My Job: Every picture tells a new story for clients

Fraser Gardyne. Photo / Ted Baghurst.

MY JOB
Name: Fraser Gardyne
Age: 55
Occupation: Creative director of gardyneHOLT
Hours: generally 40 hour week
Salary: $90,000 - $150,000 with huge variations depending on size and reputation of company.

What do you do?

Most of our work revolves around brand establishment and communication of brands to market. Our job is to help companies communicate effectively, using visual language to get messages across. This is not only through printed items such as business cards, signage and packaging but increasingly also through electronic media such as websites.

So we also build websites using JoJo, an open source CMS (content management system) we developed that is a PHP-based free CMS for web developers wanting to build good websites.

Why graphic design?

I've was always interested in colour, art and communication. I was 6 or 7 when my brother and I decided we were going to be architects and spent hours drawing houses and cars.

When I was 15 my art teacher organised visits to a couple of architectural practices for me. That was when I realised commercial art and graphic design would be better, particularly because maths and physics weren't my strongest suit. So after school I headed to Wellington Polytechnic Design School (now Massey University).

Then what?

After graduating in 1976 I worked as a book designer for AH&AW Reed, a New Zealand book publisher. I worked with editors to design books and covers that graphically represented the book content.

While at Reeds I started doing freelance illustration work for Publication Graphics, who became Designworks.

I went full time with them in 1983, moving to Auckland in 1984 to open a Designworks office. In 1993 I set up my own boutique design firm, Gardyne Design, concentrating on small to medium clients. I wanted to work with owners and decision makers and found with larger clients you're commonly removed from direct contact with people making the decisions. After 13 successful years, Mike Holt approached me about joining forces; hence GardyneHOLT.

How has the design industry changed over the last 35 years?

When I started we still used hot metal type and phototypesetting was just being pioneered. We had to mark up and specify all our type requirements before sending it to typesetting companies. A small job might take a day if you were lucky - a big job could take weeks.

In the early days I took the brief, designed and visualised up the concepts, illustrated, art directed or took photography if required, created finished artwork by hand and instructed and oversaw the printing. Conceptual and design time made up about 20 per cent of a job with 80 per cent of my time spent creating the finished artwork. These days those percentages switched around.

Then 20 years ago the typesetting industry died almost overnight when computers and graphic design programs revolutionised design studios. The change to computers came later in my career so I haven't developed the computer skills my younger staff have - I work alongside staff whose abilities I envy.

The internet and tools such as Skype have also changed things, making it as easy to work with clients overseas as it is anywhere else in New Zealand.

What skills and qualities are important?

Aside from art skills, you have to be able to communicate your ideas. If you're not interested in communication and the English language you will really struggle in graphic design. You need to be a good listener and have empathy for clients and their needs.

Most enjoyable aspects?

What I love about being a graphic designer is every client and every brief is different. We don't do repeats. We help our clients improve their businesses by giving them clear communication tools to drive decisions and change.

I also love doing something I'm passionate about.

This career is pretty close to what I would do if I had the freedom to do exactly what I want. I'm lucky.

Advice to others interested in design?

The internet is a brilliant way of doing initial exploration. Search graphic design companies to learn what they are doing. Look at New Zealand as well as international sites. If what they're doing sounds interesting, then try and engage with someone in the profession and talk with them. Ask to visit graphic design studios. Visiting workplaces really opens your eyes to a profession, but remember every studio is different so you need to look at more than one. Design school open days can be really helpful too.

You're past president and fellow of the Designers Institute of New Zealand, past chief judge of the Pride in Print Awards and graphics convenor of The Best Design Awards. Why this involvement?

I feel strongly recognition of effective design and celebrating our best design and designers has helped New Zealand build an industry where our top designers are now recognised internationally. Today our studio and other New Zealand design companies commonly work with international clients and our work is as good as any produced overseas.