The (un)Successful Job Interview
Published: March 29, 2021
Although my past interview with Populous didn't end with an extension of a job offer, it made me reassess and improve my beliefs and work as a designer.
I wasn't devastated by the news that my work wasn't up to par. I spurred myself into action and brought my work up to par.
I learned what skills and portfolio elements made candidates marketable and interesting to employers at Sports + Entertainment firms.
Over the following year, I tailored my portfolio and reinvented myself as a designer to reflect these expectations.
Lessons to Learned
In the Spring of 2019, I interviewed with sporting-design giant in Populous, and while it didn’t result in employment, I counted it as a beneficial and informative experience. They were upfront with advice to increase the technical ability and clarity within my designs, as well as urging me to follow the always relevant adage of ‘quality over quantity’. While at the time it felt like a bit of a gut punch, I humbled myself and set my sights on following their suggestions point by point.
Their words have followed me for the past year and have never left the forefront of my mind as I have progressed through my 4th and 5th years. I have tirelessly worked on updating my website, portfolio, and even my beliefs as a designer, to reflect the expectations and design strategies of Sports + Entertainment architecture firms.
From Idealistic to Realistic
Over a short period, I grew from a student who was ensnared by the visual novelty of renders into a designer who recognized renders for what they are: a tool for expressing what typical drawings show into the 3rd, and if done well, 4th dimensions. As all young designers should, I began a transformation of designing for visual novelty and cultural impact, into a designer, that in addition to those considerations, assesses how his structure will be used, from incredibly large to miniscule details.
How does the experience differ between the permanent tenants compared to the passersby? Vendors to consumers? Dawn to dusk? Summer to Winter? Peak season to the doldrums? Rain or shine? Stagnant or windy days? These are questions architects MUST ask—and more importantly, answer—if their designs are to be truly appreciated. Success hinges on equal parts User Experience and appearance to those outside the looking glass (i.e. the impression cast on those simply passing by).
Perhaps it is insanity to be so detail oriented during college. After all, Studio classes are incredibly compressed designs that favor 'big moves' and 'thought-provoking' features rather than the minute details. And yet, I consider User Experience when I design every single room in my projects. I consider it for ALL 4 walls of EVERY ROOM.
How often will the occupant of this room come and go through the door? Will the door typically be open to invite people in? Make it a wall opening or an operable partition. Does the occupant want others to see him/her through the door but still have an acoustical barrier? Make it a glazed door. Perhaps one where the opaqueness/transparency can be manually selected. Does mechanical equipment or spaces of high activity lie beyond the door? Choose a door with high acoustical qualities.
These are the considerations and decisions that my peers so rarely make. This is why I am different.
Spurred into Action
I do not tell this story to cry over spilled milk or to give the impression that I am in high demand.
I tell this story so that potential employers understand they would be getting a designer who doesn’t stop after accepting he has flaws, but instead, diagnoses the issue and works tirelessly to transform a weakness in to a strength.
Designers should never grow complacent or disillusioned with their abilities or architectural trends. Like our very projects, we should be adaptable. This determination and willingness for evolution not only serves me well in school, but in life as well as in an office environment.