Celebrate Scottie's Win with 11% off MySpiderTour Putters ENDS MIDNIGHT TUESDAY 16/04 SHOP NOW
Your Shopping Cart is Empty
Or continue with
8 - 20 characters, containing at least the following 3 types of characters: Lower case letters (a-z), Upper case letters (A-Z), Numbers (i.e. 0-9).
The most inspirational things are often right in front of us. It might be the typography on a book cover, the colours used from your preferred clothing brand or images showcased on your favourite music album. Some might see these in everyday life and acknowledge them unknowingly, but for Team TaylorMade’s Senior Design Manger Linda Melzani Hitchenor she sees an opportunity to be creative.
With the proliferation of programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, it’s easier than ever to create art without ever picking up a pencil, and yet Linda’s passion for graphic design started when she picked a pencil up at 4 years old.
"I was always drawing as a child and my mum took me to a drawing class when I was 4 years old. The teacher thought I was too young to be in the class, but once I put pencil to paper there was no looking back" – Linda Melzani Hitchenor
Studying Communications Design at Politecnico di Milano and UNSW Sydney, Linda’s creativity was unlocked, undertaking roles in tourism, fashion and even finance as she travelled around the world expanding her portfolio.
"I’ve always liked sports since I was little, and football was an important part of my life growing up. My family are huge AC Milan fans and I remember going to football matches with my dad. Seeing everyone’s passion for the game was incredible to witness and I also got to see it first hand when I worked with Liverpool FC in the design creation process of the hospitality area in the main stand at Anfield.”
From an outsider’s perspective football and golf are very different sports, but for Linda the design process stays the same and when the creative calling came in the form of TaylorMade Adidas Golf, she’s never looked back.
"I saw that TaylorMade Adidas Golf we’re hiring. I remember being really excited about the role but thought let’s see if they give me a chance because I’m not a golfer!"
Valuing the job as much as the working environment Linda strives to make TaylorMade a fun, engaging and rewarding place to be, encouraging others to share in the creation of that environment. "It’s true, I’m the only women in the creative team in Europe and our global headquarters in Carlsbad, however my opinion is always valued. Everyone is open minded and what I bring to the table is a bit of diversity. Everyone’s passions and hobbies are different on our team and I think that’s what makes us the best in the industry."
An integral part of TaylorMade Golf is the regional differences we make in our global messaging to cater for our diverse markets. "In general, we are the European design team, we need to create marketing materials that are relevant in many different countries, which could mean adjusting the copy so it’s in language, repositioning image lockups for window takeovers, or studio backdrops. This year we adapted our point-of-sale units by changing the materials they are created from to make them standout in stores across Europe. I really enjoyed this project."
"I would say the job you pick is important, but the self-initiated creativity is just as important. Any job can be learnt but the attitude can make the difference. Those items that you put in your portfolio show your personality, dedication, and passion."
For the last year, the golf industry has been bigger and better than ever, creating a demand on the design team on high alert. Having to sacrifice her professional life to balance home life with two young boys has been tough especially throughout the pandemic, although for anyone that’s creative this can be an opportunity to see something from a different perspective.
“Creativity has helped me throughout my life. Finding the time to draw, more so when the kids were napping, made me realise how much I needed to bring creativity back into my role. It has really invigorated me to bring new ideas to the table.”
Whilst everyone spends more time at home, inspiration can become limited.
Not for Linda, whether it's #BoozeSeries or fun activities with her boys, check out linda.scribbles and vote for your favourite!
Whether it's stopping to take a picture, creating finger paintings with her boys or designing window takeovers, Linda's inspired by the drive to be better tomorrow than she is today.