My Professional Evolution

 

Over 25 years ago, I embarked on my career at a blueprint company. Recognizing the potential to expand the business through my computer graphic skills, the owner and I transformed the company into a full-color reprographics firm. He invested in the necessary equipment and entrusted me with mastering the new technology and attracting customers.

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To achieve this, I redesigned customer cover pages of every presentation in full color and sent complimentary copies back to the clients. At that time, everything was black and white unless offset printed. This strategy quickly attracted new color customers and significantly grew the business. Eventually, the owner sold the company for a substantial profit.

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One of our satisfied customers, a small floormat manufacturing company in Fullerton, California, offered me a position. I started as a designer and rapidly advanced to Project Manager, Product Line Manager, and finally, Art Director. In this role, I was responsible for designing products, packaging, and presentations, as well as collaborating with our factory and external factories on new developments and quality control. We specialized in officially licensed automotive accessories.

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Designing and selling Ford floor mats was straightforward, but creating a presentation to sell a Tinkerbell or Hello Kitty floor mat to an automotive buyer required a different approach. The key was effective visual communication. Providing the buyer with something fun and compelling that they would want to show their coworkers, family, and friends for input often helped seal the deal.

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Throughout my years of designing, the skill I value most is listening. By truly listening to a client, I can visualize the images they are trying to form in their mind and help bring those visions to life on paper.