Studio/Office Manager of a design agency?

[chieftain]

Even if you come from a design background?
(

Firstly let me apologise if I have come accross a bit harsh to you or on the subject of studio managers, I'm not attacking you at all and I wish you all the best in your new job.

Answer: Unless you have a VERY good portfolio, are full of ideas, can use all the relevant software yourself and are or have recently been an active designer then yes

You say you went to art college, where is your design background from?

Studio mangers often in my experience get a lot of stick from everyone but the best ones I have known help the work flow go through smoothly and evenly without getting to involved in the "creative" side of things

Its always great fun though to get eveyone involved in the intial "think up or brainstorming" if the creatives get on your case during that remeber to tell them to "suspend judgement"

 

[secretsquirrel]

Wot he said. PS - any tips on dealing with a stroppy studio who could do with a good kick up the arse and a London agency bootcamp experience to understand what 'pressure' on the job really means!!!

Grrrrrr.

 

[chieftain]

Wot he said. PS - any tips on dealing with a stroppy studio who could do with a good kick up the arse and a London agency bootcamp experience to understand what 'pressure' on the job really means!!!

Grrrrrr.

Sack one of them and tell the rest in no uncertain terms what will happen if they dont get on with it.... loet the dust settle and then see how it goes?

 

[secretsquirrel]

Unfortunately I cannot make that decision. It defies me how a studio of 5 people cannot get their acts together - sick days, sulking cos they don't want to do a particular job, 'attitude'. Sorry, am fuming at the mo.

Latest being artwork was sent out with a different colour breakdown than previous batch. Luckily print is within tolerance but, frankly, that AIN'T THE FUCKING POINT!!!! some more!

 

[chieftain]

swap you a stroppy senior for a DUMB AS FUCK FUCKING JUNIOR WHO IS FUCKING THE BOSS! and is giving me attitude!

 

[secretsquirrel]

*flutters eyelashes*

fancy setting up our own utopian agency staffed by sympathetic account managers and smiling creatives...?!?!

Ah. You can but dream...

 

[Kanda]

Unfortunately I cannot make that decision. It defies me how a studio of 5 people cannot get their acts together - sick days, sulking cos they don't want to do a particular job, 'attitude'. Sorry, am fuming at the mo.

Latest being artwork was sent out with a different colour breakdown than previous batch. Luckily print is within tolerance but, frankly, that AIN'T THE FUCKING POINT!!!! some more!

HR. They have plenty up their sleeve. Competency procedures and such like, scare the lazy fuckers.

 

[secretsquirrel]

Small company. Outsourced HR. It's not working!

 

[Kanda]

It's creatives... find out when they are coked up, catch them tooting, bribe them.

Job done

 

[zenie]

Firstly let me apologise if I have come accross a bit harsh to you or on the subject of studio managers, I'm not attacking you at all and I wish you all the best in your new job.

Answer: Unless you have a VERY good portfolio, are full of ideas, can use all the relevant software yourself and are or have recently been an active designer then yes

You say you went to art college, where is your design background from?

Studio mangers often in my experience get a lot of stick from everyone but the best ones I have known help the work flow go through smoothly and evenly without getting to involved in the "creative" side of things

Its always great fun though to get eveyone involved in the intial "think up or brainstorming" if the creatives get on your case during that remeber to tell them to "suspend judgement"

Aaah I see what you mean now - we'll see how it goes I suppose.

The only trouble is I said a salary at the interview he said OK and now it hasnt been mentioned.

I'm gonna give my notice in on monday

*Crosses fingers*

 

[zenie]

Everything has worked out AOK

I handed my notice in - they offered me a better job within the company hahaha!!

Didnt take it though

Start new job monday morning woohoo

*bites fingernails*

*worries about level of responsibility*

 

[moose]

Oops - just noticed this. I've being doing that job one way or another for about 18 years, so if you need any help, pm me.

 

[zenie]

Oops - just noticed this. I've being doing that job one way or another for about 18 years, so if you need any help, pm me.

ha!! result!

*Adds moose to buddy list*

 

[chieftain]

Good luck to you for next week

 

[portman]

Firstly, good luck - you'll need it

I'm not on the creative side but I'm an artworker so I view things from underneath and the other side so to speak...

From watching my manager (who does a pretty good job in increasingly impossible circumstances), it's about holding things together and keeping the workflow running smoothly.

The obvious organisational skills are all important BUT the important bit is the people skills. I've experienced a few studio managers who have had no people skills whatsoever and wondered why they were loathed by those who work for them.

I'm talking about dealing with prima donnas on the creative side, clients wanting the impossible done yesterday and keeping the undoudtedly wide variety of people working for you happy and motivated. No one strategy works - where I work the manager takes a diferent approach to everyone in the studio. Seems to work though...

If you ever get involved in briefing artwork, can I make a plea? All the information for the job upfront and in one hit. Layouts, print spec, copy (proofread please), cutters and last but by no means least, a realistic deadline. Worth having a check off form with all the info on - always apreciated by harassed artworkers

All the best...

 

[zenie]

Woohoo

This morning I had to write a design brief, and this afternoon got to play with indesign

 

[chieftain]

what have you got to do in indesign?

heres a piece of advice: if you've been asked to design something, draw some ideas out on paper first rather than jumping straight onto the computer, I promise you it will turn out better if you do...

good luck

 

[zenie]

what have you got to do in indesign?

heres a piece of advice: if you've been asked to design something, draw some ideas out on paper first rather than jumping straight onto the computer, I promise you it will turn out better if you do...

good luck

Just play with it 'cos I'd not used it before

I didn't think I'd be doing any actual 'designing' but it seems I might be, am really enjoying it

<--------------me!!

<edit> Am a bit worried about how to dress though?

 

[foamy]

<edit> Am a bit worried about how to dress though?

anything but a skirt that is 2" below minge base