How I Got To Where I Am (Part 2)
In Part 1, I discussed my drive to always be learning, and my desire to optimize my outputs. This took me up through my decision to join the layout team of Threshold, my high school’s literary and arts magazine.
When I first started working with Threshold, I was vaguely acquainted with the Kyle, the Editor-in-Chief, and Kelly, who was in charge of the layout team. They worked together to find meaningful pairings of all the accepted writing and art submissions, then assigned spreads to their staff. Because I had never done layout before, Kelly gave me a brief InDesign tutorial, then assigned me a spread to work on jointly with a guy named Clint, who had done this before.
I don’t remember much about the process except for something Kelly and Kyle stressed to all of the layout team. It’s a strategy I’ve carried with me ever since, and I apply it to almost every project I work on: sketch on paper before you even turn on the computer. Or, as I like to say, “pen before Pen Tool.” This was essential to the creative process, especially for someone whose knowledge of InDesign would have limited his potential abilities. The other thing I remember is that I loved the process, even though I initially had a love-hate relationship with InDesign. (This would have been CS3 or 4.) But each InDesign roadblock was an opportunity to learn the software better.
As I learned more about InDesign while Clint and I worked on our spread, I got increasingly excited about the endless potential it provided. And when our layout was complete, both Kelly and Kyle told me that they really liked it, I had talent for this, and I should keep at it.
So I did! In my first week as a freshman at William & Mary, I sought out a student magazine to join, and discovered Winged Nation. I started attending meetings, began reviewing submissions, and put my name in for Design Editor at the end of the first semester. I was elected, but I think the race was uncontested! Regardless, I was excited to take on an important role, and the departing Design Editor was able to train me before leaving. So I took over the design team, and started passing on the techniques I had learned in high school from Threshold, Computer Graphics, Photography, and personal work. I continued as Winged Nation Design Editor for all four years of college.
What everyone told me when I went to college was “it doesn’t matter what you major in, as long as you major in something.” It seemed to be the liberal arts way! After realizing that the business school and the incredibly-traditional art department were not for me, I decided to become a geology major. My uncle, a volcanologist with the Smithsonian Institution, had taught me a lot about the rocks I found as a kid, and nurtured my interest in volcanoes and minerals. I ended up double-majoring in environmental science as well, an interest I had explored as a campaign facilitator for the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), a member of the Committee on Sustainability, and the Undersecretary of Sustainability to the Student Assembly. But throughout college, I worked on my design skills in the background, increasingly envisioning design as my future career. Ideally, design for an environmental nonprofit.
During my senior year, I had an incredible chance to marry these two interests in a way that I believe has defined my career ever since: I cofounded a student-run environmental nonprofit, and designed our entire visual identity from scratch, completely on my own. Here’s how that happened.
A girl I knew from SEAC, Audrey Kriva, approached me near the end of the winter semester, and asked for my help. She had seen a presentation by the Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) about a program at the University of New Hampshire that kept tons of waste out of landfills. The basic structure was 1) collect stuff that students would otherwise throw out during move-out, 2) store it over the summer, and 3) sell it back to incoming freshman at a steep discount the following fall.
Audrey wanted to start a program like this at William & Mary. Knowing me as the facilitator of SEAC’s Recycling Campaign, and as a player in sustainability initiatives across campus, she knew I would have the knowledge and connections to help her bring this idea to life.
I have to admit that I was very skeptical. I didn’t think it could be done. After four years of working on environmental issues on campus, I knew how hard it was for established organizations to get even small initiatives off the ground. And Audrey was a freshman in her first semester! I regret my outlook, because it could have turned Audrey off of the idea — but I basically said, “good luck, but I don’t think you’ll be able to pull it off.” Luckily, Audrey is an incredibly passionate person, and she wanted my advice anyway. So I revised my outlook to “it can’t be done, but if you were going to do it, here’s how you would.” Then, over a four-hour dinner, I outlined all of the people, groups, funding sources, and roadblocks I thought she should know about.
Afterward, Audrey disappeared for several weeks. Then she came back to me: “I’m going to do it. I’ve planned it all out, but I can’t do it alone and I want you on my team.” As this was my senior year, I wasn’t exactly looking for new projects to get involved with, so I demurred. But Audrey tends to get her way. I was still underestimating her persistence, for a few days later, she asked me again, informing me that one of her friends had agreed to help her, and that she really needed me — specifically me — to be on the team. It was a very exciting idea, and I knew she was right that I could continue to offer valuable advice. I also knew that one of the biggest potential pitfalls was something I could help with: communication, or lack thereof. So I agreed.
At the end of my senior year, our five-person team had brought “DormMania” into existence, recruiting nearly 100 volunteers and making William & Mary one of the first seven PLAN member campuses. I created a complete identity for the organization, and codified it in a style guide for my successors. I set up social media accounts, took photos, and filmed a promotional video. But most importantly, I gained significant, real-world design experience without a design education. If I wanted to get a job as a graphic designer, experience like this was going to be key.
Don’t miss the exciting conclusion: Part 3!
I work as a one-man creative agency for small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals — doing design, photography, writing, you name it! I blog about my self-employment journey to help other freelancers on www.ericdalecreative.com. Celebrate or commiserate by clapping or commenting. Or send me an email to collaborate!
