We want to hire a talented artist, and we wanted to find a way to work in a photo of Bob Ross.

At Fast Horse, our designers play a critical role in bringing our work to life. Whether it’s illustration, interactive design, print, video work or even a little claymation, our design team is constantly in demand. So much so, that we’ve decided to add more talent to the stable.  

Fast Horse is looking for a design intern who’s hungry, versatile and seriously creative. We know there are designers out there who know Photoshop and InDesign inside and out and we know there are artists out there who have the ability to produce truly beautiful work. We’re looking for someone who can do both.

Our client base ranges from giants of their industries such as Coca-Cola, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, and Marvin Windows and Doors to non-profits such as the American Red Cross to a soon-to-be-famous rock band. For those brands, our designers create everything from logos, websites and print collateral to email marketing, iPhone apps and retail signage. And that’s just a sampling. Check out some of our work to see more.

If you think you have what it takes to thrive in a fast-paced, creative environment, we’d love to hear from you. Send a résumé and some work samples to info@fasthorseinc.com and we’ll be in touch. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on July 25.

Internship details:

• Starts as soon as can be arranged
• Initial internship period is for 90 days but may be extended
• Paid position, hourly
• 40 hours per week
• Location:  Minneapolis, MN
• Parking paid

Job qualifications:

• Strong proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.)
• Technical knowledge required to handle a variety of image editing and processing tasks as well as the artistic skills required to create beautiful images and/or illustrations
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, including PowerPoint (particularly creating and editing presentation templates)
• Comfortable designing for a variety of applications: websites, email marketing, digital presentations and documents, print publications, direct mail pieces, social media profiles, and more
• Bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree or equivalent
• Enough work samples to convince us you’re ready to hit the ground running

Desired attributes:

• Creative, self-motivated and reliable
• A team player who can work in a demanding yet rewarding environment
• Adaptability, resourcefulness and a positive attitude

Hey. Yeah, you, designer extraordinaire. You’re looking a little, I dunno, bored. Understandable. You’ve been slogging away delivering some of the finest designs seen in these parts. Print. Outdoor. Digital. Origami. Your sister’s wedding invitations. You’ve piled up awards, accolades, promotions and a killer portfolio oozing with skill and knowledge. Yet somehow that all doesn’t seem like enough these days, does it? You want to build something. You want to take over a growing design practice and make it into a powerhouse. Look alive, Picasso. We’ve got an opportunity for you.

Fast Horse, an award-winning, integrated marketing firm in Minneapolis is looking for a Design Director to join our agency leadership team. This is a new position reflecting our clients’ increased demand for design services and the rapid growth of the agency. The Design Director will provide leadership in establishing Fast Horse as a design innovator and highly effective visual storyteller. We’re looking for someone with a minimum of eight years experience, and prefer someone who has extensive ad agency experience. The Design Director will lead our three-person design team and will be asked to grow our design business and collaborate with account teams to ensure design is a strong and effective part of our work on behalf of clients such as The Coca-Cola Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Marvin Windows and Doors, AmericInn, Odwalla and more.

Our Design Director will:

• Determine the objectives and priorities of a project from a strategic standpoint and conceptualize solutions that meet those parameters
• Provide expertise in all aspects of design; use the principles of design, brand knowledge and design tools to create exceptional designs that are in alignment with the brand and the concept and meet the objectives of the project
• Determine and communicate the key points, style, form and content of projects to creative department members while directing the projects, providing feedback as needed
• Communicate design trends to the organization
• Ensure that a high standard of quality and service is maintained, working with account teams to deliver all design projects on time and on budget
• Establish and manage preferred vendors list, including printers and copywriters
• Hire and develop design/creative staff as needed
• Coach, supervise, motivate and manage performance of design/creative staff
• Partner with account teams to ensure client satisfaction, communicating with clients when necessary
• Research and develop ways to meet clients’ needs at the organizational level
• Profitably manage all design projects
• Grow our design business by identifying and cultivating new design projects and clients
• Assist with and, when appropriate, lead agency marketing initiatives, including new business presentations, blog and social media content and Fast Horse collateral development

Requisite Skills for Design Director:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills
• Extensive computer skills
  • Design software
    • Illustrator
    • Flash
    • Photoshop
    • InDesign
  • Video editing software
  • Working knowledge of CMS
• Project management – including the ability to set and meet deadlines and budgets
• Versatile design skills, communicating ideas both visually and verbally
• Creative concept facilitation and initiation
• Strategic orientation – relating design work to clients’ overall business plans and goals
• Problem analysis – thoroughly defining challenges and solutions
• Resourcefulness– integrating creative knowledge with business realities
• Openness to new ideas and influences
• Visual identity – creating style for each project
• Mastery of artistic techniques and skills
• Curiosity to seek out new techniques and innovations

Knowledge:

• Brand principles and strategy
• Estimating process
• Sales process and sales techniques
• Value of design
• Creative process
• Graphic standards
• Extensive computer knowledge
• Design trends, process and theory
• Design software and tools
• Fundamentals of design
• Visualizing techniques
• Production techniques
• Principles of marketing
• Principles of management
• General business

Education/Experience:

• Four-year degree in Graphic Arts, Graphic Design, Fine Arts or Communication Arts
• Minimum eight years’ experience in the graphic design field including track record for increasing management/supervisory responsibilities
• Must have extensive interactive design experience
• Advertising agency experience preferred

Intangibles:

• We value initiative, a sense of humor, risk-taking and flexibility. What else have you got?
• You also need to have a thick skin and a long fuse to thrive in a creative, open, fast-paced agency like Fast Horse.

Workplace/Compensation:

We offer a highly flexible workplace, where Fast Horse staff are untethered by a designated, office or desk. We call it hotdesking. Our building is set up to facilitate communication and collaboration. You are free to work wherever you desire, whether that’s at the office, at a coffee shop, at home, under a bridge or anywhere else where you feel creative and productive. We offer highly competitive salaries, a cafeteria healthcare plan, a SIMPLE IRA, bonus opportunities, paid parking and creativity stipends.

To apply for this position, email your resume and a link to your portfolio to info@fasthorseinc.com. Please no phone calls.

If you would have told me back in December that 2009 would be a year of significant growth here at Fast Horse, I would have given you one of those patented Gary Coleman ”Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” looks.  While we felt good about our position, we were being realistic about the economic head winds and were prepared to hunker down and ride out the storm. 

So much for hunkering. Seems every agency head I encounter these days is telling me the same thing: 2009 has been a surprisingly good year, and they are looking to add staff.  And so are we. 

To that end, Fast Horse has begun the search for a Client Relationship Manager and an intern.  So what the hell is a Client Relationship Manager?  Around here that means you’ve got 2-5 years experience and you’re on the cusp of ruling the agency world. You’ve experienced enough to hold your own in brainstorms and strategy discussions, you can manage a project without some clown with a fancier title constantly peering over your shoulder, and you’re asserting your good times on the agency culture.  In short, you’ve been a dusty 1,300-pound bull in the agency chute, and you’re about to show the world why they call you Diablo.

If you’ve done some time at a fast-paced, innovative ad, PR or interactive firm you’ve got a hell of a head start on landing this gig.  We value creativity, curiosity and initiative.  Show us you’ve got all that and more and we’re likely to flip you the keys to our shop on the spot. Interested?  Send your stuff to info at fasthorseinc.com attention Jorg. Or find some other creative way to demonstrate your interest and chops.

Details on the intern position are in the Discussions tab at the Fast Horse Experience. Preference on intern hires goes to our Facebook pals.  (We’ve already hired two of them. Take a bow, Hillary and Sandra.)

BritneySpears.com

Some things go together. Bagels and cream cheese. Peanut butter and jelly. Pickles and corned beef. (Hey, don’t judge until you’ve tried.)

An unlikely duo? Britney Spears and TechCrunch.

This past weekend, TechCrunch found a Harvard-only job site post offering up the position of Britney Spear’s online media manager. As you can imagine, the snark and snappy comebacks flew.

Hey, it’s good to see that someone’s hiring.

We’ll give an extra-long look-see at candidates who have social media marketing experience, as well as those who have interest/experience in sports (especially motorsports).

Does this describe you or someone you know? Email us at info AT fasthorseinc DOT com.

While I also love books, my tastes run a little less, um, tactile than Johanna’s, and I also tend to read most books only once.  So, with nightly story time a bit like the movie ”Groundhog Day,” only with different PJs, I often have to feign excitement with each well-worn plot development (“Look at that, the cow’s jumping over the moon! How does she do that?!”)

Enter Curious George. 

Johanna had recently received three little volumes of Curious George board books purchased at a garage sale by her grandmother. Like many, I remember Curious George from my youth, and was delighted to reconnect with the lovable monkey at story time a couple nights ago.  The illustrations seemed more than a bit dated, but as we made our way through the last one, titled “Are You Curious?” I found my interest in George outpacing even my daughter’s.  With apologies to H.A. Rey, here’s the complete text:

This is George.  George is a good little monkey and always very curious.

Do you ever feel like George?

Do you ever feel happy?

Are you sometimes loud?

Have you ever felt scared … or hurt … or proud?

Do you ever feel sick … or dizzy?

Are you sometimes sad … or silly?

Have you ever been naughty?  So that you need a time out?

Are you mischievous?

Are you curious?

(George is.)

My reaction to the story was immediate:  I gotta hire this guy!  He’s a perfect fit for what we’re trying to do at Fast Horse. Seems George has the life experience and empathy to be a good supervisor and counselor.  He’s boisterous and has a bit of edge to his personality, helping him take calculated risks and push the limits. His insatiable curiosity would allow him to bring a lot to the creative process, and he doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously.

Finding, hiring and retaining good people is the single most important thing I do here at Fast Horse.  Curious people who are risk-takers and whose personalities add to our culture are tough to find.  And we’re always looking. So, Are You Curious?  Are you looking?  We need to talk.