Heather Crudo
Web Designer For Kick Media

"You never know where your next job is coming from" is Heather Crudo's (Graphic Design, '99) new life motto. She knows firsthand how being in the right place, at the right time, with the right equipment can become the right job opportunity! Her ultra cool job at Kick Media came out of a chance encounter with a friend in a bagel shop. Her friend's boss came into the shop and mentioned a design job for the Snowboardermagazine website. Heather made a strong impression on him with snowboard in hand (she just happened to be on her way to return rental snowboarding equipment) and her graphic design expertise. She was clearly the girl for the job! The connection was made and from there it was Heather's confidence and impressive portfolio that sealed her deal at Kick Media. As she says, "Opportunities fall into your lap but jobs aren't just given to you. Your work has to prove that you can do the job."

Kick Media licenses established youth-culture brands and reinvents them online using fresh content and e-commerce opportunities. Kick Media's mission is to help them succeed in the media wilderness of the World Wide Web. They target the Internet-savvy Generation 'Y' with an online publishing network by creating broadband and narrowband sites for some of the hottest mags out there, including Snowboarder, Skateboarder, Surfer, Teen, Movieline, and Powder.

The magazines supply content, and Kick Media feeds it to their hungry web audience. Heather is completely redesigning the edgy Snowboarder magazine website - it's her baby. She uses programs like Adobe PhotoShop, Illustrator, and Flashto create graphics and animations for the site. She loves the "design atmosphere" at Kick Media. Not only does she work with creative people; she works in a creative building that has been featured in Architectural Digestfor its unique design.

Heather loves what she does for lots of reasons. She's thrilled to be living out her career dream of getting paid for her creativity. She was originally drawn to FIDM for this very reason-it was the perfect place to learn how to integrate her creative skills with something practical that would earn her a living. Heather started out at FIDM in fashion design, and especially loved fashion sketching. After taking pattern drafting, she realized it just wasn't her thing and decided to shift educational gears.

On the suggestion of an advisor, Heather entered FIDM's graphic design program. It was a perfect match. Her favorite classes were multimedia and graphics communications, where she learned the essentials of conceptual design. "I take that class with me everyday!"

After graduation from FIDM, Heather was hired as a production assistant at Imaginary Forces, a ground-breaking media design company who's done amazing movie title sequences for Seven, Mission Impossible, Avengers, and The Mummy,just to name a few. At Imaginary Forces, she did motion graphics for Snoops,a TV show on the WB channel.

Heather has good news for future graphic designers: "There is so much work out there!" Her advice for landing these great graphics and web design jobs? "Keep in contact with everyone!" Heather is adamant about the importance of staying connected and on good terms with teachers, classmates, and employers. She loved that FIDM's faculty are professionals working in the industries they teach about. All the more reason to take classes very seriously! "Your instructors at FIDM are in touch with the industry and can help you find jobs after graduation.

Keep an 'on-the-job' attitude with your classes. Show up, work hard, pay attention, and turn your assignments in on time. If your instructors know you as an enthusiastic student who never missed a deadline, they won't hesitate to refer you!" The same goes for employers and coworkers. "Don't burn bridges. A former employer may become a future job reference or even a contact for freelance work."

Heather plans to stick with web design for the future. "Everything is going to the Web," she predicts. She encourages students searching for their graphic design niche to go for web design, a hot field to get into right now and stay in for the future. She highly advises students to keep up their skills on the latest versions of ever-evolving design programs. "FIDM provides the foundation you need but you can't stop learning after graduation." The Web has changed the responsibilities of designers, says Heather. "It's not enough to make a site look pretty. You have to make it usable and interactive for people to stay."

Heather has taken her own advice: "You must have confidence in yourself and your work." Her confidence, great attitude, and talent shines through in everything she does. On the slopes and at the computer, Heather Crudo is snowboarding and designing her way to success!

Please Note: The information contained herein was confirmed at the time of original publication