Professional Reflections
CHARLOTTE NORRIS Creative Director of Branding Consultancy, BOP Studio
My name is Charlotte Norris and I graduated in 2016, after studying BA Product Design at Middlesex University London.
collaborative projects were. So, Branding Options evolved into BOP Studio, which is a network of creatives from different specialities, such as I was taught by Wyn, Andy, graphic design, print, Helena, Kate, and I was guided advertising and video etc. by Ahmed. Never forgetting the workshop gang, Spike, Branding is basically a fancy Cecil and the rest! way of telling stories. We understand the client, who they are, what they are doing, What you are doing now? BOP Studio, is a London based how they aim to achieve it creative studio. Our mission is to etc… and try our best to fully create, develop and enhance grasp their vision. We then brands to enable them to develop this into a visual reach their full potential. language also known as identity. I started working whilst I was studying, on a super basic level Before learning about what (getting paid peanuts and just branding was, I had been hired being grateful that anyone to do small freelance jobs for a wanted to work with me) under poster, or a logo, or a flyer, but the name: Branding Options. never had the opportunity or This gave me a chance to the know-how to create a build a portfolio of works for complete brand from scratch. real clients with real briefs! This My first branding project was in grew and it was in my final year my second year with Wyn. at university, which was more independent and working on Background: I lived in hostels for 7 years and I our own Final Major Projects, where I realised how useful was a bit of a tear away. I got
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PRODUCT DESIGN Middlesex University Faculty of Science and Technology
fired from jobs and lasted 3 months maximum until I would lose interest and get distracted. Over the years, partners left me, family disowned me and bosses sent me home. The one thing that never left me was my obsession with creative expression: either rapping, drawing, painting, graffiti or photography. I decided to prove the world wrong and pursue my education to become a designer. I sat in my smoke-filled hostel room that smelt like stale beer with a pot noodle next to me, shitty day time TV to drown out the sound of the drunks and the junkies on my floor, armed with a paint brush and a sketchbook. I started to collect any art materials I could get my hands on. Other girls on my wing had clothes and fake designer handbags. I had a bookcase of art and design books, Fabre Castel brush tip pens, pro markers and stacks of acrylic paint. In 2008 I started to create my first portfolio, which got me a place doing BTEC Art
