Etsy Creative Director: Randy J. Hunt

There are so many cool things going on at The College of New Jersey! Just last week the creative director of Etsy, Randy J. Hunt, came as a part of the Visiting Artist Series. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Etsy, it is an online marketplace for handcrafted goods that has enabled over $500 million in sales. In fact on March 4th when Randy came to TCNJ, Etsy filed for a $100 million IPO. There is big stuff going on with the company that got its humble start in Brooklyn.

When my friend Tina and I entered the concert hall where the talk was being held, I immediately felt out of place. Here I was, a girl who is so used to being surrounded by people in suits, in the midst of the creatives of my school. There were hipster with hats and glasses, and people with blue hair, and there was so much “cool” in one place I wasn’t sure if it could all fit.

When Randy got on stage in his dark outfit complete with sneakers, spectacles, and a pretty major beard, I was struck with the differences of each school within the college. No business student would ever imagine getting on stage like that, but different industries have different standards. It was actually sort of refreshing!

His talk focused on the value of side projects and what you should keep in mind when designing a service or product. He shared some of his side projects and told how they influence what should be considered his main project, Etsy. However, he went on to explain that anything you dedicate your time to is your main project. I found this especially interesting as a blogger who considers this blog my side project. With the amount of time, energy, and and thought I give to this space, I should dignify it by considering it a priority. In college it can be difficult to determine what to put your time towards because there is so much going on, but it is important to remember that you are defined by what you invest yourself in.

Randy explained that there are three main principles to follow when designing: people matter most, nothing is precious, and the product is never done. He stressed that you have to always design for your team and end user. You also shouldn’t be married to anything you create. Everything can, and probably should, be changed at some point so you only hurt your product if you treat anything you create as precious. Lastly, a product should be constantly improved and modified; it is never done. This is something I also find myself applying to blogging. I sometimes wonder how I can constantly want to update my layout or find a stronger series of images to use with my posts. Why is it that I can never settle on something and know that it’s good? Because the product is never done.

Are you a fan of Etsy? Have you heard any interesting speakers lately? Do you agree with Randy’s points?