Varick Rosete is the head of design at Jacksonville, Florida’s TigerLily, which he describes as a collective of storytellers and visionaries that thrives on crafting stories through a mix of live-action and animation. “We love turning our creative concepts into amazing visual journeys,” he says. “Think of us as your collaborative partner who’s always ready to dive in, get creative and make some serious magic happen.”

We reached out to Rosete to find out more…

What does the role of chief design officer entail?

My role is to drive business with the power of design. I work closely with my team to strategize, conceptualize and deliver highly creative and visually engaging experiences for our clients and their target audiences. I truly believe that design can change the way we see the world.

What would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?

That’s a great question. While the chief design officer’s main job is to promote design and innovation, it’s much more than that. Outreach that engages the local community and demonstrates thought leadership helps the studio succeed, not just in the industry but in the community at large.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

Drawing, designing and concepting all day is the best part of the job because it allows for endless creativity. There’s so much satisfaction in bringing ideas to life and getting to work on diverse projects that challenge and inspire.

What’s your least favorite?

I thrive on external energy, so my creativity tends to fade faster when I’m isolated for too long. I work best with music playing, the TV on or background noise — it keeps me in a positive vibe. Adding more team members to the mix amplifies that energy and I shine even brighter.

What is your most productive time of the day?

Ha! It used to be super-late nights, but after having kids, late nights don’t work well when you also have to wake up super early to get the kids ready for school.

Nowadays, it’s after a morning run when my creativity kicks into high gear because that pumping blood has supercharged my brain. Those feel-good endorphins from the workout put me in a positive mood and give me the energy to think creatively. Plus, there’s something about finishing a run that makes you feel accomplished and ready to tackle anything.

The pandemic played quite a role in how our industry found new ways to work during a very weird time. What do you consider the good and the bad of those changes?

COVID-19 really shook the industry up, especially with how teams work together. Everyone had to switch to remote work pretty fast, so imagine going from brainstorming with your teammates and clients in person to staring at a screen all day.

Talking over each other took on a whole new meaning. It was a big adjustment, especially for me, who thrives on the energy in the room. Online meetings became the norm, which was pretty awkward at first… and can still be pretty awkward now.

The good part, I guess, is being able to work from home or wherever. I feel like I’ve pretty much done that for the majority of my career, at least having the flexibility to work remotely when needed. Many of us realized that we can still thrive working this way. Remote work opened up opportunities for talent from all over the globe to join our teams, making things more diverse and inclusive.

The bad part – working remotely. It’s a double-edged sword. The freedom of remote work still means you’re remote, and for the most part, that means alone, and as I’ve stated earlier, I thrive on energy. I’ve found my workarounds with music and TV and working in cafes, etc., but nothing beats getting your team in a room together to do work together. Even if it’s quiet in that room, just having that creative energy spinning around is enough to influence the way you work and think.

So you see this as the norm going forward?

For sure! The big takeaway is the fact that your whole team can now include talent from anywhere in the world to collaborate, bringing together individuals with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?

If I weren’t doing this particular job, I would probably still be doing something with drawing or designing. In my previous careers, I was designing in branding/advertising and web/tech. I own a concept boutique store with my wife, so maybe fashion design? I’ve always said that if you are a good designer, you should be able to design well in any other medium.

But if I wasn’t drawing or designing at all? When I was a kid, I wanted to be a race car driver. I’m glad there are video games for that!

How early on did you know this would be your path?

From a young age, I’ve been drawn to the idea of spending my days drawing and designing. It’s like I never outgrew that sense of wonder from watching Bugs Bunny cartoons or visiting Walt Disney World. I just knew I wanted to be part of that world (ahem, The Little Mermaid).

Walt Disney was a huge inspiration to me, and I’ve always been fascinated by the immersive worlds he created. Throughout school, my focus was always on the arts, constantly exploring ideas and concepts through creative thinking.

Can you name some recent projects you have worked on?

I created visual stories for TIAA and Oracle and graphics for Krystal, and I illustrated posters for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Jacksonville Jazz Festival.

Name three pieces of technology you can’t live without.

My laptop accesses everything, so definitely that. I hate to say my iPhone, but my iPhone because I can’t fit my laptop in my pocket. My sketchbook because I like to jot down ideas, thoughts and sketches on paper…and it can fit in my pocket too.

Earlier you mentioned listening to music while you work. Care to share your favorite music to work to?

Most certainly! I love to take all of the music I like and have it play randomly, so you’ll get lo-fi music followed by some punk or hip-hop, then maybe a classical piece followed by emo and ‘70s disco. It can get pretty wild, which I dig.

Variety is the spice of life. I love all kinds of music, but sometimes I’ll listen to a specific genre to help put me in the mood of a certain project.

Currently, I’ve been jamming to some old Japanese City Pop and anything with that early ‘80s easy-listening vibe. My favorite track at the moment is Jungle’s “Back on 74.” It’s a smooth head-swayer.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?

I go to Disney World to relax and reset (laughs). I mean, I do, but…I also like to go for runs. Just me and the outside environment on the road with some sweet vitamin D from the sun.

Would you have done anything different along your path?

Not really. If anything, maybe I would have switched companies within the industry more frequently to get more exposure to a variety of talent and ways that different companies work and produce projects. Maybe I would have gone to an art school to get access to more industry experts. But I’m happy with how my journey has played out and recognize that everything is a learning experience.

And, finally, any tips for others who are just starting out?

It’s hard to do it all, so be really good at one thing. My suggestion for that one thing: your creative thinking. Only you can think of those crazy ideas that just might work.

Article By: Post Perspective