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Life of a Graphic Designer in a PR Firm

Behind all the sparkly events, successful hashtags and campaigns that makes you go WHOAHHH, the unsung heroes of a PR firm is the creative team. We are often spotted with high-bun hair, round spectacles and mostly in a hundred shades of black are personalities who love to sit on the backseat and observe, thinking of ways to make every idea, a successful reality. As someone associated with the Public Relations industry for past many years, I decided to jot down the Cons and Pros of working with a Reputation Management Firm. Cons before Pros, obviously, saving the best for the last!

Cons

Office hours is a myth.

Work from home during Corona-kal is relaxing, but imagine standing in front of a mirror in the morning, brushing your teeth at 7 AM or when you are scrolling the last few posts of your Instagram routine about to fall asleep at 1 AM at night, Boss calls up and asks for a few ‘Final’ Changes. The feeling that runs from the bottom of spine to above? And you feel like banging your head on the wall for a millisecond? Yes that! Exactly! Yeh to roz ka kaam hai bro, ab to zombie wala feel aane laga hai kabhi kabhi.

Pachees, Pachees, Pachees… Chhabees… Revisions

A graphic designer makes every creative as it’s own baby. The best part about revisions is that after 4-5 times ( 2-3 some cases), we lose interest, in our own baby. Mourning the death of what we thought of an amazing creation. Now I realize when Rick said ‘You’re right, let’s do it in the dumbest way possible because that’s easier for you’(That’s my wallpaper TBH now).

God is in the Details

Every creative we make is a representation of the client’s philosophy of life. Sometimes, we’re lucky to have clients and client managers who know what they want and can clearly communicate. Other times, well let’s just say the other times are just…

Ek anaar sau beemar, Anaar bhi beemar ho gaya

Handling multiple clients at once can be really tiresome sometimes. Client managers asking for creatives all at once, handling priorities is a bit difficult. Though it helps in handling pressured situations, but bacche ki jaan loge kya yaar? *Secretly prays to god for multiple hands and +1 brain because I love my work*

Guilt trip of taking ‘Inspiration Breaks’

The journey of a graphic designer starts from the little kid inside, for whom a scenery meant more than sun peeking behind two mountains, birds the size of pterodactyls and a house sitting besides a river. Art needs inspiration and we need loads of it! Taking breaks includes 15 minutes walk breaks to week long spells of artist’s block, you know what I am talking about! Though they’re productive in ways but the guilt that follows is pinching.

Can I play music on speakers? Please? *Puppy Eyes*

Music is the biggest inspiration source for most of us. Sometimes (I mean all the time) earphones are just not enough to keep the work consistency going. In coworking spaces, sometimes (read : most times) it might be irritating for people around you to cope up with your un-official work requirements. But awesome masterpieces require this sacrifice, I guess (from others, you aint got to sacrifice anything)

Pros

Variety of projects to work on

Reputation management offers a wide range of client profiles to work on, and if you’re lucky enough like I am, your boss might jus let you choose what projects excite you the most! Sit feels like a Candyland sometimes, where you can choose from anywhere between Candy floss to chocolates to mint, that’s another story that I don’t like mints.

When a client gives approval on time

The most blissful day, when the Gods are showering blessings on you like a turbo water cannon in a protest, and creatives gets approved in a single shot! *Touchwood*

Free Passes to all art and Design events (& people who can arrange them for you)

You learn networking with people like never before. No matter if you’ve had only 2 friends for whole life who cancels plans on the last moment, unlike them you meet amazing people who are there for you and can help you get into that Rockstar concert you’ve been wanting to attend for ages or get the Art exhibition tickets you didn’t buy because it’d burn a hole in your pocket.

The real MVP

Sleepless nights and overworked days is a part of a creative designer’s daily routine, but nothing makes us more happy than our work making a powerful impact on the client and the target audience. We deserve and get all the respect and love for our work and all the hard work seems worth the effort at the end of the Day!

The challenges we, as graphic designers face are what polishes our skills and makes us efficient even under pressure! Working in a Reputation Management firm, is just another side of what is commonly not known to people. It’s fun, challenging and you can be anyone you want!