Get to know Manny, our Senior Digital Marketing Specialist
This month we asked Manny some questions to shed some light on his role at Content Smith, his career so far, what inspires him and his perspective on website design trends for 2022.
Tell us about your role at Content Smith.
I’m a digital marketing specialist, a creative, an office coffee fiend and regular ‘gif sender on Slack’.
Which part of joining Content Smith makes you the most excited?
Clients and the digital work. We’ve got a really great variety of clients who all need something a little different. That’s right up my alley because I really love doing a little bit of everything. Working in the digital space is also really exciting - the digital landscape is constantly changing and the tech is always evolving. It makes learning new ways to help clients always challenging but equally rewarding. I love when I learn something new for ‘Client A’ this month, I can sometimes take those learnings over to ‘Client B’ next month and everyone wins because our results and deliverables get better all the time. That's the beauty of working in the digital marketing world.
What’s the most interesting job you’ve ever had?
This one! No, just kidding (although this is definitely up there). I’ve actually found all of my previous roles very interesting because I’ve always found a way to learn and evolve my skill set. I have however been involved in some cool projects - I’ve once helped design and market a video game for a business, that was very different and super fun, we even won an award for the project!
What’s your biggest strength?
Oh boy, this is a tough one. I’m not really one for blowing my own horn….but maybe my “never settling-ness”. This might be confused with stubbornness but I’m always on the lookout for ways to make things ‘better’. Whether that’s a new marketing technique, a creative execution or even my own personal mindset - I have such a strong belief that we can always find ways to improve things.
What’s your quote to live by?
Sooooo many!!!
When I was younger all I wanted to do was find a job that gave me purpose and I was passionate about so I lived by, “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.” - very zen.
As I got into the creative industry it became…
“Creative ideas flourish best in a shop which preserves some spirit of fun. Nobody is in business for fun, but that does not mean there cannot be fun in business.” Simply because I always felt that a positive spirit and a sense of fun always brought out my best ideas.
But now that I’m older I’m here:
“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.” Because I’m realising more and more, that if we’re constantly striving for ‘better’ we will get there even if we fall short, the journey really does bring its own rewards.
If you could meet anyone – dead or alive – who would it be and why?
I’ve literally never thought about this question before, but there are a few people I’d like to have had a quick conversation with…
James Baldwin was a writer and civil rights activist in the 70s. He had such a powerful and unique view of American history at the time of his life, plus he was one of only a handful of people who knew and worked with both Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X.
Any of the original Madison Ave advertising mavericks of the 60s to the 80s because they were the originators of modern advertising and would have the BEST stories to tell, also what would they say about today…
Dave Chappelle, which as a comedian makes him a bit controversial (all comics are really) - but as an orator and storyteller, he is amazing!
What are the key website and digital design trends you see for 2022?
I can think of three:
Clarity with typography
I think we’re always pursuing clarity in design. What I mean is, designers are always walking this fine line between being super creative and clear concise messaging. To facilitate this I’m seeing more big typography treatments taking centre stage again with clear messaging. Big, bold, and beautiful type treatments are here to stay for another year.
Bring back the 80s/90s
We’re also having a revitalisation period (again!) - where retro designs and trends are going to be making a comeback. Designs that nod to the 80’s and 90’s are going to continue to pop up more and more. There is a playfulness that those eras reflect which I think people are drawn to when you consider the past two years of very heavy COVID-based messaging.
UX/UI
UX and UI are continuing their strong march towards ultimate relevancy in the design process. More and more, we’re referencing the UX and how that informs the design before we begin the creative work. This is seen more than ever before as we rely more and more on digital platforms to serve as our main communication tools (particularly while we are WFH or hybrid working). More digital tools are being developed to facilitate this new working environment and the UX/UI component has never been more important.
Have more website-related questions you’d like Manny to answer? Comment below!