Graphic Design Alumni Spotlight: Maggie Simmons

We are proud to share how our alumni are succeeding in the creative community. The Alumni Spotlight features Maggie Simmons, a 2015 alumna and former Young Nordan Scholarship winner from Kansas City. She is currently the Artist Brand Director + Graphic Designer at Musicbed. We asked her a few questions to catch up on her recent activity and success. Here are a few highlights.

What is your current title and place of employment?

Artist Brand Director + Graphic Designer at Musicbed

At Musicbed I am responsible for being the gatekeeper of quality when it comes to the branding and visuals of the musicians we represent. I help provide art direction for our musicians and make sure everything meets the quality of excellence Musicbed expects in order to promote our music releases effectively. I also design for Musicbed’s Marketing Team – designing digital and print materials for weekly marketing needs and brand campaigns. Additionally, I also design materials for our co-branded annual Film + Music Magazine and Film + Music Conference that we host with our sister company, Filmsupply.

What is the most challenging and/or fulfilling project that you have worked on and why?

We put on our first Film + Music Conference in Fort Worth in September 2017. Since I started at Musicbed in 2014, it had been a dream of ours to get film industry leaders all in one room for a conference hosted by us, and seeing this come to life was one of the most incredible experiences. This conference is put on solely by our team – no outside help or event planners – which added to the challenge. It was the scrappiness of our team paired with the passion and drive to bring this dream to life that made this event such an exciting experience. So much detail was put into the event – everything from conference branding, the digital marketing, print pieces, event multimedia and the experience of the event itself with booking speakers, breakouts, hospitality, creating environments, etc  – and when 400 people from literally all over the world flew to Fort Worth to attend… it was one of the most humbling and incredible feelings where I got to say to myself, “I can’t believe I get to do this.” It’s a challenge to be in a position where you’re trying to inspire top creatives who create the work that inspires the rest of the creative community, and the fact that our first conference was successful in that was a huge win for the team! We can’t wait for 2018’s conference. The bar has been raised and we’re excited!

What have you enjoyed the most about working as a professional in a creative field?

I have loved getting to be a part of a team that is a working together for bettering the Musicbed brand through our mission of “elevating every creative project through music”.

It’s an honor work on a team that goes after bold ideas, excellence and bringing big dreams to life. As someone who has always been fascinated by both the music and film industries, I love that I get to do what I love within that sphere alongside some of the best people I know. There is nothing like being a part of a team where day in and day out you are challenging yourselves, hitting the highs (+ low/growth) moments, celebrating wins, making dreams come true and carrying out the same vision together.

How did the TCU Graphic Design program prepare you for success in your career?

The TCU Graphic Design program helped build a foundation to help me grow and balance multiple projects at one time, increasing my capacity to take on many things at once, while still exercising creativity. It also helped me learn communication skills to speak among peers, leadership and speaking about my work.

What changes or trends in the industry should graphic design students be aware of and prepared to address?

I work with photography and films on a regular basis, and I think the earlier students can start looking at how to not only integrate design with these other mediums, but to do it well would be extremely beneficial. At Musicbed we not only expect our designers to know how to design, but also have the ability to curate, edit and know how to work with photography and video to the needs and style of our brand. In addition to this, it would be important to consider all new media types in projects. Things are always changing – platforms and use of design within those platforms are constantly evolving. It’s important to stay ahead of the curve and utilize them in ways that are smart and effective for brands, clients etc.

If you would like to share your insights, experience and success with your fellow alumni contact us:
graphicdesign@tcu.edu