The worst job I ever had was as a cashier at a supermarket. The monotony of standing on the rubber mat, scanning can after can, waiting for the next person to arrive, was not for me. I am a person that cannot stand still and who needs to be occupied at all times.

Which makes DDA a good fit for me. Though you can argue that I spend a large part of my day in front of a computer, I can assure it is never just staring at the screen. There is rarely a dull moment and I certainly never have to wait for the people to arrive.

At the moment, I have a handful of requests from existing clients, for whom I act as Project Coordinator, involving flash programming, search engine optimization, traditional programming, and web work. I have two websites that are just beginning — one will be highly search engine optimized and is in the keyword research phase and another is at the design level — and a highly-involved ordering system that is on its way to completion, with proofing that needs to be arranged.

I have a few inquiries that I am trying to arrange either an estimate or  conference call for, a quote that needs to go out, two conference calls, and several follow-up e-mails that need to be sent out. That is in addition to the requests for work that will come in throughout the day either by e-mail or phone.

I also have proofing to do, a direct-mail piece that needs to be written, and an outline that needs to be prepared.  It’s a hectic day, as always. And I am not alone. I am in good company with my fellow three writers, as well as everyone else — the graphic designers, programmers, web developers, videographers, animators, and search engine marketing and optimization teams. Just another day in the life of DDA.

And I most certainly am not complaining.  I like the fast-paced atmosphere and a job that constantly challenges me. It’s a far cry from the rubber mat I once stood on scanning frozen peas, but I’m OK with that.

As a Project Coordinator at Dynamic Digital Advertising (DDA), I work closely with clients and all members of our team - from graphic designers and programmers to copywriters and animators - that are involved in a given project. In my experience, I have come to realize how important it is to take the necessary time and word correspondences correctly to convey a clear and straightforward message. While some of our clients consist of well-established companies with extensive experience in all forms of advertising, others are innovative start-up organizations that lack the knowledge on the best way to proceed in a project, whether it is a website design or a video production.

Bottom line, it is not our clients’ job to automatically understand, it is our job to provide all pertinent and relevant information in an easy-to-understand format so they, in turn, can make wise and educated decisions. That said, it is critical that every form of communication be well thought out and that important points, issues, or potential problems are discussed internally beforehand in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page and there are no discrepancies. Anticipating complications and misunderstandings prior to initiating a response and doing our best to avoid them helps things flow from one stage to the next as smoothly as possible.

“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.” ~ Francois Gautier

Working with clients from project inception to completion as a Project Coordinator helps me establish an overall understanding of the needs of particular clients, their direction, and their intentions for the outcome of the projects at hand and those of the future. It is my hope that every project ends on a positive note for the client and DDA. I work closely with staff members, such as programmers, search engine optimization (SEO) specialists, graphic designers, copywriters, photographers, videographers, animators, and the AR/AP department to ensure that every “i” gets dotted and “t” crossed. Working in this manner also helps me to understand the intricacies, responsibilities, and tasts involved with every DDA employee.

In the past few weeks, we’ve managed to complete and close a variety of different projects from copywriting services to logo design, and much more. I’m pleased to say that we were able to meet each project’s deadline and every client was satisfied with a job well done. But with the completion of one project means the inception of another and the same goal… to meet and exceed client expectations so that he or she returns to our full-service advertising agency for any and all of their advertising and marketing needs.

My 3-year old is in the throws of the “why?” stage. He’s also going through some other stages as well, but I’ll save those for another time. “Why do we have tears?” Why do I have a mommy?” “Why is he a giant?”(said to a rather tall McDonald’s customer). We should all be so curious and observant. 

Graphic Designers need to be especially observant and ask many “Why’s” before, during, and after a project. In fact, it’s a great habit to ask Who, What, and Where as well. For example: Who is my target audience? What type of paper is this brochure being printed on? What resolution and color mode should I set up for this trade show graphic? Where is your literature being distributed? Where will people be viewing your website? Why am I using this font, these colors, and why will this layout be most effective for the client?

While it can be draining to answer rapid fire ”Why’s” throughout the day, I know that my 3-year old’s curiosity is something that we should all, as artists, graphic designers, videographers, programmers, animators, illustrators, and writers adopt on a daily basis.

Today officially marks one year that I have been at Dynamic Digital Advertising.  It’s hard to believe. Looking at my bulging file cabinet, however, it seems a little more believable.

As a writer, working at a full-service company like DDA has expanded my knowledge on so many different topics and mediums. Like the  three fellow professional writers who also act as Project Coordinators and in New Business Development, I am constantly running back and forth between departments, which often means some quick education.

Admittedly, I did not know much about programming. But with a team of highly-experienced programmers, I always have back up.  Thanks to our transfer to a new and advanced server system, I got a quick lesson in domain names, DNS, and hosting overall. I now have a working knowledge and can answer questions if needed. Who would’ve thought.

I also got to know more about Video Production by assisting with  development of the DDA Video Actors’ Network.

I tweaked scripts, prepared them for teleprompter, and gave brief overviews to the actors coming in. With so much video integration that we do for website development, I also got a lot of experience in video shoots, helping clients to find the right talent, working with our Casting Director to schedule and order necessary props and clothing, and making sure everything was running smoothly.

Then there’s website development in general, learning the mechanics of development and the techniques unique to DDA.

I know I have written it before, but I am always amazed by the talent that exists under one roof — the illustrators, graphic designers, animators, programmers, videographers, website developers, and, maybe I am a bit biased, most notably, my fellow writers.

Writing search engine optimized copy or content for a brochure or video script can often times be like riding a bike for the first time. Your initial attempt may result in a crash and some bumps and bruises but eventually you’ll find your rhythm and continue on your way. For every project, whether it be a brochure that our graphic designers have developed and our copywriters have written, or a custom medical video, several revisions may be needed before the perfect variation is achieved. The graphics must convey the proper message, the content must speak to the appropriate audience, and the marketing themes must be fresh and effective. At DDA’s full-service advertising agency, we aim to please and that is why we continually work to deliver an end product our clients can be proud to display.

From the initial kick-off meeting to the subsequent correspondences, our goal is to seek your input and assess your needs in order to deliver the results you crave. And like a determined child set on conquering his bike riding blunders, the DDA team will quickly adapt to your desires and deliver the website, brochure, or video you’ve envisioned.

As a Project Coordinator, I have overseen the completion of many a project and have been witness to the videographers’, animators’, graphic designers’, and copywriters’ ability to adapt to clients and projects. Our initial copy or designs may be close to what you have envisioned, but a minor adjustment may be needed here and there.  This is why the DDA streamlined approach to production is so effective. We seek client input and approval every step of the way. We do not move forward unless the client is comfortable, therefore the end product is guaranteed to be exactly what was initially sought after. In the beginning their may be a few wobbles, but balance and progress will certainly be achieved.

After so many sunny and warm days last week, I awake to a rainy Monday morning. It is not such an unusual sight in April, just a little disappointing after such a beautiful week. But I have to remind myself that the rain is just as important as the sun in life.

It makes me think of the facinating flash animation that is being created  by one of our amazing Animators.  I was mesmerized as a beautifully animated leaf appeared on screen, swirled in a little dance and magically turned into a combination of leaf and droplet of rain. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the screen as each tiny little movement was tweaked to perfection. At DDA we can create the best custom animation by our top notch Animation artists. Our designers can create 2d or 3d animation, character animation, medical animation, even  animated backgrounds that can include live actors interacting. The new and exciting things that are created everyday here at  DDA never ceases to amaze me.

My 6-month-old has figured out how to rollover onto his belly flawlessly. Problem is he doesn’t yet know how to roll onto his back from that position. He’s stuck. So, we’ve all been helping him roll back over. We sometimes let him work it out on his own, but eventually he gives up and bonks his nose on the floor. But, no matter how many bonks to the nose he takes during the day, it doesn’t stop him from rolling and rolling and rolling. He’s so determined. 

It’s that sort of determination you find at Dynamic Digital Advertising (DDA). Not only have I found that our team of graphic designers, web designers, programmers, animators, writers, video and 3D designers are independently determined, but they will help others out in an instant. We all get stuck during the week and it is comforting to know that there is always someone ready to plow through each project with you, such as determining the best color palette to use on a brochure or how to properly test a newsletter template before sending it off to a client. 

So, if you bonk your nose this week, never fear, there is always someone ready to flip you back over!

When working on a project, we have to make double certain to keep our files organized in some fashion. The more organized your system, the easier it will be to go back and either retrieve resources from the project, or update the work if needed.

Recently I have been working on changing an animation that I did months ago. At first I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find the images I needed to change, or the 3D files that I needed to re-render. That probably would have been the case if it was a project from a year ago, when I first started working at DDA. Now, when I do an animation, I use an organizational system that works well for my style of animation.

Another reason to keep your things organized in animations would be to help any other animators that may work on that project. The easier and more intuitive your system, the easier other animators will be able to work with your assets, whether they be using them during the project or coming back to it on an archive CD way down the road.
So organize your files! You never know when you’ll need to go back to them!

If you were to ask ten clients what Dynamic Digital Advertising does for them, you would probably get six or seven different answers. Some clients utilize only our print design and print production services, but these clients come to us for bread and butter business cards, brochures, postcards, and sometimes even a few exotic print projects that include die cuts, special folds, etc. Some clients think of us as their web developer. We build the website, work closely with them to assure their message is clear in word and image, and the site is first rate, and as part of our web services, do their search engine optimization and maintenance work.

I have even heard a client call us “their photographer” because that is all we do for that company. Then there are the clients who work with us because we can take care of all their needs. Maybe this month it is preparing for trade shows and we are tasked with everything from concept to creation of booth graphics to dealing with the trucking companies who deliver the booths and the special furniture and counters, and the extra large TV screens for viewing the videos we created of the client’s product.

So we are a different vendor to different clients. The crucial reality is that as a full-service advertising agency we can and do work diligently to always create custom designs, for each company that chooses to work with us. And we do so with a team that includes graphic designers, videographers, animators, illustrators and some of the best copywriters who also juggle other duties like project coordination. 

If I sound like I am proud of us, it is because I am. I often tell new clients who marvel at the depth of our services, that we are a well kept secret in this business!