Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Poirier.
Kevin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
One of my first jobs out of design school was with an advertising agency in the Back Bay. Great experience from many perspectives, I gained a lot of valuable design and marketing savvy, but one big frustration were all the roadblocks and redtape that got in the way of the creative. Project managers translating client needs to creative directors. Art Directors conveying ideas to designers: like a game of “telephone” the entire message got butchered — back to the drawing board, and the costs keep rising. I started PearTree Design right after that job, without much of a sense as to how to run a business, but knowing I could provide top-notch design work to clients by working directly with them, and cutting out the red tape. It’s been that way ever since: 20 years later and the model hasn’t changed (though I’ve learned a lot more about running a business than I ever anticipated). We work directly with clients, we take time to understand their core, their market, their audience, their message; then we create the design, copy and vehicle to deliver that message. Making art work. That’s what we’re all about.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Lots of ups and downs, but that was mostly in the business side of things. My biggest challenge initially was trying to wear all the hats — but I suppose that’s common among entrepreneurs with a vision, but without a business degree. I resolved part of that problem right away, by bringing in talent that filled specific needs I couldn’t. That worked out well, my first hire is still with me. We kept adding more talent, not to earn more money necessarily, but to serve our clients better — quicker turnaround, more ideas, better creative.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with PearTree Design – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
In a word: branding. Ultimately, visual communication all comes back to that. Yes, we are a graphic design firm, but that’s a pretty vague term these days and somewhat of a commodity. As an industry, graphic design expands its breadth every year and allow more and more people in the door. 25 years ago, no one really knew about websites — today it’s an entire industry for graphic artists, animators, and developers — larger than print. But, like print design, there are many, many people who can build websites — and there are a lot of “DIY” solutions too. So the true value of a graphic design firm is not in developing creative that looks amazing, gets attention and steals the show (though that is a big part, that not everyone can accomplish) — its creating and applying a brand, through and through, so that audiences recognize it, know it and respect it. Creating and developing a brand is an entirely different beast than applying the brand. That’s what “brand guidelines” are for – so even an entry level designer can correctly apply a brand. We’re experts at brand creation and development. That’s why businesses come to us.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our plan is, and always has been, to evolve and remain relevant within rapidly changing climates. The truth is, it is common to fear the unknown and shy away from challenges we don’t fully understand. Again, the internet is a great example. Having to evolve from print design to web design was incredibly challenging. Not only is the medium entirely different (screen versus paper), but now there is this thing called “code”. Code? I went to graphic design school specifically to avoid code (and math)! But, as a team, we collectively recognized this was not only a matter of “keep up or fall behind”, but also an incredible opportunity to discover new ground in graphic design. So, we hired an expert to tutor our team on web development. After that, our designers would clamor at the opportunity to design and develop websites. Yes, coding turned out to be challenging, downright frustrating at times, but also very rewarding.
This year we’ve begun creating “virtual tours” for our clients. Very cool, 3D tours of our client’s facilities, which users can navigate 360 degrees. Check out NatickUrgentCare.com for an example.
Next year — who knows, but we’ll certainly embrace whatever comes next. After all, artwork takes on many forms.
Contact Info:
- Address: 220 Norwood Park South
Norwood, MA 02062 - Website: www.peartreeusa.com
- Phone: 781-843-0909
- Email: info@peartreeusa.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/peartree_design/
- Facebook: business.facebook.com/PearTreeGraphicDesign
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PearTreeUSA
Image Credit:
PearTree Design, LLC.
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