One on One Time with Career Professional

I interviewed Chris Jones, Graphic Designer and owner of Popcorn Initiative. Popcorn Initiative is a design firm located in Greenville, South Carolina.

How long have you been a designer?
Technically I guess 15 years or so. But I can say I really have been designing one way or another since I was about 10.

What made you decide to become a designer?
Honestly it wasn't a conscience effort. I was thinking about going into art or photography and by chance stumbled into a computer graphic design course in college. That's when graphic design was just starting to utilize computers as a tool. I had a natural knack for the utilizing the computer to create the design I wanted. From there, it just kind of developed into something I enjoyed, so I stuck with it and got my degree.

What do you like about your job?
Hmmm, I would have say the fact that every project is completely different. Every new project is like opening a birthday present, you never know what you are going to get, but you know you are going to love it in the end.

What's a typical day like?
Since I do everything from billing to design, my days are pretty diverse. Usually I start out by researching what's new in the world of design on the internet. A big part of being a designer is observing and understanding how our world of imagery and brands are changing around us. Then, I'll work on whatever project happens to be on my plate at the time. Sometimes that involves research or sketching and sometimes it specifically involves producing the project on the computer. By the end of the day, I'll usually have worked on 2-3 different projects to keep my views fresh and maybe throw in a little billing and paperwork. Oh and I can't forget the constant client interaction via email and phone.

What should high school students do to prepare if they are interested in this career?
If someone truly wants to be a good designer, they need to start paying attention to all the stuff that's designed around them. It's pretty much everywhere... magazines, television, signage, clothing tags, websites, etc. A lot of it's good, but a good portion of it is terrible. You need to observe and learn what makes something well designed or poorly designed. Most of the time a poorly designed piece is lacking a concept or is poorly executed. Just because you learn how to use a computer and the programs won't make you a good graphic designer. The computer is just a tool, like a pen and a piece of paper. There are a ton of great designers that can't use the computer at all.