New CD is not rockin
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- rtl3
A new CD has entered our co. and my work life with an extensive and impressive resume and the design skills of a freshman student. Has anyone ever had this experience? New CD has a Masters degree from a very prestigious school to boot! How can it be? Do these things happen?
- todelete__20
We must have the same CD.
Someone once said. Those that can do, those that can't are Creative Directors.
Not only does mine have no skills, but she has horrible ideas.
- monNom0
no skill is the new cool.
talent had to go out of style eventually.
- praktiv0
more and more in the creative industry we are seeing this. there seems to be less and less hands-on creative directors around. it took my workplace 6 months to find one...
BUT, what most of them are good at is this - the fine art of BULLSHITTING.
good CD's don't have to be good designers necessarily. most are great in front of clients, know how to sell creative, and most importantly are willing to go to bat for the blood and sweat that goes into your late-nights designs.
they are not there to design. they are accountable for the budget, timeline, career management of the team and to make sure that the project is a most profitable one. it's a business, not summer camp.
personally, unless you want to trade in photoshop for 3 hour project plan meetings, discussing budget, scope, requirements, etc., don't let it bug you.
- uberdesigner0
school sucks
- Rand0
the morons who hire creative directors are at fault
- tank020
my cd is pretty cool, stubborn though..ah well its a spaniard...
a selfmade man who quit his studies 6 years ago and made on its own...starting low and now to CD-managing partner..
- mg330
Well, wouldn't you bet that the CD's you speak of are late 30s, early 40s, and WERE NOT raised on computers the way we are?
They're in an alien environment and couldn't be expected to be "hands on." I'm sure that some agencies are just too old world, too corporate of a mentality to really trust anyone young.
Makes me thiink of looking for a job in 2000-2001 years. Every listing for a designer was written by an HR director and not by anyone related to graphic and web design. All the job listings listed every piece of software there was and said you had to be fluent with it.
Stupid shit like listing Photoshop AND Corel fluent.
Such nonsense.
- tank020
ha.my cd is 29...i'm 26..
- gruntt0
good answer prak.
but that's not to say that i don't wish death on my cd once or twice a week.
- rtl30
Yeah, I'm not begrudging all the management aspects of his job. It's just difficult to repect the opinnions of someone whose abilitites are sub par at best. It would be ok if his social skills made up for his lack of hands on know how but that's not the case.
I think computers and people confound him.
- rtl30
"no skill is the new cool.
talent had to go out of style eventually."
Well said MonNom.
Now to listen to the new Strokes album :)
- tkmeister0
i got no skills.
now, promote me to the CD.
- trevedda0
Hold on. When you get to 40 then you'll want to be CD - otherwise where are you're going?
It's like middle management - if you get rid of it no one's got anywhere to "progress on to". Doesn't mean it's good. But trust me, when you turn mid 30 you'll want to do more than create another animated gif.
And by the way, I'm 41 and I know my way around a computer and all the relevant apps and I was using the web before you youngsters where even out of nappies. So no need to be age-ist. We all get old - some us just got there first!!!
- uberdesigner0
cds are punk asses with bad hips
- todelete__20
Ok. How can this happen. My creative director the other day wears the following outfit.
Black knee high leather boots.
Black leggings.
Neon orange lacy skirt.
Navy knit ribbed turtleneck.
Black leather vest.
Brown thick framed glasses.And she's supposed to have good design skills?!?
- rtl30
Hold on now,
Much respect to the good CDs out there.Our last CD was in his late 30's and he schooled me proper. He learned design manually but you couldn't touch him skill-wise on computer either.
Bottom line, some CDs care about creativity while others care about their mortgage.
- nosaj0
Fire em.
- orkman0
Oddly the majority of CDs I have worked under were copywriters in their previous life. So they couldn't design, but had great ideas and could manage well. They came up with the great ideas and let the ADs make it look pretty. I dunno, I think being a CD is more than being a good designer. It's strategic thinking, managing clients and employees and keeping the ideas flowing.
But yeah quite often someone is hired who is good at being a complete jerk.
- robbbie0
There's a lot of posers in the world.
- robbbie0
I just have to work with two menopausial bitches, which probably isn't as bad as your situation.