Thursday, February 26, 2009

How he warms my heart


When I m thinking about this, how I realize that it is him who always initiates first.

Unsighted lady
It was cloudy & sometimes drizzling. I didn't have any idea where to go after about 3 weeks or more waiting for a job interview.

I was quite feeling lame, maybe for many days i didnt talk with any human being. I was walking back to the mall after buying the top up. I opened my umbrella for I need to cross the road.

From afar I could see an unsighted mid aged lady with a younger lady holding her arms. By the time I was exactly beside them, the younger lady ask me politely (& clearly, ga ada basa basi)that they could cross the road with me for I am having my umbrella.

After we reached the mall, and there was stepping ground there, I asked her to be careful whether she was familiar with that place or not. The unsighted lady told me yes she was familiar with that place. And with grateful voice and smile she said thank you miss.

I was the one who thank her actually. I didn't do anything. I was just crossing the street and they wanted to walk with me. Without her help, I would still feeling lame & unconscious about human being.


Waiting uncle
It was a second interview in the same company, same place, at Punggol. So ujung dunia. I took much earlier to get arrive there. Coz in the first time came, i couldn't find the shuttle bus. So I was curious to know where and what kind of the shuttle bus is. I was walking around and around. Where the shuttle bus is going to take the stop? No signage, Zapy told me that it should be in the taxi stand.

Whilst i was walking around, an uncle seemed to have something to say to me. I didn't too much bother, was busy to find out where the shtl bus stop is and thinking bout my interview later lah. Then, he spoke in chinese with me with his eyes on my phone. I was a little bit frightened at first. Was he wanting something from me? What did he want then?

As usual, right away i said: i don't speak chinese, and hoping that he would stop or went away. But he didn't give up. He kept saying, mostly in chinese. Later i got it! He needed to make a call using my mobile and he would pay amount of money, coins, which i didn't to bother bout it, u can use my balance as much as u want, i got plenty at that time.

He pressed the number, I dialed it and handed to him.
Later on we had a little chat. His english wasn't that bad at all! It just he wasn't confidence or comfortable with it. Me either, when i tried to speak in chinese, he didn't get it. I know, i know, something wrong with the tone...i know...
After quite along while, 20 minutes perhaps, a car pulled over, it was his daughter. Cold expression. Didn't she wonder how long her dad had been waiting for her....never mind, they met up already.

Yeah, hey....If he had given up to communicate with me maybe i wouldn't have payed attention at all.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Things u shud know bout GD

Things u shud know bout GD.

This posting I have should written it months ago! Even before I left the photography studio!

I have been learning to put my place in client's side. Sometimes it works to get win-win solutions.

Now...
Now...
*Rumah desain*
Kalo elu kerja di rumah desain, nama kerennya graphic house, sebagai Grafik Desainer, loe ga ketemu klien langsung. Trutama perusahaan besar, sistemnya dibikin begitu, semakin mengerucut, kalo AE ketemu klien dan bikin brief utk divisi kreatif ya uda sampek matek bikinnya itu. Nda ngurusin produksi, cetak dan tetek bengeknya, ada divisi laen yg spesialisasi ngurusin hal itu.
Jadi dlm tim kecil GD simply bertanggung jawab terhadap team lead nya, yg beken dengan sebutan Art director ato yg lebih senior lagi, Creative Director. Sori, ga pake terjemahan bebasnya, lebih nggilani soale.
Klienmu ya Art Dir ato Creative Dir tadi.
Plus: mereka tau better ttg art dan tau ke mana arah art utk solusi dr brief yg dikasi AE.
Minusnya: Style dan idealisme mereka kadang bertabrakan dan GD terpaksa merana (sbg artis betapa besar pride dan kebanggaan masing2 individu, jika tidak ....tak tau lah)melakukan apa yg sebenarnya bukan seruan hatinya.
Level manager yg plg bawah beneran merana deh, jadi tukang doank. Melakukan revisi2 simple: menggeser font, mengubah warna font, fotocopy, nye-can. Asli nukang!

*Inhouse Grafic Designer*
Posisinya lbh ok lagi. Karena kebanyakan 1 team cuma 1-2 orang. Otomatis dah kerjaan Art dir, Creativ Dir, AE, produksi, smua dirangkap. Produksi mah gampang, lempar ke percetakan ato rumah produksi lainnya.
Sekarang kliennya dr awal sampe mati, kalo perusahaan ga kukut ya company itu!
Plus nya: uda disebut di atas, posisi konsultan bolehlah dipegang, alias menangan.
Minusnya: tergantung varietas kampanye komunikasi company.

Smua ada plus minusnya. Ga ada harga mati.

*Perushaan outsource*
GD ditempatin ke klien2 company.
Now....
Saya terjebak dlm komunikasi serba tak jelas di sini! Ada project manager, ada lead designer.
Blm ada org2 teknikal yg bossy dan super detail!
Logonya tadi diminta grayscale, kenapa kau buat biru?
Untuk informasi anda, grayscale bukan berarti grey (abu2)
Sudah saya utarakan ke dia.

Dan hal2 kecil, remeh, ga penting lainnya di-dikte-kan satu persatu. Saya asumsikan karena begitulah mereka, makhluk EKSAK!
Dan sampai skrg saya tak habis pikir gimana win-win solutionnya.
Pen-dikte-an ini membuat saya sebal, lantas 'gila' dan memberontak.
Peraturan lama ttg formal attire pun dipertegas. Benar2 formal, shirt masi bisa dibedakan mana shirt formal dan tidak. Padahal dlm natur saya yg namanya shirt itu yg kerah dan dr katun itu SUDAH CUKUP membuatnya pakaian formal!
Sekarang aturan2 tolol inipun membuat saya hidup dalam dunia serius dan membosankan.
Baru 8 minggu, dan sudah cukup menghantar saya ke level MUAK.