Creative Services

The Creative Services Department produces communications and training materials that increase the understanding of State Farm products, policies, procedures and plans.  Target audiences for these services include agents, employees, and policy holders.  Simply put, Creative Services translates ideas into action!

The department includes a diverse mix of communicators, technologists, and creative people who fill many roles to help formulate and create communication solutions. They range from graphic design for print and web, to technical support for the ever-increasing technology-based communication mediums.

Want to know more about Creative Services?  The following descriptions provide an overview of the functions that shape the department:

Project Management & Development
The Project Management & Development unit is made up of Project Managers and Writer/Producers.

Project Managers oversee all administrative issues connected with the production of large projects and/or projects with multiple deliverables. They gather appropriate resources, contact unit heads for team assignments, and are responsible for establishing timelines and cost estimates.

Writer/Producers write and/or edit project content. In addition, they may act as project producers who are responsible for delivering communication/training solutions, leading production and preparing treatments and proposals as needed per project.

Meeting Design
Meeting Design Producers design and coordinate staging, audio/visual support, and production of presentation media for corporate and companywide meeting events. This includes content and agenda support, equipment and media recommendation, facility and venue-coordination, and on-site support.

Resource Center
Resource Center Assistants coordinate audio, video, and CD-ROM duplication and manage company archives, our stock footage library, and video distribution for the company.

Photo
Photographers in Creative Services take photos for use in most corporate communication pieces, including publications, brochures, training material, Intranet and some advertising.

Interactive Distance Learning
Interactive Distance Learning is made up of a team of Producer Designers, Technical Directors, Engineers and Programs Coordinators. They help clients design and deliver live interactive broadcasts. The team uses videoconferencing and satellite technology to meet State Farm's training and communication needs. Broadcasts are sent out over the satellite network to zone, claims, agency field, and agent's offices. The programs include live presentations, video, computer slide shows, graphics and document displays.

The Producer Designer helps to manage the project from beginning to end while providing interactive design solutions to client content developers. The Technical Director and the Engineer assist with broadcast switching, equipment operation and directing broadcast presenters.

Coordinating equipment maintenance and replacement is a large part of the Program Coordinator's role. They publish broadcast schedules, monitor broadcast reception, and assist sites having technical difficulties or trouble setting up equipment.

Multimedia and Web Development
MWD consists of Production Designers, Instructional Designers, Authoring and Performance Support Designers.

MWD Production Designers advise internal clients on the effective use of multimedia. They develop interactive multimedia education and communication software, design the corporate Internet, Intranet, and web learning sites, evaluate multimedia products, coordinate outsourced projects, and research multimedia development and delivery options.

MWD Instructional Designers produce timelines, create scripts and instructional interaction activities and recommend training media.

MWD Authors design, develop, and implement multimedia/web solutions for communications, training, and performance efforts. Members of the unit advise project teams on the best use of technology to achieve communication and performance solutions. They are also involved with technological research for communication, training, and performance initiatives.

MWD Performance Support Designers work to clarify and analyze clients' business needs. Team members identify the core competencies employees need to do their jobs and recommend, design, and test solutions or tools to enhance job performance. The tools designed by the team allow employees to do their jobs at high levels of proficiency. The overriding goal of the team is to achieve clients' business goals and provide optimal return on investments.

Art & Design
The Art & Design unit consists of Art Directors, Production Designers, Graphic Designers and Coordinators.

Art Directors are responsible for overseeing the design and development of projects assigned to the Art & Design unit.

Production and Graphic Designers create artwork for print such as brochures, flyers and ads. They are responsible for developing logos and displays for the entire company.

Coordinators are charged with assigning the appropriate Art & Design team members to incoming projects, managing projects, and working with outside vendors.

TV
The TV unit consists of Directors and Engineers who schedule local and remote studio recording shoots. These shoots involve set construction, setting up cameras, audio engineering, and lighting equipment. When there is a remote shoot, the team handles the scheduling, shipping equipment to sites, and engineering. They provide engineering assistance, set up microphone levels and testing prior to Interactive Distance Learning broadcasts.

The TV unit technically supports the internal corporate cable TV system, Corporate and zone downlink requests using the steerable dish, and supports the ARS (Audience Response System). The engineering staff is available for consultation on both equipment and studio design.

Finally, the team edits and digitizes audio and videotapes, converts analog video and audio to digital format, and maintains TV, broadcast, and editing booth equipment.

Video
The Video unit includes a team of Directors, Producers, Editors, Graphic Artists and Audio Engineers who serve as the on-site video production team for State Farm. They analyze client's needs and produce programs that effectively change behavior, motivate, educate or entertain the intended audience.

The team is equipped to handle any type of media production from thirty-second radio spots to full-length video programs. They are a resource for other Creative Services teams producing video segments to heighten the impact of training and communication programs.

Production Assistants
Production Assistants perform production-related tasks for these other units within Creative Services - Interactive Distance Learning, Resource Center and Video. They organize schedules, and locate talent and materials for video and photo shoots, interactive distance learning and interactive multimedia programs.

Technical Resources
Technical Resources Analysts provide support for all units within Creative Services. They evaluate and order hardware and software, install equipment, provide technical training and stay abreast of changing technology. In addition, the unit provides workstation support and network administration.