At XIC, our team has vast expertise in quality design, print and display solutions. Yet, we’re not just your standard print company – with every project, regardless of its budget or size, we will go the extra mile to exceed your expectations.
We strive to create completely unique and bespoke marketing materials that impress both the client, and its intended audience, and a vital part of what makes XIC the ‘creative printer’ is our ideas man and Director, Jason Moir.
In this blog post, we sat down with Jason to discover what has kept him passionate about creative printing for more than 20 years, what he believes sets XIC apart from like-minded businesses, and so much more…
Can you tell us when you first joined XIC, and what your first role was like?
“I first came on board at XIC – which at the time was known as Xpress Print – in 1996 as a Graphic Designer. Within a year I was proudly running the studio which was complete with seven other designers, but I got to a point where I just didn’t want to be behind the desk anymore. That’s when I knocked on our founder Bill Fawcett’s door and asked if I could move into a sales role. Without hesitation, Bill threw me a set of car keys and a laptop and said: “Go for it”.
“I essentially dived into the role, and got started by joining Business Network International (BNI) which really helped fast track my sales capabilities as I had the chance to meet an array of like-minded professionals. I’ve always loved speaking to clients and problem solving for them, which is why the role felt like it came naturally to me.”
Can you tell us about your role today, and how it has evolved?
“I’ve worn many hats during my time at XIC, as I evolved through various roles such as a Sales Representative, Sales Manager, and then to my latest position as Director which still has a particular focus on business development.
“Over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to really drive the creative side of XIC forward while developing the business wherever possible alongside my business partner, Murray Alexander – our varied skill set and passion for what we do really complements each other.
“Looking forward, I’m always searching for ways that can elevate what we do, while expressing just how creative our team is. We don’t want to be viewed as just another printer, because we’re so much more than that. I think our ‘creative printer’ capabilities have really appealed to existing and new customers as of late, as we now have a countless number of organisations coming to us saying ‘we don’t know what we’re after, but we know you’ll think of the solution.”
We’ve heard a few people refer to you as the ‘creative ideas man’, how did you garner this nickname?
“I think it’s because I’m always ‘chasing the rainbow’, looking for innovative design, print and display solutions that will help our clients stand out from the crowd and I have a thorough interest in coming up with new ideas and unconventional ways of doing things. I love to think outside the box regardless of the project – but this creative thinking isn’t just found in me, it’s consistent throughout our entire team.”
What makes you so passionate about your role?
“It’s really down to the opportunity to be creative – I get such a buzz about delivering new ideas for clients that exceed expectations. At XIC, we don’t box ourselves in – instead, we promote a culture where everyone has room to breathe new ideas into the projects we tackle. This attitude and drive towards maintaining our status as the ‘creative printer’ is partly why I love coming to work everyday.”
Can you tell us about some of the projects that you’re most proud of?
“Our work with STR immediately comes to mind. STR had arranged to take its clients to watch the highly anticipated game at Murrayfield stadium where Scotland would be taking on the All Blacks. The client was looking for VIP material to enhance the overall experience, and gave us full creative freedom to come up with a memorable concept for the event.
“We really went all out, and ended up designing some incredibly visual yet practical materials including itineraries that were printed onto a rugby-ball shaped card, and a ‘Warm up’ box that featured an on-brand snood with hand warmers, and a ‘Full time’ box complete with whisky and shortbread.
“Other projects that come to mind are the easter egg boxes we designed, printed and crafted for Maryculter House Hotel, and the sleek passports that we designed for VELUX Windows which flew out its colleagues from all around the world to a staff event at the Crieff Hydro. Because people were travelling far and wide for this event, this sparked our idea of giving personalised booklets to each attendee that looked like a genuine passport.
“Inside, it had the guest’s information as well as the complete agenda for the weekend. I really think I’m most proud of the projects where XIC’s team has had free rein to get creative, and when the final product exceeds the client’s expectations. It’s also about the materials that have stood the test of time, and that don’t look outdated when we look back at the projects we completed 10/15 years ago.”
In your opinion, what sets XIC apart from other printers?
“It really goes back to when Bill Fawcett started the business all those years ago, and the attitude our team brings to every project. Some of the XIC team, like myself, have been at the company for decades, and I think this really makes a difference to our customers as they benefit from a group of experts who are dedicated to their craft.
“Our team has set such a high standard for ourselves in terms of the quality of work we deliver to customers – we all strive to deliver the best for the businesses we work with, simply because we care.”
What’s your creative process when it comes to design, print and display projects?
“We follow a 3-step creative process for every project that just ensures we know exactly what the client wants to achieve with XIC, while allowing time for us to brainstorm ideas before finally getting to the hard bit of designing and printing the product.
“When a client first contacts XIC, we immediately want to complete some fact-finding so we have an understanding of its goal. If the customer doesn’t have a clear goal of what they want to achieve, such as at an upcoming event, then that’s when I immediately suggest they come to our office where we can get our heads together and brainstorm some ideas.
“Another essential part of our process is the design of high-quality visuals and prototypes which really illustrate what the end-product will look like. This stage is really important to us, as we want the customer to have full visibility and understanding of what our team has come up with, while providing them with the time to give us any feedback before we send a visual to print.”
