When you graduated what were you looking for in your first role?
I knew I wanted to work in an agency because of the variety of work – working on lots of different projects was something I enjoyed in college. Because my course was very focussed on print, advertising and branding - I made a conscious decision to look for a job that would give me digital experience.
What were your first impressions of Screenmedia?
The fact Screenmedia were BAFTA award winning really caught my attention. At that time, some of their most recent clients had been Channel 4 and the BBC. I was surprised and excited that a company like that existed in Glasgow.
What do you do at Screenmedia?
I’m a Lead Designer, so I work at the beginning of projects with our clients and internal team in solutions research and design. I’ll work on the design planning of a project; and once that’s done, I’ll either take it through to design production or I’ll direct other members of the team to cascade the design and see it through to completion.
What’s a typical day at Screenmedia like for you?
Busy! My role in the studio means I operate in a lot of the circles and throughout the daisy model, so as well as project work I do a lot of marketing stuff, company strategy, branding, and setting agendas and chairing design team meetings. Every day is different – I might be on a project for twelve weeks.
What advice would you give to graduates applying for a career at Screenmedia?
We get loads of applications, and as a graduate you’re going up against people just as talented and just as hungry as you are to succeed. It’s really important to stand out – don’t just send in a standard CV and cover letter. If you got delivered a bunch of letters in brown envelopes and one of the envelopes was bright pink, which one would you read first? If you’re lucky enough to get an interview – do your research, ask questions, and be interested.
"I joined Screenmedia with little digital experience – now I design websites, mobile apps, and wearable tech interfaces. If you want to learn new skills, this is the place to be.”
Do you have any pet projects on the go? What are they?
I’ve got an Evernote full of ideas I’ll get to eventually when I have some free time!
What kinds of training have you experienced at Screenmedia?
Most of my training has come from working with experienced people – when I first started a lot of my training was just working with the strategy and planning team to understand the basics of things like navigation design. But it’s an everyday thing really – you never stop learning from other people in the studio.
What development in the tech industry are you most looking forward to/excited about?
I’m excited to see how a lot of industries adopt new technologies in the coming years. Technology around transportation is pretty interesting – I like what Tesla are doing with smartcars, and IDEO did a great project around mobility which is well worth a look. Healthcare’s a rapidly developing area too – we’re all so busy nowadays that no one really takes stock of their health. It will be really interesting to see how that technology develops, especially with things like Apple Healthkit.
What’s your favourite thing about working here?
The variety of the work is what I really look forward to when I come into work every day. Aside from that, I’m really interested in technology, so I like that we have opportunities to work with technology like Apple Watch, iBeacon, and stuff like that.
