ART DIRECTOR
PAMGREEN DESIGNS, BROOKLYN NY
A keen observer of human behavior, Pamela prides herself on delivering fresh, intelligent, and diverse work that fully encompasses the users experience. Her bold and vivid works are conceptualized and executed with three principles in mind: function, flow and familiarity. Residing in Brooklyn NY as part-time Associate Art Director of HEC, and full-time Creative Director of PamGreen Designs, she possesses over ten years of professional design experience working within profit and non-profit landscapes. A self-starter with a passion for expressionism, Pamela steers her creative, business and tech vision across multiple omni-channel channels, utilizing consumer behavior as a means for informed design decisions.
Has the pandemic changed your workplace and your workflow? Do you expect to return to pre-pandemic ways of working or will any changes become the ‘new normal’?
The pandemic has undeniably shifted the way in which we communicate with clients — and that’s just that: Communication. Beginning at the first point of contact, assume that your client is not tech savvy. In recent months, I’ve encountered many clients who’ve had a hard time with technology and, in many instances, I’ve had to provide tutorials on using cloud-based systems and online programs such as Zoom, Asana, etc. Before 2020, I would create works in a more discreet manner, meet with the client physically so that they would have tangible pieces and open dialogue. However, within this climate, I have been privy to full transparency starting from the first email onward.
I have also adapted a window of 5-10 mins prior to the beginning of every meeting solely based on the possibility that tech issues may arise. Good preparation for virtual meetings is to expect the unexpected and anticipate complications, and this has evolved from a hypothetical to a norm. In many ways, this pandemic has taught us to revisit our level(s) of independence, ensuring that we are well equipped to deal with disruption. Will communication return to normal within the upcoming years ahead? Of course not — but when has there ever been an expectation that things will remain the same?
What do you expect 2021 to hold for graphic designers and the design business? Have the challenges of 2020 changed the way you think about your job and career or the role of design?
One thing that I am expecting and looking forward to in the new year is an outpouring of entrepreneurialism. From those who’ve spent time during lockdown reassessing, evaluating and reinventing themselves and from those who’ve decided to redirect their focus from large corporations to work independently in order to advance their best interests. My mindset has altered along these lines in the past few months. The constant reminders of systemic racism, the alarming rates of the virus, social media and direct communication with those alike, have only reinforced my belief that life is short, precious and what you make of it. I’ve learned in this climate not to allow circumstances to control my behavior, but to allow my behavior to control circumstances.
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