Picture this- you’re at the office early one morning, attempting to structure your day. You have dozens of tasks to complete, a handful of decks to proof, a UXD to finish. You finally get your day in a position to be productive, and someone asks you about lunch. This scenario may be a stretch, but probably not by much. So the day rolls on, you miraculously manage to knock out 80% of your goals, on top of the emergencies, distractions and fires you had to put out, and you’re feeling pretty good. 8pm- time for dinner, right?

Well, if your business serves customers and is in any way influenced by the digital/social space (hint: that’s everyone), you know the value of staying educated. In fact, a sizable chunk of your ‘work’ is probably spent reading and learning. In fact, nearly half of our team spent the better part of this weekend doing exactly that in Austin, at SXSW. Such is today’s topic: The current pace of the industry, and staying ahead of the wave. (no, not Google’s…)

Simply keeping up is a full time job. So many outlets, so little time. RSS feeds and Blogs, Facebook and Twitter, Foursquare and Gowala – Oh My! How is any regular person suppose to manage, digest, and take away something beneficial from all that noise? There are seemingly hundreds of methods to do so, and it’s easy to get caught up in the wormhole, managing how all the pieces connect and new methods of communicating between them all. You find yourself obsessed with staying ahead of the game, just to be ahead. But to what end.

Am I using the best application? The most popular?
Who has the best user interface?
Who is saying which platform has the better experience?
Which version should you actually go with?
Whose blogs should I read?
Whose tweets should I follow? And how do I find them?

To cut through the noise, the trick is knowing from who you gain value. You may spend an hour a week reading somebody’s opinions simply because they have 30,000+ followers, but if those ‘insights’ never make you think longer than a few seconds, chances are you should focus your energy elsewhere. Quality content is not a popularity game. The ability to quickly and effectively filter good information from bad is a very valuable skill set. Direct your attention to dynamIt’s blog roll (to the left) for a few examples of quality resources – at least to us. Knowing what your colleagues, competitors, and thought leaders are reading can be pretty valuable, and lend some insight into what makes them tick.

This concept is not revolutionary, I know. And ironically, if you’re reading this then you already have a great handle on this skill. I write this because this is my second week with dynamIt. Being new to the agency industry, I am in the unique position to of having a fresh perspective. I sit at my desk writing this, it’s 7pm, and the only thing telling me to go home is my stomach. I love it here. There was a point in my life where I was convinced I would be a University Professor. I wanted an environment that not only encourages constant learning, but requires it. Lucky for me, I’ve found one just like that (only without the additional tuition required). The group I’ve joined has found a way to make work, play. Additionally, they understand that in order to be at the top of your game, you have to genuinely enjoy not just the work, but the learning that fosters better work. These guys get it.

If you want to teach us, learn with us, or share with us, give us a call.

Dynamit was honored as one of the “Best Places to Work” in 2010 & 2011 by Columbus Business First newspaper and Interactive Agency of the Year. Times are even better in 2012 and we’re hiring a Web/Graphic Designer for our aggressively growing team.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on cutting edge projects for well-known brands in a dynamic, entrepreneurial and highly creative environment. Please email resumes/cover letters and portfolio information (documents or links to online examples) to Gary Moneysmith via gmoney@dynamit.us.

A web/graphic designer on the Dynamit team will:

• Be well versed with Adobe Creative Suite: Strong knowledge of Photoshop, experience with Illustrator and InDesign.
• Have a strong understanding of Usability & Web Trends: Experience with user interface design, knowledge of best practices & examples of this in a portfolio or live site/application design. They will also be up-to-date on web trends and design tactics with examples.
• Have experience in user experience design (UXD) designing application and system interfaces. This experience is crucial for this position.
• Have Basic Programming Knowledge: We’re not looking for a developer here, but the designer should have the ability to design for web with a knowledge of the boundaries and how to design for execution by a programmer.
• Have a Strong Portfolio: We’d like to see much more web work than print.
• Be eager to learn, with a passion for design & the web. The designer should have a strong internal drive for industry knowledge and be committed to furthering the craft.

Experience is important, but personality is key. Our culture is what drives us, and we’re looking to build our team with someone who both fits and contributes to it.

The position is full time at our office in the Arena District in Columbus, Ohio. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package as well as a fun, high-energy, intellectually-stimulating work environment.

Benefits Include

• Competitive salary (compensation will be based on skills and experience)
• Fully paid medical/dental insurance for employees
• Paid parking
• Unlimited vacation time (within reason)
• Office bar + climbing wall — not recommended together

Don’t sit back. If you want to work in a fast paced work environment with great people who love what they do, apply today.

About Dynamit
Dynamit is a digital agency based in the Arena District in Columbus, Ohio. We work with clients and brands on digital initiatives that include strategy, design, user experience and development. We influence communication and commerce. Client work includes Hilton Worldwide, Charley's Grilled Subs, McGraw-Hill, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), E-Z-GO, American Electric Power (AEP), Columbus College of Art & Design and the Ohio State Medical Center (OSUMC) to name but a few.