Designers at Taylor Studios need to be versatile. Any one of us could be working on three or four projects at the same time, each with different schedules, and each in different stages of production. We have a responsibility to the client and ourselves to be on top of all graphic content and how it relates to the rest of the project, and be able to change gears on demand.

A passing glance at my daily email chain can look like:

-The client liked your idea for animal butt flipdoor smell interactives, can you make a more polished version of the sketch you did during the meeting?

-How is the 25’ wide rock face mural coming along?

-Do you think we should use a sans serif typeface for the giant wall of 3D letters so the kids don’t poke their eyes out on the letterforms?

-Can you figure out how to make a pair of giant cardboard sunglasses for the dinosaur model we have in the shop? We have a school group coming in for a tour and they want pictures.

-Hey Matt, we’re doing an exhibit with 5th dynasty Chinese pottery, lots of artifact cases. Can you make three different graphic styles that would complement the samples I attached? Also think about how they can be reconfigured for a traveling exhibit.

-Matt, we’re building a giant mammoth out of rebar and Kurt’s going to be busy with that for the next six months. Can you set up a time-lapse camera and get extensive video footage and then cut together a video later this year?

-We have CAKE in the design room! (I personally love these emails)

-Can you make some kind of interlocking lizard mosaic, kind of like Escher but using different amphibian species?

-Matt! Can you cut out Jason’s head and animate it over the video of the Prancercise lady? Don’t spend too much time on it.

It makes me grateful they trust me to execute so many varied ideas.

Shea Hembrey can shift gears and work in a bunch of different styles too. In this video, he went out of his way to create an international art show with pieces from 100 different artists…by creating all the artwork himself.

LINK: Shea Hembrey | How I Became 100 Artists