Q&A with Jeff Tappenden

What is your favourite thing about working at Gerry Lewis Inc.?

As a team, we prioritize good communication with each other – not just about projects on the go, but also about our personal lives when it impacts work. I believe that one of the biggest causes of stress at work is conflicts between coworkers, and most of these conflicts are created by poor communication. Therefore, when you work at a place that makes a point of focusing on good internal communication, it takes a lot of the stress out of work and generally makes for a happier environment.  

How do you like to start your day?

The first thing I do when I start my day is make a big cup of coffee. Then I sit down at my desk and start going through my emails. As I’m doing this, I’m prioritizing what I need to do for the day and what can be done later in the week. Once I have a clear picture of what I need to accomplish that day, I start to work on the most pressing task.  

If you had a vacation day in the middle of the week, how would you spend it?

If I had a free day in the middle of the week, I would go for a long bike ride along the lakeshore close to my house.  

What was your first job?

I worked as a caddie at Don Valley Golf Course when I was 14. One day, the club Pro hired me to caddie for him. To this day, I’ve never seen anyone golf as well as he did that day.  

If you weren’t a graphic designer at Gerry Lewis Inc., what do you think you’d be?

If I wasn’t a graphic designer, I would love to be a teacher at a college. I’m not 100% sure what I would teach, but the subjects would be focused around design, innovation and entrepreneurship.  

What made you decide to become a graphic designer?

The original movie came out when I was 9 years old, but it wasn’t until I saw “The Making of Jurassic Park” documentary that I learned that the special effects were created using computers. It was then that I became interested in learning how to create visuals using a computer.  

What’s a piece of advice you would give someone looking to become a freelance graphic designer?

My advice to someone thinking about becoming a freelance designer is: don’t just try to sell yourself with your portfolio, start thinking of yourself as a service provider. What creates return business and recommendations is when your client has a good experience while working with you.