Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Professor of printer problems
Imagine answering the phone as the Program Assistant for the Graphic Design for Marketing department at the Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Despite that mouthful of a title, my work at Kwantlen came at the perfect point in my career. It was an education in design education, and I was able to take classes to level up my skills in things like web and motion design. There was an endless variety of work, from marketing, social media, and event promotion, to assisting students, faculty and other staff with technical, administrative, and creative problem solving. Plus all the benefits of a union job, like parental leave and being home before 5, just when my wife and I were starting our own family.
The role saw me designing web and print materials to support both the Graphic Design for Marketing program (GDMA) and the University. I was chosen to design the proposal materials that were instrumental in securing the $36-million of funding to build the Wilson School of Design. In addition, I got to fuel my inner Apple enthusiast by providing lab support for 40 Macs plus faculty machines and student laptops, which included testing, purchasing, account security, hardware and software installation, and daily maintenance. I even travelled to San Francisco for what turned out to be the final Macworld that Apple attended.
Fun Highlight
For some reason I had this gigantic office that I happily filled with toys and other inspiration. Every year all the offices of the school came alive for the holiday hallway decorating contest, but despite the festivities, it was a fierce competition. Having both won and lost in previous years, I levelled up my 2009 entry to take advantage of my infamous office, its many toys, and prominent windows.
When I finally moved on to take my next role at Chimp, I made a Giving Group to sell off a lot of my office contents for charity. Having reached my giving goal, I made this silly sitcom series finale send off to honour the seven years I spent at Kwantlen. It still makes me laugh.
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Thanks for visiting my roadside attraction on the information superhighway.
My name is Nick and I'm a product designer by day and a sticker designer by night. Over the course of my career I've cofounded three hilarious children and cried at every Pixar movie.