Mark Simpson, Graphic Designer

Doing what I love

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"I've always been the artist type. I worked odd jobs and painted and did drawing for 10 years before I went to school. So I think I've always been prepared to be a designer.

"If I'm going to do something for the rest of my life, I want it to be something I love, something that I can do and feel proud of. And that's why I chose to do this for a living."

Workplace images

Where I work

I work for The Dufresne Group, which is a furniture chain. Our stores sell furniture, mattresses, and appliances. Our head office is located in Tuxedo Industrial Park in Winnipeg. We have eight Dufresne stores, for which I am in charge of the graphics. Dufresne also has over 52 independent stores that are part of our buying group.

We're among Canada's Top 50 Best Companies for corporate stewardship. So it's a pretty high honour. We're only one of six in Manitoba.

Branding Dufresne

I'm in charge of maintaining and progressing the Dufresne brand through the look and feel of their graphics and multimedia. I take care of integrating the brands we carry with our own promotions. So if Palliser* has their own promotions we need to integrate those within our own look and feel. It's really important that the Dufresne brand is consistent throughout all our locations.

*Note: Palliser is a furniture-making company in Winnipeg.

Design technologies

(TEXT FROM SOUNDBITE)

"I use a Mac as opposed to a PC. I've worked on both, but at Dufresne we use a Mac. It's a G5 Quad Core, super fast. We use Adobe Suite, Creative Suite, and for web applications we use things like Dreamweaver and Macromedia Flash. For video we use things like Final Cut and After Affects.

"Depending on what I design, maybe a poster or window graphics, I would use Illustrator. But if it's anything with multiple pages I would use In Design."

Office environment

The head office location is a standard office environment with cubicles in a big open space. We each have a desk and computer. It's a very quiet, calm work space. Eighty percent of the time you could probably hear a pin drop. Everybody's usually buckled down on their work.

Freelance business

In addition to my day job at Dufresne, I have my own freelance design business called Kalex Design. I have a range of clients who need logos, commercials, CD media and smaller projects. I can do these kinds of jobs in my spare time.

My full-time job helps me support my family but freelancing allows me more creative range. If I wasn't freelancing I wouldn't be bringing anything new to the table at work. My employers have always understood and respected that about me.

Working family

I grew up in the east end of Winnipeg. My childhood was pretty normal. I was a pretty good kid, except that I preferred skateboarding instead of being at school, so I dropped out in grade 11.

Both of my parents started working right out of high school. They were very successful despite not having a college education so they assumed that I could do the same.

Back to school

Making the decision to go to college was a bit of a battle for me with my family and friends because they didn't think I needed it. I also realised I would have to choose between working and doing my best at school. It's very hard to do both. I tried to work in first year, and I got C's and B's.

In my final two years I focused totally on school and I started getting A's. That's when you can get bursaries and scholarships. But nobody will help you out if you're failing.

Kids of my own

I was an only child and I always thought it would be great to have a bunch of kids when I was growing up. Having my own family is a great achievement. I've been married for two years. My daughters are five and one years old.

My wife and I bought our house last year, so life is pretty good. I'm always busy fixing things around the house and taking care of our children.

Quality of life

I like the quality of life and affordability in Manitoba. I might make a lot more in a different city, but I'd be paying a lot more too.

I've travelled to the west and east coasts and there's no way that a mid-level designer in those places makes enough to afford the lifestyle that you can have in Winnipeg. We could afford to buy a house here, and to drive the kind of cars that I probably couldn't afford elsewhere. I don't know that I could live anywhere else.

Manitoba summers

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"I love the summers. We wait all year for those summers and I love going to the beach. I could sit at the cottage and do design. I have a hook-up to my cell phone, I have Internet, I check my emails, I could shop online and I could all that from the screened-in patio. That's my favourite part."

Typical day

Typically, my day is filled with designing things, building flyers, coming up with concepts for promotions and working with my team. We may come up with the promotions months in advance. For example, I could tell you in April what we're doing in July.

Creative times

My most creative time is between 9 and 11 in the morning. That's when I produce the best ideas and concepts. And that's creativity in every form. Even if I'm renovating my bathroom between 9 and 11, when I get an idea I start sketching it out.

I do have a solid routine for my workday so I can force myself to tap into my creativity at any time, but in the morning, it's effortless.

Self directed

My work requires a lot of self discipline. There isn't somebody standing over my shoulder telling me what to do or reminding me about upcoming events. I have some work that has to be done within a certain time but I have creative freedom how I do that. I wouldn't be able to do that with somebody micromanaging me.

Deadlines are firm

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"There are deadlines and they are non-negotiable. If somebody doesn't get me the information I need to do my job it doesn't mean my deadline gets pushed back. I still have to meet my deadline. So if that means putting something else off to the side or shuffling things around or staying late to finish it, that's what I have to do. They're not going to hold up 100,000 flyers for Manitoba Hydro because I didn't meet my deadline."

Some flexibility

I have a floating start time, which is the best thing ever. So I could start anywhere between 8 and 8:30.

They also understand that I have a family and if I have a doctor's appointment or something else to do, they're flexible. And I can do my work from home so nobody has to pick up my slack if I'm not there. If I can't take it home then I'm coming in early the next day.

Misconceptions

Some people think graphic designers draw pictures or play with Photoshop all day long. I don't do any one thing all day. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of my job is creating graphic design concepts and execution.

There's also this idea that it's a male dominated field full of guys in dark-rimmed glasses. But more recently, women are taking over the industry. I graduated with 17 women out of a class of 25, so the myth of the old boys club is not the case.

No set personality

There are a wide range of personality types in this industry. They always say the right-brained people are the most creative, but that doesn't mean that they're the best designers because you also have to understand the left-brain business side of things.

I know great designers who work silently all day and then there are designers like me, who are pounding at the table and saying "this is great!" or "this is terrible!" There's really no set type of personality working in design.

Know your market

Good designers know how to draw. The best designers are masters at communication. You need to know how to communicate through pictures, words, colours and ideas. But it's also about knowing your market.

I'm very good at the Winnipeg market because I've lived here all my life. It's very hard for someone to move to Winnipeg and be a designer if you don't know that people like flowered couches here or would rather have a coupon than a promotion. You need to know your market inside and out to do well communicating with it.

Design process

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Every time I'm doing a new promotion it's always a process. I start by sketching it out or drawing it up. Maybe there's something I like there so I scan it, I bring it to the computer. If I don't like what I've done on the computer, I might print it out, draw it up again. It's back and forth in the beginning."

Freelance clients

Right now, I've got three or four things on the go. One of my clients is a wedding photographer. We do some fun things together. For example, one of her clients wanted their wedding photo done as a movie poster. The wedding was shot in Cuba so we did a poster in vintage Cuban movie style.

My client is willing to pay for creative approaches because she is a creative person herself. Creative clients are awesome because they don't tell me how to design. I don't shoot photography, so I wouldn't tell her how to take pictures. That's a great relationship.

Back to school

I dropped out of high school in grade 11 when I was 16 and worked for about 10 years. I finally took my grade 12 courses at Red River College* when I was 25. I was one of the younger ones there. I barely passed but I did alright. It was hard after 10 years of not doing any math or English or anything like that.

While I was completing the courses I was also preparing my portfolio to get into the design program.

*NOTE: For more information about grade 12 courses at Red River College, see Education in USEFUL LINKS.

Odd jobs

I worked a lot of odd jobs in the 10 years between high school and Red River. I worked at KFC, delivered chicken and pizza, worked at a call centre, answered phones for FEDEX, and was a bartender.

I also washed semi trucks, did renovations and, every summer for about six of those ten years, painted houses on weekends and evenings. I worked for College Pro and wasn't even in college. That was fun.

Two-year program

After I got my grade 12, I did the two-year graphic design diploma at Red River and did very well. I had lots of bursaries and scholarships and made it onto the honour roll.

I worked for the summer and registered for the third year. I wasn't sure if I was going to go back for it or not. But after working as a junior designer for four months, I decided I didn't want to do production work for my entire career so I went back to finish the program.

*Note: After Mark completed his Diploma in Graphic Design, he took the Graphic Design - Advanced program at Red River College. For more information, see Red River College in USEFUL LINKS.

Being creative

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"The only thing that I was happy doing was being creative like painting or drawing. I played music for a long time and did lots of snowboarding and skateboarding, which I also feel are very creative because you're not worrying about anybody but yourself and your self expression.

"All those things led me to the decision of ‘Okay how am I going to get paid for this?'. So I went to school to find something, some way that would pay me to do what I wanted."

Licensed designers

In western Canada you don't need a license to be a designer. In fact, you don't need any sort of qualifications to say you are a designer. But in Ontario you do.

I worked very hard to get accredited as a designer. I went to school and belong to the Graphic Design Association. There are rules I have to follow when I'm doing design. For example, I can't do a logo for you if you're not going to pay me. I'll be thrown out of the association and I'll lose my credibility and undercut the profession.

Creative director

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"One day I'll be managing a team of creative professionals doing some sort of design. I've never been much of a follower. I always wanted to take the lead. Five years from now, maybe I'll have my own art department. Maybe it will be Dufresne, or it will be one of our other companies, or maybe it will be my own company. I'll have to get some big clients."

Industrial market

Because of our geographic location, Manitoba's design opportunities are fairly industrial. Design work is very different than in Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal where there is more emphasis on high concept artistic approaches.

Employers here aren't trying to get their work into international design competitions; they need practical, accessible solutions. I'm okay with that because I have my own business to do higher concept work. My family is here and I like Manitoba so I'm focused on this market.

Ongoing learning

Every month I'm learning something new. I'm in charge of the training at work, so I have to research new software. We take online seminars and webinars that keep us up to date with what's going on. And every Monday we meet to and talk about what's going on.

I also talk with other designers I know from school and what's going on in their worlds.

Having an impact

I'd love to do design that had an impact on a global scale; I think that would be awesome. Right now, I'm probably reaching nationally. My work has gone as far south as the USA, so I've got pretty big reach as it stands. I don't know if I need anything more than that. I'm not going to cure cancer or anything like that, but my work can make a difference.

Never retire

I've never met a retired graphic designer. I know a couple of rich heads of design companies who went off and retired in the Caribbean but most of those guys were more about the business side and hired creative people to do the design.

If you're really passionate about design you don't just stop doing it. All those old famous designers are still drawing pictures. They're 80 years old and still making art.

Labour Market Info

The links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.

The official title for Mark's occupation is "Graphic designers and illustrators" and its NOC* code is 5241.

Manitoba Job Futures

Working in Canada Career Research Tool

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupation Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

Useful High School subjects

- Graphic Design
- Art
- Computer-related courses
- English

*Source: JobFutures.ca

For those who have not completed high school, grade 12 courses are available at Red River College .

For those out of school, Adult Learning Centres can help you get or upgrade your high school diploma, including adding subjects that are required for work or further education. All Manitobans are normally entitled to four free courses.

Below are links to various programs and courses that will you on the path to a career as a graphic designer.

Colleges & Universities

Red River College

Diploma in Graphic Design
Graphic Design - Advanced

University of Manitoba

Graphic Design

Assiniboine Community College - Brandon

Web Design

Winnipeg Technical College

Production Art

Skills

The most important skills for Mark's and other related occupations are:

- Oral communication
- Working with others
- Computer use
- Problem solving
- Job task planning and organizing
- Writing, reading text
- Document use
- Finding information
- Critical thinking
- Decision making
- Continuous learning

Source: Working in Canada Career Research Tool

There is not yet an Essential Skills* profile for this occupation.

*For more information on Essential Skills and their importance, go to: Essential Skills.

Professional Resources

Advertising Association of Winnipeg
Provides networking, professional development and educational opportunities for Manitoba professionals in the advertising industry

Society of Graphic Designers of Canada
National organization providing advocacy and resources for graphic designers

Sign Association of Canada
National organization promoting and furthering professionals who use, design and manufacture commercial images

New Media Manitoba (NMM)
Provides networking, resources and training opportunities for Manitobans in Graphic Arts and New Media

Related Careers

Advertising Managers (NOC 0611)

Drafting Technologists and Technicians (NOC 2253)

Web Designers and Developers (NOC 2175)