Bringing content to life through design
After realising her interest in design, Esther talks us through her journey to becoming a content designer at Mobiquity. Sharing a unique insight into her role, she talks about the impact design has on a piece of content and how valuable this can be for a business when created in the correct way.
Esther Ruiterman: My name is Esther. I am Dutch and recently moved to Diemen after living for 10 years in the Rivierenbuurt in Amsterdam. What are my passions? Easy; travel and photography. After finishing high school I had the opportunity to go on an exchange program to the United States for a year. That’s when I first came in touch with photography, as it was one of the courses I could attend. Back in 2001, digital photography didn’t exist yet. Therefore, I learned the art of analogue photography; developing film and using a dark room. My teacher told me I had ‘the eye’, which gave me a huge boost of confidence to develop my interest and skill in this area.
My other passion is to travel and explore the world. In 2014, I went backpacking by myself for six months in South East Asia, and this is when I first started my blog iamtravelgirl.com. I am excited to be able to go back travelling soon.
My journey to becoming a content designer
I have been a designer now for over 10 years, even though this was not what I had always planned. Originally, I studied tourism but later decided to enroll for a Bachelor Degree in Communication and Multimedia Design at Hogeschool Rotterdam. I chose this study as it included marketing, programming and design in the curriculum. My thesis “A strong sense of photography within content creation” was about the power of photography within content and how it can be used to tell and enhance the story you are sharing.
When starting my career, I first focused on the content side as I never thought I would be quite good enough for design. However, as I started to work I soon realised that I was more than capable of content design so I slowly moved towards more design based roles. Throughout my career, I have worked with many companies in a variety of industries which has enabled me to gain valuable experience and skills which have helped me to become a well rounded content designer.
It’s all about the people you work with!
Why Mobiquity? I have to say that from my initial interview, I had a good feeling about Mobiquity. I always ask my interviewer why they themselves like the company they work for, and in this case the response I received was that the people are always nice and kind and that really stuck out for me. For me, a safe and friendly environment is one of the most important things a company can offer.
In the past I have worked in mainly Dutch companies. Some have been international but the majority of my coworkers would have been Dutch, so Mobiquity is definitely a change from that. It can take a little getting used to at first, when navigating different cultures and perspectives, but I have to say I really enjoy working in a very diverse international environment. I am a social, outgoing, people person, so it works well.
Enhancing the Mobiquity brand through visual content
I am part of the marketing team at Mobiquity and my role as a content designer is essentially to help visualise the message we as a team are trying to convey. There is a lot of information that needs to be shared to diverse audiences, through various platforms and channels, using an assortment of content types. I make sure each piece of content is visually pleasing, helping to convey the message with appropriate images and graphics that will stand out from the crowd, while maintaining consistency and staying true to the Mobiquity brand and style. I create designs for many types of content including social media visuals, newsletter designs, white paper or report designs, infographics, and also film short videos for example. I like this about my job. Every day is different and this helps keep things exciting.
I have worked on many interesting projects since joining Mobiquity. For example, I have filmed a short video for a high profile client which they used to promote their new application. I created the layout and design for our latest high value content piece sustainable banking research report. I enjoyed being able to give more body to the report text through infographics and visual design. I have also been able to utilise my love for photography, and have had the chance to capture photos of some of my colleagues for similar people stories like this one, where they each share their work / life story. Each piece of content created through the marketing team will eventually come to my desk, to add the final touches and ensure an aesthetic design. Because of this I get a chance to interact and work with many colleagues throughout the entire company which I really enjoy.
I was recently selected as one of the Mobstar winners. This is an employee prize that is handed out to those recognised as being a team player and demonstrating a client centric approach in their work. I have never won an employee award before so I was really excited to be given recognition for my work here so far. I love this about Mobiquity! They really do recognise the efforts made by employees and show appreciation and thanks which in turn creates a really positive environment and engaging atmosphere.
Content is king
Content created by a business serves a very important role. It helps to communicate your message, educate readers and attract new clients. In order for people to pay attention to your content it must have a strong design. This in turn helps to bring brand awareness to not just the products and services your company delivers but also can help to grow the company by attracting new talent through sharing the culture and type of people who work in the company.
Part of the role of a content designer is to work with the marketing team to really understand who the viewer of the content is and what is the message to be shared. There can be a tendency to jump straight to a tool or content type, but it is important to take the time needed to determine what works best for both the viewer and the goal you are trying to achieve. In this way a decision can then be made on what type of content will be most likely to succeed and ensure that you produce content that brings value to the user.
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Originally published at https://www.mobiquity.com.
