Day In The Life: Reva Graves
A continuation of our day in the life blog series!
Hello, my name is Reva. I am an art director at The Sampson House. I have lived in the Sioux Falls area for over sixteen years and reside in the burbs with my 13-year-old son Mason.
Background
I’m from a small town 30 miles north of Aberdeen called Frederick (yes, it’s located in South Dakota). I moved to Sioux Falls in 2006 to attend Southeast Technical Institute to attain my AAS degree in Graphic Communications. While at school, I started my career as a Graphic Designer at a print shop.
Eventually, I returned to school, participating in online classes in the evening to further my education, receiving a BA in Graphic Design. Aside from working in a print shop, I have previously worked in the healthcare industry within an internal marketing department and two other advertising agencies.
What Do I Do?
I facilitate the vision of each project to my team, create designs, develop concepts, and determine how to best represent a brand consistently over various projects and mediums. Behind every project, whether it’s a website, print ad, brochure, digital campaign, infographic, video, etc., an art director brings the idea to life.
The Day to Day
My day-to-day in digital marketing can vary vastly. One day I could create a logo, brand identity, or campaign, and the next, I could assemble a storyboard for a video or design and develop a website.
Here is a glimpse into a day for me:
6 - 7:30 a.m. - Wake up! Shower, get Mason and myself ready.
7:45 a.m. - Drop Mason off at Middle School.
7:45 - 8 a.m. - Drive to the studio, sometimes grabbing a coffee on my way into town.
8:20 a.m. - Arrive and unlock the studio. Then, review my emails, calendar, and tasks for the day. At The Sampson House, we use Asana as a task management software to keep us on track and meet our deadlines.
I highly recommend using a task management system if you are an art director, designer, or work at any agency. There are many great options out there, and I personally would not be as successful without it.
9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. - During this time block, I usually knock out the projects that will be quick to do, like minor changes or ad resizing. Today I am working on: A quick URL update for a campaign, selecting a new photo for a blog, resizing an ad, and creating two new icons for a website.
12 - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch! Today, I am hitting up Bread & Circus, conveniently located around the corner. It is one of my favorite lunch spots. Everything I have had on the menu is fantastic, but a few of my favorites are; the curried cauliflower sandwich and the Vietnamese fried chicken sandwich. Some seasonal menu items worth mentioning are the Hawaiian plate in the summer and Ramen in the winter.
If you are looking for other good lunch spots, Downtown Sioux Falls has no shortage of options for you! Check out our blog “Best Downtown Lunch Spots” if you want some ideas.
12:30 - 1 p.m. - By this time, I need a coffee pick-me-up! Today, I walked over to The Source to grab an iced caramel latte and hung out in the courtyard of the Jones 421 building while I read a short chapter or two of the book I’m reading.
1 - 5 p.m. - I work on my large project for the day. On this day, in particular, I am working on designing mock-ups for a website.
5:30 - 6 p.m. - Lock up the office and head out.
Post Work Activities
6 - 8 p.m. - Bike ride, hit the dirt trails. Thanks, Falls Area SingleTrack (FAST)! If you’re interested in riding your bike on dirt trails, check them out here. There are over 15 miles of singletrack for you to hike, run, or bike right here within the city limits. (Selfish plug, I am on the board of this nonprofit.)
8 p.m. - Shower, read, and unwind.
If you want to see what a typical day looks like for the other fabulous people that work at The Sampson House. Check out our other day in the life series with Mikena VanLiere, account executive; Jaci Van Essen, project manager; and Kerry McDonald, art director.
