Loyalty is a trait that isn’t easy to find in many people. Working 10 years at S2F is a huge milestone – especially when the business has only been around for nearly 16 years – so Richard Hill has seen it all.
With his 10-year anniversary being celebrated in late March, it’s a good time to get our resident Lead Designer’s thoughts on how the business has changed since he joined as the only Web Developer, and what he hopes for the future of the industry.
I was the sole Web Developer when I joined. Since then, it has massively changed. Nowadays there is so much flexibility and a lot more stuff to do. With the breakthrough of smartphones, things are now more mobile based, as opposed to just websites. When it comes to optimising sites for mobile devices, I had to learn about it on the job.
As time has gone by, I have had to watch videos and do some research on how websites are developing. Websites all seem to go down a similar route, but they each have a different set of challenges, which is why I’m grateful to have Luke on board. It’s interesting to see how websites can now be viewed on everything from TVs to phones.
Before I joined S2F, I was self-taught on Adobe programs. I then had some tutelage from Shawn on inDesign, as I wasn’t familiar with the package. As my skills expanded, I quickly went from being Web Developer to doing a whole plethora of tasks. There is a steep learning curve, but S2F has helped me and everyone to develop.
For the last six months, I’ve begun specialising in designing. This has given me more time to focus on one skill, helping me to refine it.
Yes and no. When I’m in the office, it is nice to be there and see everyone to bounce ideas off of, such as online tasks with Luke and design work with Shawn. There is no replacement for that camaraderie, but also, I am a self-sufficient person, so I don’t mind having to adapt to working from home.
Firstly, the size of the business. Going from a small company when I started, there were two other full time staff, one part time, and Warren and Steve. That is less than half the size it is now, and we were working from a small office; the environment wasn’t conducive to being creative. Nowadays, there is a lot more office space, and more personalities within the business. Because of the company’s growth, there are many more opportunities with bigger businesses.
Secondly, the standard of work. Now that S2F is growing, we are attracting a high calibre of people who are coming into the business. This has resulted in a huge improvement in our output.
Finally, the clients we work with. When I began in 2011, we were limited to small project work, but now we have a multitude of projects with the same set of clients. Some of our clients have been with us for years now, which goes to show how much they trust us to provide their marketing services.
Listen to your client. Both Steve and Warren have said something similar in the past to “you have two ears and one mouth, so use them in that ratio”. I think that is a great piece of advice, and it applies to all walks of life, not just marketing. If you listen twice as much as you talk, you get more value out of things.
It will become more innovative, for sure. We are on the cusp of so many changes in technology and the way that people communicate with each other. There are a lot of exciting changes ahead of us!
I always embrace change, and I enjoy doing something different. Because of this, I look forward to seeing how the marketing industry changes. I will always confront it with enthusiasm.
Pedal to the metal!
It may be Richard’s 10th anniversary, but it is also coming up to our Graphic Designer Shawn Kearney’s 12th anniversary with S2F Marketing. We would like to say a special thank you to both for their services to the business so far; not just for what they have done for our clients, but also the rest of the S2F team. Their mentoring and knowledge have been incredibly useful resources, and we are very lucky to have such loyal and hardworking team players.
For further information on S2F Media, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Vimeo.