One of the cool parts about my life is that I spent over 23 years of it in an Air Force uniform. Now that I’m back in my hometown, setting off on a small business adventure, I think it’s a good time to reflect on how my military service makes my approach to graphic design and client success different.
I’m older and wiser. My perspective on things is a lot different since I’ve spent time being challenged by bureaucracy and experiencing all sorts of interpersonal relationships. Young people have lots of fresh energy, I get that, but someone like me can keep the energy a little more focused on what you need. You’re probably not going to throw something at me that I’ve never seen or heard of before. Emotional intelligence is something that can’t be overrated when it comes to figuring out how to work with a team or a client or a very frustrating piece of software.
I like data. And spreadsheets. And things that have lots of lines. Yes, my left-brain likes to work on this nearly as much as my right-brain. Creating good graphic design involves problem-solving, so determining exactly what we are trying to communicate and to who is as important as picking the best colors and creating fun, original artwork. I spent many years working on headquarters staff helping leadership make decisions on things. Heck, I even got to make decisions on some things myself! Part of that responsibility is making sure all the goods are there to make a fully-informed move. Analyzing the situation and thinking one step ahead was something I got pretty good at.
I understand prioritization and planning to make the most cost effective decisions. Serving in an era of tight budgets with a constant eye towards saving money (or avoiding costs…a slightly nuanced way of saying it differently), I’m ever aware of limited resources. In one of my jobs while at Air Force Headquarters I got to be a part of figuring out how much manpower (i.e. jobs) we could save (i.e. cut) to increase efficiency by moving and combining units. Those were million-dollar moves that impacted people across the service. For a small business owner or an art director, I still get that $ isn’t unlimited so you need to get the best I can offer to help you stretch your marketing budget.
I won’t bring any weapons to our meetings. Some people assume that since I served I am toting a weapon all the time or can kill you with my bare hands. Alas, there is a significant proportion of the military that never uses a gun or learns hand-to-hand combat. I represent the support folks who can type really fast, understand workload priorities, lead teams and meet all kinds of interesting missions that don’t involve direct contact with aircraft.
I know how to follow the rules. Some of my past supervisors might disagree, but I pride myself on being able to understand and appreciate the rules. But I also pride myself on knowing when the rules might need to be pushed a little. There were times when I may have pushed too far and I learned that being called a “loose cannon” wasn’t a compliment, but those were still great lessons on setting boundaries. When it comes to creative work, those boundaries stretch even further, but when it comes to client standards and the rules of great design, I know where I need to be.
I have a great sense of humor. My favorite way to balance out the stress of headquarters deadlines or squadron leadership challenges was to laugh. Sometimes the sheer absurdity of the situation made it easy, but there is always a chance to take step away from a challenge and laugh. When it comes to design, bringing fun and humor to the process helps keep it moving forward and keeps our engagement strong. I’m not saying every design has to be funny; that’s not the point of good design. What I’m saying is that you can enjoy the design process as we get to your specific solutions.
Ready to work with a Veteran-Owned Graphic Design business? I’m ready to hear from you! I would love the opportunity to work in the government realm and have all the specifics ready here in my “cape statement.”
Ciao for now!
Jen
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