Landing in the storm

My past work experiences left me confused and uneasy. Even though I had learnt plenty and encountered wonderful people, I had experienced constant pressure and tense atmospheres. Two and a half years into the work sector, I had convinced myself I wasn’t made for marketing and that I should reconsider my career path. But… what would I do instead? I was lost when I arrived in Malta, thirsty for change and eager to better my English.
The Job Centre in France found me an internship in an online marketing agency in Malta called – surprise, surprise – Switch! Switch was the perfect company to help me improve my English and allow me to work within my skillset. But regardless of the opportunity, I was still perplexed and anxious.
Before setting foot on the island, I had learnt that it seldom rains in Malta. Well, not in my experience. In my first couple of weeks, I experienced the storm which caused the Azure Window to collapse. I was so disappointed. The weather reflected my state of mind, unstable and grey, but the insecurity wouldn’t last long.

A post shared by Caroline de Fréminville (@carolinedefreminville) on Apr 2, 2017 at 11:03pm PDT

Discovering Switch and the Maltese Islands

After only a couple of weeks at Switch, I felt at home. When my family asked about my experience in Malta, I found myself answering “Honestly? It’s great! The team is wonderful, people welcomed me warmly, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, they are incredibly good at what they do. I’ve never learnt so much in such a short period of time”. I wasn’t saying all of this for the sake of reassuring them, I honestly felt that way. Kirsten showed me all the tricks behind managing Adwords and Facebook campaigns. Melissa, who is bursting with energy and ideas, involved me in social media analysis and copywriting, and David gave me some tips in SEO targeted at human outreach emails.

A post shared by Switch (@switchmalta) on Apr 11, 2017 at 3:24am PDT

Following the storm, I also started to explore the Maltese islands and their amazing landscape. I met their tiny, green, inhabitants (chameleons), had a drink in the surprisingly stunning Popeye Village. I touched the ochre sand of Għajn Tuffieha Bay, soaked my feet in the fresh water of Ramla Bay and admired the turquoise colour of the Blue Lagoon. I bought some local vegetables from the Marsaxlokk Market and walked along the streets of ancient Valletta. I also learned how to cross a road successfully (not minding zebra crossings), and picked up some Maltese words like ‘mela’ or the cute ‘illallu’ on the way.

A post shared by Caroline de Fréminville (@carolinedefreminville) on Mar 25, 2017 at 3:55pm PDT

Leaving in the sun

After three months in Malta, my mood is sunnier, my brain is rejuvenated, my confidence is higher and my skin is tanned-ish! That’s the type of transformation Switch has on people. How could it not, with Kirsten’s: “No worries, don’t stress, just do your best” and Melissa’s “Well done girls! You’re amazing!” and Lindsey’s “Bravo girls! Super happy with your work!”?
Switch highlights the importance of staying ‘human’, and not a day goes by without laughter in the open office, sweets, cakes or chocolates in the kitchen. It’s the same with clients: Switch offers no standard proposal for projects, only dynamic ideas adapted to the client in question. The human element even transpires to the way in which you communicate to your brand’s audience – and this is where Switch excels.
It’s certainly this sincere and strong objective which ensures a good quality of life at in the Switch headquarters. This mindset pushes you to be better at your job, every day.

My short time at Switch helped me achieve a new start, find confidence in myself, improve my English and meet great people. It was an amazing experience and I’ll certainly miss Malta – and of course, the whole Switch Team!
Thank you Switch. It has been a pleasure.
 

Thank YOU Caroline for an amazing few months! We loved having you here, even though you’re vegan. So happy the internship worked out for you – we all wish you the best of luck in your next move! – The Switch Team

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Function, keep us from the dark side…

Now as most people that know me can confess, I am in no means a fan of Star Wars (most people will probably stop reading now). Truth be told I haven’t the slightest clue how many films have even been created thus far. So do forgive me if my post isn’t latent with Star Wars film references or characters.
Unlike my fellow designer (Andrea) my character knowledge is limited to Jabba the Hutt only cause I remember him from my childhood, and I tend to prefer a bit more Moonwalker than Skywalker.
Although we’ve sat side-by-side for a few years now, occasionally bickering about irrelevant topics in the grand scheme of things, this whole Form vs Function debate seems to have taken our ‘designer’ discussions to a whole new level…

What’s the purpose of this?

The debate is on. Which follows the other? Should form define function, or does function dictate form. It’s a question I would so love to ask any one of the great designers of our generation, and those of generations past… Designers that focussed on the true essence of their creations. What’s the purpose, the offering, the user benefit?
Greats like Ferdinand Porsche, who gave birth to the humble VW Beetle and later the ever-classic Porsche range. A legacy that has produced and given form to some of the most beautiful machines known to man.
His origins, though, as the designer of the Beetle, where not focussed towards the form we associate with his brand nowadays. Rather, it was to create the most functional vehicle possible. A vehicle that would be inexpensive to produce and can be sold to the masses. Boring right? Not exactly, not when we consider how his functional design inspired generations, not to mention going on to be one of the best-selling cars of all time.
Even the Porsche range we know today, with all of its form over function appearance, still maintain the same Function First fundamentals. Admittedly, they are cars of beauty, drooled upon by most (including myself ), but this beauty is nothing more than a representation of the brand’s ‘purpose’ to produce vehicles with exceptional driving performance. A vehicle which functions flawlessly. So much so that Porsches haven’t really changed in form since inception.

It better function, or else!

Function has given birth to so many of our much-loved gadgets and gizmo’s. Cell phones turned smartphones, Walkman turned iPod, big things scaled to tiny things, all born from the need of greater functionality. Their form, an expression of current trends or simply to accommodate their new incarnations.
No, I’m not saying we shouldn’t focus on appearance or form, of course, we must. After all, as Andrea so rightly expressed in his post, items of beauty tend to capture our imagination and our undying desire for all things shiny and clickable. But I ask, what’s the point of browsing through a beautifully designed website, downloading a great looking App or buying the latest and greatest if it’s functionally useless?
Most users/consumers just want something that works, whether it’s a website, product or service. If it looks good then it will most likely have greater appeal. But in a world where plenty are likely to express their disappointment when faced with a product/service that hasn’t functioned or performed as expected (especially if we’ve paid good money for it), I argue that functionality is key.
My bet is that brands focusing their efforts on customer retention and brand loyalty will be hard pressed for luck if their offering isn’t up to par, even if it does look the part.

BB-8. Sure it’s not a Dyson?

Another great designer that springs to mind is James Dyson. You know, the guy that invented the weird vacuum with a ball stuck to the bottom. A revolutionary designer that has managed to combine the best of both form and function.
Sure, he didn’t invent the concept of the vacuum, nor did he invent any other product we haven’t already seen. His genius is his ability to revolutionise and enhance the way many conventional household products function, whilst packaging them in a more aesthetically pleasing form. As with Porsche, Dyson’s mantra has always been one of function first. So much so that even the brands television adverts purposely state that their products utilise patented technology, giving them a functional edge on their competitors.

Functionality. Built-in.

As with many debates, the points for and against either perspective are many. So yes, I do agree that form does play a very important part of any design, though functionality takes a design beyond the superficial. Though, in my opinion, functionality is the key factor that separates a nice design from a great one, allowing for greater user integration and thus a greater user experience.

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1. Midnight Star – Midas Touch

2. Baltimore – Tarzan Boy

3. Fatima Yamaha – Love Invaders

4. Tito Puente – Oye Como Va

5. M83 – Wait

6. Guts – And the living is easy

7. Colonel Abrams – Trapped

8. Baccarà – Yes sir I can boogie

9. Laid Back – Sunshine Reggae

10. Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby

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Whether big or small, change is something that scares us. Starting a course at university, trying out a new restaurant, moving house or simply going to the hairdresser for a make over. Change can be absolutely terrifying.

But why is that?

Change scares us simply because we fear the ‘unknown’. I must tell you though the unknown isn’t all that bad. There is a sense of excitement when starting something for the first time, and let’s be honest – do you really want to spend the rest of your days pursuing an unhappy life?
I have moved country, I have changed school, I have had different jobs, and I’ve changed my hairstyle many (many!) different times. I was scared every single time. Scared I wouldn’t fit in, I wouldn’t make friends, I wouldn’t enjoy my job, or I would look bad because of a new haircut – and, oh! Have I looked bad!
I have learnt something though, something important that we must never forget: change is good. We tend to forget that and just go with the flow. We may be unhappy, but we accept it and remain where we are, simply because we are afraid of it.

When I graduated from university, proudly holding my Communication degree, I was determined and ready to conquer the world. How adorable, right? On a beautiful sunny day, life decided to slap me in the face with a good dose of reality, and suddenly I realised how very difficult it was going to be to find my dream job, with the perfect workmates, the amazing working hours, the fun boss, the pretty stationery (because, let’s be honest, we all love new stationery) and that wonderful paycheque at the end of the month.
I am not going to lie, I have changed job several times before finding out what I really wanted to do. I have had different bosses, colleagues, desks and job titles. But I never stopped looking, and never settled for anything I wasn’t really sure of. I have only recently switched to Switch, and I was indeed afraid of yet another change in my life. I must say though, for the little I have been here I have already learnt a lot and really I’m enjoying it. I get to do what I love most – writing– surrounded by a bunch of fun and creative people. And you know what? I have so many pretty pens, highlighters, sticky notes and note pads. Oh the joy of new stationery! 

Why is change good?

1. If it weren’t for change, we would never learn new things. We would simply be stuck in a repetitive and soon enough boring routine.
2. It’s a nice reminder that the bad times don’t have to last forever. It’s okay not to be okay, but remember that you can change things round if you are not happy.
3. It’s a wake up call. One day you will realise that you actually need a change, whether it’s moving the furniture around the house or travel to another continent.
4. It pushes us out of our comfort zone. There is a very thin line between living and existing – which one are you going to choose?

There you have it folks, change is inevitable. Everything changes – so embrace it, don’t fear it.

Change is good. Change is healthy.

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Exhibit A:

Yep. I was getting paid to sit on a toilet while holding a mic – my job’s awesome, isn’t it?
But most importantly, for once I feel I might have actually made the best choice possible for myself as this is definitely something I can see myself doing more of in the near future. I feel that this experience fueled me with a much needed confidence boost and a lot of self-belief.
Although my journey here at Switch is sadly coming to an end, I’ll carry the knowledge that I’ve gained with me throughout my studies and future career.
I’m going to miss working with these crazy bunch of people, the way they treat lunchtime like a relegious experience, the “Għidu ċajta” that runs like clockwork at 3:00 in the afternoon and other random bits-n-bobs that happen during the day that leave us gasping for air.
Hopefully this isn’t goodbye, but a see you soon.

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Adopting the human default mode

You use the “Beat yourself up more” tactic:
You wake up swearing at your neighbour cursing her and feeling miserable because you havent slept and are thinking about the long tiring day at the office you have ahead of you.
You use the perseverence trait in the wrong way:
You try hard to fix your hair but whatever you do its not good enough. So you keep on trying and trying until your frustration peaks.
You use the “dig your grave deeper” tactic:
You move on to your wardrobe and because you have used up all your energy on your hair styling now you don’t feel like looking for the perfect work outfit for the day. This gives you a bad hair day and a sloppy outfit.
Your result:
A series of hair touching and outfit-excusing with your colleagues (who haven’t even noticed because most probably they had a rough one too and are too busy thinking about their hair and outfit to look at yours).
This means you will have one and only one thing in mind all day: your hair and your outfit making you:

• lose focus
• very limited for social conversation
• possibly one of the top three “colleagues to avoid” for the day
• go through what might be called the longest day of your life.

Adopting the easier mode

You use the “Compare your mishaps to others” tactic:
You wake up swearing at your neighbour but you realise that she is much worse than you  so you lose yourself feeling sorry for her for having to face this day with so little sleep.
You use the “try-fail-abort” tactic:
Your hair is a mess – grab your gel and pull it back – don’t waste time on trying to make the impossible happen – we have been through this already – don’t even try!
You use the “when life gives you lemons you make lemonade” tactic:
You walk to your wardrobe and you find an outfit that compensates your not-so-great hairstyle, pick up your make up/shaver (whatever you use as a final touch apparatus) and work your magic.
You use the “patting yourself on the back” tactic:
Look in the mirror and appreciate the final product considering you had very little to work with – well done to you 🙂
You use the “Let’s do this!” tactic:
Pick up your bag and go to work.
You use the “tomorrow is another day” tactic:
Whatever happens at work – you have been through much worse last night – if you survived that, you will survive till clock-out time. Keep yourself busy and avoid the bathroom mirror – don’t bother – look forward to a a long shower (hair and all) and a deep sleep which will make tomorrow a better day – we just need to sit this one out.

Result

• A long and dreadful day (that you could not have avoided even if you were the luckiest person on earth) will pass by VERY quickly.
• Your incognito skills will improve and you will be proud of yourself you survived the day considering.
• You might get a couple of complements about your outfit and look.
• Your colleagues will not avoid you all day (this might not be a good thing…)

 How easy is it to opt for the easy mode?

A person always needs motivation to do whatever they need to do during the day from the simple chores like waking up and brushing one’s teeth to ticking that checkbox on your bucket list. However, you need to be your own motivator!

Some tricks you can use to motivate yourself

1. Wake up in morning and give yourself some time to remember the fun, achievements and the laughs you had the previous day and/or night. Send a message to the person you shared the good times with reminding him/her about it. S/he will pitch in and remind you of a part of the story you forgot about, giving you new happy thoughts to dwell on. Plus you will be making someone else’s day who might reciprocate some other time when you really need it.
2. Make an effort to always look good – If you do not do it for yourself no one will! People around you will appreciate that, and you will be more comfortable in your own skin.
3. Dedicate 5 minutes in front of the mirror every morning to complement yourself. Remind yourself of the great qualities you have in front of the mirror – your reflection will appreciate and she will start smiling back at you.

Some tricks I use to reduce negative thoughts

4. When something bad happens to you – take the 15 mins to be negative, scared, angry, sensitive, sorry – whatever. Move on to set your goal, pick first action point and immediately embark on that first step. This will give your mind something to think about other than the self-pity thoughts that fill your brains (by default) and that are responsible for half the time you waste during the day.
5. When something bad happens to you – think of all the things the other people go through. Nothing is worse than hunger in Ethiopia but even the hungry can consider themselves lucky next to the tortured/sick/deformed.
6. Develop a sense of humour around your own mishaps. Think about the Coyote and Road Runner. The former is the unluckiest cartoon character I know, but how many times do you find yourself comparing someone’s bad luck to his, and smile about it? Be the Coyote!!!
7. On a more serious note and my personal highest motivator. Treat life as an obstacle race and each time you tackle a problem take it as a win over life. My shelf is full of trophies 🙂

Positivity increases productivity not only in one’s personal life but in every social aspect: friends, family, work, hobbies, you name it. The above is what works for me but there are many other tactics developed out there by individuals who have realised the big secret – IT’S EASIER TO BE POSITIVE.

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