The Big Idea

This blog is based on a theory of mine: That in-house graphic designers—those of us working in marketing departments, on 'graphics support teams,' etc.—can always make use of good information geared toward thriving in small-business and corporate environments. Especially since there doesn't seem to be a lot of it out there. But more about that in a minute...

Life on the Inside
A good many designers have always been—or eventually go—in-house, primarily for the sake of a regular paycheck, a level of structure and predictability, and in general, a life more like the rest of the working world. (Unfortunately, that life also includes Microsoft.)

At times in my career—when I was younger, and maybe a bit naive—I struggled with the idea of 'selling my creative soul' for a paycheck. Plus, I still sometimes miss the camaraderie and healthy competition of once having been part of a 'dream team' of designers whose mandate was to "have fun everyday."

Of course, the soul of a true creative is what resides in every designer and AD—even the corporate among us. And yes, some days can be, let's say, more challenging than others. I don't know that there's a 'best way' of getting past this issue. But there's always a fresh mortgage bill to be paid—that usually helps.

In the Meantime...
One thing I do know is that there aren't many popular resources for those of us who must switch gears between Quark and PowerPoint—or from high-end marketing materials to straightforward infographics—on an our-to-hour basis. Plus, because art departments, by nature, seem to be closed-off entities from the rest of the world, there's not a lot of sharing of information and assistance among the in-of-house.

That's why I started this blog: To discuss the everyday, practical issues of what we do—from tricky software issues, to maintaining a level of design integrity, to the politics of having enough bosses to count on both hands—and eventually cultivate some participation and community. (Especially by the time TheInHouser.com is up and running as a full-fledged website.)

The inspiration for this idea has come from regularly being able to help my colleagues' workday go a bit smoother, through whatever practical, creative, or technical assistance I can be of. My ultimate goal here is just to expand on that theme...

Terry Griffin
Designer / Art Director since 1994