Life is all about relationships. With your parents, kids, spouse, significant other, boss, co-workers. And if you manage them well, hopefully you’ll keep “therapist” off the list. As an in-house creative, one of the most important relationships you’ll have is with your internal clients—your stakeholders. You know, those people down the hall, up a floor ...MORE
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By Donna Farrugia, Executive Director of The Creative Group When I’m not travelling for business, you can find me at my office in Westlake Village, Calif., during the workweek. It’s my home away from home. And like most in-house professionals, I spend 9+ hours at my desk (or at least within the building’s walls). So ...MORE
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"Most people work at keeping their job, rather than doing a good job. If you’re the former, you’re leading a meaningless life. If you’re the latter, keep up the good work." George Lois (born June 26, 1931) is an American art director, designer, author and one of the original “Mad Men”. A unique creative ...MORE
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Dear In-House Diva, I am an in-house designer at a very well-known retail fashion company and I’m constantly being asked by my internal clients to do personal design projects for them. I don’t mind doing a favor every now and then but lately it’s getting a little excessive. Creating a party invite is one thing ...MORE
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Years ago I participated in a 360-degree assessment. Peers, colleagues, management and direct reports all had the opportunity to anonymously tell me how I was doing. And based on their responses, I was doing pretty well. But there were a few comments that I didn’t expect and one in particular that stopped me in my ...MORE
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Since this is Valentine’s Day week and love is in the air, I asked some of my peers what they love about being a corporate creative. I Love Being an In-House Designer Because... I have access to so many resources all under one roof. I believe colleagues truly respect the value I bring to the ...MORE
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I was meeting with a particularly talented and motivated member of the in-house team I manage the other day when he related something that really surprised me. As we were discussing some bad news the group had received about our business, he mentioned that his manager, one of my directs, had informed him of the ...MORE
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Posted in All Posts, Career, Donna Farrugia, In-House Design Articles, In-house Ethics, In-house Incites, In-house Interpersonal, In-house Issues, In-house Observations, TCG 411 on Jan 10th, 2013
By Donna Farrugia, Executive Director of The Creative Group Have your coworkers been less helpful or willing to offer input on your designs? Are some starting to take credit for your ideas? If you’ve noticed a change in the air, you’re not alone. In a recent survey by our company, nearly half of the more ...MORE
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By Donna Farrugia, Executive Director of The Creative Group I’ll be the first to admit that I love this time of year (aside from the lines at the airports). People tend to be in better spirits, and I get a brief respite from my business travels to spend quality time with family and friends. For ...MORE
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I’m sitting here in our local Public Library because it's the only place in town that has lights, heat and WiFi. Our house is cold and dark as we’ve been left in Hurricane Sandy’s wake without any power or heat. So I’ve come here, along with half our New York Hudson Valley town seeking refuge ...MORE
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