There will be an increase in demand for Graphic Designers over the next decade. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 13% increase in demand for Graphic Designers by 2020. The role of a Graphic Designer will play a crucial role in commerce as new businesses start up and more and more companies become dependent on the Internet. So if you are a creative individual with a talent for visual elements, then you may want to consider a career in graphic design.

Being a Graphic Designer in a marketing agency means designing at a fast and efficient pace. At hayWire-Red Branch Media, I am part of a four-person design team. Even with four of us, we never slow down. We always have a full day of tasks. So what exactly do we do all day? Here is the play by play:

8:00 AM

After slowly waking up and getting ready, I arrive at work around 8 or a little after. I post in Bitrix to let my coworkers know I’m here. After that, I flip through our assignments and my email to get my tasks ready for the day. While waiting to do stand-ups, I start my first task. We all use these handy 6 Things list templates to organize our day and focus (obviously, this list is from Friday):

3 notepads 6things Red Branch task list for graphic designer

Download your own task list here!

9:30 AM

This is the usual time we do stand-ups as a team (and yes we actually do stand up). During stand-ups, each person says their task load for the day/week. This is helpful to those who are on a team or working on a project together to know what others are doing.

While discussing our tasks, each of us is given a “thing” to say. Mine is to share a little “today in history” factoid. This is a way for us to get out of our comfort zones and have a little fun at work. Today I will be focused on a client whitepaper, along with some smaller tasks such as email images, elements and brand snapshots.

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10:00 AM

I start on the whitepaper. I get the InDesign file and copy ready to start designing. With over 20 pages, the whitepaper will take the majority of the day. Whitepapers are one of my favorite projects to work because you have some freedom with the design. I also enjoy working on projects that take more time and concentration.

12:00 PM

Lunch/work time. Most of us in the office eat lunch at our desk. Today’s lunch consists of leftover pizza and apples. While eating, I send off the first draft of the whitepaper for edits.

1:00 PM

Time for the whitepaper edits. I start sifting through all the edits and shoot to get them knocked out in a half an hour to hour. Some back and forth email action happens before it finally gets approved by all parties to send to the client. Then I start on the rest of my tasks while I wait for the client’s response (which may take awhile).

2:00 PM

The first draft of the whitepaper is done and sent to the client. Now it’s just a waiting game for them to reply. By this time, I have already started and finished some email images before turning to the next task on my list.

3:00 PM

On Friday’s, this is what we Branchers like to call the start of power hour. Because we have a special meeting (more about that later) at the end of the week, the time between 3 and 4 is one of high focus and top concentration. For Monday through Thursday, it’s the last hour of work for those who leave at 4. By now, I’ve finished most of my work and I see what absolutely needs to be done before I leave.

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4:00 PM

I look through emails or ask around to see if there are any last minute things that need to be finished. Once I’ve done that and have finished everything (which may take me past 4 PM) I start heading home. However, on Fridays, 4 PM means we get ready for Eat ‘N Meetin. This is our weekly meeting where we talk, eat and drink wine. This is a time to bond with our coworkers and reflect on how the week went.

Conclusion

Our Eat ‘N Meetin usually lasts until about 5. During that time, we discuss our “proud of” moment for both someone else and ourselves. Then we eat food and drink lots and lots of wine. After about one or two people start to get up and leave, that is usually my cue to head out as well. We head home, get a good night of sleep or head out for the weekend and then come back to start again.

Curious to see what a designer’s workspace looks like? Find out in this article!

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