SBC Hive Spotlight: Valerie Thompson
We are back with our latest installment of the SBC Hive spotlight! This week, we are highlighting the talents of Valerie Thompson who contributes to the SBC Network as a Graphic Designer! Please read on to learn more about what Valerie is working on!
Tell us about your professional background. How long have you been in your line of work? What is your current role/position?
I have always liked to draw. My father is an artist and his father as well, so I’ve always been aware of expressing yourself through art. But even though I had natural talent, it wasn’t until college that I was introduced to graphic design and art as a profession. I immediately loved it and started to freelance part-time while in college. That led to me incorporating myself, and after graduating, moving to Columbus, Ohio and freelancing full-time for about 4 years. Then, I moved back to Toledo and began working at ProMedica as a Graphic Designer in 2014.
After about 5 years at ProMedica, I moved into the Environmental Designer role that I hold now, and that has since blossomed in several different directions. There is a lot of strategy and team building involved in these types of projects, so that introduced me to a new network of people, professional associations, and board positions. This opened my eyes to executive level possibilities. Now, I am looking forward to building a leadership position that combines my design skills with administration and advocacy.
What attracted you to joining the SBC network?
I met Emily Rippe while working at ProMedica. We always had a great connection, and when SBC started, she reached out and invited me to be a part of the collective. I love making lucrative connections, and the idea of having a network of freelancers that could support and refer to each other just made sense.
I heard you work full-time in spatial design. Can you tell us more about how you design for an environment or office space?
Having a background in commercial graphic design was the perfect segway to environmental design. In graphic design, you first consider your client’s audience and the organization’s call-to-action; these elements drive the design choices. It’s the same with environmental design. After considering who will experience the space and what the overall purpose/feeling should be, then you decide how best to arrange the space, what visual themes to use, and what items will best resonate with the visitor.
Normally I start with an inspiration board that shows images of spaces or elements that best represent the design theme I want to use. This helps to get leadership buy-in and generate reactions for discussion. After an approval is given, I work with vendors to create a plan on how to produce the desired result. We set a timeline, delegate responsibilities, and I oversee the progress until completion.
Please fill us in on your involvement in the American Advertising Federation of Toledo. What is the organization’s mission? What kind of work do you support for local marketing professionals?
The mission of the AAF – Toledo is to connect and educate members of our local marketing and advertising community. Most of our members are ad agencies, members of corporate in-house marketing teams, media professionals, freelancers, and students. We offer educational sessions about different aspects of marketing, host the AAF Awards (ADDYs), which is an annual competition for creative works and efforts in the industry, as well as host lots of different events that bring exposure and networking opportunities.
I am the Mosaic Initiative chair. This is the Diversity and Inclusion arm of the organization. The purpose of the Mosaic Initiative is to fill gaps created from implicit and explicit bias toward marginalized groups in the Toledo art and advertising industries. Within the AAF awards, we have our own set of Mosaic awards for efforts or creative works that specifically increase representation of diverse groups, teach those in our industry how to recognize and eliminate discrimination, and/or make a concerted effort to give a voice and opportunities to the historically excluded.
Our nominations are open for these awards right now, so I encourage all that have been doing this important work in our industry to apply! Deadline is December 10, 2021.
http://www.aaftoledo.org/mosaic_awards
Last question is a fun one – what is your favorite Autumn or Wintertime beverage, and why?
I just recently had a pear margarita with cinnamon on the rim from Condado Tacos the other day and it was absolutely delicious! You wouldn’t think that combination would be good, but it was fantastic. It brings all the taste and smell of Christmas to a margarita… what’s not to love!
