LOVE

For the past few weeks a few friends in our class have been using the facilities in Love, a creative agency based in the heart of the Northern Quarter. The idea was for a group of students to work on their final major projects but in a professional environment. So as I knew they were going to be there for a few weeks I thought it was a good link to be able to get my portfolio seen, after a bit of nagging on both ends, Steve very kindly took 20 minutes out of his busy schedule to look through my work and have a chat about my portfolio. I felt a bit guilty, as I knew he had lots on and everyone had pretty much asked him to see me at some stage, but I guess if you don’t try, you don’t get! I’m not sure if it started particularly well, I was very conscious of the time and felt I skimmed over the first two projects a bit quickly. My portfolio wasn’t in the right order either, which was a major foe par but I had been told about the slot to see him a few hours earlier so I explained I had just grabbed my portfolio and dashed out of the house, so he didn’t seem too put off.

The first project was the ‘Ritz’ redesign, he was really interested by the ‘Christmas snowflake’ idea and felt the two other flavours could have a stronger idea to them potentially. He said they worked well on the shelf to stand out against their competitors and look good visually but they feel weaker compared to the idea behind the Christmas edition. He felt it was good to show brand extension and he liked the extended name of ‘Bitz’ but felt the pack design didn’t link up to the initial redesign enough to tie them together as the same brand, saying they almost looked rushed compared to the main packs. I understand this as I feel the look of the ‘Bitz’ packs is missing something. I know I will be changing the logo and I definitely think something additional can be done to link them better with the initial boxes. He liked the tear, which emulates a bite-mark but said that could even be bigger to highlight it more.

Next I showed him the Helvetica Neue editorial spread and the V&A end sting. He though the editorial spread was good but struggled to say anything more about it because it is what it is. I have had this before and agree but still asked him whether it should still be a part of the folio and he said yes because it shows understanding and visually looks good. He said a similar thing about the end sting but felt it probably didn’t need to be in there. He liked the flicker book and said that the design was neat and looked great but in terms of selling a big idea that it again was pretty self-explanatory and could maybe be passed up.

We talked through the 7x7 book but I was aware that Mike had already shown him this project so I very briefly skimmed over the details of the brief again. He really liked the design of the book and said it had a really nice flow to it. In terms of the poster he talked about ways I can give the poster an idea without changing the design too much and suggested using the circle and cross as a focus point. The point he was making I think is if there’s not necessarily an idea there: create one!

We talked lots about the Ted Baker brief; he feels I need to find a way to sum the brief up in one sentence, even if it is creating a different title for the brief, saying it’s about making it work for the portfolio and he’s right. The Ted Baker project always throws up a problem in explaining it and although the visual aid helps, maybe changing the title of the project could help it further. He was really interested in the packaging of the shoe tins and said he would really like to see how this develops further such as the inside of the tin box, how would they be contained etc, which is very much do-able then he said he would prefer to see more of the in-store concepts and felt the app was un-needed. He took an opposite opinion to the obsession of showing digital in a portfolio and the new craze of that is showing an app. He liked the idea of visualising the shoe on your own feet but then felt I could do more interesting things with the Tea theme. He even suggested a brief such as Twinning’s creating a range of shoes that would be sold in Ted Baker, which I thought was quite an interesting idea. There is definitely more work to be done on this project, I will probably keep in the app because I think it does have a nice idea in which is practical and clever.

The last project was the London Pasta festival and he really liked the idea saying it had a bit of work to be done on it but was a really strong image, suggesting I drop the plate and typography almost and focus solely on that graphic of the river, and look to create other London landmarks out of pasta, we then discussed some other ideas/options I had for it and a bit of my final major project and he said if I wanted any feedback or help with my last project to give him a shout.

He said he thought I had quite a strong portfolio and there were some really nice ideas in there with a good understanding for print. His best suggestion was making sure I tailor my portfolio when going to agencies and to do my homework on what kind of work they do and how they work. I think Steve’s approach was very honest and he wasn’t afraid to tell me when something wasn’t working and why, so there’s lots for me to think about.

True North

( Source | www.thisistruenorth.co.uk)

I had a visit set up for True North today, a contact I made through my placement in London. I was looking forward to it following my meeting at TBWA. I felt a lot happier with the way my portfolio sat and was curious to see what advice I could get to really push it. I saw Matt who has been with company for 9 years and he was great, really friendly and easy to get along with. We had a chat about my placement and the guy who put us both in contact, but also about 3rd year, which was good as a starting point. We quickly dived into my portfolio and what was really great from the start is how much detail he was looking at the project in, and really getting to grips with what the project's were about.

We started with the Ritz project, which I think he really understood that our main concept was to push the unique shape of the cracker and to have packaging that draws your attention and sets itself apart on the shelf. We talked through the project and the choices we had made regarding the logo/pack designs he said really positive things about the way we were thinking and how we had applied it saying that it was brave to design something so graphic for that type of product and it would definitely be eye catching on the shelf. He talked about having the three flavours all next to each other and keeping the christmas editions as separate elements on a new page. In terms of the Bitz, I talked about previous comments made about the size of the logo and we discussed ways that could be altered to make it have a slightly different look.

We talked through the helvetica brief and we talked about how it was important to be able to use typography in a creative way and he believed the layout showed great understanding of not only the typeface but also in the structure. He thought it was difficult to arrange type in the way I had done so with a range of different column sizes and vertical and horizontal blocks of text. I think the brief almost speaks for itself in terms of what it aims to achieve, but he mentioned it would be nice to see other examples of editorial work or maybe even some of the poster designs that we had done around the same time.

(Source | www.thedrum.co.uk)

We talked quite a bit about the V&A end sting, as he was really looking into the detail of every project, he actually made me feel really passionate about the idea again! The initial concept was to keep the elegance of the V&A logo and to bring it together in a way that mimicked the symmetry that designer Alan Fletcher had created. Matt really picked up on this and really highlighted the fact that it had been kept elegant and clean and said he could imagine this on a website or after an advert, easily. He appreciated the difficulty of trying to express something within a 5 second window but for the fact I could have gone in any direction, he thought I'd chosen something that really epitomised what the V&A Museum is all about. I then decided to talk to him about my thoughts on taking it out of my portfolio and the reasons that I didn't know whether it was needed/didn't have enough to say about it . He seemed to think it was a great little project that did show an understanding of design and working with a big identity but also keeping something neat and simplistic. At the same time he pointed out that I should only keep it in if I felt confident about it and the idea. I guess up until now I've lost a bit of passion about it but after talking to Matt or rather hearing him talk about it to me, It's definitely made me relook at it and actually realise that there is a good idea in there and it shows if anything else that I know how to apply design over not just print based artifacts.

We moved onto the 7x7book and talked through the process of working with other people and the importance of having a live brief to give you a real understanding of real deadlines and what's actually required. However he really felt that the book and poster didn't connect as well as they could do and he said he could tell the book wasn't printed to the same quality all the way through and as a result of that looked almost like it could look amazing - but doesn't. He thought it was a great way to show an experience but as design work, he had seen more in my portfolio that would suggest I didn't need to include it. There's definitely lots in that that I agree with. I still struggle with the quality of the book, even though plenty of designers have said they hardly realised the printing mistakes, it still makes me highlight the experience side of the project instead of the design side. I find myself almost ignoring the design elements of the book because I find it easier.

(Source | www.effectivedesign.org.uk)

Ted Baker was the next brief and again I was trailing my all new mood board to introduce the concept and idea. He was really into the concept and thought the packaging was really strong. He liked the quirky elements of the patterns and the tea theme and thought there was real legs in the in-store/window display arrangements. but felt I could definitely show more elements over more boards. With showing inside the tins to show how the shoes would sit and possibly some other forms of promotional items, like store bags, direct mail etc. This has really made me think of how to extend the project. All the elements are there it's just a case of bringing them together to show how I can apply the idea over different things. Matt really made a point of showing as much as possible of how an idea can work over different platforms and I think I could definitely show more of this for the project. He loved the idea behind the app and thought it was presented clear and well. He thought the app icon page was maybe a little unnecessary as one or two elegant designs would suffice and he wasn't sure whether the changeable interface was even possible.

He also gave me great advice how to improve the layout of the project, he thought the idea of an introductory page with visual stimuli was great but could be arranged in a better way toi really explain my train of thought. (Ted Baker + Tea = Tea Baker) Using this as a way of explaining how I got to that fusion, then really giving the project breathing space by then having the identity 'Tea Baker' on its own page then feeding that into the packaging, instore concepts and then the app. He believes this would make presenting the project a lot easier and it would create suspense and build momentum to the flow of the presentation. I couldn't agree more with that. I have always been conscious of how many pages you should have per project and he explained that sometimes a project needs space and why not, if it's something your proud of you should want to spread it out. He also thinks it would allow the audience to really consume the designs without me having to explain the concept, logo and designs all in one go. This I think would help with me talking less and letting the designer really soak up the project.

The last project was the london pasta festival, which was one of the pieces that was sent over to Matt previous to him getting in touch. Similarly to Craig Oldham, this was the brief that really caught his attention and made him want to see me. He said it was the simplicity in the idea and with a bit of tweaking it would be there as a really strong identity. He suggested getting rid of the logo designs on the side of the page and focussing on the concept - giving me some ideas on how to push that, branching out on the pasta festival idea. We spoke about how it would be good to then see how that would work over stationary, bags, side of a van etc. He said it would show my ability to take an identity and visualise it across different platforms. As my final major project has taken a different route I want to retain this idea and develop it because I think it is strong and has potential.

Matt then went back through each project and told me ways to improve the portfolio his suggestion was to break up my big projects to flow over as many pages as they needed. E.g. the Ritz project he suggested that the old logo and new logo should be on the first page then the 3 boxes on the second with the Christmas editions after on their own page with the brand extension last. This allows me to get my explanation out of the concept and idea then not have to over talk as they look at the packaging and how I have applied that concept. This feels like it would work really well for Ritz, Ted Baker and Pasta Festival (once it has been developed) He strongly suggested taking out the 7x7 book as it felt weak in comparison to the other projects. As I feel more confident about the V&A end sting I am definitely considering this, although I do like having tactile things in my portfolio - the book might not be the right answer. He gave me lots of really helpful ways of allowing the portfolio to flow and I felt I got some really genuine feedback from him, which is not always something that transpires out of portfolio visits. He said he was looking forward to how the portfolio has changed for the next time I see him so all hands on deck with making it as good as possible.

TBWA - Manchester

(Source | www.tbwamanchester.com)

Previous to my visit at TBWA I had received some tough feedback on my work so I was a little nervous about how it was going to go, but I had made quite a few changes to some of the projects and felt that the portfolio as a whole had a better consistency to it. So very much mixed feeling before I got there. Their building is right around the corner from my house in Didsbury and right next door to my old playgroup in an wonderfully renovated church. The agency had a brilliant buzz to it, really spacious but with all the character of the church still in tact. I met with Grace and another colleague called Richard. We spent a large amount of time talking about where I was up to, so covering the course, we talked about my placement and what I want to do when I finish. We then got onto the subject of what is expected of students when they leave University and how important they feel having some basic digital knowledge is. Suggesting that if I get an online website set up or experiment with that it would show a basic understanding of what is considered a necessary area now. I really agree with this although I wouldn't really know where to start but it's definitely something that will only be beneficial so definitely before the end of the year I would like to get some help setting it up! They also talked about how important Photoshop skills are, this is a bit scary because I don't feel too confident with photoshop, I know the basics but no where near to a decent level, and this is the 2nd time very recently that Photoshop has been highlighted as the 'one to know' However saying that, they both didn't expect juniors to be the finished article and said it was as much about picking things up but good technical skills definitely helped. Most of my portfolio visits seem to start in the same way with a big chat about design or something regarding my experiences with the course or industry and I think this really helps settle into the visit. It's always a bit daunting just turning up and showing a stranger your work, so most of the time the chat is a great way to suss each other out and get rid of nerves.

We then dived into the portfolio with my Ritz project at the beginning. I made the decision of taking out the new shots of the new packs that we sent off for the competition mainly because I didn't feel they were as strong as the set of three (original, cheese and snowflake) and I knew straight away I had made the right decision as I felt more confident talking about it. They both really liked the redesign and thought the brand extension was a great way to see how we can push an idea. They did pick up on the fact the 'Bitz' logo didnt match up with the logo on the pack, which is something that needs addressing. They felt the packs looked really clean and professional though and that was good to hear because I have been toying with changing them.

We looked at the Helvetica Neue and the V&A end sting after and these were two that I felt unsure about after some feedback that poised them as generic university projects, however the editorial spread received great comments with them, they said it was clear to see that I really understood the best way to utilize the typeface and thought the structure was spot on. The V&A end sting went down well also but I'm not sure what place it has in the portfolio. I like the fact that it has the flick book to accompany it as it gives them something tactile to look at but I struggle with what to say about it, because it is what it is. I'm not sure whether that's ok and maybe it doesn't need to have a big explanation. I would love to have all the sketched up ideas that went along because I feel the idea's there would be better to talk through.

We talked through the 7x7 brief and they thought it was great to have some experience dealing with different teams of people and a great way to gauge the realistic turn around time for printers etc, they liked the layout of the book and the two colour flow of the book, but felt the poster could have incorporated some of the 7x7 graphics of the front cover as they felt like two separate elements and the circle didn't tie it together enough.

(Source | www.tbwamanchester.com)

The Ted Baker brief was the one I was most unsure about talking through. The concept is a bit out of the box and up until now it had been always a bit of a chore, so I decided to throw together a mood board to introduce the project a bit better with visuals that fed straight into our ideas and the way we approached the brief. This worked really well I felt I could talk about the concept much easier and it felt as if they understood it straight away too. They thought the project really highlighted the quirky nature and detail in their clothes/shoes in a way that made them the focus - which they admitted they had never realised before. They felt the app could really work as it taps into a consumers needs and they felt visualising the shoes was a nice touch.

The final project was the London Pasta festival. This makes its return after some absence, I guess I felt as if the project showed a nice idea and eventually I will be showing my final major project, which will be a follow on from this idea so it felt it was time. I also felt like I needed another project in and this felt by the end of showing the work that it was the right amount of projects. They liked the idea and really like the logo idea's in particular the type arranged around the circle as if it was the knife and fork but said the overall simplicity was what really made it interesting.

We rounded up by me enquiring how to make my portfolio interview ready. I think I am at a stage now where feedback is always welcomed but I now need to know specifics about how to make my collection of work communicate better and worthy of a job. They suggested to tailer my portfolio and said to set myself a small project that maybe stressed certain area's such as for their agency they would expect to see a bit more editorial work so maybe redesigning and fold out leaflet or publication. Mainly just know the company your going to and tailor your work for them. Do your research. I think this is really important and at the same time sometimes you have no idea what is going to go down well and not. I feel I could have shown lots of work from my 2nd year with the water brief newspaper spreads and even my designed typeface and specimen sheets and they would have really enjoyed to see that where as other places it would have been slightly lost. They suggested to keep rough work with me for interviews as it shows my process of thinking which is something I do anyway, so that was a comfort.

Generally I think I'm back at a stage where I feel areas of my portfolio are working well. I am keen to get some initial final major project ideas in there to see what feedback I can get and maybe see where that steers me. They both said they would be interested for me to come in and do a small placement in the summer when I finish and just keep them updated so I intend on sending over some of my fmp to get feedback and hopefully return with something digital at the end of my degree to impress them.

The Chase - Manchester

Source | www.thechase.co.uk

Last year I got a bit trigger happy doing portfolio visits and During my little feedback spree in London I visited The Chase where I got some really great advice on how to get the best out of my portfolio and also how to make the content relevant. I decided therefore to get in contact with The Chase in Manchester, as I thought it would be great to see how they compared and also to see how the reaction to my work differed, a year on. My visit was with Lise, who has been at the company well over 20 years and is only the second visit which I have had a woman look at my work, which was a nice change.

Coincidentally Lise and another colleague had been into Stockport the day early working with the Illustration students. Looking through their work and talking about how they work with Illustrators, this was great as it gave us a topic to start talking about straight away. It felt really comfortable talking to Lise and we talked lots about the Illustration course and our merge in the final year, that then spread onto talking about the structure of the Stockport course in general comparing that to Bristol (my previous uni) and the course she studied at MMU. We ended up nattering away for ages just about what we both perceived to be the best ways of being taught design, this was all taking place in the waiting area, where they have sofa's and tables and chairs and when Lise arrived she just joined me on one of the tables, which at first felt as if I was

a bit exposed because it was a little bit echoey and very quiet but in the end was fine!

Source | www.thechase.co.uk

We talked through my projects and it wasn't so much a break down of each project more a general talk about how and why I had chosen certain outcomes. She really liked the idea behind the Ritz and Ted Baker brief saying the Ted Baker pages needed a little more imagery to help the explanation of the project, which I know is something I have needed to address for a while. The Helvetica Neue editorial spread again went down well. I guess it's the project that has lasted the longest in my portfolio and I have got to the stage where I am starting to question whether it should still be in there - mainly because it's a 1st year project but whether that matters or not I don't know. It still seems to be well accepted and I think its the best project that shows my understanding of type, maybe because I am so used to talk about it, it almost seems dated! She thought the end sting was a nice touch and making it into a flicker book was a great way to be able to show it visually. We had a good laugh about the 7x7 book as she had obviously seen and heard a lot from her previous day with our illustration students. She recognised the challenge that we faced working with not only other creatives but also class mates. She didn't feel the printing quality of the book hindered the

way it looked too much but understood how that would have effected certain individuals and maybe how we reflect on the overall project. I definitely feel at a stage where I can enjoy talking about the book and actually like it as piece of work. (Took long enough)

Before I came in for my visit I had mentioned that I was going on a placement so Lise, really kindly gave me lots of advice and generally just let me feel a bit more at ease about the whole thing. She talked through what they expected from the students they get in and the bottom line seemed to be enthusiasm and the willingness to learn and get involved. I talked to her about my worries and my reservations about the length of time I was there and the fact I was going to be paid but she just said not to worry and to be myself and try and get involved as much as poss. It was great to hear that from someone of her stature and experience because it's easy to get carried away and over think the situation ahead but her little pep talk was great and exactly what I needed. We also spoke about me spending abit of time at The Chase at some point which would be brilliant. We obviously realised with me being away for 4 weeks of my major project that it wouldn't be till the summer but I am going to try and fit it in just after we hand our work in and before our end of year show. The visit was great if more for the things that we spoke about and the topics we covered, rather than direct feedback on my projects. I think it's helped my confidence with the way I communicate with creatives and I feel I'm starting to build a nice range of contacts.

Plan Of Action

Source: www.designers-kit.com

The final term is just about to start and that alone is pretty daunting. My proposal however, was given the green light which is good news and I was offered the 4 week placement at Springetts, which is even better news. The placement eats in to 4 weeks of this final semester which requires a decent amount of organisation to the way I work, plan and use my time. Along side my final major project I will be completing the Ritz redesign with Mike for submission for the Roses awards in February. I have been advised to get a structured plan together to set myself a series of deadlines for before I leave for London. Hopefully this will keep me on track and make sure I don't lose sight of how much needs doing. I think this will reduce the risk of me having a bit of a brain freeze and being unproductive. It's been highlighted that it's impossible to go full steam all the time and I'm hoping my time in London will give me a healthy break away from my fmp that it won't disrupt it too much but keep it feeling fresh. I guess only time will tell. I want to be in the best possible situation when I leave for the placement so these next 5 weeks will be crucial. I'm going to set up a week by week calender to keep me on track and (hopefully) focussed.

Ritz Feedback

One of my aims I set myself at the start of the year was to try and collect as much feedback as possible on my work so shortly after we had our first small deadline for the Ritz project I sent Craig Oldham, who works for Music my portfolio pages that contained the Ritz stuff. below was his reply:

As I sent him the email a good few weeks ago, the development of the designs and packaging have come a long way. I have made a cheese flavoured edition and reduced the size of the box, back to its original size. I have made 3d mock ups off the two flavours and developed the snowflake design with a mock up too. I think the idea about using the shape itself and trying to make that into some sort of wrapping, quite interesting, and I absolutely love the idea of giving the wrapping paper a dual purpose such as grease proof paper. Unfortunately it's too late to form any changes as I have just handed the work in to be marked but we still have time before the competition deadline to definitely have a further think. This is why I think it's best to try and get as much feedback as possible because it can show you a completely new way of taking the project. I think it's hard to see past what you're working on sometimes especially when you have been working on something for a long time, so a fresh perspective is always helpful.

JPMH Portfolio Visit

My second portfolio visit in London was at JPMH, an agency I found out about through a friend of mine I used to live with in Bristol. His brother was one of the starting members of the agency. The portfolio side of the visit went pretty quickly with no real indication of how to push the projects further, which was a bit of a shame, I wasn't really sure what was the best thing to do in that situation as most of the visits I have all stemmed around the work. The comments that I received were more on what would be expected in a portfolio for an interview, and in particular the need for digital work, which is something that has cropped up again and again. I'm pleased that I have started looking at how to integrate the digital aspect of projects with the Ted Baker brief but will definitely try and set up something online before I finish the course.

We had a really interesting chat about his choice to move to London and how difficult he found it to get a job at first (especially not living in London at the time) he found companies didn't think he was willing to commit to the job until he did, which is now something I have to consider if I am serious about working in London when I finish. He also spoke to me about what their junior designer does and what is expected of him at his level, which was useful. He said that they try and keep him as connected with the bigger jobs as much as possible and give him tough tasks to manage but will allow slightly longer on briefs.

I think initially I was a bit disappointed with the way the visit went because I didn't really receive much direct feedback but in fact some of the things he was talking to me about in terms of his path from graduating to getting a job was really helpful and learning about how JPMH operate as an agency was really interesting.

jpmh showreel from Motion Graphics JPMH on Vimeo.

Springetts Portfolio Visit

The first portfolio visit I had in London was with Jon Vallance and a colleague of his at Springetts. I was put in contact with Jon after he got in touch with one of our tutors: as he happened to be an ex-student. I knew initially that they were looking for students/graduates for a series of placements, which for the first time in a while made me really nervous about showing them my work. I guess it felt like something was at steak. In the exchange of emails he had asked me to take along some development work to show the process of my ideas, which I had never been asked before so I had a rummage around and thankfully had still kept everything from first/second year.

We had a brief chat at the beginning about the course and where Jon had studied which instantly got rid of the nerves I began talking through my projects (trying as best as possible to hold back and not talk too much – although I’m not sure how successful I was) they both asked lots of questions as i went through each brief.

The briefs that stuck out were the Ritz, book and pasta festival. The Ritz was a great talking point as it's not only an ongoing project but also works with a redesign of a brand. They really liked my approach using the shape as the key focus of the idea and thought the colour palate worked really well and was vibrant and fresh. They told me not to get too bogged down with information on and around the box and said at this stage it was really nice to see it as it is. We discussed lots of other ways I could take the project with regards to my special edition idea so not only concentrating on a Christmas edition but maybe an easter edition or summer edition to keep the brand fresh and interesting. This I thought could be a nice idea to integrate into a campaign running alongside the boxes aswell.

It was really interesting to hear their opinions of the book, they didn't seem to think the quality of it was hindered by the printing and actually really liked it. We talked lots about the experience and how it was all beneficial. They thought the link between the book and the poster was nice and noticed the detail in the circle on the poster to mimic the screen printed style.

We had a good chat about the pasta festival brief and they both highlighted ways I could really have fun with the project and really use the pasta as the source of more london landmarks in a similar way, even suggesting making a book out of it so steering away from the packaging aspect of it.

I showed them the Helvetica editorial spread and the Font Struct specimen sheet. They were both really positive about the layout aspect of the designs and liked the concept behind the typeface. What they found more beneficial was actually looking through all my early scamps of the editorial brief and seeing where my idea's began and where I then chose to take them. We then spoke alot about the importance of being able to see where the ideas come from and not just the final product and it's something more and more agencies are looking for so its something to bear in mind for further visits.

Towards the end of the visit they asked me what my opinion on placements was and whether I would be interested in doing a 4 week one there. I explained that although it would cut into my final year and I would have to check it over with my tutors, I still felt 4 weeks experience was something that could only help me get a job at the end and if it hinders my mark slightly then that's something I would have to sacrifice. I have to wait to hear from them about if I can definitely do it as they need to double check the amount of people they already have but fingers crossed I will get it because it seems like it would be a really good opportunity to open a few doors, especially in London.

Source: All pics (www.springetts.co.uk)

A bit of frustration

As part the HFO we completed at the beginning of this year I decided that I would opt to contact and visit only large companies and agencies as part of the portfolio visit section of the PDP. Last year we had to complete only two visits and I ended up going on about 6, which really helped me get a rounded view of my work and where to push the projects. What I found as a result is that I only really visited smaller agencies (apart from The Chase) and as I have progressed through the course I have found myself to sway towards working in a larger company or being the part of a bigger team instead of a small.

Source: (gallivantingaround.co.uk)

I also decided towards the end of last year that I would like to be based in London when I finish the course so I waned to try and build some contacts down there. What I have found is that larger companies are much, much harder to get through to. Each company I contacted meant verbal interaction with the office and a lot of the time being past through a series of people before even getting an email address of the person to contact. Many of these then resulted in no reply, even after a follow up or in some cases me forwarding a sample of my portfolio to them. It has been good practice in just calling people up and getting used to speak to different departments, even if it did feel like going round in circles sometimes. As a result of this I have ended up only securing 2 portfolio visits in London, which I am abit annoyed and frustrated about, but I guess the demand from students to see companies there is much higher.

V&A Shadow Catchers: Camera-less photography

Source: (www.vam.ac.uk)

As I am down in London for a few days I was told about this exhibition at the V&A Museum and thought it sounded really interesting. SHADOW CATCHERS: Camera-less photography is an exhibition of 5 contemporary artists who have all used alternative methods of producing images without the aid of a camera. Instead the artists have developed unique ways of creating imagery using shadows, light, photographic paper, natural artifacts and other materials. The 5 artists are Pierre Cordier, Adam Fuss, Susan Derges, Floris Neususs and Gary Fabian Miller. My favorites from the exhibition were:

Pierre Cordier

Pierre Cordier's work is more like a painter or printmaker than a photographer, he replaces the canvas or printing plate with photo paper. He applies photographic developer to the paper to create dark areas and fixer to light tones.

This unique method allows him to create images impossible to realise by any other means. This process has become the artwork and his style is his technique.

Source: (www.vam.ac.uk)

Gary Fabian Miller

Fabian Millers work was one of my favorite of the collections, he explores the cycle of time, from day - month - year and controls experiments by varying the durations of light exposure. His work was simple yet really energising.

"The pictures I make, are something as yet unseen, which may only exist on the paper surface, or subsequently my be found in the world. I am seeking a state of mind which lifts the spirit, gives strength and a moment of clarity."

Source: (www.thecrossedcow.com)

Susan Derges

Some of the work Susan had produced seemed almost impossible, most of them are photograms of water which she produces by submerging large sheets of photographic paper in rivers and using the moon and flashlight to create the exposure. her work is said to "examine the threshold between two interconnected worlds: between water and spirit"

She also produced some amazing clips of the evolution of a frog starting with frogspawn.

Source: (www.vam.ac.uk)

I really enjoyed looking round the exhibition, I would never consider myself to be someone who knew alot about photography but I don't think that matters here at all. Its about realising what can be achieved and that sometime you should strip away all the modern technology and media that we cant help but turn to and actually force yourself to find another outcome. Its quite inspiring to see some of the literally amazing images that have been made by these 5 artists and to now see if I can maybe adopt some of that forward thinking.

Design Observer iPhone App.

The Design Observer application for the iPone is finally here and its FREE :)

I have only had an iPhone since Easter and since then it has had technical problems about 4 times resulting in a new phone everytime, which made me give up on it abit! I'm not an app fiend either, I don't have folders and I'm generally abit pathetic on the iPhone front. However.. I've been hoping for a while that the design observer would get cracking with an app and now they have and the fact it's free is a bonus. well done D.O.

I think this is a great example of how technology can be used positively to keep up with design. Another medium I have recently joined is twitter, the bulk of the people I follow are design agencies, designers, art magazines etc and as a result I have found out about some great websites, exhibitions and articles.

Check the link which explains who designed it etc..

Design Observer Launches iPhone App

Hort Design Agency

So this week I am completely green with envy and extremely jealous that everyone else has gone off to Berlin as part of the course trip.. However a friend of mine in the 2nd year told me of a few agencies they were being taken to so I thought I'd check out some of their work anyway and see what I'm missing out on! (I really don't why I'm doing it to myself) Anyway.. Hort is one of the agencies mentioned and from taking a big look at their website and their respective portfolio PDFs they have produced some really nice work (although I won't be admitting that to Steven)

They have quite a big and recognisable client list and some of the campaigns they have worked across have been really fresh and contemporary. They have a great range of work from print — illustration —expressive, which is nice to see such a broad range of outcomes.

I found this little caption on their website:

HORT - a direct translation of the studio's mission.

A creative playground.

A place where 'work and play' can be said in the same sentence.

An unconventional working environment.

I love the idea of an unconventional environment and this 'work and play' attitude. I don't think creative spaces should be anything less than a combination of the two - although I suppose some people work better in different situations. I think this little ethos (of sorts) really comes through in their work. Alot of it is modern and vibrant and well, playful. We are all going through the process of trying to decide what type of place we want to work, how big/small etc and to end up somewhere like this would be brilliant.

something else which really stuck out when looking through their website is the creative workshops they conduct.

"HORT Creative Workshops are not about learning standardized creative techniques. But more about exchange, exploring your own boundaries and breaking them, stepping out of your daily routine."

This along with a strictly NO MACS policy is a real sign of their capability as an agency. To openly invite people to be part of workshop which is as broad and open as it is designed, is inspiring and makes me even more jealous they are all the way over in Berlin.

Unfortunately for the people over on the trip. I think they had to pull out of the visit lastminute, which is a massive shame.

Stephen Fry - The Machine that Made Us.

For my dissertation I am looking into how technology is effecting the way we read. As part of this I have researched into the Gutenberg Press, which was the first ever instrument to allow print to be produced in volume, some 500 years ago. I came across this documentary by Stephen Fry called 'The Machine that Made Us' I think it's important to look at all different types of research not just books and articles. From actually being shown the way the press was made it's allowed me to really understand the logistics of how it works and where he got his inspiration to make it.

It's also been a refreshing change from reading and taking notes.

The Machine That Made Us (1/3)
Uploaded by xSilverPhinx. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.
The Machine That Made Us (2/3)
Uploaded by xSilverPhinx. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.
The Machine That Made Us (3/3)
Uploaded by xSilverPhinx. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Source: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdtq64_the-machine-that-made-us-1-3_shortfilms

Bungo Design: Kerning my tits off

I saw this a while ago on a friends website and liked it.. alot! BUNGO DESIGN: check out some of Ed's other T-shirt designs and his illustration work because it's pretty good.

#WeAreTheDestroyers: Nike

Nike Sportswear presents the teaser trailer for their new 'Destroy To Create' campaign ahead of the 18th November when a longer, more informative film will be revealed.

TO DESTROY IS TO CREATE.

ALL CREATORS ARE DESTROYERS.

THE PASSION FOR DESTRUCTION IS A CREATIVE PASSION

BECAUSE THE OLD MUST DIE FOR THE NEW TO BE REBORN -

BUILD THE PALACE OF THE FUTURE WITH THE RUBBLE OF THE PAST.

WRITE YOUR OWN LINES -

MAKE YOUR OWN PATH -

HABIT MAKES YOU NUMB.

DO SOMETHING NEW -

TO BE BORN AGAIN, FIRST YOU HAVE TO DIE.

DON'T WAIT FOR THE FUTURE: CREATE

#WEARETHEDESTROYERS

Full Source: YouTube | nikesportswear|November 08, 2010