Design @ Peat
A multidisciplinary designer with extensive experience in branding, digital, products, print, annual report, web, social media, mobile, blog, content, monetization, ecommerce, and retail design. Obsessed with design strategy and entrepreneurial thinking with a clear understanding of branding, marketing and business strategies, my designs were published in top publications such as Graphis, CA, Print, How and Archive.
©2011-2013 Peat Jariya
Search
Additional pages
- Branding
- Healthcare
- Business insight
- Cool clients
- Good Bad Ugly
- Inspiring
- Portfolio
- Products
- Social Marketing
- Wow space
Find me on...
The Good. The Bad. The Ugly. 07.
Perseverance
Throughout my career and to this day, this one word stands out.
Success comes through a lot of hard work and perseverance.
I came across my old appointment book the other day. I did not have a computer back then. A Mac cost about $10,000 with a 16MB hard drive and a floppy disk drive. Softwares were another $10,000. Here’s how my days went back then:
like | follow | connect with me | hire me
Read more
Perseverance
Throughout my career and to this day, this one word stands out.
Success comes through a lot of hard work and perseverance.
I came across my old appointment book the other day. I did not have a computer back then. A Mac cost about $10,000 with a 16MB hard drive and a floppy disk drive. Softwares were another $10,000. Here’s how my days went back then:
Mon 9AM Oct 6
Jan at HL&P, like the work, nothing right now, call her in 2 weeks.
Tue 11AM Oct 7
Steve at Enron, will keep me on file in case something comes up.
Thu 1PM Oct 9
Cindy at Landmark, nothing right now, check in a month.
Tue 3PM Oct 13
Collin at Bridgeway, may need something done in a couple of months.
I thought to myself: “Can’t you just give me the work right now? I don’t have a couple months to wait.”
Fri 10AM Oct 16
Larry at American General, not there, forgot about my appointment.
Wed 1PM Oct 21
Melissa at Oncor, will keep me in mind if something comes up.
Thu 11AM Oct 22
Dan at Landana, wants me to do spec work, if he likes it, will pay.
Mon 2PM, Oct 26
Mel at Compaq, walk about 20 minutes to his building, huge place, nothing right now.
Wed 10AM Oct 28
Bill at Hines, can not see me, see his assistant instead, happy with current designers.
Mon 2PM Nov 2
Linda at Walker, wait 20 minutes, can’t use me.
Wed 3PM Nov 4
Matt at Sterling, nothing right now, check back in 2-3 months, wants to keep all samples
Fri 2PM Nov 6
Don at Compass, in extended meeting, has to reschedule
Tue 10AM Nov 10
David at Texas Commerce, likes everything, hires me to do his monthly publication - hooray!
I was very blessed to know and get to work with David - a VP at Texas Commerce Bank, for many years. This led to more work with JPMorgan Chase because Texas Commerce Bank was later on merged into JPMorgan Chase. I’ll never forget David and am very grateful for opening the door for me.
Never take any client for granted. They take a chance on you. Always give them your best.
like | follow | connect with me | hire me
Never despise the small beginning.
My first office space was a 5 ft X 5 ft space with one table - it was my breakfast table. With no clients, very little money, and a Houston Business Journal subscription, I started reading and learning about Houston business. It was a lot harder than working for someone else. Looking back, starting your own business was already a risky idea when you’re so young - let alone starting it during a bad recession. I made a list of character traits for a successful business owner. This is just based on my experience and from watching all my clients.
Fearless + bold + aggressive + tenacious + determined + persevered + focused + goal oriented + purposeful + driven + relentless + positive + confident + diligent + consistent + unselfish + humble + steadfast + immovable + strong + enduring + tough + thick skinned + passionate + enthusiastic + motivated + business minded + a bit talented
Notice I put talent last.
like | follow | connect with me | hire me
Mistakes designers make
Over the years I’ve witnessed plenty of mistakes we all designers make at one time or another. I’ve listed some here to remind us not to do them again. I’m sure there are more.
Work without a contract
Work without set phase deadlines
Work with little contact with the client
Work without a target audience
Work without a design brief
Work without evolving with technology
Work without hand sketching
Work without black & white
Work with plagiarism
Work without simplicity
Work without confidence
work with a “yes” attitude
and the most lethal is
work for free (spec work)
like | follow | connect with me | hire me
This is it
I walked into a graphic design class and I knew then that “this is it”. I had such strong desire to have my own business. So I spent the next 2 years in 6 jobs learning everything about the design business. I worked at an ad agency, a PR agency, a marketing firm, a small design studio, an architecture firm and a multi disciplined design firm that practiced interior design, engineering, architecture and graphic design. After that, I took a leap of faith and started on my own. The year was 1987 and Houston was in the middle of a severe recession. —Peat
The Good. The Bad. The Ugly. 02.
The early years.
My first job was in a publishing firm that shared space with an architecture practice. I admired those designers and architects I worked with at the time. Never thought I could design. It got me interested in it enough to enroll in Architecture College for a year and a half. I enjoyed architecture but I must be so pitiful at it that my professor told me that I should switch to graphic design because that’s my strength. Thank you, Bob Timme for guiding me to a better path. —Peat
like | follow | connect with me | hire me
The Good. The Bad. The Ugly. 01.
I’m sure some of you may relate to this.
My table is always full of piles and piles of paper with just enough space for my laptop. I hate clutter so the other day I tried to clean up. No such luck. I was able to cut them down to 10 medium-sized stacks instead of tall stacks. Then I just moved them to the floor so I could get a clean table. So now the table is clean but the floor is cluttered. I give up. In the process, I came across some old letters and samples of work people sent me. (Back then it’s all letters, now it’s emails). There were a lot of similar questions people asked me in these letters. How did you get started? How do you get clients? etc… Most questions are business related. It got me thinking. It has been 20 years running Metal - this design business that I love. I’ve decided to share my experience here. Some stories. Some wars. Some funny encounters. The challenge. The fires I had to put out. Stuff I never have the opportunity to share with anyone.
The Good. The Bad and The Ugly.
It’s never all smooth sailing, you know.
But that’s what makes it a wonderful designer’s life.
Who knows, some of you may be in these stories.
Peat
like | follow | connect with me | hire me
