Ellen Spurlock

LITTLE BRAND COMMUNICATIONS AND DESIGN
www.littleonline.com
Bachelors of Industrial Design 2005
Arlington, VA

What are you currently fascinated by and how is it feeding into your work? A new hobby? Your family? The time of year? I enjoy being out in the world and exploring cities to see how architecture and graphics blend together. 

“I love collaborating with our designers and architects with different backgrounds than myself. It's always inspiring to collectively solve a problem and aids in the sense of team accomplishment.”

Who or what has been the biggest single influence on your way of thinking about design? While I was in graduate school for exhibition design, I studied the creative process as a means to present information to an audience in a way that might encourage creative thought in them. This helped form my own design process into an encouraging exercise of exploration, relieving a sense of pressure which was leading to creative blocks early in my career. 

What advice would you give to student designers today who are striving to land their first job as a designer at a company like Little? I’d encourage all students to participate in internships while they are in school. It’s a good way to get a sense of what types of companies are out there and what you are and are not interested in perusing after school. It also is a great resume builder which will help you land that first job after graduation.  

You are currently in charge of Brand Communication and Design at Little’s D.C. office. With your numerous responsibilities in mind, what is the most interesting or perhaps rewarding part of your current design work? I love collaborating with our designers and architects with different backgrounds than myself. Its always inspiring to collectively solve a problem and aids in the sense of team accomplishment. Design can only get better if a variety of influencers are involved early on.

You are a successful woman in your field. Do you believe that it is harder for women to become successful in the field of design? Is there a difference between working in design with women or with men? Have you ever been treated differently because you are female? I feel that I’ve been treated equally by men and women and I treat others the same as well. I would encourage women designers to look for team members and organizations that they are aligned with, and if you find yourself in a situation that you aren’t satisfied with, to identify it early and seek out a solution.

While you were in school at Auburn, do you remember a specific design project that challenged you the most? I was challenged to find the type of work that I wanted to do, realizing that Industrial Design was as broad as it was. The branding and exhibition semester spoke to me best; I ultimately loved graphics and branding in the environment and realized that the best fit for me would be somewhere that I could practice a variety of disciplines, which led me to the field of Experiential Graphic Design. 

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were in school? I wish that I had a better sense of project management and the general business side of design when I was younger, I would have grown as a well-rounded professional much faster if I had earlier exposure to this.

“I think its important for a designer to have a passion for the type of work that you do and to keep the end user in mind.”

What should a young designer avoid doing when applying for jobs in the design field? Are there any rules or habits that help you do your work more efficiently? I think its important for a designer to have a passion for the type of work that you do and to keep the end user in mind. Designers serve others with their unique skills and talents – you’re being hired to help solve a problem. When the designer isn’t impassioned, the work and ability to help others suffers.