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      What today do you look for in hiring designers?

      First, designers have to have a terrific portfolio of work. Second, they should have language skills – the ability to communicate with clients, research a subject, or write an articulate e-mail is important. I will not let anyone in our office use “Lorem ipsum” and treat text as just another element on the page. As a result, most of the designers I hire have the ability to write headlines and frame outlines to create a fully integrated design concept.

      After talent, personality is a key to success – so we look for enthusiasm, people who are excited about work and are motivated to do their best. We look for a desire to learn, curiosity, and a sincere desire to contribute to the team. And of course they should be nice.

      I place technical skills after personality – we can teach skills, but talent and drive are qualities that come from within a person. That said, every designer should be adept in all of the Adobe programs, and more and more we look for designers who can code as well as design.

      Do you prefer to hire mature designers?

      Diversity is the most important thing to achieve in an office with a team of designers. I've made tons of hiring mistakes over the years, so the following is my personal experience: When our office is all male, it becomes filled with too many jokes about bodily functions. When it is all female, it's too emotional. There are tons of tears. I'm really sorry to resort to stereotypes; this is maddening, but true. When the office is too young and inexperienced, mistakes happen and things can get chaotic quickly.

      The best team is one that is a mix of gender and age, and when there are people from other cultures. For the most part, the best of all worlds is when you have younger designers to bring tons of energy and new ways to do things, and mature designers to provide guidance and mentorship. When the boys and girls are equally mixed, they stay on good behavior – no weird jokes and no tears – the boys don't want to sound crass, and the girls don't want the guys to think they are weak. It's lovely. There should be a rule: no crying in graphic design.