To Diane McKinnon, breadth of experience is one of the most valuable qualities in today’s workplace. “The multidisciplinary approach to tackling marketing challenges is really the wave of the future,” McKinnon stresses to PC students. She says to be successful in this changing industry, an individual needs to be an artist, poet, diplomat, techno-geek, orator, info junkie, psychologist and hostage negotiator – all in one.
McKinnon credits much of her success to her array of skills. She has a history degree from the University of Virginia as well as a graphics and advertising design degree from Parsons in New York. She also worked in film and television art direction, interactive marketing at Vignette Corporation, and multimedia development at UT Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center. Currently the VP of Integrated Marketing and Creative Services for SicolaMartin in Austin, Texas, she works as an agent of change, evolving the agency’s creative work.
Diane’s job deals with breaking down the barriers and integrating creative, interactive and media. She notes the key to a creative atmosphere is flexibility.
“We have a very collaborative approach where we don’t assign absolute writer and art director partners,” she says. “We allow people to form teams for projects almost organically. We also review a lot of creative together. We consider our creative work a product of the team process.”
As a manager, the key is to listen and learn each person’s motivations. She considers the best part of her job the opportunity to know the people who work for her and find the key to unlock their potential.
She encourages creative individuals to become sponges. Live in a big city at least once. Go to museums, the theatre and all other places of art. Read as much as you can and just be open to the world and all its influences.
Diane believes the primary thing to keep in mind when interviewing is the company culture. She hires based not only on creativity, but also on chemistry and whether or not a prospective employee fits into the company culture. She emphasizes the importance of asking questions in an interview.
“Someone who doesn’t ask any questions in an interview is a little bit of a red flag,” she warns. “Also, be careful what you have on your Facebook profile.” She adds that when she is looking to hire, she evaluates the creative thought process. She likes to see the sketches and evidence of how each project came together, and a great way to show that is with an interactive portfolio. She wants to know, “How did you get from zero to seventy?”
She leaves us with these words wisdom to keep in mind:
Portfolio Center students share a strong desire to communicate ideas, the willingness to let go of preconceived notions, and the compulsion to learn new ways of thinking. These qualities are fostered by the school’s constant stream of industry bigwigs, who bring their varied and colorful perspectives from all over the country. These creatives, who are always generous with their time and energy, tend to hang out with students, conducting informal workshops and continuing the day’s discussions over dinner. Often, what results are provocative interviews—written, shot, and designed by PC students.
