Looking forward

Hello all, first time post.

I recently left my employeer - DST OUTPUT in El Dorado Hills CA,. DST has the largest installation of Kodak HTVO digital printers on the west coast. As the lead Transpromo document designer I was responsible for the management and staffing of their Color Operations Group. I designed statement samples for top fortune 100 companies. (Search HTVO, Transpromo). I consulted with marketing execs from these companies to help educate their design agencies in the preparation of marketing materials being submitted for print production on high speed digital printers.

I created a nice portfolio site @ http://www.brannd.com/portfolio.html
after I was laid off... and was served with a Cease and Desist for showing the statements I designed on my site. I'm not contesting their ownership of the materials. I've just never been threatened with an action for doing so. They found out about the site by word of mouth.

I'm just wondering if this whole Transpromo document design business is a big hype and if I should give up the last 4 years in the document design business because, well now I can't show any of my work.

JB
 
Re: Looking forward

Jeff,

Don't give it up unless you are truly qualified to move into a different realm in the business. I spent years as a graphic designer before becoming more tech, but even then my "portfolio" (which had award-winning work) was not as important as many led me to believe. It was how I sold myself, whether I had good refs or not and whether I could speak the language of design.

Some questions to ask yourself: 1) How did you end up with the digital images after you left; did you make copies to a CD/DVD? If so, you might have done something illegal from the start. 2) If you obtained the files legally--and you're certain of this--can you simply remove the identifying features of the work; the things that ID the companies, etc? 3) Do you have good refs from the company; someone of a high level who can speak to the type and quality of your work? If so, I would think you shouldn't need a portfolio.

I am a VDP Programmer or Project Engineer (since May '00) by most descriptions--currently looking myself--and I have never needed to "show" anyone my work. It's the same as before--they want to speak to my refs, meet me to see if they like me and if I am honest and I get grilled a bit about the tech side to make sure I know what I am talking about.

Good luck!
Dwight
 

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