Have you ever driven past The Prop House and wondered, “What on earth do they do in there?” Maybe you’ve seen beautifully styled events, mall windows or shop shelves and wished you knew more about how it was done, and by whom. Well, we are here to answer all of your queries!
July sees us delving into the witty, hilarious mind of Kim, our incredible graphic artist. While she absolutely nails the design of our marketing, client proposals and communications, Kim’s true talent is finding the perfect quote from RuPaul’s Drag Race to use at ALL times.
Kim, could you please start by describing your role – what does the position of Graphic Artist encompass?
Oh, boy! Some days it’s creating collateral like our Collections or our annual Schmooze magazine, other days it’s taking photos of people, props and pigeons*.
I help out with the websites, the email E-News, I create new content for our LED screen out the front of our building. A big part of my job is helping Rach and Heather create mockups and proposals for events or kids play spaces. I’m an avid Googler.
*seagulls. – didn’t work with my alliteration, mate.
Talk us through how you found your way into this role. What was your experiential background?
Came to The Prop House many, many moons ago back when it was at the Church. It was the kind of oddity that stuck with me, so I jumped at the chance to join the fam-bam when they advertised for a Graphic Artist.
My background was in Graphic Design printing though, so I had worked at a lot of printing places previously, but I rock at Photoshop so that really helped.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A pot of tea in the morn with my toast, put my headphones in and whip on a turnt* playlist, then I dig into my to do list – create graphics, photograph props, go into the showroom, leave the showroom, set up screens for our LED screen, create and send E-News, use Photoshop and InDesign excessively.
Find out what the stylists and designers have in the works. Discuss in depth what I had for dinner to anyone willing to listen (thanks, Leila). Prepare proposals, edit proposals – rinse and repeat!
*I don’t know what that means – help me urban dictionary, you’re my only hope.
What are some common misconceptions about your role?
That all designers are millennial hipsters, this just simply isn’t true.
I mean, in my case – yeah, maybe it’s true. I don’t wear suspenders though, they wouldn’t exactly go with my ripped skinny jeans and flannel.
But dang, do I love a bit of smashed avo on my gluten, sugar, dairy free soy bread.
What has been one of your favourite jobs or experiences as part of this role?
There’s been a lot of moments that I’ve loved – being a part of creating Kids Play Spaces, creating proposals for BIG events, working within a crack commando unit of stylists, designers, wanna-be dancers and amateur karaoke singers.
What’s your favourite font?
Someone very wise once said “They’re all my children” (Russ, 2019) – just kidding, Papyrus is the black sheep of the family that you don’t invite to the Family BBQ but it still manages to make it with its wife “Comic Sans”.
In all seriousness, I have a weakness for many handwritten fonts – recently it’s one called “Quentin” (everyone at the Prop House knows it because I manage to slip it into every design, ever.)
Century Gothic is another blazing font – oh, what’s that? It’s our main branding font here at The Prop House? Yes, yes indeed – because we are fleek* as.
*Is this wording still hip? Did I use it correctly? – back to Urban Dictionary it is.
What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a Graphic Artist?
Soak up experiences! Join that painting group, go to the design conferences, collaborate with other students and designers, become one with the design industry, morph into it, let it become the Fly to your Jeff Goldblum’s Seth Brundle in ‘The Fly’, go to Melbourne and elope with a graffiti artist – move to Paris.
If that’s too convoluted then go to TAFE. I did, and I’m a perfectly stable genius.
Let me leave you with this bit of advice:
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. – Wayne Gretzky” – Michael Scott
