Q&A with Strategic Design Instructor Tiffany Williams

Strategic Thought Leader, Tiffany Williams, of Tōdem is teaching a class in Brand Strategy and Creative Thinking for Furman University’s Master of Arts in Strategic Design program. Here is a look into Williams’s involvement with Furman, education, and career experiences.

 

When did you first become interested in the field of design?

I was a studio art major at Wake Forest University, but I started off as a Health and Exercise Science major. I was planning on going to med school. My whole life I had been pushed into math and science because I always did well at it. So that’s what you do, right? You go be a doctor. 

When I got to Wake Forest, I went in thinking I would do pre-med. Then, for my divisional class, I took an introduction to studio art. My art teacher asked me, “Have you ever considered majoring or minoring in art?” And I said, “No, absolutely not! I’m at Wake Forest, and my parents are sending me here.” But she said I should consider it.

A year later, my best friend said the number one word she would use to describe me is creative. That caught me off guard because I had never thought of myself that way. Nevertheless, I decided to switch majors because I didn’t want to go to med school anymore and I wanted to pursue art. 

 

What made you decide to pursue further education at a portfolio school, and what was that experience like?

I came from the mindset of doing the traditional things you think you’re supposed to do, like med school, but I met with my advisor because I needed to know what my career options were as a studio art major. She talked about working in New York with Sotheby’s selling auction art or pursuing a Master of Fine Arts. Then, she told me about attending a portfolio school.

I went to the Portfolio Center, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. It’s such a realistic experience where you get to be creative, but it’s more in the business realm. So, that’s why I went in that direction. 

When I went to school, you didn’t get a master’s degree, you got a certificate and  an awesome portfolio. That’s how you get a job as you move into your career in this field; you show your portfolio and what you’re capable of doing. Portfolio Center also had connections with firms all over the country because they’ve been around for a long time, but they couldn’t have a master’s program because they were technically a business. 

 

How did you become involved with Furman’s Master of Arts in Strategic Design program?

Furman wanted to do a master’s program, and they could give you a master’s degree because it’s a university. So they combined together with the Portfolio Center to create the Master’s in Strategic Design program. When they did that, Ross wanted to have teachers for the Furman component that were here in Greenville and were Portfolio Center grads. At the time, I couldn’t do it because I couldn’t teach in the summers. Even though I couldn’t help with the master’s program, I did help him with the development of the curriculum. Then he asked if I wanted to teach some undergrad classes, and that’s how I became involved there.

 

How has your role with Tōdem allowed you to grow as a professional?

I’m constantly learning new things. I’m certainly never bored, and that’s allowed me to develop so many different skills that I wouldn’t have always had. Branding wasn’t my specialty before I began working at Tōdem, but the owner, Rhem, has taught me a ton. She exposed me to books and ideas, and we work together as a team with our other co-workers. We focused on what made our company different and how we can make our process stand out. It is evolving, and I think branding, as a whole, is evolving. You constantly have to be learning how to do things differently, so by the nature of it, it challenges you to grow if you allow it to be there in the right situation. 

 

What do you find most rewarding in your career? 

One of my mantras is that I love spreading joy in the world. I feel like I get to make a difference by not only helping people develop their companies, but also helping with internal culture branding. I’m helping people find satisfaction and joy in the necessity of going to work. If they can feel connected to the values of their company, then it makes the world more joyful. I believe everybody’s happier if they feel they have a reason that their job actually fulfills what’s important to them. 

 

Learn more about Furman’s M.A. in Strategic Design!

Are you interested in having a career in branding? Furman University’s Master of Arts in Strategic Design is a resourceful program that provides students with the necessary skills to have a successful career in branding and design. For more information about Furman University’s Master of Arts in Strategic Design program, click HERE.