketing?
The culture seems very inviting and warm. Seems like a cool group of people!
From your perspective, how does Front Porch Marketing differentiate itself from other marketing companies?
Front Porch differentiates itself by making the working environment super collaborative and easy. Everyone is always open to help or giving an opinion which is hard to find in other marketing companies.
What is a fun fact about you?
I used to do Japanese theatre in middle school called kabuki.
As a graphic designer, you are always focused on making brands for someone else. Listening to clients describe the vision and personality of their company, you then make a cohesive new brand that fits what the client described. It’s the same routine every graphic designer has experienced day in and day out.
But why do people say it is important to create a personal brand? Even though you are focused on creating and designing brands for someone else, you have to step back and focus on who is selling that work: you are. Your personal brand can demonstrate your strategic thinking and creativity to potential new clients. So what is your personal brand currently saying about you? Maybe its time to take it to the next level.
Break the process for yourself down into simple steps
Here are 5 ways to help you brand yourself better as a graphic designer, and benefit by standing out from the crowd this year.
1. Define who you are
One of the hardest things about creating your personal brand is defining who you are. But if you ask yourself some questions it could help you define it and put it into words.
Out of all of your work, which is your favorite design that you have done?
As a graphic designer, what motivates you?
Where do you excel?
What do you want your clients to feel when they first discover you as a graphic designer?
How do you present yourself every day?
2. Establish your audience
Who do you want your future clients to be? Try to build a personal brand that reflects the audience you want to work with. Look up fellow designers and see how they handle this themselves and market to their target audience (clients, agencies, etc).
3. Study brands you like
Just like you would research a company for a new project, take a look at other designers and creative agencies that you like. See what they are doing regarding their brand and take notes on how to enhance your own brand.
4. Image is everything
Start creating social media updates that reflect your enhanced brand. Make a website where you can showcase all of your past designs in a personal branded format using such platforms as Behance and Dribble. Be judicious when you choose work to show off. You’ll want to highlight work that most reflects the work you want to do in the future.
5. Interaction on social media
Posting regularly about clients’ work or your personal work will give you a presence on social media. This way you can keep up with the audience’s reaction and trends in the design world. Keeping up to date with coworkers or potential clients gets your name out there. Building those connections can help you get future work opportunities.
Your new better brand will get you further
Once you brand yourself more effectively, you will have created a strong impression and help future clients know who you are. It can persuade their decision to work with you. Branding yourself as effectively as you brand your clients is a way to help plus-up your career and focus not only on the work you do now, but the work you want to do in the future.
Broadening your skill set is the key to success. That is what I have learned as an intern and college student so far. Success in your career depends on being skilled in more than one discipline. Graphic Design is something that I hold very dear to my heart, so I started college thinking this would be my path. My father is a graphic designer. Thus I have a personal connection to it and I’ve been practicing it for over four years.
Start With Something You Love and Broaden Your Skill Set for Success From There
Since I was a kid I would always look up to my father’s work as an artist. He graduated from UNT with a degree in Graphic Design and immediately got picked up by a respectable design firm. Throughout my life I would observe his work, how he brainstormed, his rough sketches, and then the final product.
Some of his work includes the live theater company called Kitchen Dog Theater and the Green Light to Greatness logo for The University of North Texas, that you can still see today on busses. He’s even done work for BNSF, the largest freight railroad network in North America! As a kid growing up I really looked up to him and thought he had the coolest job in the world. Being able to permanently leave your mark on the world and potentially change a company’s look sounded amazing. So, I decided at a very early age that I wanted to be a Graphic Designer.
Learn a New Skill Wherever You Can
I started by taking every art class I could from elementary to high school. When I reached high school, I decided it was time to start learning Graphic Design. I started by taking Graphic Design I, and Graphic Design II. Once I got confident enough in my skills I joined the school newspaper The Sidekick, and worked for them providing writers with illustrations.
During this time, I also did a lot of work with Reese Bonneau, a local artist. I designed his album covers on Spotify and created multiple T-shirts for him to sell on his website. Now he has over 3K monthly listeners on Spotify! Through him I met other local artists and designed even more album covers. I like to help musicians and small companies just starting out. It allows me to get more experience, learn new things and grow.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Once I started college at The University of North Texas, I decided to major in Graphic Design like my father. It was a really tough program, but I was growing so much as an artist. But after one semester though, I decided that even though I love graphic design, I wanted to expand my skillset to a more business-oriented role. Being exposed to Marketing and Business caused me to pivot in my aspirations. I decided to switch my major from Graphic Design to Marketing. One of the most important things I learned in college: trying a bit of everything, meeting all kinds of people related to your industry, and taking new classes can help you discover your true path!
Now, my goal is to become a Marketing Manager for a big tech company. Currently, I still doing Graphic Design on the side. In addition to being an intern at Front Porch Marketing, I’m also the Graphic Designer and Social Media Manager for a start up Manga publishing company. Their mission is to provide a platform for up-and-coming manga artists and writers. We’re growing little by little every day and I think we’re off to a great start considering we started in January during a pandemic.
It’s OK to Change Your Mind and Try Something New
Even though I originally went to UNT to become a Graphic Designer, I have broader marketing and business goals now. I still love and practice it on the side when I can. But my focus is learning more about marketing and getting as much experience as I can with all aspects of marketing before I graduate.
There are so many different disciplines involved in marketing and I’m learning so much working as an intern at Front Porch Marketing. Every time I get an assignment I learn something new and grow in my confidence. Although I’m very focused on learning the digital aspect of marketing, I want to have a broad understanding of all the different branches, especially in the business management of marketing. I would love to learn how to create effective ads, do SEO, and email marketing. So I really look forward to growing with this company, as well as learning more at school this fall!
You are trying to save resources and graphic design seems like something you, a team member or a marketing / communications professional can do.
You’ve worked hard to make your dream a reality. Of course, you want to ensure it is recognizable. The first rule of thumb? Build trust in your brand.
Building that trust requires a connection with your target audience. To achieve it, your creative execution must be constantly consistent. It is crucial to get it right.
Here are four tips:
Know what you need before you begin. Define your brand pillars to create a strong foundation. What is your brand vision, personality, positioning and affiliation?
Next, have a creative professional define brand colors, fonts and creative execution guidelines. Mind the brand.
Don’t settle. There are many programs that allow anyone to try their hand at graphic design. Use caution. Layout, font and colors are just a few of the key elements of graphic design.
Take your time. If you choose to DIY your brand creation, understand it will be a time-consuming process to get it right. Take the time necessary to not only learn what you want, but what you need. Learn the art of design.
Experience pays. In the end, it will save you time and money to hire a professional graphic designer. They have the programs and experience to communicate your brand. They will give you the exact guidelines to follow to easily remain consistent and help distinguish your brand from the competition.
Own it. Once you have chosen your brand architecture and standards, own them. Use them religiously. Don’t use your logo in one color scheme on one social media post, then alter it for another. Instead of a random mixture of colors, know and use complementary colors. Keep all of your design elements consistent – Every. Single. Time.
There is value in creative and graphic design. Be consistent and follow brand guidelines. If you don’t have consistency, you won’t build connection. Without them, you may as well do nothing at all.
In conclusion, have a partner or team with the experience and know-how to help you stay consistent. We’re ready to rock when you are.
Today it is Lea Ann Allen’s turn to rock the porch with her Rocker Spotlight interview!
What is the biggest misconception about marketing today?
Marketing is not something you set and forget. It’s an on-going process. Brand-building is like planting a garden and then watering, weeding, fertilizing and trimming it constantly to help it grow.
What advice would you give to someone struggling with creating a brand identity?
Take a look at your brand’s competitors and peers. What are they doing? Now, how are you doing it different? Show that. Tell that story.
One of the biggest lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?
Who you work with is more important than everything else in your career.
What does good marketing look like?
Good marketing makes a brand look like a person you’d want to be friends with.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?
I am where I want to be.
If you could go to dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?
I go to dinner every night in my home with my husband and I wouldn’t choose anyone else, anywhere else.
If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be?
I worked 3 jobs simultaneously to put my son thru Columbia University with zero debt.
In what ways does the team at FPM have aligned values?
FPM team members respect each other’s individual lives, in everything they do.
How would you describe the culture at FPM?
Agile. Supportive. Enthusiastic.
How does FPM differentiate itself from other marketing companies?
FPM did not have to pivot their business model because of the pandemic, they’ve been a virtual team since their inception – making them ideal partners for understanding what the future world of work looks like now.
Fun fact?
I might have the largest yacht rock record collection in Dallas?
Thanks for tuning in to another week of Rocker Spotlight questions featuring Lea Ann Allen and her rocking time on the porch!
Marketing misconceptions happen. We are so grateful that our clients partner with us so we may help them know what is reality in the marketing world to make a difference in their businesses’ topline.
We work with amazing CEOs and business leaders. They are forward-thinking, move at light speed and want to make s*^! happen for their businesses. There are moments though that make us cringe and then we have to either just bust out loud or ask them to stand up and dance it out before we bring them back to reality.
4 Marketing Misconceptions by CEOs & Business Leaders
Your one person Marketing Manager or Marketing Director can do it all. When you are able to start building a marketing team, that rocks. But, please be real. Your marketing person should be responsible for setting a strategy and plan, but, ODL, they need help to execute it all.
A marketing calendar is a plan. Nopey. No. You can do a lot of things but if they are not on strategy, not focused on the goals, not delivering your targeted messages, you are wasting your time and resources. Go deep or go home. Fewer deeper is especially important for small businesses and startups.
Media relations alone will not deliver the results you need. There are many tools in the marketing toolbox. Media relations is an effective one, but it cannot stand alone. Editorial is fab but one well placed story isn’t going to drive the topline.
You are a Creative Director. CEOs and business leaders are brilliant people. They are driven, they are talented, they are creative. But there is more that goes into a logo, an ad, etc., then just your thoughts of beautiful images on a page. Know your brand architecture, define your brand standards, refer back to your marketing plan, and, for the love of Pete, fill out a creative brief and let the creatives do what they do.
Marketing misconceptions happen. The best business leaders share their thoughts and adapt to constructive criticism.
Be open to dispelling marketing misconceptions. That’s when the business magic will happen. That’s music to our ears.
