there are times i'd rather go back to making boxes.
Here's what Beth says when asked about challenges in the graphic arts field :
      Color matching: looks good on the screen, looks like utter poop when printed on the newsprint
Most difficult project?
      hard to say, there are no tough jobs, just tough customers
Do you like your job? Would you change anything to make it better?
      i like my job at the paper most days, but there are times i'd rather go back to making boxes. I wish that our sales team would use what they learned at all those seminars and loosen up a little bit. They are so overly cautious sometimes it's a wonder anyone looks at the customer's ads.
Who controls the creative? You or the boss?
      occasionally i get to push the boss toward something new, but it's rare
When you have complete control, what do you do?
      they would be clean & uncluttered using good big art. if i could i'd rather sit around all day and draw silly pictures
Average projects per week: several, depends on holidays and advertisers moods. anywhere from 10 - 30
Average layouts per job: 3
Overtime required: overtime. at least 6 hours a week
Most used software: creator ad pro, photoshop cs2
Beth is a design professional from Martin, TN USA (?)

Bureaucracy
Here's what D.I. says when asked about challenges in the graphic arts field :
      Bureaucracy mostly. That and a strong aversion to promote or market the organization I work with to garner a larger media profile.
Most difficult project?
      I think the toughest project I've worked on so far was producing a 10x40 foot exhibit display for the BDS. The photgraphic oriented panels needed to be designed so that they could be swapped out and replaced without having to reprint the entire thing. I think we went through 60 iterations of the design before we arrived at one everyone could live with.
Do you like your job? Would you change anything to make it better?
      I LOVE my job. I get to do/learn something new almost every day and there is nothing that could change to make it a better environment to work in.
Who controls the creative? You or the boss?
      It's never about what I or my boss wants, but what our clients want. If I can convince them that my ideas are the ones to pursue, so much the better. Of course my favorite clients are the ones who come with a solid idea of what they want to see.
When you have complete control, what do you do?
      I'd definitely be bringing a less conservative approach to the designs that we produce.
Average projects per week: Between 5 to 10, some long term, some short term.
Average layouts per job: That really depends on what I'm being asked to produce. If it's for print, I typically put together around 5 finished layouts that the client sees and trash 15-20 thumbnails.
Overtime required: Overtime, but it's really only during the "peak" season which runs from mid-April to around the end of August. I ususally take the time in "comp" and go surfing for a couple of weeks.
Most used software: The Adobe Creative Suite. My shop is getting more and more work in the web, audio, and video arena and we're in the process of upgrading to the CS3 Master Collection.
D.I. is a design professional from Washington, DC (?)

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