Dear Graphic Design,
It was January 2003, and I had barely moved back to Germany. I had just met the team of the first agency I would have the honor to work at, and come to the conclusion that I liked everybody.
And there you were: awaiting me in a narrow pile of files sitting on my desk, in the Bondi blue plastic of my iMac G3, in the pictures printed on color separation sheets that did not make any sense yet, in the beautiful moldings on the high ceilings of this historical villa, and of course also in the scent of entire packs of Pall Mall that would follow my boss everywhere, like a guardian mist meant to prevent anyone from coming too close and stealing his creativity.
You and I did everything and anything together. I took every chance for overtime I could get, because more time spent with you meant learning more. And you repaid me in kind, turning this fresh high school graduate intern from France into a young German professional within only two months, trusted with his very first accounts.
I wish the clouds would have existed back then, and I could not have lost the work samples from my own very first gig. But then again, if things had been as comfortable as they are today, I would never have run between agency and printer to save a full production from a typo, keeping myself fit. I would never have felt this excitement at the arrival of ISDN data transfer; Leo, was it? I would never have intuitively synchronized the effect of my first coffee in the office with Apple's booting chime. It actually sounded more like a "dooong" back then. And I would never have learned to work and think that fast, after losing all my unsaved progress so many times to that mean pop-up window with its black bomb of doom.
In short: I would never have learned to think of solutions so fast, if it hadn't been for the challenges your technical quirks have confronted me with.
I take great pride in the fact that, no matter how stressful some of those days might have been, you and me, we were always a team. And after 21 years, all I can say is: I still love you.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Your JP.
PS: Europe, I know it’s late, but I still have some hours left in New York.
#GraphicDesign #ValentinesDay #DesignLove
Thomas Wagenberg Automotive Sales & BDC Specialist | Expert in Customer Service & Marketing Strategies | Lynn University Sophomore
3wThat’s so cool how Joseph Tipton and Hayes Fawcett made their mark almost by accident! Did you know that the average age of entrepreneurs who start businesses that hire at least one employee is 42? These guys are way ahead of the curve! It’s amazing how their graphic design skills have turned them into key figures in college recruiting. Just goes to show that sometimes the best careers come from unexpected places. Can’t wait to read the full story on how they did it!