It was only my second week on the job when I was handed the task of heading out to a client solo, and curating content for their website from within their show room. The client houses a rare collection of homewares and furniture in a beautiful little showroom studio in Dalkeith. I was excited with the task set in front of me, having studied architecture previously I have a passion for all things interior, and consider myself quite talented in capturing great quality content from my trusty iPhone camera. I walked in there ready to seize the day and prove that I could be trusted with this task and take initiative.
My objective was simple in theory, working through the inventory list I was to capture images of each product, and upload them to drop box with their corresponding SKU code and product name, simple right? Wrong. Had there been one clear cut inventory document accompanied by product codes, images and product names my day would have been smooth sailing, this was not the case. The client had some old order sheets which had a portion of all products, some accompanied by style name, some without, and none with SKU code. The agency was able to supply me with a list containing product names and their accompanying SKU code, and using the small amount I had from the order sheet, and combing through the clients Instagram and Facebook pages, I was able to gather just enough information to put it all together.
Now that one major hurdle had been overcome, it was onto the next. The studio was packed to the brim with furniture and décor, and each one needed to be photographed against a white wall. This is where the great challenge laid. Finding a white wall presented to be more difficult than expected as each wall was covered by couches, chairs, mirrors and art. I was able to make a small clearing and spent the rest of the day cycling hundreds of items through onto the white wall and capturing them as best I could.
A task that was expected to only take 3 hours took me almost an entire day due to the unexpected challenges, however I was able to make it work, take initiative and get the job done. I maintained contact with the office throughout the day to let them know the progress I was making and how I was tracking for time. In the end everyone was extremely impressed with what I had achieved. The content turned out beautifully, and the client even personally requested that I come back whenever possible and stay on her project.
This led to me working on her website from start to finish, and it was so rewarding to be able to see a project all the way through, especially as it had been carried majority on my own back. This was a huge lesson to me that things won’t always be glamorous or straightforward, but if you are persistent and dedicated you will reap the rewards. Further to this, now that I have put in the hard yards, the client has a beautifully organised inventory with all the information she needs, and everything moving forward will be much simpler. I have now built a great rapport with this client and shown to the team and myself just how much I am capable of doing independently.
All in all, a successful and exhausting week. I’m excited for the next! I am especially interested to hear about any challenging experiences my peers have had with clients and how they came out of it or what it taught them.
Some of the images taken from my day at the clients showroom.
