Client Stories: Industrial Designer John Mauriello

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do? 

My name is John Mauriello. I'm an industrial designer working with some of the most innovative tech companies in the world.  I also created the largest industrial design YouTube channel in the world, called Design Theory. It averages around 500k-1.5 mil views per month, and is approaching half a million subscribers.

What motivated you to get a new headshot?  How old was your previous headshot?

At the time, I was searching for full-time employment. My old headshot was just a picture of me that I had taken myself. This was also before I had much experience with videography/photography, so it just wasn't very professional.

How did you feel about your old headshot, and what were you looking for in your new one? 

My old headshots were mediocre. For better and for worse, the design industry concerns itself heavily with appearances. Knowing this, I wanted to get photographs that conveyed how seriously I take my profession. At the time, I also looked very young for my age. I was about 30 years old but I barely looked a day over 22. I wanted a portrait that helped me look a bit more my age. This is why we went for more high-contrast, low-key lighting, and Jeff did very few touch-ups on the image in order to make me look more my age.

In what ways do you think your new headshot has impacted your business, visibility or job search? 

When I got this headshot taken, it was before I built my channel, Design Theory. I was more focused on full-time employment, and I do think that it helped with that. However, since then, I started a YouTube channel called Design Theory. I mentioned earlier that the design industry is very concerned with appearances. I don't love this, but that's the reality. It's even more the case with YouTube, where I am standing in front of a camera for millions of people to see. Image is VERY important. People are going to make snap judgments and immediately question your credibility. YouTube is an especially tricky platform, because anyone can post a video on that platform. For that reason, your credibility is constantly in question. Do you actually know what you're talking about, or are you a pretender? While I am qualified as a professional designer (I'm a former professor and worked with some of the largest brands in the world), not everyone's going to look that up. They're going to make a snap judgment based on the content of my video, and all of the imagery surrounding it. The headshot is foundational to cementing my credibility as an authority on the subject of design.

Have you received any feedback on your new headshot?

Yes, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It kinda has Rembrandt lighting vibes. The most common feedback I get is that it looks almost like a classical portrait.

How important do you think a professional headshot is for someone in your field? 

Once again, it is foundationally important.

What advice would you give to someone considering getting a new headshot? 

Figure out who your audience is and what kind of a vibe or image you want to convey. You can also look at other portraits that you like and show them to Jeff. He can do pretty much anything. As a last resort or worst case scenario, you can just focus on a more stock-standard headshot and let Jeff do his thing. Anything that he does will be miles ahead of the average headshot in terms of lighting, pose, etc. etc.

Were you nervous or uncomfortable with the idea of having your photos taken and if so how was the experience in the end? 

Nah it was fine.

How did you prepare for your headshot session, and do you have any tips for others on how to get ready for theirs?

I just wore what I wear everyday. Went through my standard morning routine.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience or the impact of your new headshot?

Nope

How was your experience working with S72 for your headshot session?

Jeff is a consummate professional. It's been about 6 years, but I still remember it. The efficiency in which Jeff works was what stood out to me. I walked in, Jeff looked at me for about 5 seconds. He told me where to sit and how to pose. He moved one light about 12 inches further away. Then another light he tilted away from me. He took one single picture. In the space of about 30 seconds, Jeff had already captured a great image. We could have just stopped shooting after the very first shot. He's that good. We tried a few different lighting angles and basic poses and we had about 100 great images in the space of 10 minutes. I was booked for a 30 minute session, but all of the shots were so good and it just seemed unnecessary to continue. I think this stood out to me because I was just starting to get into videography and photography, and the deftness of his process was very impressive. The reason why Jeff is so efficient is because he's so damn good! He really knows what he's doing.