I am Randi Hays. A DC-based designer with over ten years experience. I began my career in Washington as a junior designer and have progressed to art director, creative manager, mentor, and student. I currently work in the marketing department of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
I design with the sole purpose of getting people to take notice and take action. In my current position I am an in-house designer and I handle 90% of all design work for the organization. I manage, design and mold campaigns for multiple clients within the organization. Each has its own personality, yet are recognized and branded as The Federation. Most of my projects are event identities that consist of printed collateral, digital/online materials, conference signage, novelty items, etc.
I have had the privilege of working in diverse environments. This has contributed to a unique set of skills, understanding how orginizations and people operate. It has helped me to be a better designer and communicator for myself and my clients. I have worked in design agencies and studios and have also been an in-house designer for both large and small companies: private sector, associations, news papers, government agencies, health, and non-profit organizations.
For me, it began over 20 years ago. I didn't paste the walls of my room with Teen Beat magazine heart throbs. I covered my walls with photography and type treatments from Rolling Stone and Interview magazine. My first love was (and still is) publication design. When I moved to DC, the option for designing magazines was limited, so I went rogue and became a multi-disciplined designer. Design has changed a great deal since I entered the field; it has become more interesting and challenging. It is a constant learning experience.
A couple of years ago I volunteered to do pro-bono work for an organization called Taproot Foundation. The experience was a good one—it was about giving back, expanding my skills and remembering why I choose design as a career. The project I designed was an annual report for a non-profit organization in financial need. I am very proud of the publication and the design was well received. The report helped change the way the organization visually represented itself. This project reminded me that even a small non-profit organization deserves beautiful design to communicate the important and poignant story they have to tell.
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