Formula 1 is world famous for science, numbers and data, but that doesn’t mean there is no place for creativity. There are many creative roles in Formula 1 and to find out more we spoke to Ryan Long – Creative Services Manager at Haas F1 Team – to find out what a creative role looks like in a Formula 1 team and what skills they have You need one and how you can gain the experience necessary to get your foot in the door.
What is your role
I’m essentially a one-man creative team responsible for everything visual for the Haas F1 team.
What are your tasks and main tasks?
My responsibilities include leading the creative process for car paintwork, driver suits, mechanical suits, team kits, workshops, vans, social media graphics, infographics, video editing, print and advertising materials, PR and communication materials, sponsorship proposals, sales decks, special events, marketing initiatives and whatever else still pending!
How do you become a Creative Services Manager?
As an entry-level graphic designer, you can join anywhere – be it in an agency or as part of an in-house design team. From then on, it’s about learning the job, building your portfolio and looking for opportunities to advance or switch in motorsport.
Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-21, in the box
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
What qualifications do you need?
Experience and a strong portfolio are crucial. Unlike some jobs, there is no “certificate” that says you are a good designer, so you have to let your work speak for itself.
What should you learn in school?
Usually people have a degree in graphic design or visual communication design, but I’m not a good example of that – my degree is architecture. Some sort of design education would be expected, but again, having a strong portfolio that proves your skills is more important than where you went to school. While in school, it would be a great idea to get involved as a creative intern on the school’s sports teams (especially in the US where college sports are big) or in Formula SAE or Formula Student.
What other skills are useful?
Having some knowledge of the field you want to work in is helpful, but in my experience, great motorsport fans are not always great motorsport workers. You don’t want anyone to be more interested in the driver going by than getting their job done. I could teach pretty much any good designer the ins and outs of motorsport, so I would choose design chops over F1 knowledge when hiring a designer.
How can I gain work experience?
The good thing about being a graphic designer who’s into motorsports is that you can always be a freelancer! Start at the lowest levels: try to get jobs on your local short circuit, kart track, or a development series where you design driver cards, helmets, paint jobs, or whatever you can. You will make some money and if you do a good job you will start to make a name for yourself and you can move up into bigger series just like the drivers do.
Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-21
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Can you take part in races?
I usually go up a couple of times a year. I always go to the pre-season tests where we record a lot of video and photo content and this is also a good time to double-check everything and make final adjustments before the season starts. I also go maybe a couple of races a year, depending on what happens there. If there is a major sponsor video project or branding change happening on a particular race weekend, I’ll try to be there to make sure everything goes smoothly.
What does a working day look like for a creative services manager?
I’m usually in the office from at least 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and in front of my computer all day, apart from meetings. During the racing season, I have a checklist of things to do for each racing weekend, like PR email graphics and a full set of social media graphics for each Grand Prix. Additionally, for the most part, I only respond to the needs of the team, which is quite a problem for me.
Like all racing teams, we make a lot of sponsorship proposals, so we spend a lot of time creating models of what a company’s logo would look like on a car, racing suits, or team gear.
In the off-season it is a bit more hectic, as we can redesign everything at once and the requirements for it can constantly change due to sponsor changes. Opening times can be much longer in the off-season as the deadlines are pretty tight to have everything ready for the new season.
This article was produced in collaboration with Motorsport Jobs. Find the latest jobs in motorsport, as well as jobs with the Haas F1 Team, on the Motorsport Jobs website.
The post How to become a Formula 1 Creative Services Manager – Qualifications, Skills & More first appeared on monter-une-startup.
