Invitation from Dan
In December 2021, I chatted with Dan Scott, founder of Bring Your Own Laptop, Ltd, and host of Insider Podcast. Dan is a digital designer, a certified Adobe Instructor, and a great guy. And BYOL is an online learning platform with a treasure trove of amazing videos and tools for graphic designers of all types. It is a magical place!
So when Dan reached out and asked if I would be on his podcast, I did what seemed natural. I asked him if he had accidentally sent his email to the wrong person. And Dan, being the awesome person he is, said, “I absolutely meant to contact you.”
On the podcast, we talked about my unconventional journey to becoming a graphic designer. I also explained how I transitioned roles, my upskilling journey, and why I decided to learn UI/UX Design using Figma.
Generalist vs. Specialist
Another topic we discussed was the pros and cons of being a generalist designer versus a specialist. A generalist knows a little about all areas of design and usually fulfills the role of instructor or creative director. A specialist focuses on one area in fields like marketing, video, UX and UI, and content creation, to name a few.
I introduced another role generalist designers could fulfill, and that is in the area of working for nonprofit organizations or small businesses. Often, smaller companies are on a strict budget, and it isn’t easy to focus on only one area to meet their marketing and design goals. The challenge for them is finding someone with knowledge and experience in brand strategy, content marketing, production art, video editing, and website development. It is a tall order.
Here is a short clip of our conversation.
Listen to the Full Podcast Episode
If you like this topic and want to learn more, visit byol.me/podcast to find out how you can become a member and have full access to this show. Also, you will be able to listen to the other 15 episodes.
Hope to see you there, friend! 😃
Feature image provided by Jason Rosewell.
