RESULTS DRIVER #2 (Robin) Flashcards
Accomplish lots of important/accurate work by bias-to-action
Hard Working
Situation: Fast-paced hyper-growth stage start up.
Action: Designed 20+ books per year. Reviewed or Art Directed 40 books. Also directed Photographers and Illustrators and freelancers. As well as Managed 2 creatives.
Result: On time. On budget. Strong work ethic.
Strategic thinker—big picture. With attention to details
Strategic/Leadership—Pos You
Situation: Women’s Journal strategy: big picture: gifty, bespoke feel. Details: Budget $1000
Action: commissioned illustrator for 6 full page illos., using system I devised—spots, frames, and interior illo.
Result: The spreads feel 10x as many illos. On budget. Achieved strategy.
Balance what must be done well now with improved later
Balance time and quality?
Situation: Overlapping schedules, several covers due same week.
Action: Rough concepts for most difficult first. Don’t judge or refine. Move onto next. Let it percolate. Then come back to first.
Result: Easier to see what is working after taking step back. Lower stress since all are in progress.
Create new ideas that prove to be useful.
Overcome obstacle/Prob Solv—Illo Schedules
Situation: Auto lllo schedules based on dependencies were off. Sometimes illos due after went to printer. People were manually adjusting, taking hours.
Action: Spreadsheets to easily auto calculate dates, revise illo schedules.
Result: Shared with team, make everyone’s process more efficient.
Create new ideas that prove to be useful.
Overcome obstacle/Prob Solv—Page Counts
Situation: Editors struggling with accurate page counts. No tools.
Action: Spreadsheets dividing down into sections, and using different word count.
Result: Shared with editors. Able to more accurately calculate page count
Leverage skills/strengths, to move needle forward
Used your skills
Situation: Strong Art Direction and com skills. Working with somewhat prickly illustrator, fought revises.
Action: I had asked for one sample sketch first, giving very specific instrux. When I needed a revise, I praised their beauty, but made case for why. And asked for feedback on how I could have better communicated.
Result: Less adversarial. Learned she needed lots of praise. Successful illos. Good partnership.
Leverage skills/strengths, to move needle forward
Proudest moment?
Situation: First few months of WFH, morale low. Initiated a Pandemic team-building video.
Action: I concepted, rewrote song lyrics, performed, directed teammates in video segments. Then edited it all together.
Result: Was a huge success, with team, company, C-suite, and board of directors. Team felt more connected.
Leverage skills/strengths, to move needle forward
Weakness?
Situation: Sometimes hard to stay engaged with repetitive tasks.
Action: Rely on templates and font, paragraph, object styles. Alos Learned GREP to automate certain actions. E.g. automating bold lead style before certain punctuation.
Result: Compelled to find better way faced with something that frustrates me. More efficient. Allows more time on creative process.
Leverage yours & others skills/strengths, to move needle forward
Biggest strength
Passion Devoted career to Ad and D books. Travelnut—other cultures
Years experience. 150+ books. Pool of designers for freelance work.
Hit Ground Running Self-starter. Short Learning curve.
Templates, Styles, GREP. More efficient and consistent.
Creative & Strategic Equally comfortable. Both sides of brain.
Problem Solver Both Design & Process. Efficient.
Strong partnerships with other depts. Book building team effort.
Strong work ethic. Best Book. Deadlines. Above and Beyond
Failure/Mistake
Situation: Publisher hired me for a redo of a book by Thic Nat Hanh. Got the brief on Friday. Sketches were due Monday.
Action: Feedback different teams inconsistent.
Did best to address all concerns.
More rounds back and forth. Finally approved.
THEN found out monks in monestary needed to approve
No input up until now. Not approved. Kill fee.
Result: I learned not to move forward or spend time until I had good clear direction.
Now always ask for clarification/consensus on feedback.
Also ask about approval process.
Biggest Regret
Didn’t pursue teaching design.
Too hard doing it from living up in the middle of nowhere.
Always try to teach when I Mentor and Art Direct
Tell about You/Why Hire
Passion Devoted career to Ad and D books. Travelnut—other cultures
Years experience. 150+ books. Pool of designers for freelance work.
Hit Ground Running Self-starter. Short Learning curve.
Templates, Styles, GREP. More efficient and consistent.
Creative & Strategic Equally comfortable. Both sides of brain.
Problem Solver Both Design & Process. Efficient.
Strong partnerships with other depts. Book building team effort.
Strong work ethic. Best Book. Deadlines. Above and Beyond
