February '24 DAR Star: Amanda Qubty

We work with absolutely incredible people—and we all have varied interests and experiences, which adds to the unique makeup of the University of Georgia. We’ll be regularly spotlighting a few rock stars from around the division so that even if you don’t cross paths with them in the break room or Zoom with them on a weekly basis, you can get to know colleagues who can enhance your work life and productivity.

Without further ado, please enjoy our Q&A with Amanda Qubty …

Name: Amanda Qubty

Title: Associate Creative Director, DAR

I lead and guide the design team, developing compelling ideas for DAR projects, while maintaining the UGA brand and pushing it to work in the various campaigns we are part of every day. I collaborate with clients to understand their needs and work with the designers to create visually engaging and effective collateral, while also ensuring final deliverables meet our high-quality standards. Additionally, I hide tiny plastic babies and rubber ducks around the suite, make bad jokes in our Slack channel and generally attempt to keep morale within the department high-ish.
What might people not know about your job? Creativity requires time and inspiration. Generating unique and impactful ideas takes time. It’s not always as simple as sitting down and immediately coming up with brilliant designs. Good design rarely happens on the first try. It involves multiple iterations and revisions to refine and improve the work. Sometimes, you need to explore different avenues and experiment before arriving at the perfect solution. You know the iceberg analogy? What you see on the draft doesn’t show the amount of work, time and knowledge it took to get there, just like you don’t see the entire iceberg from the surface. Oh, and you’ve heard of writer’s block, right? Creatives get that, too. When ideas don’t flow, it’s essential to step back, take breaks, and seek inspiration from various sources to overcome the block. Continuous learning is crucial. The creative industry is constantly evolving, with new tools, trends, and technologies emerging regularly. To stay relevant and produce innovative work, creatives must engage in continuous learning and stay up-to-date with the latest developments. Creatives and graphic designers possess a unique perspective on the world, and having them on your team brings invaluable and innovative problem-solving to projects. Embracing their distinct vision enhances the potential for fresh ideas and successful outcomes.

Where can we find you?

Online: ude.agu@qadnama
On Campus: 1 Press Place – First Floor (DARCOMM Suite)
At Home: Athens, Georgia

Time in DAR: Six and a half years

What is your favorite reason for working for UGA/DAR? I work with a team of other creatives that lift one another up every single day. We have fun together and inspire each other.

Where did you grow up: New Orleans, Louisiana

Tell us about your family…me and my two dogs, Ella and Piper.

On a typical Saturday evening, you can find me … Grad school has been dictating all my evenings lately. I don’t even remember what fun is anymore. Someone save me! Just kidding :) I’m a sucker for live music or local Athens events. ps i am not kidding help me i am drowning ahhhh

No. 1 tip for someone just joining DAR … When you need to take a break from looking at your screen, find a window. Downtown Athens activities are a hoot! You might see a puppy or a man yelling at a tree. It’s always a fun surprise.

Outside of work, I’m passionate about … Music, art, design, meeting new creatures, french fries, the environment, travel and spontaneous adventures, hiking, reading, orangetheory, tiny objects, wedge salads, spooky things.

Favorite book or podcast: Favorites terrify me. I love too many things!

A song that really pumps me up is … Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi

Something you might not know about me is … My favorite class in college was a PE elective, Wilderness Survival Skills. The final exam was a weekend in the woods. The teacher dropped us in locations in groups of 4 and was like, “K BYEEEEE!” I am still alive today, which means I passed! Phew.

My dream vacation (cost and time aside) is to visit … Egypt, Israel, Ireland & Scotland – to see the places my people came from!

We hope you learned something new about Amanda. We are lucky to have her on our DAR team! Feel free to reach out to her if you have questions about creative projects, or if you’d like to talk about pet parenting and outdoor exploration.