As we look back at 2020, we want to thank you for being an important part of our journey.

Last year was difficult. We’ve had many wins, but we’ve had some losses too. The unpredictability of this new climate has caused us to pivot in various ways. With your understanding and support, we will continue to push through. We are looking forward to 2021.

As we reflect back, we want to share how designExplorr is pushing through to continue our #1designgoal: To empower today’s youth with real-world skills, connections, and opportunities. We want to ensure tomorrow’s design profession has the best people leading the way.
Our 2020 highlights include:

Thinking Like A Designer (TLAD) plus creativity kit: Take designExplorr home with our TLAD plus creativity kit. These kits are great for all ages, especially our future designers.

Office and team: We are excited to share that 2020 brought us an office space and a new team! We welcomed a design & photography intern, a social media manager, and an administrative assistant.

Written works: Feel free to read Jacinda’s Industrial Designers Society of America’s (IDSA) article, How Designers Can Impact Diversity in Design, in the Winter 2020 edition of Innovation.

Speaking engagements: Jacinda presented throughout the year at a plethora of events. Such as the World Design Organization’s Pep Talk, the University & College Designers Association, and the Design Thinking Breakfast at Tulane University.
Memories and moments in 2020:

Discover more about our Think Like a Designer activity:

Watch the recap of our Think Like a Designer outdoor summer activity.

Buy Here

Looking toward 2021, we are excited to share a few of our upcoming plans, thanks to all of you!

Takeovers at schools and organizations: Design Takeovers at schools for us are new. The designExplorr Takeover is an in-school series of sessions that explores the power of design. It introduces students to the design profession and how designers work. We will kick off 2021 with two Takeovers. We look forward to sharing our progress.

Partnerships: We are excited to continue our partnership with AIGA Cleveland, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Cleveland VOTES, and Visibility Marketing Inc. Your contributions and support of our events are welcomed and much appreciated. We can’t wait to see what else we do together.

Student Spotlights: We want to recognize the next generation of designers, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. Our student spotlights highlight graduating college seniors (undergraduate and graduate students) on our social media channels. We began this year, and our goal is to feature more in 2021. Reach out to us if you have a college senior you would like us to welcome into the profession.

Website updates and resources page: We made updates to our website by adding blog articles and launching a Resources page. Resources will include media, publications, professional associations and organizations, websites, inspiration, youth, and “People We Love.” By adding the Resources page, we are broadening our accessibility to children, college students, and parents.

We wish you Happy Holidays and good health! Thank you all for being a part of the designExplorr family. We look forward to sharing the year ahead with you.

Have you ever wondered why one individual is making $70,000 a year, and you’re making $26,000 a year? Don’t you deserve to be making as much money as them?

One way to analyze your salary and determine the salary range for an industry is by reading the annual industry salary guide.”Robert Half, the parent company of the Creative Group, publishes a salary guide for the design profession.

The guide provides the market outlook, in-demand occupations, and insight into the industry’s flexibility and stability. This post discusses the salary guide and how it’s an additional tool for your career journey.

What Is a Salary Guide?

A salary guide gives a range of wages an industry pays an employee to work in a particular job. It reflects the minimum and maximum salaries a company pays an employee for a position. Often you might see the listed salary on a job posting. Hiring managers use the salary guide to offer a new hire a certain salary. 

What Is the Purpose of a Salary Guide?

The salary guide is a useful resource for managers and job seekers. Managers should keep up to date with their industry salary guide to provide competitive salary compilations and be aware of the trends and news out there. Similarly, job seekers will want to be equipped with this information in interviews and when determining their salary requirements for a job.

How Can You Use the Salary Guide?

Professionals: You can use the salary guide to aid in making sound decisions regarding work opportunities. For example, if you want to move to another city, a salary guide is a helpful tool to come up with realistic expectations. The salary guide will show you any differences in the industry between the two locations.

You also need to stay up to date with the trends within your industry. Use the salary guide to know what the major changes are for your industry each year.

Parents: It’s a great tool to help advise and support your child as they prepare to enter college. It can also answer questions your child may have concerning the design profession.

College students: You can use it as a learning tool to make decisions on your career choices. You’ll be able to find out what starting and maximum salary within a certain field is.

Educators: College professionals should use the salary guide to teach students what career steps they should take.

Key Points of the 2021 Salary Guide

The 2021 Salary Guide will see differences from the COVID-19 pandemic along with the usual changes each year. There are three major changes to look out for within the Creative and Marketing profession:

• Companies are conducting online interviews more
• More employees are working from home
• The hiring process has shortened

COVID-19 brought rising trends to the Creative & Marketing professions. More companies are striving towards digital marketing strategies, especially brick-and-mortar companies. Companies are looking for help designing websites, and this has generated a strong demand for Marketing and Designers.

Advancing Careers within the Creative Field

• Graphic designer 
• Video producer
• UI Designer

Salary Guide Calculator Addition

The Creative Group made it easier for you to figure out what a salary pay is for your profession within a certain city. Here’s where you can find the salary guide calculator or you can download the salary guide to get the link.

Where to Find 2021 Salary Guide

It’s a good idea for you to grab a copy of the salary guide. As you can see it’s beneficial for your career journey. Downloading the 2021 Creative & Marketing Salary is free to do and you can find it here.

Also, please don’t forget to subscribe to designExplorr’s email list!

“A job interview is not a test of your knowledge, but your ability to use it at the right time” -unknown

Your worst nightmare comes true! As you walk into the interview, your stomach does backflips while your heart races 100 beats per minute. Then your mind goes blank, and sweat is dripping down your forehead. You’re trying to show you’re not nervous, but the hiring manager sees it. Making you question your ability to impress the supervisor enough to ace the interview.

Here’s a scary fact to make things worse. Did you know that 33% of hiring managers know within the first 90 seconds of an interview whether they’ll hire you?

If you want to land your next design job or join the workforce, you need to brush up on your interviewing abilities. In this post, you will discover five tips to prepare yourself for the interview.

Interviewing Tip 1: Be Confident

Congratulations! You, your resume, and portfolio have made it through the selection process. Now it’s time to seal the deal with your interview. The interview is all  about fit. The interviewer wants confirmation that you will be a good fit.

Start building up your confidence days before the interview. To help you build up your confidence, practice  in the mirror on what you’re going to say. This is  also a good time to work on your non-verbal  communication skills like body language and facial expressions.

Interviewing Tip 2: Be Prepared

One of the biggest mistakes interviewees often make is not doing their research on the company. You can do a quick Google search to find the basics. Read about the work they do and how you can add value to  their company. This post goes into depth on how to do research on a company before an interview.

Next Steps to take to prepared you for the interview:

• Take a drive to the company. Doing this will help you know how long it will take you to get there and find a suitable  parking space. Knowing this will help you be on  time – better yet, get there 15 minutes early.
• Have answers to the most common interview questions:
  • Tell me about yourself: Don’t discuss your employment history. This is a time to sell yourself!  When interviewers ask this question, they want to see  how your experience fits the role of the job.
  • Why do you want to work with this company: Now don’t say because you need a job! This is another  reason to do some research on the company. Discuss  what you like most about the company and how you can add value to it.
  • What are your greatest strengths: Don’t go listing every glorious thing about yourself. Answering this  question is more about quality than quantity. Pick 3 of your strengths and discuss how they can help the company.
  • What do you consider to be your weaknesses: Don’t be afraid to share your weaknesses. Keep in mind this  is a trick question. The trick is to switch your weakness into a strength. Discuss how you can overcome this weakness.
    • Example: One of my weaknesses is I’m a little shy.  Through attending college, I’ve overcome my shyness by becoming more willing to  speak up.
• Now, onto what you should wear to your interview. It’s best to have the right outfit ready days before  the interview. This way when the interview gets here,  you’re not struggling to find the right outfit. One less thing to make you late.
  • Sixty-five percent of hiring managers say that clothing can be a deciding factor  between two almost near-identical candidates. The Balance Career, discuss gender neutral tips on dressing for an interview.
• You should pack the items you plan to bring with you to  the interview and have it prepared. Be sure to bring extra copies of your resume, a list of references, and questions  you would like to ask.

Online interviewing

Companies are holding online interviews more because of concerns over COVID-19, so it’s essential to discuss it. Here are some suggestions that will help you have a successful online interview:

• There are different ways in which employers can conduct online interviews. They can ask you to chat with someone live during a video, or you can record yourself speaking and send it to them. Ask what to expect during the interview with the hiring manager.
• A few days before the interview, check your computer for audio and video quality.
• Look for a spot near the window to conduct the interview. You want to make sure the lighting is not too dark and does not have a glare on the computer screen. The natural lighting will provide the best lighting environment for the interview.
• Hiring managers always create the first impression on appearance, including online interviews. So follow the advice for dressing during an in-person one.
• Watch out for nonverbal communication! This means no slouching and sitting up tall. Look at the webcam to show you are listening. Do not forget to wait for your turn to speak!
• Have a backup plan if technology fails. Talk to the hiring manager about what to do if something goes wrong during the interview.
• Resources: Online interview tips, Video interview guide

Tip: Also, if you haven’t already, it may be a good idea to clean up your social media profiles. You don’t want  judgment from something you posted 5 months ago.

Interviewing Tip 3: Practice Your Lines

Remember how I said you should practice in front of your  mirror? This is the perfect place for you to practice what you’re going to say in the interview.

Again have questions you plan on asking the interviewer.  This will keep you from stumbling on trying to think of  questions to ask. Or worse, not having questions to ask at all.

Here are some questions you can ask:

•  What does a typical day look like?
•  What are the skills and experience you’re looking for  in the ideal candidate?
• What training opportunities do you have for employees?
•  How long have you been with the company?
• Why did you come to this company?
• What’s your favorite part about working with this company?
• Where do you see this company in the next few years?

When the day gets here, you need to make connections from the beginning. Smile and speak to whoever walks by.  Be sure to have a firm handshake and give a brief  background of yourself to people you talk to. Be ready to  ask and answer questions someone may have.

Interviewing Tip 4: Be Observant

Being observant will give you an idea of how things go daily at the company. Pay attention to how long the drive  is and what traffic is like. If you didn’t do this before the  interview then this will help you know what time is best for you to leave for work.

It’s also important to pay attention to the employees and  environment. Look at how they dress and watch how they behave. Are they dressing 100% professional or is it  business casual? Where do they eat lunch at? How is  parking… is it easy to find a parking space… do employees  have a designated parking space? These are good  questions to have in mind while waiting for the interview.

Tip: You should observe the person interviewing. Pay attention to what kind of day they’re having.

Interviewing Tip 5: Understand Interview Etiquette

Interview etiquette is basically the manners your  grandmother taught you in childhood. Be polite, don’t talk over the interviewer, and  don’t slouch over. Remember, everything counts within the interview,  including nonverbal communication. Know that 90% of all  communication is non-verbal.

Sixty-seven percent of  bosses say that failure to make eye contact is a common  nonverbal mistake. If looking at someone in the eyes  makes you nervous then look at their nose or  forehead.

Tip: Don’t talk about money during the first interview!

Tying It All Together

Another huge mistake people make during an interview is  not letting them know that you want the job. Yes, you can  tell the interviewer how much you want the job and how  you know for a fact you’re the perfect fit for it. The goal is  to get to the second interview and to help you land the job!

Creativity is important for a child’s development, being creative allows children to explore the world around them. Creativity also gives the child a chance to express their emotions and let their uniqueness shine.

Creativity is about more than just being artistic. It’s about thinking outside the box and looking at things in a new light. Children who express themselves creatively become better at problem-solving, can make better sense of their emotions, and have a better sense of self. As you can see, there are a lot of important benefits of creativity so today,  let’s talk about six ways you can help nurture creativity in your children.

1 Designate a Space for Creativity

Have a place within your home that is designated solely for the purpose of being creative. It doesn’t have to be an entire room filled with art or craft supplies, it can be a  small section within any room. Choose a shelf, basket, or bin in a bedroom, the living room, den, or kitchen to store art supplies. And then pick a coffee table, end table, or the kitchen table as the designated space to create. If you have room, you can buy creativity table sets at your local Walmart to make the area special for your child.

2 Stock up on Supplies

Some parents believe they have to spend a lot of money on art supplies, but that’s not necessarily true. Sure, you could easily spend hundreds of dollars in specialty art supply stores, but there are plenty of budget-friendly options to choose from. Places like your local dollar store, craft store, or even grocery store are great places to find affordable art supplies. Here are some things to stock up on:

• Construction Paper
• Crayons
• Colored Pencils
• Watercolor Paints and Brushes
• Markers
• Glue
• Scissors

If you’re looking to stock up on supplies try the  Think Like a Designer: Designer Kit. The kit includes educational tools and craft supplies to assist young creatives to bring their imaginative thoughts to life.

3 Encourage Creative Thinking Skills

A good way to encourage creative expression in your child is to help them explore their critical thinking skills. You can do this by asking questions like:

• What was your inspiration for drawing this?
•  What do you like most about this piece?
•  What did you feel when you were making this?

By asking probing questions like these it can help your child better understand what they like and don’t like, and to be more intentional in their art. Critical thinking can also help them learn to channel their emotions in healthy, non-verbal ways.

4 Explore the World with Your Child

Children learn best by exploring the world around them. Help your child explore by taking a trip to the museum, the park, or just take a walk around the neighborhood. Talk about all the different ways you can express yourself creatively:  architecture, photography, planning a playground, or even planting a garden. Show your child that creativity means more than just drawing and painting.

5 Set Aside Creative Time for Yourself

When’s the last time you sat down and expressed your creativity? Weeks? Months?  Years? Maybe since you yourself were a child? Children learn by watching you, so take some time out each week to explore your own creativity. You can do this by:

• Drawing
• Coloring in an adult coloring book
• Practicing graphic designs on websites
• Taking some photos and learning how to edit them
• Learning a new craft or skill
• Taking an online art or writing class

6 Sign Your Child up for a Class

If you see that your child has an interest in art or design, it may be a  good idea to sign them up for a class or two. This will provide skills and knowledge that your child may struggle to learn on their own. Classes also give your child a mentor to provide concentrated feedback.  If classes aren’t an option due to cost, you can always look for free classes or check out  books at your local library or use free websites:

Websites  

•  Adobe Spark for Education: a free digital design tool
•  https://diy.org/: ages 6-14
•  Canva: Good for any ages to help build graphic designing skills
• BrainPop: ages K-8
•  HowStuffWorks: For any ages

Books  

•  Critical and Creative Thinking for Teenagers 
• Interior Design Coloring Book
• Just Fun Decorating for Tweens and Teens
•  The Future Architect Tool Kit
• Graphics Design for Everyone

Conclusion

Encouraging your child to be creative gives them opportunities to come up with new ideas and gain skills that will help them face challenges in the real-world. Not only this, you’re creating bonds and loving memories with your child.

Now parents your turn! Tell us within the comments how you nurture your child’s creativity. Also, please don’t forget to subscribe to our email list!

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There’s a quote that says, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Although there is much speculation behind the quote’s validity, three things in it, are clear to me.

In the highly competitive field of digital design, portfolios are the significant criteria for demonstrating creative ability, execution, technical skill and critical thinking.