Meet the Crew: Chris Bawden

Senior Designer and King of Gifs Chris Bawden is going on three years at Devise. In this interview, he shares the importance of surrounding yourself with quality people, the joys of “Girl Dad” life, and how working at Devise has motivated him with a sense of ownership.

1. What’s a fun fact about yourself?

I am a proud “Girl Dad.” I still play with Lego, I’m just creating color-coordinated princess castles and axolotl habitats instead of monster trucks and spaceships. But Nerf and lightsaber battles are a common occurrence, so maybe not much has changed. I guess the real difference is spending Halloween dressed up as a pink unicorn, complete with a frilly tutu. (Pics or it didn’t happen. -ed.)

2. Do you have any words of wisdom for other marketers or general life advice?

When I was a teenager, my dad always told me, “No matter how good you think you are at something, there’s always someone better.” At the time, I thought this was about being humble. It wasn’t until college that I learned that there’s more to it. One of my professors often said, “You always want to work for someone better than you.” Together, these bits of advice have taught me that no matter how good I am at my job, I should never become complacent. You should always be learning and trying to grow. And the best way to do that is by surrounding yourself with the right people, who have the qualities and/or knowledge you want.

3. Do you have a specific project at Devise that you've been really proud of and why?

I really enjoyed working on the packaging for HGO (Hazelnut Growers of Oregon). Aside from the fact that I love packaging design, it was great to watch the concept I came up with go from an idea to an entire brand, and then see it expressed through all the different extensions of that brand. It’s like watching a brand gain a personality. I think that’s why I love packaging design so much; it’s the physical embodiment of a brand. People can hold it in their hands and interact with it. And when you have the sort of character and playfulness we had with HGO, it really makes it fun to see what you can do with just a simple package.

4. What motivates you at work?

This is a tough question for me. Honestly, there is no one answer to this. Of course, I have my own career goals driving me, and my family to support, but what gets me out of bed every morning is the fact that I like to work. I like to feel useful, I like to problem-solve, and I like feeling like I’ve accomplished something. I just feel stagnant when I’m not working. Also, it’s exciting to see the growth of the agency. I feel a sense of ownership and pride about where we are going. I don’t feel like a cog in a corporate machine. I feel like I’m a part of that growth.