Interview with:Art Lahr [alahr2]
DESIGN
 | What is your specialty? Creative Director, Art Director, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Photographer |
| Where can we view your portfolio online? http//artlahr.blogspot.com
http//www.flickr.com/photos/artlahr/ |
| What made you interested in design? Proficiency in all aspects of art and design |
| What has been your professional career path? BFA in Advertising Design
Art Director
MFA in Editorial Design and Communication
Publications Coordinator
Art Director
Creative Director/VP
Owner, President, Creative Director |
| Have you received any awards for your work in the field of design? Yes |
| What is your motivation? What makes you get up in the mornings? Problem solving. Developing solutions to client needs/requests/challenges. |
| How would you define your design style? Spot on. |
| How do you promote and move your work? I don't understand "move your work" |
| In which new areas would you like to experiment? New/additional clients. |
| Shapes, color, concept: where do you usually begin when conceiving a design? Concept. Form ALWAYS follows function. |
| What are your sources for documentation and to generate ideas? My knowledge and experience in the subject matter. My imagination. My ability to communicate. |
| Which festivals or awards in your field do you find most interesting? Communication Arts |
| What is your favourite type of customer? The smart ones. The ones that know what works and what doesn't. |
| To a certain point, is copying justifiable? No. |
| List some things you dislike seeing in design. Trends, abstract images, meaningless colors, noise, popular images just to be recognizable. |
| Do you believe the newer generations are better at designing? No. Just as in other generations, there is the spectrum of very good to awful. |
| With which type of client would you decline in working for? That is tough to answer. There are the obvious businesses who's product is frowned upon by the general public, and yet the messages (ie. "Drink Responsibly") can be beneficial. So I would need more information before turning down a potential client. |
| How do you calculate budgets for a design project? Estimated time to complete, concept to delivery. |
| Which professionals in your field -contemporary or past- do you most admire? Those I admire the most are nameless to you. They would be particular designers, photographers and vendors who have worked for me. And certain clients who I have had the privilege to work FOR. |
| Which software applications do you most utilize in your work? Creative Suite, Quark, Freeway |
| Up to what point do your designs reflect your personality? None. |
| How do you distinguish passing fads from mainstays in new trends? What sells and what doesn't. Work works for the client and what fails. |
| If you weren't a designer, what would you be doing? Photography, illustration, painting |
| At this moment, what would be your dream job or project? Creative Director |
| Can you see yourself in this field twenty years from now? No. I'd be 75 |
| Which design resources online do you frequently visit? None. |
ADVERTISING
| What is your specialty: creativity, contact, or research? creativity |
| Please list some brand names or clients that you have worked for. Marriott, Westfield Shoppingtowns, MCI, USAir, PBS, ABC/Disney, Republican Inaugural Committee. |
| Have you got a blog or web page? Yes
http://artlahr.blogspot.com/ |
| What do your clients value more, strategy, creativity, design, or return of investment? creativity |
| The word 'creativity' is much-used in advertising, yet most commercials are annoying, why is that? They try to entertain rather than problem solve |
| Can a bad advertising campaign sell well? It depends on what you define as "bad." If bad is just obnoxious or distasteful, yes, it could still sell. If bad is missing the mark and not driving home the message, no, it won't sell. |
| Which advertising agencies and directors seem the best to you at this moment? I have no idea in terms of names or agencies. I worry about my work as it pertains to my clients. |
| How do you respond to the classic quote, "I love the idea, but right now's not the time"? If I believe otherwise, I'll present a strong argument to the contrary. |
| What brings you the most satisfaction: when your advert pleases your boss, your client, your friends, or your mother? My client |
| How do you see the transition between traditional advertising and online advertising? On-line ads have the advantage of a much more captive audience. |
| Are people in advertising paid too much? No. |
| Is advertising merely spam? No. |
| Have you ever felt cheated by adverts? No. |
| What is your favourite thing about working in advertising and what is your least favourite? Most favorite: To develope a strategy for delivering a message that will sell.
Least favorite: Dishonesty |
| Do advertising festivals help to improve the industry, or are they only ways for the elite to pay homage to themselves? No, they help. |
| When you select an intern to work, what quality do you deem the most valuable? Willingness to learn |
| Brand names as generators of content hardly ever have success: is the online world different in this sense? No. |
| Does the public buy the product or the product image? Both |
| Has your experience in qualitative research served in helping you discover new pathways or, more often than not, to kill good ideas? discover |
| IMPACT! Is this the main scale for judging the work of an advertising professional? No |
| What are the main mistakes clients make in judging creativity? They look for familiarity and/or to be entertained. |
| Is it possible for someone in advertising to communicate well with people of other generations or cultures not their own? Absolutely |
| In advertising, what is most effective, frequency or surprise? Both |
| Is a political candidate the same as a product? No. |
| How do you explain the way in which some brands have been able to expand so widely and rapidly without advertising? Are the laws of marketing changing? It's a matter of timing. The publics' demand combined with a great product. |
| What advice would give to someone who wants to join the ranks of advertising? Understand why you're getting into advertising. You have to have an innate love of the business. |
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511 visits Whohub
Art Lahr
Bethesda, MD, US
|
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