Interviewing Graphic Designer, Lauren Avero was an incredibly rewarding experience for me as an aspiring graphic designer. Gaining insight into her experience has made me feel more equipped for the workplace. It was interesting to see the pattern between her values and workplace decisions. Lauren is evidently an enthusiastic and passionate individual who is determined for success. Her creativity is inspiring and growing more and more with practice. She demonstrates being proactive about pursuing opportunities in her career and adapts where necessary.
Knowing Lauren personally made choosing what to focus on rather challenging, as I see Lauren first and foremost as personable, kind and confident. However, I wanted to in a way detach myself from this perspective to allow for a new outlook. Through this process, I was able to unlock not only how Lauren is as a person but how she is as a professional and I was not disappointed! I personally could talk about a lot of Lauren’s work stories however, I focused on the two mentioned in the video because they spoke out to me.
I felt a connection and sense of relatability to both of Lauren’s stories as I have endured similar experiences. With the first story, I too was quite taken back and frustrated first working with clients as I had never really experienced it before. It definitely took me adopting the absent but implicit practice (Carey et al., 2009) to realise I felt like my creativity was being restricted and like ‘I knew better’ but like Lauren at the end of the day, it really isn’t about me; just like hospitality– ‘the customer is always right’. Upon realising this, I started being more welcoming of feedback. This process also improved my communication skills as I have become more open with clients. Having said this, I haven’t delt with anyone too challenging yet.
I was highly invested in the second one about ensuring you take the time for self-care. I personally, have been a victim of a few creative ruts and have noticed a steep decline in my motivation when experiencing them. For a designer, a halt in creative thinking can be really challenging and I realised through Lauren’s story that I can do a lot more to better the situation rather than simply being annoyed about it and waiting it out. I wanted to share this for anyone who might have needed it as I personally appreciated it. I think self-care should be a top priority and I need to work on improving that. In this way, Lauren was inspirational and made me realise the values I had that I am neglecting.
The overall interview experience was a very easy and comfortable one as I interviewed a friend/colleague. In this light, the interview was very conversational and natural which I think was an important aspect that allowed Lauren to speak openly with ease.
Kayla Mathew
Reference List
Carey, M., Walther, S., Russell, S (2009) The Absent but Implicit: A Map to Support Therapeutic Enquiry. Family Process 48, 319–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2009.01285.x
Capture By Kayla 