Behind every agency is a team of hardworking individuals who bring their unique skills and experiences to the table. In our Inside Missouri series, we’ll give you a closer look at our amazing colleagues and get to know them a little better. Without further ado, meet one of our talented Senior Designers, Sam Douglas.
My career started like most, as an intern. Often internships are about hard work married with being in the right place at the right time. Agencies are a moving set of parts, and being in the right part of that takes a bit of luck, so don’t feel discouraged if this hasn’t happened for you yet.
I was a junior for a few years before moving onto a new challenge, which is when I moved onto my next agency. I worked for mostly FMCG brands and was able to upskill in a high-pressure environment while navigating mass-market briefs.
After a long stint within FMCG, I decided to go freelance for a while to pursue a more direct passion in drinks. In that time, I ended up freelance at Missouri, and ultimately took on the job full time. From 7 months of working on my own from home, I had missed the creative environment a lot more than I thought! It will be a year in August since I have worked at Missouri as a Senior Designer and never looked back.
I grew up on skateboarding culture; streetwear and the graphic side of a skateboard would make me feel something, but I didn’t know what it was at the time. I knew I wanted to work in a creative role that was surrounded by design, I studied graphic design at university and here I am.
Take the pressure off yourself. I would advise being open minded, and remember inputting disruptive ideas is more important than having a great final design. An agency can teach execution but can’t teach ideas!
I think making sure you are a cultural fit with the agency is key, it doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone. For some wellbeing workshops are the most important aspect for others its being down the pub. I think the pressure should be taken off what ‘should‘ be a cultural fit vs what ‘is’ a cultural fit for you, everyone is different!
People need to find their own motivation on a weekly basis and their own reason to get out of bed in the morning. Work doesn’t have to always feel like work.
“Challenge your mentors” - Virgil Abloh
I wouldn’t have put so much pressure on my younger self to reach the solution immediately. You can positively disrupt with your creativity, inspiration and opinions.
Take from what you know and don’t overcomplicate it. Your passions are already your strength and where you can source inspiration.
Force quit
Watch this space…
Stay tuned for more Inside Missouri features, as we continue to shine a spotlight on the talented individuals who make our agency great. Thanks for reading, until next time.
