Tell us about your job
I’m currently working in the IT Service Operations team. Our area helps the rest of the business with their tech and to make sure everything is running smoothly for them to work. Because our area touches all parts of Contact, and technology talk can be confusing, my manager and I are responsible for coordinating engagement/ some communications between our area and the business – I like to think of ourselves as the translators! Because of my design background, I had the opportunity to help create an identity (AwhiTech) for our Service Desk, which helps our engagement methods and messaging. As I’ve worked in my area and used to design to elevate our methods, my role now also consists of helping others in different business units with delivering a cohesive design for their project.
What's your background?
I was born in Taranaki, but grew up mostly in rural Manawatu. We lived on a lot of farms, so using your imagination was a must! I’d say I’ve always been a creative person growing up, attracted to the pretty, colourful pens and pencils over doing math, but it wasn’t till going to high school where I really got to explore it more. I originally took painting as a ‘fun class’, but my teacher really pushed me to see that it could be a career if I wanted it to be. I was adamant that I would end up doing English or History, but it wasn’t till we took a class trip to Massey University that I thought ‘Oh a creative job might be cool!’ So, after high school I took the plunge and moved to Wellington to start studying Design. I didn’t have a lot of experience with the design apps compared to other students, so it was definitely a daunting start! But I hit the books, learnt everything from scratch, and kept up with the uni workload. Suddenly 4 years was up, and I was hitting the end of my degree and frantically thinking ‘What next?’. That’s when I found an ad for Summer of Tech (a summer internship programme) and saw the ad for Contact Energy. I never thought I would be here 3 years later, but here I am!
Could someone with a different background do your job?
100% yes! Don’t get me wrong, I loved going to university for design and I learnt a lot of important things, but visual design can be self-taught! There are so many resources out there (YouTube is a great one), to teach you everything from the basics to advanced. Outside of that, design is all about trial and error. You’ve got to open to swing in a new direction and know that it’s ok – your first design won’t always be the final! Patience, thinking outside the box, asking the question why, is definitely a big part of the design process. Thinking creatively is a skill, and like any skill you’ve got to train the muscle, so it takes time, but you can do it!
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I love the transformation design can bring to an idea! The way you can take a concept and then make it this tangible, living thing amazes me every time. I truly love the process of putting a piece of design together, it’s like this magical, beautiful puzzle. It can be frustrating at times, but seeing the client’s vision come to life and knowing that the intended audience will hopefully take something away from it, really makes the job worth it.
What are the limitations of your job?
Design can be a hard nut to crack! It’s so subjective, which makes the field inherently a vulnerable thing to do. Even if you really love what you’ve designed, not everyone will, and you will get feedback that you sometimes don’t agree with. But that’s all it is, feedback. Take what you think is productive for your journey and leave the rest. It’s sometimes hard not to take it personal, especially if you’ve put a lot of hours into something, but everyone has an opinion – doesn’t mean it’s always true! Be confident in your abilities and skills and produce what feels authentic to you!
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...