Yo-Pro Hour With Ryan Meyer
Last spring, graphic designer and UAB Digital Media alum Ryan Meyer gave our team advice on starting a career in graphic design. If you missed it or are interested in young, creative individuals, here are the highlights from his talk.
School
Ryan graduated from UAB in Spring 2014 with a degree in Graphic Design, Time Based Media and Sculpture. While at UAB, he worked as a Digital Media fellow.
While a UAB student, Ryan worked as a restaurant server, but quit after he was hired as a Media Fellow.
“When it comes to ‘hey Digital Media is going to pay me something that I can pay rent with’ do that…that was one of the biggest advantages of Digital Media.”
While Ryan is a supporter of learning theoretical knowledge while in school, he can’t stress enough how gaining real-world experience while in school can bring success.
“That’s the main thing in this industry, if you want to do design, if you want to do art, if you want to do filmmaking — great you have a 4.0, but did you sacrifice a good portfolio for a geology exam?”
Big Break
Ryan told us that his entrance into the creative industry wasn’t one single event, but a process of networking, freelancing and eventually taking a job offer.
Ryan met Paul Crawford, Creative Director and President of Scout Branding, while in school at UAB at the ADDY’s, an advertising award ceremony in Birmingham. Crawford did not hire him immediately, giving him advice on his portfolio. Ryan took this critique in stride and improved on his portfolio and was contacted after graduating by Crawford to do some freelance work for Scout, where he was eventually hired.
Day in the Life
Ryan told us that Scout takes their time when working with clients in order to create something that they are passionate about and that they know the client will love. They may take weeks on one logo for a client in order to make something that works for their brand.
“Thankfully we’re not a churn and burn organization where they say, ‘We need a logo by 5 o’clock’…we’re passionate about our work,” he told us about his time at Scout.
Tips for you
1. Criticism is not only okay, but it’s necessary.
“If you have thin skin, either start getting some callouses or accept that.”
2. Portfolio is everything.
“It’s hard to expect someone to hire you just because you know you can do it. They don’t know you….The way to overcome [age-bias]: have your portfolio speak for itself….If it looks good, they will notice.”
3. Do what you have to do, but have fun with it.
“Be inspired, but, at the end of the day, do work that is not going to get you fired.”
4. Don’t try to freelance for a living right out of college.
“To be in freelance…there is so so much that you don’t learn in classes that can only be learned on the job, a lot of its technical…If you don’t know every little thing, you’re going to be treading water fast. So don’t try freelance until you have experience and you know the system and you know how clients work.”
Missed our Yo-Pro? No worries, we recorded it.
Editor’s Note: Since last spring, Ryan has left Birmingham, moving to California to pursue his MFA at UC Davis.
