Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Is it Friday Yet?

Is it Friday Yet? Since I have been interning at DFR and working at West Elm, I can never seem to keep my days straight, last week I thought it was weds all the way till 3 oclock, when I was finally told it was actually Thursday. Working 40+ hours at DFR and 20 hours at West Elm seems to be taking a toll on my brain!

Anyway, I yesterday was a very eye opening experience. I was able to sit in on a all staff/employee meeting to discuss roles and to discuss opportunities to discuss possible tweaks that could help and to in a round about manner discuss their passions and why they are at DFR. I always found the grey area here at DFR to be the line in the sand between the sales people and the ID department. It is a Relay effect where it begins in sales, gets handed to ID, then to PM and to the men in the field, cohesively they stay in touch with what is happening on the project as it continues, but none the less a relay effect. Last week I asked Alison (ID department) how they distinguish who gets to "really design" and basically it depends on what sales person you have working with you. It was interesting listening in on the meeting because you realize that not only are the women who work in ID are designers, but so are the people who work in sales (minus keith). So there is a struggle and some what of a tug-a-war about the design issues. As a designer myself, I would want to strictly be the designer on the project, to be able to utilize my creativity at its maximum capacity and not have to end what someone in the sales department may have already began-and maybe, this is the pure reason as to why I wouldnt be as successful and happy as I could be at DFR.

Together as a unit, DFR seems to be a well oiled machine, one that supports each other within the grey area, and are willing to try to find a new solution and maybe a better solution to keep the machine oiled and moving. The managers of the deparments and head hauncho's of the company are hoping to make some decisions and moves soon to make sure everyone on staff is happy and satisfied.


After the meeting I asked Michelle who is trained and studied Design for school, but is working at the ID assistant and support person, about how she felt in a company like this. Ironically, it works for her, she eventually wants to work in residential and believes that learning how the machine of DFR works and paper work happens will help her-true story. However, I always feel in the back of my head taking on a role such as hers would, for a lack of better words, loose her design touch/drive. Who knows, I suppose it works differently for everyone, I think I just expect and dream to graduate and walk into an architecture firm at an entry level position and began to further my knowledge that way working on commercial designs, but as far as future goes-the path is undefined and I am fully aware it is likely to have many surprises.

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