THE BEGINNING
The origins of the The DesL Group began eleven years ago on the ground floor of The University of Texas at Austin’s Art building, in a small computer design lab affectionately nicknamed “The DesL” by students and faculty of the School of Fine Arts Design department. It was there that I officially began my path to a BFA in design degree, and a now eight-year professional career as a designer. It was also there that, on day one of the design program, I answered a professor’s lofty question “Why are you in this program?” by saying: my goal is, and has always been, to receive a design degree, find a professional design job, and eventually open my own shop.
That shop is The DesL Group, and that day was December 26, 2009.
THE EXPERIENCE
The course of my professional career hasn’t taken me through many companies at all…in fact, it’s only been with one. True, I have done my fair share of freelance work, both immediately after graduating and during my career. However, the bulk of my experience has come from the positions I have held at one company. And although that may sound limiting from an experience perspective, it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
My tenure has taken me from the bottom as a production designer, all the way up to creative director (officially titled Senior Art Director, however the duties far exceeded that rank.) Through that time, I created more logos, identities, ads, campaign concepts, websites, collateral pieces, etcetera than I can count or even remember. That work has been with an immensely large variety of clients, none specific to one trade or market segment. But it doesn’t stop there.
Through the very unique structure of that seven-person agency, I quickly became ingrained in the essential day-to-day operations of the company. I was involved in all aspects of new business development, account management, client relationships, invoicing and billing, not to mention my official job of creative direction, development, and execution. I hired, managed, and fired employees, ordered supplies, maintained computers, fixed toilets, managed vendors, made coffee, mocked-up presentations, changed light bulbs…the list goes on and on, with one constant throughout; there was nothing I was not willing to jump into with everything I had.
THE TRANSITION
I succeeded and I failed. I learned through my mistakes, and the mistakes of others. I never had a person that I would consider a mentor at that agency, so I taught myself; I was completely self-sufficient. But then again that has always been me – I was taught at an early age to fend for and provide for myself. That meant that I was more comfortable as a manager and leader than a worker bee. And it was always with the goal in mind to one day open my own shop.
So here I am, eleven years after answering my professor’s quetion, ready to jump in head-first. Why now, after all these years and all that I have accomplished? Sometimes, when the time is right, you just know.
Despite my self-reliance, I have also learned that I cannot do everything myself and expect to get the job done right. Over the course of my employment with the aforementioned agency, I built an incredible relationship with another dedicated employee. She and I worked closely together on all day-to-day projects, and it was because of her that I knew, with her help, The DesL Group could be a reality. Ivy joined The DesL Group on January 18, 2010, and continues her impeccable work ethic and invaluable creative contributions with my new company.
It’s the combination of myself, Ivy, and the solid relationships we have built with each other and the clients we manage that have formed the core of The DesL Group.
THE FOUNDATION
The idea has been hatched, the plans have been laid, and all pieces are in place. It’s now time to build what I know will be a successful company. And part of that build is the identity of The DesL Group.
With over 15 years of combined experience, Ivy and I possess the tools to mold DesL into just about anything we want. There are few, if any, mediums that we have not worked with to accomplish the advertising and marketing goals of our clients. And those clients have been in numerous industries, with numerous audiences and numerous products & services, all to the point that there isn’t one particular type of client or market specialty that I can properly identify as “the one.” So, much as we did before, and with great success, we will continue to be open to many types of businesses.
It’s true, though, that you can’t be all things to all people, and that isn’t what The DesL Group is. In addition to all experiences mentioned before, I have also developed very solid relationships with vendors who, in each of their respective industries, equip me with the ability to provide services that are not feasible to maintain in-house. Or, in some cases, are simply specialties Ivy and I are not capable of. And it’s through these relationships that The DesL Group will have maintained success. There is little we can say “no” to. There is little we can miss out on. There is little we cannot do.
THE PHILOSOPHY
The one constant through all of this is our company philosophy, which is simple: to provide every client with the same level of quality, open-mindedness, and integrity that we expect from ourselves every day. And I never want to lose the ability to maintain that philosophy. That means The DesL Group must remain at a size that allows us to be nimble enough to evolve with our client’s dynamic industries. And, most importantly, remain at a size that allows me, as the owner, to personally establish and maintain relationships with my clients at the same level that I would expect to receive.
The DesL Group is the accumulation of all that I have learned, experienced, and worked for since first setting foot in that campus computer lab eleven years ago. It is not the first company of its kind, nor will it be the last. But what sets it apart from all the others are its people. Personal relationships and human contact is the only way a business can begin, grow, and thrive, and The DesL Group will never deviate from that foundation.
©2010 Bryan Lester
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