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By Hannah Pittard It’s no wonder that graphic design alumnus Shandon Melvin (B.F.A.,1998) has, in only six years, jumped from associate art director with Calvin Klein to graphic designer for Levi Strauss to art director for the National Football League. After all, this is a man who secured his first job offer after graduation by riding a Calvin Klein elevator up and down for nearly 30 minutes to garner as much information about the company as possible before persuading a security guard to let him speak to the art director’s assistant. “They’re all great companies that I have a tremendous amount of respect for,” said Melvin, who confessed to going through a traditional recruiter in order to attain his position at Levi Strauss. “They were really easy choices because of their reputations, and they were opportunities I couldn’t pass up.” After working almost solely on the brand image of cK Jeans and children’s jeans’ sub-brands at Calvin Klein, Melvin moved to Levi Strauss. “[It] was probably the most creative place I’ve worked,” he said. “My role was to design the packaging, denim tags and posters for Levi’s stores and other retail locations where Levi’s are sold. Levi’s is a very difficult and challenging client, and I spent a lot of time revising concepts.” Melvin moved from Levi Strauss to the NFL after a friend from Calvin Klein was hired as creative director. “My position at the NFL is probably more versatile than Calvin Klein or Levi’s,” he said. “The range of work at the NFL is very broad and just as fast-paced, even in the off-season. It’s a different challenge because I’m in the position to oversee designers and it forces me to communicate clearly.” Life since graduation has had its ups and downs, but Melvin’s never “been to the breaking point,” he said. “Early in my career I would let the frustrating work experiences bother me at home and found myself in a bad mood the next day when I went back to work. It started to get to me and I realized I wasn’t very fun to be around. So at that point I made a conscious decision to leave work at work.”
Melvin’s advice for students aspiring to positions similar to his is not to be too specialized. “Do not tailor your work specifically to [the NFL, Calvin Klein or Levi’s, etc.],” he said. “I’ve seen numerous portfolios where students try to do their own version of a cK ad, and it’s usually a turn-off — not because it’s not good, but it looks like you’re trying too hard to be cK. I want to see what you can do, what you can create and what interesting point-of-view you would bring to the company. Make sure every piece in your portfolio is your best. Don’t add in a logo design if you don’t want to design logos. Include the work that interests you and that you’re good at doing.” |
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