Name: Stephanie Tardy
Title: Blogger and Designer
Website/Blog: Handmade Detroit and Phantom Limb
Location: Detroit, MI

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I went to Michigan State and graduated with a BA in journalism, focusing on publication design. After school, I went to work at a newspaper, then another newspaper, both times as a copy editor and designer. There has been the occasional freelance assignment or column, mainly covering and reviewing pop culture or the arts.

Three years ago, I started selling paper goods and art under the name Phantom Limb. This was really just an extension of my design background – a way to get more hands on with the creative process.

Seeing a lack of opportunity for alternative crafters in my city, I then started Handmade Detroit, a collective that creates opportunities for these artists.

Tell us about your current job.
I currently split my time between Phantom Limb, Handmade Detroit, and as a newspaper designer.

What does a typical day look like for you?
At the newspaper, a typical day is writing headlines, fact checking, and laying out pages.

At Handmade Detroit, a typical day is never a typical day – especially when it comes to writing and design duties. I might be writing a marketing survey, product copy, corresponding with a sponsor, updating our Facebook page, or working on an illustration for a T-shirt or event flyer.

At Phantom Limb, I could be doing any of these things as well as fleshing out a theme for an upcoming art show.

What communication skills are needed for your job?
Clear writing is a must. Of course, concise writing is a hallmark of journalism – and it’s crucial to event planning and marketing as well. If I need to get 15 people moving in the same direction, I better convey what is needed clearly. Conversely, the ability to listen to what those 15 people are looking for is just as important.

How did you prepare for your job?
I have always enjoyed the act of creation – and design and writing have always shared my attention – so it seems less like “preparing” as following my interests.

List three of your favorite professional resources/references/tools and tell us why they’re your favorite.
Designer’s Toolbox
Forms and templates for common things written and designed. I think I might die without this.

Google groups
We do most of our Handmade Detroit organizing through this free tool – it’s really our virtual office.

Flickr
I am addicted to Flickr. Check out any of the many graphic design or handmade pools for tons of inspiration.

How do you stay up-to-date in your field?
I read a lot of design and craft blogs. I talk to a lot of people, online and off. And I attend media and creative conferences whenever I can.

How would you define professional writing?
Absolutely anything (including those quick e-mails sent at 2 a.m.) that is written with an audience in mind.

Do you have any tips to share with other professional designers/writers/editors?
If you are a writer, read! If you’re a designer, get out and see! It always surprises me when writers are not readers and designers are stuck in cubicles all day.

Tags: In the Workplace

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 6:00 pm and is filed under Design, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.