Check Out Laura Heathcock’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Heathcock

Laura, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my journey as a fashion major at Stephens College – and after a fashion internship with CosmoGirl! magazine in 2002, I found myself far more drawn to the creativity in the design department. After changing my major and graduating with a degree in Advertising & Public Relations, I then sought adventure overseas in New Zealand for several years, working as a freelance designer while also working temp work or at my Uncle’s kiwifruit farms. Upon my return to the States, I worked in a variety of of industries, both large and small, including in-house and agency-side. Doing so allowed me the space and freedom to learn new skills, own projects large and small, and hone my design experiences in a lot of capacities: print, web, experiential, brand, retail, shoot direction and product photography, and UI/UX. After working as a senior designer at H&R Block to help overhaul their design template library and complete national campaign work, I was asked to join their UX team, where I got the chance to design customer-facing software and applications and really hone my insights into the critical thinking and thoroughness that great design thinking often requires.

The thing that mostly stuck with me? Don’t be afraid to take on big, “scary” projects –– and do your homework on how to do it the best way possible.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I believe the biggest obstacle, design wise, is convincing others that the design can be taken further. There’s the quick, easy “just get it done” answer, and then there’s the “what if we really went for it?” creative answer. Convincing some to do the latter – to go for something spectacular, or something that could exceed the project’s goals, is far tougher – due to time or resource restrictions. But I’m a big believer in Work Smarter, Think Bigger.

The biggest obstacle otherwise is one every designer can relate to – how to deal with a big scary ego from either internal partners, or client-side. That can mean everything from a designer refusing to use or learn a skill/program, to a client overruling you or your team’s advice/hard work in lieu of what they think is best (even when it directly goes against the brief). You eventually learn to brush it off and know it’s not a reflection of your work or expertise – it’s just realizing that you can’t die on every creative hill.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Going for it. When I worked for a large company, my amazing boss saw that I liked to really push design thinking and allowed me the time and projects to really flex my creative muscle. My boss came to me when she wanted our team to win over what the agency was doing, or when we had a bigger creative project that needed cross-medium explorative thinking. Working with designers across departments or design mediums was a massively creative time for me, in both learning from their expertise and being given the work to really shine and excel. It gave me the confidence going forward to produce work that went beyond just answering the brief, and producing creative ideas that were far better than what the client had hoped for.

Since moving onto other companies, that’s been a trademark of the work you’ll get from me – working harder to make sure the project’s goals are answered with bold, clever creative thinking, and in turn, creative work that a client will be thrilled with.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Sure! My advice to designers, both young and the more experienced, is open-mindedness and curiosity. Be open to learning platforms you aren’t familiar with, on projects you haven’t done before, and leaning on those who know more to show you the way. Be open to working for companies that might not seem like a place where creativity will flourish – you’d be surprised on how much you can learn working in a small in-house creative department, as long as you push yourself. But the key to it all, is learning from those who know more than you. Ask questions. Seek mentors. Find people who can give you practice work while you’re learning a new skill. No designer can excel on an island of their own making.

Pricing:

• Pricing is based upon project needs and client requirements – just ask!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lauraheathcock.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/_heathdesign/