Name: Dominique Buffaloe
Course: Topics in Graphic Design
Professor: Trofimova
Date: March 29, 2019
Midterm/Networking Event Visit and Paper
The New York Design Center: Learn and Lunch at 200 Lexington Avenue was my midterm networking event found on Meetup. It was scheduled on Friday: March 22, 2019 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, hosted by Jonathan Baron, an interior designer who worked at the New York Design Center for more than a decade. A couple of reasons why I choose this event was due to its large public following of +70 members, my genuine interest in the design industry, and the detailed description provided on its main page which stated that the New York Design Center of Interior Design and Decorating organized multiple workshops, presentations, lectures and seminars for all creative professionals regardless of their area of study or profession. There were additional perks such as discounted lunch, free products and materials, and exclusive insider tours and access to showrooms, artisan and craftsman studios.
The New York Design Center meetup event gave participants the opportunity to invite a family member or friend, so I invited my sister to the event who had previous experience and an education in fashion design and decorating. We arrived earlier than expected, approximately at 11:45 am and met the main host, Jonathan Baron, and the CEO, James P. Druckman, around the same time. One by one, more members of the group that to trickle in as the time went on. It was an incredibly diverse group of individuals in terms of ethnicity and nationality. Furthermore, everyone who participated at the event was a designer in their own creative profession whether it was fashion design, architectural design, graphic design, advertising design, interior design, and so forth. All individuals at the New York Design Center meetup was at different career stages with some just starting out as students, such as myself, and others with years of experience who had prestigious corporations as clients such as Gucci, Maybelline, Victoria Secret, and so on.
After lunch with the main host, Jonathan Baron, the CEO, James P. Druckman, and the rest of the group. Mr. Baron gave us an insightful story about his life as a young foreign interior designer who arrived and had to make a living in New York City. To summarize his words, Mr. Baron said he struggled to maintain full time employment, so he ventured off as a freelance interior designer, and due to his constant hustle to forge personal connections with others by participating in local events and groups. Mr. Baron earned his very first client, successfully completed the work on time, which then led to more consist work, one after the next. He was fiercely determined and motivated to succeed, persevering through any and every challenge that came his way, because he strongly believed that his very livelihood was at stake if he gave up.
What I learned during that very moment was that having a do or die mentality is not necessarily an extreme or negative concept. Those who are serious about their academic or professional career will pour their blood, sweat, and tears into their creative work at every chance they get. It is a must. This level of dedication and devotion to one’s work illustrates the individual’s diligence and passion; it shows one’s resourcefulness and their ability to get the job done at all cost, which is viable in a highly competitive creative industry where one’s portfolio must hold and speak volume to potential employers if they want to be successful in their desired profession.
Another thing I learned from the conversation we had with Mr. Baron was to become even more involved in the design industry through groups. Mr. Baron stated and I quote, “life is happening in those groups. Events such as these are a community itself. When you join a group, you are essentially joining a small community, and when that group grows, your community grows…when your community grows, so does your network.”
In the end, The New York Design Center: Lunch and Learn event showed me the significance of direct communication and networking and how an opportunity can be just one conversation away. The lesson learned from Mr. Baron’s “do or die” mentality is one that I will apply even further into my work but with a different perspective. Treating my work as an extension and representation of myself rather than a simple project is one of the best ways to what I am capable of and my diligence and resourcefulness as a creative professional.
