Katie Richards
- Art Director
-
10 years at RMS
If you could describe your job in three emojis, what would they be?
Walk us through a typical day for you at RMS!
A typical day consists mostly of me talking over briefs with my coworkers, managing my team’s workload, and answering questions. Throughout the day, I check presentation artwork, manage/assign any incoming design tasks, answer questions, go to meetings, make presentations, and do design work myself.
What advice would you give someone looking to start a career in your field?
Most of what you will learn in design, you will learn on the job from doing artwork and from your coworkers. Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know and be prepared to always learn new things and work with new technologies. There are also so many ways to get the same result in the design programs, so don’t think your way is the only right way or the best way.
What’s your process for developing a visual direction that resonates with both kids and parents?
I’m always doing research, so I pull on my knowledge of the market and do some additional research before I start. From there, I make a moodboard to define what I want the product to look like. When it comes time to design the product and the packing, I try to use the callouts to appeal to the parents and the product itself will usually grab the kids’ attention. Parents care about the details, safety, and value they’re getting, but the kids really just want to have fun with the toy! It’s a balance!
Which of our toys would make the best Art Director, and why?
I think any of our Weird Wumpling plushies would make the best Art Director because they have vision, style, and know how to command attention—just like any good creative lead. Plus I think it helps your creativity if you’re a little weird! Being weird is a good thing!