eBay In Person: Tom Walter

What do you do at eBay?
I'm the Creative Director -- we do all of the visual and creative design for the site -- and a lot of other things as well, like reworking the outside signage for eBay Park (eBay's corporate offices).

When did you start, and why did you want to work for eBay?
I started in January of 1999. I wanted to work for eBay because I really liked and believed in the concept.

What did you do before coming here?
Before coming to eBay, I was a Senior Art Director at the integrated marketing agency, CKS Partners. CKS was the firm that developed the current eBay logo back in 1997. And, no, I did not design the logo although people will attribute it to me. I was part of the logo development team to make sure that whatever was chosen would work well on the web (most logo designers were very print focused in those days).

I did do the redesign of the home page once the new logo was chosen. I was given a whopping two weeks to complete it, while still working on projects for other clients, under the auspices that we would get to redesign it within the next six months. I looked at that design for three years!

Had you used the site before working for eBay?
As soon as they became our client I began to use the site. I'm proud to say that I currently have a feedback score of 563.

What types of items do you buy/sell on the site?
Mainly toys -- action figures -- no, they're not "dolls!" I've sold quite a few of these superhero toys called HeroClix. Check them out -- they have their own DLP! (Dynamic Landing Page)

What's your favorite eBay purchase?
Probably the Monty Python action figure of the French Taunter from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

"Now go away before I taunt you a second time!"

That and my wife bought an iron bed for my daughter from someone in New Orleans because it was such a great deal. All said and done, the shipping was double the cost of the bed. It is a very cool bed, though.

Do you have any neat eBay stories you'd like to share?
Wow, where to begin. Some of my favorite stories have to do with eBay Live! where I've been known to work the Big Spin-to-Win wheels for hours on end. I remember the first event in Anaheim when, not fully aware of what we were in for, I was working the crowd with a pocketful of Meg and Pierre trading cards. Within seconds I was backed against a wall with people about thirty deep trying to get one of the cards. Pretty insane but very cool because our members just love eBay that much. I did, however, hold one card back-- a signed Meg card. That I gave to an elderly member who was so grateful -- it truly made her day to get that card and, at the same time, it made me proud to be a part of eBay.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
To know that what we do and what we create will be used and seen by millions of people.

What's the most important thing you've heard from an eBay member?
The most important things I've heard are about how much we've changed people's lives. I know we've heard many of the stories before but it still blows my mind to realize how much what we do affects people on a daily basis. eBay gives many of them opportunities that otherwise would have been beyond their reach. That is truly designing for a higher power.