Journal

JOURNAL: GEMMA SNELLING 2010-2011, third year

CONTENTS 1. SUMMARY 2. CV 3. PROJECTS 4. PLACEMENTS 5. PORTFOLIO SURGERIES 6. WORKSHOPS 7. FEATURES 8. LECTURES 9. EXHIBITIONS 10. INFLUENCES

SUMMARY

SUMMARY This journal documents my experiences and processes during my final year of studying Design and Art Direction at Manchester School of Art. I have reflected upon the projects, lectures, exhibitions, and all other aspects of the course that I have been involved in; all of which have enabled me to develop my skills as a graphic designer.

I have had a very busy year; the projects have all been very intense, and the expectations of us have been really high. This has been incredibly helpful at preparing me for leaving and helping me to push myself though the pressures.

I definitely feel stronger as a person and more confident as a designer.

The year has been invaluable at preparing me for the future with the numerous portfolio surgeries I have attended. Although nervous about presenting my work at first, I have since overcome my worries and have gained a lot of brilliant feedback about my portfolio and presentation skills. I especially enjoyed a trip to London to visit Pentagram and Topman Creative.

Both experiences were amazing, and I learnt a lot not only about what to expect from similar interviews, but also about myself. I am a much better speaker than I realised, as I always believed I was quite shy, but these surgeries have boosted my confidence dramatically. Setting up my website has also helped my confidence, as I have since received a lot of good feedback about my work.

I have learnt a great deal from my studies; including the work I have undertaken in order to complete my dissertation. I really enjoyed researching and writing this piece, and I was incredibly proud that I did so well on it.

I feel this is one of my most successful parts of the year, despite it not being massively “creative�. I really enjoy writing, and it has encouraged me also to develop my skills as a writer and continue with my blog. My blog has enabled me to continuously be involved with design and other elements that inspire me, meaning I rarely drift away from what I am passionate about. It also acts as an escape from university-based projects, while maintaining my interest in the subject.

One of the most successful parts of the year has not necessarily been a specific project, but the way in which I have pushed myself and persevered with my projects as a whole. I have hit many problems with my work along the way, and have often felt like giving up, but I have definitely forced myself not to give in to these feelings. During many of my projects, I have felt myself deviating from what I originally intended to do, and ending up in a position that I was not sure where to develop from. On a few occasions, I also didn’t feel like my tutorials gave me much more direction, so I really had to work through these barriers. This is apparent in my Typeface project, which I feel is one of my most successful this year. I tried so many different approaches to the

brief, and became very involved with the work I was doing, however wasn’t sure where to take my ideas next. I really pushed through this though, and developed a concept that I feel was really strong. I gained a lot more positive feedback from this, and was able to produce a piece that I was a lot more confident with than the work I had previously produced.

what the future has in store for me yet, but I am certainly leaving feeling confident that I can do well in the industry with some hard work. I really have enjoyed my time on the course, it has been an amazing journey full of ups and downs, but one I wouldn’t change at all.

It has been a really exciting year, but I have also found it to be a very uncertain time for me. Unlike second year - where I really felt my confidence and abilities grow - I have found that I have been doubting myself a lot more. This was probably due to the pressure I felt from the fact I did so well in my second year, and the bar that I had set for myself. At times I struggled to get past this, which I feel has let me down slightly. Despite this though, I still feel that it has been a successful year, and that perhaps I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I will definitely learn from this, and make sure that I don’t let my struggles get the better of me in the future.

“It really has been an invaluable time for me, and I am so pleased with the work that I have completed and the experiences I have had while on the course. .”

I am both excited and quite sad about finishing my time on the Design and Art Direction course. The time has gone so quickly; yet I have developed so much during the time both in person and as a designer. It really has been an invaluable time for me, and I am so pleased with the work that I have completed and the experiences I have had while on the course. Leaving is incredibly daunting; I am uncertain

CV

CV Gemma Snelling creative thinking and design

www.gemmasnelling.co.uk

gksnelling@hotmail.co.uk

PROFILE:

KEY SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

A hard working, keen and ambitious Design and Art Direction BA(Hons) student, in her final year of study at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Looking for opportunities to expand on her ever-increasing knowledge and experience within the graphic design world. Her strengths are publication design, layout and typography, but she is able to apply her design skills to many other fields.

Adept with Adobe Creative Suite, predomintantly InDesign, PhotoShop and Illustrator, and other computerbased skills for instance Microsoft Word. A fast learner, eager and reliable.

Good communication skills and the ability to work well in group situations.

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS: 2008-Present Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION BA(Hons) On target for a First Class Honours Degree

2007-2008 Leamington Campus, Warwickshire College, UK.

BTEC FOUNDATION DIPLOMA IN ART AND DESIGN Merit Award

2005-2007 The Sixth Form College, Solihull, UK.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE, SOCIOLOGY AND ART A level grades achived A,A,B respectively.

2000-2005 Arden School, Knowle, UK.

GCSE RESULTS 11 GCSEs awarded, A*-B grades achieved.

EMPLOYMENT: ZARA, SOLIHULL December 2010-January 2011

SALES ASSISTANT Organisation skills achieved and the ability to work under pressure during the busy sale period

THE BREAD COLLECTION, FRENCH PATISSERIE. SOLIHULL, Summer 2009 and 2010

SALES ASSISTANT Team work and good communication skills.

Maintaining relationships with regular customers

PAPERCHASE, SOLIHULL April 2006 - September 2008

SALES ASSISTANT Appointed manager of the Art department, with more responsibility handling stock, offering advice and greater customer contact.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE: FLUX MAGAZINE, UK. June - July 2010

DESIGN ASSISTANT Assisted art director John Walsh in producing the Summer 2010 edition of Flux Magazine. Created layouts, illustrations and type pieces. www.fluxmagazine.com

FLUX MAGAZINE, UK. February 2010

ILLUSTRATION / TYPOGRAPHY DESIGN A typography illustration I created was published in the Spring edition of Flux magazine.

EXPOSURE: INTERVIEW Interview and work showcased as part of the blog’s “Discover and Be Discovered” feature.

THE YOUNG CREATIVES March 2011

INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES Has a great interest in reading, British cinema and is a keen blogger of graphic design, art and culture at www.gemks.blogspot.com.

REFERENCES: JOHN WALSH Personal Tutor and Art Director at Flux Magazine Chatham Building , Room 408 Manchester Metropolitan University 0161 247 1590 j.m.walsh@mmu.ac.uk Further references available on request.

CONTACT DETAILS: Email gksnelling@hotmail.co.uk

Website www.gemmsnelling.co.uk

Blog www.gemks.blogspot.com

Twitter @gemks

Mobile 07595661722

PROJECTS

CONTRA FILM FESTIVAL Over summer, we were given a brief in which we had to design and promote an Art House film festival. I chose four films, all from the director Julian Schnabel; “Basquiat”, “Before Night Falls”, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and “Miral”.

audience may not have been aware of the storylines and possibly wouldn’t have recognised these symbols, I wanted to create quite a complex outcome to reflect the intricate nature of the characters in the films, as well as Schnabel himself.

I have long-appreciated the movie “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and so it seemed the right choice to want to develop my knowledge of the director, Julian Schnabel further. I discovered that Schnabel was also an artist, who had become famous for his “plate paintings”; which he created by applying paint and layers of texture onto broken crockery.

Schnabel affirms that he is primarily a painter, and that directing is more of a side project than a career. For this reason, I wanted to showcase elements of his artwork into the film festival also, maintaining his style and eccentricity in the designs I created. I chose to create a film festival and art exhibition combined, which I felt was quite a different approach to the brief.

I really enjoyed this project, however at first I struggled with producing work that I felt confident about. I think it was because it had been a while since I had designed anything and it was hard to get back into the motions of it all.

I created numerous approaches, but I wasn’t happy with a lot of it. However I really wanted to push myself and not give in too easily so, after a week away on holiday, I came back to my work and tried really hard. I think my efforts paid off, because my work was reviewed as being successful. which was really good to hear after all my struggles. This is definitely one of my favourite, and most successful, projects this year.

At first, it was difficult for me to distinguish between the tragic nature of the films, and his more extravagant painting style, but I felt that my final pieces were quite successful. I created my posters so that they were dark and quite thought provoking, and they each contain a lot of symbolism - much like his films and artwork. I developed a system of symbols to feature in each poster, all of which hinted at specific sections of the films. Although the

“I REALLY WANTED TO PUSH MYSELF AND NOT GIVE IN TOO EASILY SO, AFTER A WEEK AWAY ON HOLIDAY, I CAME BACK TO MY WORK AND TRIED REALLY HARD. I THINK MY EFFORTS PAID OFF.”

3.1 STATIC: the end of analog When I received the brief for this project at the start of the year, I felt a little overwhelmed by it all. Unlike the summer project, which was quite clear in its instructions, this brief was a lot more ambiguous and open to interpretation.

I liked the idea of being able to have a free attitude to how I approached what was being asked, but I was also very daunted by this fact. I feel a lot more comfortable when I have more of a focus and direction with my outcomes, and I really didn’t know what to expect when I began my experimentation.

The brief was split into two sections; experimentation and application. I have always struggled with being experimental with my ideas. I often find myself becoming too focussed on one outcome too soon, and don’t allow myself enough development time. With this in mind, this section of the brief allowed me to put my reservations aside and approach it in a more adventurous way. I enjoyed experimenting with my ideas, yet I still feel I didn’t fully “let go” enough at first.

I think this will always be something I am less confident about as I find myself working better when I have more of a focus. Despite this, some of my outcomes were really interesting and strong, which was picked up on in tutorials.

From the start I knew I wanted to create a publication of some description, as this is where I wish to focus my work in the long-term. The images I had created in the experimentation stage were really strong and I wanted to present them

in an editorial way. I soon discovered that I was trying too hard to shoe-horn my ideas into a format that wasn’t necessarily suitable for my concept.

Although my images were strong, I was finding it hard to tie the type and image together, so took a step back from my original intention and changed my approach to the brief. I chose instead to focus on some poster campaigns designed to make the public aware of the upcoming analog to digital television signal switchover.

I felt I had a lot more direction with this idea, and really got into my designwork. I was so much happier with what I was producing; my aesthetic was stronger and my outcomes were far better considered. I gained some really positive feedback about my pieces, which was relieving as I struggled to achieve something I was happy with for so long. I could then move onto producing the publication I was intending to produce, but this time linking it back to the posters I had created. Coming back to the project with fresh eyes was invaluable, and I am so pleased with the end results.

“COMING BACK TO THE PROJECT WITH FRESH EYES WAS INVALUABLE, AND I AM SO PLEASED WITH THE END RESULTS.”

3.2 ISTD: NOT JUST FLEURONS I chose the ISTD brief “Not Just Fleurons” as my first live project of my third year. The brief appealed to me because I wanted to expand on my knowledge of typography and I thought it seemed an interesting route to take.

During my placement at Flux, John described briefly how he employs the ‘Fibonacci sequence’ and ‘Golden Ratio’ when designing the spreads for Flux magazine. Although I was unclear of the details, I knew that these concepts were related to nature, and influenced so many aspects of life. I felt that this was an intriguing starting point, as I wanted to discover more about the theories as well as their links to plants.

I became fascinated with the concept, and really loved discovering more and more out about the topic. I never realised how much these mathematical theories affect in life; not just in plants, but in proportions, art work, theology and literature (to name but a few). It was amazing and inspiring, and I knew this is what I wanted to transfer into my work. While researching for the brief, I also visited Manchester Museum’s herbarium, and was really taken in by the multitude of plant samples in the collection. A lot of them were packaged in delicate papers and this made me want to portray this fragility in my own outcomes. I began designing spreads about Fibonacci, and chose to print my work onto translucent paper. I really liked the way each page interfered with the adjacent pages, and the way the light travelled through the book. On

review however, it was agreed that my typography needed more development and the pages were too cluttered. I became a little confused as to where to develop my idea next, as it was also suggested I should look mainly at the structure of the book itself, rather than the content.

With this in mind, I began creating a series of book structures and discovered a way of using the Fibonacci sequence to produce a delicate and interesting book design. I really liked the outcome, but once again was faced with the problem of how to link it back to my brief. I became incredibly stuck when trying to incorporate type into my work again, and I felt I had gone too far from my first outcome to combine the two together.

In the end I decided to leave typography out of my design, and made a simple poster portraying the book structure instead. I felt a little disappointed with this outcome however, and I feel that had I given myself more development time I could have pushed my ideas further. Despite my negative feelings, I still achieved some positive feedback about my work, and gained so much knowledge about the subject that I feel it has really benefitted my own personal interests. It is definitely a topic that I would love to discover even more about.

“I BECAME INCREDIBLY STUCK WHEN TRYING TO INCORPORATE TYPE INTO MY WORK AGAIN, AND I FELT I HAD GONE TOO FAR FROM MY FIRST OUTCOME TO COMBINE THE TWO TOGETHER.”

3.3 ycn: M&S plan a Over Christmas, I worked on a live brief set by YCN. The brief was for Marks and Spencer, in which I had to “create a visual identity for our Plan A campaign and develop campaign elements to bring your identity to life.” This was a bit of a change for me; I don’t often pick ‘campaign’ or ‘branding’ project briefs, as it is an area I am not so comfortable with, but I wanted to try something different as a challenge and to add more variation to my overall portfolio.

I really struggled with the brief. I found it difficult to get the ball rolling, and I feel that I spent far too long worrying about branding “Plan A” than I did actually promoting it. Because of this, I was really pushed for time when it came developing my format. I chose to create an identity for the plan, as the existing logo didn’t seem to stand out from the rest of M&S’s branding, and I felt it wasn’t memorable enough.

Working with the idea of the plan having “5 pillars of change” I created a design that incorporated 5 triangles and reflected the shape of a letter A. I then used the tagline “I have [A] Plan” in order to draw the customers in.

I chose to create a concertina book, featuring postcards that can be placed around the home as a reminder of what the plan is about. The booklet explained 5 ways for each of the 5 pillars of improving the way we live and becoming involved with M&S’s campaign. I was quite pleased with the aesthetic of the piece, and even created a magnetic backing so that it could be placed in the home on fridges, for instance. I also created a set of stickers to work alongside the booklet, which can be placed around the home or in the car, to act as a reminder of the plan to the customer.

However, during my review, John and I both agreed that it seemed a little clumsy; the booklet opened awkwardly and I am aware that it is not my best piece of design. With this considered though, John felt that it was a really nice attempt and that in the future I should perhaps stick to briefs that are more suitable to my style and interests - which couldn’t have been a more welcomed piece of advice! I am relieved to have finished this brief, but it’s just a shame I didn’t feel more involved with it.

“IN THE FUTURE I SHOULD PERHAPS STICK TO BRIEFS THAT ARE MORE SUITABLE TO MY STYLE AND INTERESTS”

3.4 personal project: visual journal This project was the second project I had a free-reign on to decide what my brief would be. Unlike my previous Plan A brief, which was set by YCN, I chose to not pick an already existing brief and create one myself. I wanted to explore one of my interests - typography - in greater detail, so chose to keep the brief quite open. With hindsight I feel that this was a bad decision on my part as this is one of the briefs I have really struggled with this year.

I began by creating simple type experiments, using existing texts (mainly poetry) and trying to express their content through the layout and production of the type. I quite enjoyed this, I loved playing with the basic elements of design and making something more visually stimulating with them. I created some concrete poetry explorations, which I felt were quite interesting. However, as a set, they became a little monotonous and repetitive.

I then decided to play more with experimentation, and introduced more elements into my work, including ink, text in water and degrading the words using different methods. Although interesting in aesthetic, the pieces just weren’t working. I was creating ideas that had no particular purpose or meaning other than to look interesting

and was working with content that was limiting my responses far too much.

I went back to my initial ideas, and chose to re-look at my content. Using existing texts wasn’t working so I chose instead to create my own, personal response. I picked words at random from my university notebook (that holds all of my thoughts, project ideas, lecture notes, reviews etc) and began writing a narrative from what I had recorded.

The result was a really interesting, surreal representation of everything I have experienced during my final year on the course. I really liked the way I could pinpoint fragments of my studies through the narrative I had created.

To present my idea I chose to then illustrate the story with a series of abstract collages, which I then compiled into a hand-sewn and bound book. I loved the hand-made approach to my work; it is something that I have not had the opportunity to explore that often. I also really enjoyed revisiting bookbinding and creating a piece that was a lot more tactile than previous projects. It was a very long process for me; and I had evolved my idea a lot since my initial experiments, but I feel that I have learnt a lot from this journey. I really persevered with this project, and the end result was something quite different from what I have done before.

“IT WAS A VERY LONG PROCESS FOR ME; AND I HAD EVOLVED MY IDEA A LOT SINCE MY INITIAL EXPERIMENTS, BUT I FEEL THAT I HAVE LEARNT A LOT FROM THIS JOURNEY.”

3.5 RAW TYPE: alephbeth I originally began this project in a response to a brief set by Raw Design agency. After seeing the work I have added to my website, I was approached by them to have a go at producing an experimental typeface in response to one of the themes they had specified (time, photography, light or sound). I was really pleased that they had seen what I had done and thought it was of a good standard. With this I felt that this brief would be a really good opportunity for me to push myself and have a go at designing my own typeface - an approach that I have shied away from in the past.

I was quite daunted by the task at first, but soon found myself really getting into the brief. I began a series of experimental ideas, based on clockfaces, but I felt that this was a little predictable in approach.

I then looked at time in a more general sense; and began looking at the history and evolution of type. I became fascinated in the subject, and really enjoyed the research phases of this concept. However, when it came to producing something in response, I struggled as I felt that my type design skills weren’t stong enough.

Although I felt my concept was quite “experimental” I didn’t feel this transfered into the work I was producing and it became a very restricted, controlled font.

The processes I was taking to produce my idea were draining and I felt myself losing passion with my idea.

I found myself then changing the direction I was taking completely, and moving away from my evolution concept.

This was a mistake, as it meant that I spent time on a new idea that was less well-planned which resulted in me missing the deadline for the brief. I was disappointed that I let myself lose track of what I was originally trying to achieve and miss out on a really good opportunity.

After a few experiments based on the idea of photography (I created a basic font from photographic negatives), I went back to my previous concept. This time - and coming back to it with fresh eyes - I really made an effort to improve on what I had already done. It was a very slow process, but I eventually began producing letterforms that I was happy with. The typeface I produced represented not only the evolution of the alphabet, but a new generation of alphabet too.

The characters weren’t easily legible, but this was intentional. I wanted to create a piece that the reader had to decipher as I was essentially creating a new language.

It is definitely a more experimental piece, and I feel that if I had entered it into the competition I would have had a chance of getting quite far with it. It’s a huge shame, but I am pleased I persevered as I feel it’s one of my strongest pieces this year.

“I WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT I LET MYSELF LOSE TRACK OF WHAT I WAS ORIGINALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND MISS OUT ON A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY.”

3.6 PERSONAL PROJECT PUNCTUATION INFOGRAPHICS This project was another self-directed brief.

I have always been a bit of a stickler when it comes to punctuation, and I felt this would be an interesting starting point for a project. I wanted to produce something visual to represent the importance of punctuation in our language.

I explored the idea of the ‘greengrocer’s apostrophe’ and took quite a fun approach to my work. I enjoyed this process as a lot of my previous work has been quite controlled and serious. I did quite a few experiments, and although I developed some of my ideas, I didn’t feel like I was getting very far with them. I feel that I encountered this problem because I was trying to do too many different outcomes and not persisting with them for long enough before changing my idea again. Although this built up a vast amount of work, none of it was finalised or developed enough to use.

After a somewhat disappointing tutorial during which it was agreed that I had hit a bit of a wall with my project - I chose to look back at my previous ideas and select one that I felt I would be able to develop further into a better outcome. I had a lot of ideas that were colourful and bold; but they all seemed too similar to the work I have done previously, especially that of my Static project last term. Instead, I chose to create a more structured outcome; and look into punctuation use in varying formats of text. From each piece (excerpts from a classic novel, a newspaper, a contemporary novel and

a webpage) I mapped the punctuation used, and calculated the frequencies and ratios of words to marks. I then developed my findings into a series of infographic responses.

I quite enjoyed doing a project that was more limited in response, as previous projects have been far more open and ambiguous. I produced twelve posters, which I still managed to produce in my bold, colourful style, and I feel they look really intriguing as a set. It was difficult, however, to put them into context, as a lot of calculations were done in order to produce the graphics. Rather than bombard the viewer with the details, I chose to keep the posters fairly clean and produced a simple key instead. I didn’t want to detract away from the posters visually with a lot of text. I also felt they would work well with less description as I wanted to represent the significance of punctuation in an aesthetically pleasing way without boring the viewer with lots of information to comprehend.

I am fairly happy with my final outcome, however I do feel that I wasn’t able to develop this as far as I would have liked.

My previous typeface project took up the majority of my final term, meaning that I had less time to work on this brief. I was glad however, that I did work so hard on my typeface as I am very pleased with it, so I am not too disappointed that this one is not as vast in content.

“I QUITE ENJOYED DOING A PROJECT THAT WAS MORE LIMITED IN RESPONSE, AS PREVIOUS PROJECTS HAVE BEEN FAR MORE OPEN AND AMBIGUOUS.”

DISSERTATION: ‘TO HAVE AND TO HOLD: WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF PRINT IN A DIGITAL WORLD?’ We began research for our dissertations at the end of second year, and at first I really struggled to decided on a topic that I felt passionate enough to write about. While I was still in the process of researching what to write about, I was taking part in a placement at Flux Magazine with John Walsh. We had some really good discussions about print and magazine design, and I was really intrigued by the copious copies of magazines that John had collected and stored around his house. It got me thinking about how much we value print, and what might happen if digital versions, for example iPad applications, were to take over from it.

I thoroughly enjoyed researching this subject, and I went through various titles before settling on “To Have and To Hold: What is the Value of Print in a Digital World?” I felt that this title summarised exactly what I was trying to discover; and eventually did discover.

I conducted a survey to help me define what it is about print that people love.

Print is tactile; you can hold it, feel it, smell it. You can collect it. You can store it. It physically exists, unlike the numerous digital versions that float around on the internet. The survey results were fascinating, and I gained a lot more feedback than I was expecting which was brilliant.

Alongside my placement on Flux, writing about this subject has definitely instilled a great deal of passion in me for printed matter and magazine design.

I am disappointed that I haven’t really explored this area in my own design work more this year, as it is definitely something I would like to go into. The dissertation has definitely helped me to gain a wider perspective on design in general though, as I researched many different formats, including digital versions. I am a little bit of a technophobe, but since my research I am definitely more open to exploring digital versions of print. I did wonder whether print might be dying because of it, but I soon discovered print is alive, and will be alive for a very long time; if not forever.

I was really happy with my essay overall.

I tried very hard to make sure that I put 100% effort into writing it, as I feel I am quite a strong writer. I was so pleased with my result, as even though I feel I am quite articulate, I was worried I hadn’t been able to explore my topic in enough depth with the word limit we’d been given. I also miss being able to write, due to the nature of the creative course. It is part of the reason I have kept up with my blog, as I like to be able to articulate design as well as create it.

“Print is tactile; you can hold it, feel it, smell it. You can collect it.

You can store it. It physically exists, unlike the numerous digital versions that float around on the internet.�

PLACEMENTS

FLUX MAGAZINE At the end of my second year, I completed a brief set by John Walsh to re-design an edition of Flux magazine. I was really excited about this brief as layout and editorial design is an area that I would like to enter on leaving university. I put a lot of effort into this project as we were told that the best designs would be rewarded with a 4 week placement working on Flux Magazine. I was really pleased with my designs, and was fortunate enough to be awarded with the placement, alongside fellow student Nina Mcnamara.

I learned a lot while working alongside both John Walsh and Nina; we were taught about the grid systems and formulas that John employs when designing the editions, which although complex, was really interesting. I struggled a little getting my head around it however, as previously I would work better without guidelines and restrictions, yet seeing how John uses them has showed me how it can dramatically improve the way your layouts work. Grid systems are quite a difficult method to pick up, and something I want to look into more over the course of my studies.

Working alongside Nina was also quite a learning curve for me, as I find working on my own a lot easier. However I know that on entering the industry, working well alongside others - and more importantly clients - is a highly important skill to learn. I really enjoyed bouncing ideas off

each other and bringing our individual tastes and abilities together. We produced some really nice layout ideas, including illustrations and type experiments, a few of which John incorporated into the final edition of Flux. It was a really proud moment for me to open the published magazine and see elements of my own design work on the pages.

I had a bit of a tough time during the placement, as I unfortunately contracted a bad case of chicken pox, meaning I had to finish sooner that I hoped. I was really disappointed that I couldn’t carry on until the end. Despite this though, I enjoyed my time on the magazine immensely and won’t ever forget the experience. It opened my eyes to how much work needs to go into a full publication and how quickly the turnaround is; a somewhat daunting realisation but also reaffirming that it is an area I hope to go into when I finish my course. It has taught me that I need to persist with my work more; to not give up so easily and work through any barriers I face.

“IT WAS A REALLY PROUD MOMENT FOR ME TO OPEN THE PUBLISHED MAGAZINE AND SEE ELEMENTS OF MY OWN DESIGN WORK ON THE PAGES.”

PORTFOLIO SURGERIES

RUSSELL HANCOCK After a lecture from him, Russell Hancock gave us tips on how to create and present a successful portfolio, be it in paper or digital format. I was really pleased that when talking through mine he was very impressed with what I had to show. My portfolio has always been one of those “hazy” areas, where I’ve never been too sure how to present my work best. I’ve had quite a lot of contradicting opinions on it in the past, mostly less positive from my tutors because they want me to push my presentation further, yet a lot more positive responses from those external to the course. It has been difficult to gauge where to take my portfolio and whether to change what I have already done or not. I look forward to gaining more experience with presenting my work, as I feel it will be a continuous process, and one that I will want to keep updating.

CRAIG OLDHAM After Craig gave his lecture, I was selected to have a portfolio surgery with him, to discuss my presentation skills and any other questions I had about my work and jobs. Because his lecture was so laid back and informal, I wasn’t too nervous about speaking to him, and was looking forward to showing him what I had done. One of the main points he made in his lecture was to ask for criticism; so I intended to do just that.

It was a very relaxed discussion, and we spoke a lot about what to expect from interviews and applying for jobs. This was really helpful as it is an area I feel really uncertain about. I was a little bit disappointed however, because Craig kept the discussion open to the group and didn’t look at our individual portfolios.

I really wanted to get more personal feedback from him, as it was one of the only opportunities I’d had at that time.

Despite this, I still learnt a lot from him; especially about approaching people about placements and jobs. He gave me some critique on my email style and CV design, which aided me in improving it for surgeries I was having at later dates.

“I look forward to gaining more experience with presenting my work, as I feel it will be a continuous process, and one that I will want to keep updating.”

“One of the main points he made in his lecture was to ask for criticism; so I intended to do just that.”

london: topman creative I was extremely excited about my trip to London to visit Topman Creative and Pentagram. It was the first time that I would be in a professional set up to present my portfolio, which although incredibly daunting, was really exciting.

I’m quite pleased with the work that’s in my portfolio, so I was excited to have a go at presenting it to an audience outside of a university setting.

We were met by Gill Patchett, who showed us round Topman headquarters. The atmosphere was amazing, and I loved how energetic it all seemed. We were then taken to a small room in which we would present our work and were joined by Emma, the creative director. They went through each of our CVs and emails first, which was invaluable. Each of us was given constructive criticism which was really important, and I was really humbled to be told the approach I took to emailing them and my CV were one of the best they’d seen. This was really relieving as it was an area I was really unsure about at first.

The portfolio presentations went really smoothly, and they really liked my work and the fact I had brought many of my outcomes, such as books and brochures, with me to show them. Emma explained that it was always better to do this,

even if the interviewee hasn’t requested it, because the photos sometimes can’t do the work justice. Another tip I gained from them was to perhaps bring a sketchbook or examples of my development work. They both said that although finished pieces can be amazing and professional, they like to be able to see how we have reached that point. For them, whether someone is employable weighs heavily on how the have tackled a brief and the ideas they have generated.

This was really nice to hear, as I feel so much preparation work goes into our final outcomes, but it is often ignored in this kind of situation. In the future I will make sure I bring some development work with me, so if asked, I can show them my thought processes.

“whether someone is employable weighs heavily on how theY have tackled a brief and the ideas they have generated. This was really nice to hear, as I feel so much preparation work goes into our final outcomes�

LONDON: PENTAGRAM While I was in London I also went to visit Pentagram in Notting Hill. I was more nervous about visiting Pentagram, as I am aware of how prestigious they are.

I was amazed at the building in which Pentagram work, it was beautiful and so vast. I especially loved all their bookcases filled with printed matter; I wish I could have had a chance to look through it all.

We met Jane, who seemed really pleasant and down to earth, which if I am completely honest I wasn’t expecting. It was relieving to know she was laid back, as I honestly expected it to be a lot more formal, with this in mind I relaxed a little and was excited about presenting to her. Jane was a lot less interactive than Topman Creative were, but she gave some really good feedback which was very helpful. For instance, she believed it wasn’t the best idea to ‘brand’ yourself; and she felt slightly put off by those who had included logos/identities in their CVs and portfolios. This is something I have always toyed with; I was never certain whether to create an identity for myself, so since speaking to Jane I’ve gone with my instincts and not tried to. I don’t want people to assume what I am about from a logo, I’d rather let my work and personality do the talking. Likewise with Topman Creative, Jane highly recommended bringing some samples of work with us

to interviews, but also to perhaps bring something that the interviewee can keep after you’ve left. This will act as a reminder of who you are and what you do. This is something I will definitely consider at future interviews, as I feel that it would show that you are willing to put that extra effort in to your meeting.

I was always quite uncertain about living and working in London; it’s never appealed to me too much in the past.

But since my trip I am definitely more open to the option. Furthermore, the idea of working at a big agency scared me somewhat, but from the response I gained from my surgeries, I feel that I have perhaps underestimated my abilities and that in fact I shouldn’t sell myself short too much. If I’m not successful at least I will have tried, and all in all it is good experience. Unlike previously, I left London feeling very positive and excited about the future which I feel is a massive achievement for me.

“I was never certain whether to create an identity for myself, so since speaking to Jane I’ve gone with my instincts and not tried to.”

WORKSHOPS

johnny hardstaff Our brief was to develop a new identity for the brand Toshiba. We had 24 hours to develop our strongest idea, with the focus not on a final, crafted piece, but the generation of our concept. As Johnny explained “original ideas are the only valuable currency now. Great ideas are everything”.

It was an intense couple of days: with frantic brainstorming, energetic group crits with Johnny and constant updates to the brief - which included the budget of the campaign being frequently reduced and the owner of Toshiba dying in a “freak yachting accident”. Johnny would introduce more and more (somewhat ridiculous) changes, for instance we were told not to use the colour blue in our work, and that “Mr Toshiba” hated Alsatian dogs and lions, and therefore did not want these to be included in our ideas. Although it seemed ridiculous, he explained that we will face similar restrictions and changes when entering the industry, and this is something we will need to be able to work around. Clients will know what they want, and how they want it. It also made the whole process really exciting and fun.

My concept developed around the idea of creating a Utopic experience for the customers, with Toshiba as the means in which to achieve this through the use of their products. I was one of the individuals picked to pitch my idea in front of the group, and it was agreed that this was quite a strong concept. I chose the phrase “THIS IS NOT A DYSTOPIA” as something to draw my audience in, and this seemed to be quite a successful ploy. However, Johnny felt that my application of my concept (of getting the public to create their own idea of a utopia, through interactive and visual effects) was somewhat not defined enough. I completely agreed with him and the rest of the group; I liked my idea but really struggled with producing something that I felt worked well at presenting it.

It was a really valuable - if tiring - couple of days, and Johnny was brilliant at motivating us and making us aware of different sides to design. I really enjoyed it, and feel that the exercise will benefit the way I approach my work and employment in the future. It’s definitely good not to be scared: “it’s really good for your brain / self reliance / confidence”.

“I feel that the exercise will benefit the way I approach my work and employment in the future.�

web portfolio workshop: Chris Jackson Chris Jackson held some workshops to help us set up and design a web portfolio.

I was a little unsure about doing this at first, as I’m not really keen on web design, nor is it my strong point. I was soon convinced though when I got into it, as I realised that it would be invaluable for me when gaining interest in the work I have been doing. I quite enjoyed setting up my site, and designing the look of it.

Although I have kept it quite clean and simple, I am quite happy with the overall look. When I have a bit more time, I may look into designing it in a more dynamic, individual way, but for now I am pleased with how I have presented my work online. Since making my site live, I have gained a lot of interest in my work, which has been really helpful and has boosted my confidence dramatically.

I was a bit concerned before I finalised it that my work didn’t seem good enough to me, but I feel that I need to have a bit more confidence in myself. This has definitely greatened since the start of final year; I am now leaving with a lot more faith in myself, my work, and my abilities as a designer.

“Since making my site live, I have gained a lot of interest in my work, which has been really helpful and has boosted my confidence dramatically... I am now leaving with a lot more faith in myself, my work, and my abilities as a designer.”

FEATURES

the young creatives I got in contact with The Young Creatives blog; which acts as a platform to promote young creatives and the work that they do.

I answered a series of questions which were then featured on their homepage for a week. I gained a lot of traffic on my website from doing this, and had some lovely comments from people who had seen my work. The site definitely acts as a great platform to promote yourself.

“I was featured on their homepage for a week. I gained a lot of traffic on my website from doing this.”

ALL TROPICAL Unbeknownst to me I was featured on All Tropical’s e-newspaper the “All Tropical Times”. The site represents young designers and fresh ideas, and I was really shocked to discover that they had found my blog and written a short piece about me.

“Gemma is studying Design and Art Direction at Manchester School of Art. There is a lot of interest here for up and coming designers and fans of visual art more generally. Gemma is a brilliant writer and it is very refreshing to see a blog that somebody has put so much care and attention into.”

I was very humbled by this lovely write-up I received, as I do take pride in my blog so it was great to get some good feedback.

“it is very refreshing to see a blog that somebody has put so much care and attention into.”

LECTURES

SUE PLATT Sue gave us a lecture that helped introduce us to the idea of static.

I found it really helpful seeing a different interpretation of the word, as I was finding my research was becoming slightly limited in its scope. She talked about how static can mean more than just electrical interference, but how it can be that moment of anticipation; where you stop and think and the moment becomes quite intense. Part of me wishes I had explored this further after the lecture, because I decided to stick with my initial interference research, which was fine but I became aware that a lot of people on the course were following similar routes.

This will always be an issue judging the number of people on the course and the nature of the brief being to interpret only one word; but I feel I could have become a lot more experimental with my approaches had I followed a different path.

Despite this, I found the lecture really provoking; it introduced me to many artists and designers who had explored different ways of approaching their work. I was particularly interested in the work of Marina Abramovic who does a lot of performance art. She sat static for 7 hours, inviting viewers to sit opposite and stare at her. It reduced many of the participants to tears and was a highly intense situation. I found this really interesting.

JOHN WALSH I was invited to join in a lecture on the history of magazines that John was giving to the second year students. I felt it would be significant for me as it is an area I am really interested in, but furthermore I am focussing my dissertation on.

The lecture was really informative; it has enabled me to learn more about the background of the industry, plus has given me more references for my own work. Because John is so passionate about the subject, it has encouraged me to explore my own magazine work deeper. I frequently read about magazine and editorial design and feel like it is an area that I wish to enter on leaving university.

I feel that there is so much to learn, however, which is slightly daunting.

“I found it really helpful seeing a different interpretation of static, as I was finding my research was becoming slightly limited in its scope.“

TEAL TRIGGS I was really excited when I discovered Teal Triggs was coming to speak to us, as during my dissertation research I had come across her name quite a lot, and her research work on fanzines.

Also, I had received her “Fanzines” book as a gift, just a week before I discovered she was due to visit, which was even more exciting.

Fanzines is such a varied subject; and also very hard to define. Teal helped to explain what exactly makes a zine, and referenced a lot of really interesting pieces during the lecture.

This was really helpful, as it is an area that I am looking into for my dissertation, and until now have been unsure as to what they actually are.

More importantly, she spoke about the rise of the webzine which I am writing about as my dissertation topic.

It was really helpful gaining first-hand insight into what the internet and online publishing will mean for the printed fanzine from someone who is so knowledgeable about the subject. I was pleased to discover that she had a similar viewpoint on the subject as me; that the internet will not mean that the future of print is dead, but more that it is a tool to help promote and distribute it. A really interesting and highly influential lecture.

“I was pleased to discover that she had a similar viewpoint on the subject as me; that the internet will not mean that the future of print is dead, but more that it is a tool to help promote and distribute it.”

PAUL GORMAN ON BARNEY BUBBLES Paul Gorman, journalist, author and owner of fashion label The Look Presents, came to talk to us about Barney Bubbles; the radical graphic designer of the 70s and 80s. Although radical and highly acclaimed, Bubbles was an incredibly private individual; never signing his work or attending interviews. In fact Bubbles, whose name is actually Colin Fulcher, only ever gave one interview throughout his whole career - and poignantly only 2 years to the date before his death in 1983 - to The Face magazine, and provided them only with a collaged portrait rather than a photo in order to maintain his anonymity.

I’ve admired the work of Barney Bubbles for a long time now, however I did not realise the vast array he had produced - or even the fact that he wanted to remain away from the public eye. I’m not sure what my opinion is of his choice to remain private, but I do feel that it was a shame he couldn’t step forward and take credit for the amazing work he had produced.

By the time of his death (suicide), design styles had changed - there was less of a need for his quirky style, which led to rejection from some clients. This definitely contributed to him wanting to end his life long before it could have been celebrated.

I think this is quite a poignant thing; I would hate to find myself becoming less and less popular due to the

changing of styles. I feel it is important to remain open and not too close-minded with the way that you approach your work; but also maintaining those elements that are recognisable to you.

Despite my interest in what was being said, I found it to be quite an impersonal lecture considering it was from someone who had studied Barney’s life in such detail. Paul read from a script throughout the whole presentation, and only left it to answer questions - which ended up being far more exciting than the lecture itself. I feel it is really important to make an impression on your audience, and I don’t think Paul was very successful at doing this, which is a big shame.

“I feel it is really important to make an impression on your audience, and I don’t THINK Paul was very successful at doing this”

owt collective 3 members of the design collective OWT creative; Ben Kither, Jon Hannan and Sarah Stapleton gave us a presentation of their work and advice on what to expect during our final year on the course. The group are previous students of Design and Art Direction at MMU, so it was valuable to hear about their own experiences of the course and what to expect in this final push towards graduation. They were very relaxed and helpful; and gave some good advice on how to cope with workloads, approach our briefs, contact designers and produce good portfolios. They are now embarking upon their studies in a masters. I was a little disappointed that they didn't give us much of an insight into the masters course, as this is something that I wanted to know more about and I think it was the reason Hitch had asked them to speak to us, but despite this the presentation was helpful and interesting.

“I was a little disappointed that they didn’t give us much of an insight into the masters course”

JOANA NIEMEYER Joana Niemeyer from studio April, came to talk to us about their work and her views on how to approach the graphic design industry. The design group have produced many print, identity and signage works - which can be seen here.

I have to admit, I wasn’t overtly excited about some of the work she showed us, but one project that really caught my eye was the selfinitiated book titled “Graphic Europe” they had produced. Essentially a guidebook, it documents 31 cities across 31 countries Europe and each one illustrated by a designer from that particular country. It was really dynamic and beautiful. The varying styles of each designer changed the pace of the book and made a really exciting aesthetic.

Joana was really supportive and encouraging. As well as speaking about her own work, she gave us more of an insight into what to expect when we leave university.

She told us about what to expect to charge when we undertake work, dependent on our level of experience.

Although these were just rough estimates, it definitely put it into perspective for us and emphasised just how valuable experience is.

Placements, Niemeyer explained, are invaluable. They are a way of

“it definitely put THINGS into perspective for us and emphasised just how valuable experience is.“ learning about the business without actually needing to worry about the business; that is the revenue, costs, background etc. This was really helpful, as I need to definitely be more pro-active when it comes to gaining more experience if I want to succeed when leaving university.

Her talk was really insightful, and certainly explored areas that we are often quite sheltered from when studying. It is easy for speakers to talk about the “glossiness” of the design industry - and although we are often told about how competitive it all is, we aren’t often told about the more gritty side to it all.

TREVOR JOHNSON Trevor talked us through some of his earlier works, and how he has developed since working as an illustrator. He has produced many record sleeves, for bands such as New Order, and was influenced by Constructivism. This movement is also one of my biggest influences, so to see his work and how it referenced similar aesthetics was really interesting. I found it to be really beautiful; sometimes I find it difficult to find commercial art or design that I really enjoy so it made a pleasant change to see something that reflected what I am interested in.

Trevor was really good at advising us about how to approach our work and the graphic design industry. He encouraged us to make mistakes: as this will only help you to improve, but also to know when to stop.

Johnson described how we shouldn’t be overcome by “Optophobia” - or the fear of opening one’s eyes. He explained that his best work has been influenced by the world around him, and we should be influenced in the same way too. This was a really valuable piece of advice; as I often find myself falling at hurdles when I make mistakes in my work and I can give up far too easily.

“we shouldn’t be overcome by “Optophobia” or the fear of opening one’s eyes.”

Trevor was a keen promoter of hand-rendered design. Although Creative Lynx works with a lot of Digital media, Trevor finds it hard to embrace (as he explained, it is mostly a generational thing, as he has been in the industry for so long). Most of his work is hand crafted, and this was really refreshing to see as so much of our commercial art today is digitally created, it loses a lot of the individuality that more handmade pieces can hold. I found this encouraging; I love being able to move away from the computer when creating my own work (although it doesn’t happen as often as I would like it to) so I will make the conscious effort to try and bring more hand rendered elements into my work again.

HELEN BUTTERWORTH Helen graduated with a first class honours degree, which is excellent, but what I found to be more inspiring was that she considered herself to not necessarily have the best graphic design skills, and it was her actually ability to work well with other aspects of the course that enabled her to achieve such a brilliant result.

I found this to be quite a reassuring and interesting point; after all, being a designer isn’t simply about putting text and image on a page in an aesthtically pleasing manner.

Helen was good at conceptualising her ideas, and developing them until they become incredibly complex, yet well-considered pieces of work. One piece that really stood out was titled “Viseme” in which she explored lip and mouth movement in order to visualise our verbal thoughts. Helen “graphically developed shapes to form avisual language, which stems from the eighteen positions formed by the mouth within the phonetic alphabet.” It was an extremely long project; Helen was able to develop it for a longer amount of time than was originally set, as it was such an intricate and complex topic.

Helen was brilliant at offering advice about how to approach our time on the course, as well as what to expect when leaving. Another advocator of gaining work experience, she told

“after all, being a designer isn’t simply about putting text and image on a page in an aesthtically pleasing manner.” us about the work she entailed on leaving uni and how she managed to gain extra time working at her her first role, which was inspiring and slightly reassuring (it was originally only meant to be a 2 week placement). She also gave us advice about how to raise money for our degree show, which at the time was a daunting concept for us. We hadn’t yet begun our fundraising, and there had been discussions about what would be the best options but nothing had been planned. Helen gave us more insight into what worked well and enabled us to then feel inspired to do the same.

YCN Zoe Barrett from YCN came to talk to us about their current student briefs being set. As I had already completed one of their student briefs (M&S Plan A brief ) I was intrigued to find out what Zoe’s and YCN’s interpretation of it was. I was relieved to discover they wanted us to approach it in a similar way that I already had, so it was good to see that had I entered the competition, I would have been on the right tracks.

Every year YCN holds an award ceremony for those who have successfully completed the briefs, and each year they produce an annual to commemorate and promote these new young graphic designers, illustrators and moving image designers. I have received this annual every year now since being at university, and although it is a really interesting insight into what talent is emerging and how people have approached the briefs, I have never really been that impressed with the book itself. Zoe agreed, explaining how they felt the last annual was too detached from the students. It’s always seemed quite cluttered, and considering it showcases designers, it didn’t seem well-designed enough to do the work justice. However, their latest copy (YCN annual 2010-2011) was designed in-house so that they were able to promote the young creatives

more personally. They approached many writers, big-name designers (for example Johnny Hardstaff and Jeremy Leslie) to help to create the annual, and commissioned young illustrators to help create a more interesting and exciting layout. I have to be honest, this was a far better approach to the annual, which has a better aesthetic now and is definitely more of an interesting read, with passages and advice from various well-known creative people.

“it is a really interesting insight into what talent is emerging and how people have approached the briefs”

PROPAGANDA LEEDS I was interested to see what Lee and Joe from Propaganda were presenting as I am often in Leeds, so it was good to see a more local agency talk about what they do. Propaganda came to discuss their representation of the energy drink brand Boost - which is one of the products setting a brief for students via YCN. Lee and Joe made it clear that Boost was a challenger brand; there to compete with the bigger name drinks companies such as Lucozade and Red Bull. I found this interesting; it seemed that they were trying to promote Boost to us to try to get us to buy their product, rather than promote the brief or their other projects which became a little frustrating at times. On the plus side though, we did get some free drinks which made it more worthwhile!

Propaganda showed us a reel of the work that they did, which was interesting. They represent big name brands such as GHD, Republic and Habitat. Their style of work wasn’t really to my personal taste if I am completely honest.Their work was very commercial and I found it to be a little generic. I felt that their reel was over-worked and really didn’t do their projects justice, which left me feeling a bit put-off by them. But I suppose that’s just down to personal taste, and once put out into the industry the campaigns seemed to be successful. I must admit however, I did feel that they didn’t speak to us very well, at times they came

“it seemed that they were trying to promote Boost to us TO try to get us to buy their product, rather than promote the brief or their other projects” across as quite patronising and the had clearly stuck to a script when speaking making the whole lecture seem really unnatural and overrehearsed which was a shame. In hindsight though, if it was me stood there, I would probably act the same.

It was definitely interesting however, to see people from the industry and to see the background behind a large-scale campaign. I don’t think I want to go into advertising when I leave uni, but it was good to get more of an insight into this area.

VAUGHAN OLIVER We were incredibly fortunate to have a talk from the acclaimed graphic designer Vaughan Oliver. I was so excited about the event as I have long appreciated the work he has done, and knew that this was a brilliant opportunity to discover more about him. As soon as he began speaking, it was clear that we were in for a treat. Vaughan was a brilliant communicator and was highly entertaining by making jokes throughout his presentation.

Vaughan likes to promote mistakes in his prints; the edgier the better, and makes them a feature. In fact, one of his most recognised pieces - artwork for the Pixies’ ‘Bossanova’ album, was actually produced by mistake. Vaughan accidentally flooded the image with red light, causing a saturated effect on the image being taken, yet he preferred this approach more than the original. I like this approach, as it adds another facet to his work - what may have been thrown out by other designers is used by Oliver to his benefit which is a great direction to take. He enjoys collaborating with other designers and photographers, and loves to experiment with imagery.

The artwork that Oliver produced for The Breeders ‘Pod’ album was incredibly forward thinking at the time; and very experimental.

Although it appears like he has edited the photograph using digital methods, it was in fact staged in his own front room using only filters to cause the colourful, trippy effect in the image. The individual is Vaughan himself, performing a sort of fertility dance. This was really inspiring to see, especially knowing how well he has done in his career - it would be easy to be drawn into the grips of computer editing in this industry, yet he has avoided doing so.

I really impressed by what he had to say, and mainly by his ability to always experiment with techniques.

His work is so exciting and varied that he had to reduce a lot of his talk down to a video reel of his best pieces. It was a fascinating piece, and brilliant to see his range of work. Before I dsicovered Vaughan was due to speak to us, I had been looking at his work as part of research for my latest brief. I was so inspired that I had to get him to autograph my sketchbook.

“what may have been thrown out by other designers is used by Oliver to his benefit”

DR ME Two ex-design and art direction students, Ryan Doyle (DR) & Mark Edwards (ME), came to talk to us about their work and the journey they have taken since leaving university. They have since collaborated to form a design team called “DR ME” who work broadly with many disciplines of design such as layout, illustration, animation and typography.

They presented their work with the use of an automated voice-over, which was a little odd and at times difficult to understand, but a much more dynamic method - their intention was to keep us interested (rather than rambling to us in person) and it seemed to work. During their time at university, they took part in an oversees placement with Mike Perry in Brooklyn, NY. They had some really positive advice about placements, and gained some great experience and more opportunities from it. Mike taught them lots, including the following points: get a website (a blog won’t do), work hard, but have time off too, be patient - you won’t always succeed, and if you persist, one project can change your life forever. They made a point about advising us to put ourselves out there and to take risks. This is something that I really struggle with as I lack a lot of confidence and fear rejection. After seeing what they had achieved from taking chances and contacting people for work, it made me realise that I won’t probably get very far unless I do similar. I need to push myself harder and gain some more design experience in order to do well once I leave.

“work hard, but have time off too, be patient - you won’t always succeed, and if you persist, one project can change your life forever.”

MICRODOT Brian Cannon, of Microdot, is an advocate of non-computer-based design work. Brian favours working with hand-made collages and photoshoots, which he prepares for weeks in advance, believing the image is king. With this in mind, Brian prefers to use small and simple type when producing his artwork, for he feels too much can interfere with the narrative of the imagery. He was also influenced by the symbolic paintings of Jan van Eyk, which further encouraged him to incorporate more of a narrative in his work. A good example of this is the artwork he produced for Oasis’ Definitely Maybe album.

Each of the elements featured in the image were strategically positioned and planned in advance in order to form meaning. Brian also showed us a practice image that was taken weeks prior to the actual photo shoot, featuring himself laid on the floor in the position that Liam was later to take for the official shot.

Brian was a really enthusiastic speaker, and had a clear passion for the work that he does. It was really inspiring to see how far he had come in his career. He admitted to his “big-break” involving himself and Liam Gallagher (from Oasis) in a lift, during which Liam complimented him on his shoechoice. Soon a relationship with the band had been formed and Brian was to create the majority of

“this is what I always wanted to do, I’d have got there somehow or another but I was just very lucky that day”. their albums’ artwork. I questioned Brian on whether he felt he would be doing the same job if he hadn’t had that break. “Most definitely,” he replied “this is what I always wanted to do, I’d have got there somehow or another but I was just very lucky that day”. This determination and pride was really refreshing to hear, as so often we have lectures from people who seem to have become a little too complacent about the work and status that they have achieved.

Brian works to the best of his ability even if he isn’t keen on the actual project - which is a valuable behaviour to pick up, as I find myself becoming very unmotivated if I don’t enjoy the brief I’ve been set. I guess you have to make it your own though, and it is clear to see this is exactly what he has done.

MDS There was a lot of buzz about the Manchester Design Symposium on various social networking sites and forums, which got me really excited to find out more about the event. Unfortunately though, I wasn’t able to purchase a ticket, so when I discovered that my university course would be holding a “lucky dip” competition to win one, I leapt at the chance and was very pleased when I discovered I had won one.

Professor David Crow (Dean of MMU and designer/writer) opened the symposium, and introduced Si Scott, a UK based artist / designer who primarily works with handdrawn typography and illustration. I felt a little bit sorry for Si, as he seemed a little overwhelmed by the size of the audience (most likely down the fact he was on strong pain-killers for a back injury) but he gave us a great insight into the work that he does. He has such a laid back attitude about what he does, and spent a lot of his session talking down about the work he creates (which is a shame seeing as it is all so beautiful) but he was interesting and his talk was thoroughly enjoyable. Si gave us insight into the value of originality and his annoyance towards those who try to imitate his very distinctive style - “the whole idea of my work, is that it is my work” he explained. He also described how he dislikes using computers to produce his work. “I’m rubbish at it,” computers are too fast for him, and he finds that they have the ability to dilute design too much. Si prefers to be spontaneous, and doesn’t like to plan ahead with his ideas - which often causes problems with clients who like to see the development of ideas. Si has even walked out on prospective clients because they wanted to restrict his personal style. A really interesting talk.

“technology is not a necessity”.

Second to talk was John Walters from Eye magazine. A writer, editor and publisher, John isn’t necessarily a designer but has always been involved with it. John explained how we should value design in 5 ways: editorially, culturally, functionally, financially and educationally. “There’s more to design than just following a brief” - as a graphic design student, I couldn’t agree more with this response! John talked us through some of his favourite covers, articles and interviews from eye magazine, which was fascinating.

Next up was Bruno Maag of Dalton Maag, who specialise in type and identity design. For Bruno (and many) type is the fundamental element of design, and fonts are some of the most valuable assets a designer can make use of. I found his talk so interesting, as I was currently developing my own typeface and it is a process that is somewhat overwhelming. “All you need is some black and white gouache,” explained Maag, “technology is not a necessity”. This was a useful tip - when working on my own designs after the symposium, I closed my laptop and just used a paintbrush and ink. It allowed me to create more interesting freehand characters than I wouldn’t have been able to produce using computer software.

Bruno talked through Dalton Maag’s “Ubuntu project”, an open source system that offers free applications and software to the community. Dalton Naag developed a 13 style typeface in order to speak to all of Ubuntu’s customers, an example of how fonts can give value to the community.

Jonathan Barnbrook gave a fascinating, and often hilarious, talk about the value of fonts. His talk was structured under various different topics, all of which he linked back to the work that he and Virus fonts creates. Again, discovering more about the type designs Barnbrook creates was really helpful for me and my own typeface explorations. Barnbrook’s talk really aided me in my research, especially as he is quite experimental and controversial in his approach. A really great talk.

Last but not least was Tom Dorresteijn, from Studio Dumbar based in Holland.

Tom’s views of the value of design, or the “design of value” often linked back to the ability of turning people on; how design should touch the emotional channel of the people. As well as taking through some of Studio Dumbar’s work, his talk was filled with a lot of very thought provoking statements and pieces of advice. For instance, he explained how we “shouldn’t try to become someone else, but become who we are. Try to enrich what you do with the broader horizons of design. If you don’t you will limit yourself”. It was a really insightful talk, especially for those of us in the audience who were students about to embark on careers in the industry.

“Try to enrich what you do with the broader horizons of design.

If you don’t you will limit yourself”.

RUSSELL HANCOCK Russell Hancock is a freelance graphic designer, who came to talk to us about his experiences in the industry, but more importantly about what to expect / how to set up as a freelance designer when leaving university. I was really interested to hear what he had to say about this, as so far this is an area we haven’t yet covered while on the course.

Before becoming a freelance designer, Russell worked in a collective called “Soup” that he set up with friends from university. They gained a series of small-name clients, which gained him experience, but his most influential work was the publication they produced for free titled “From Carn to Cove”. It was this that gained Russell more work.

Although the majority of the work Soup created was small-scale and for free, Russell told us to be very wary of clients expecting free work. Although good “for exposure” this is often just a way of taking advantage of your skills for free.

After a while at home, Russell gained a job at Empire design agency, who create many of the movie posters that we see advertising films today, but sadly lost out to a permanent position there (much to his disgust) and then worked for ASHA (Arthur Steen Horne Adamson) where he found it to be a bit of a pyramidshaped business and his opinion didn’t matter. Despite this, he got to work on some brilliant projects and gained a lot more experience.

“Russell gave us a lot of really helpful hints, which may have seemed like common sense, but can be so easily overlooked” Russell’s biggest job to date however, happened a lot out of luck - he saw that his local old art-deco cinema was becoming more and more dilapidated, so he wanted to improve it, and try to get the owners to re-open it. He and a friend helped to decorate the exterior of the building for free and he produced a petition to open up the cinema again.

The cinema was bought by a new owner and is in the process of being renovated and restored. The owners also have plans to create a franchise, and now Russell has the opportunity to create the branding for a whole series of cinemas.

In terms of freelance, Russell gave us a lot of really helpful hints, which may have seemed like common sense, but can be so easily overlooked, so it was really helpful to have someone drill them into us.

TYPE MATTERS! “although his book focuses mainly on type from printed formats, it doesn’t have to just be a 2D representation on screen”.

I attended a talk by Jim Williams, that was really helpful and interesting. He ran through the main elements of type usage that are often used incorrectly or misunderstood, including sizing, column width, hyphenation and widows and orphans. I’ve discovered personally, that these elements can be so easily overlooked so it was great to have this refreshed in my mind for when I came back to my projects.

Jim also talked us through some of his favourite and most influential type designers. These included some of my favourites also, such as Herb Lubalin, El Lissitzky, Jan Tschichold and Fabien Baron as well as many I wasn’t as familar with.

These included John McConnell, Gene Frederico and Otto Storch, who have all produced some really beautiful type-based design and definitely work that I will refer back to again further on in my studies.

Jim explained that, although his book focuses mainly on type from printed formats, it doesn’t have to just be a 2D representation on screen. Designers such as Sagmeister have used more crafted techniques to produce their type pieces. This was really significant for me, as I’d really been struggling to produce more experimental type work; I was too focussed and concerned with producing it digitally, which as I soon discovered is not my strong point.

I really enjoyed Jim’s talk, he was clearly passionate about everything that he did, including teaching the students at Staffordshire Uni. He showed us some of the work they had produced in response to an experimental format brief. The pieces varied from large-scale A0 sized books to books encased in perspex and moulded into shapes.

They were really beautiful and incredibly imaginative, and I was highly impressed with the amount of creative skill his students presented.

NAOMI GAMES I was extremely excited to discover that the daughter (Naomi Games) of one of my all time favourite designers, Abram Games, was coming to present to us the work and story of her father. I’ve longappreciated his work, and had already been to see the exhibition that Naomi had curated in Sheffield last year, so was eager to discover more about Abram, especially from someone with such a close connection to him.

It was really lovely to be able to see Games’ work from a more personal standpoint, however I was a little disappointed with the overall atmosphere of the talk. Naomi was clearly very proud of her father and his achievements but the talked seemed less of a personal insight than I was anticipating, causing it to feel a little forced and lack-lustre. This was probably due to the fact that she has done countless talks similar to the one we were involved in, but I still felt a little disappointed that she didn’t go further in depth into Abram’s design approaches.

Despite this, the lecture was still quite inspiring and I discovered a lot more about Abram that I hadn’t previously known. His work is truly beautiful and it is clear that a lot of time and skill went into producing his designs. He was definitely passionate about what he did, which was apparent from the advice he would give to his students: Always remember the ‘3C’s’: curiosity, concentration, and courage. I find the

last two particularly difficult areas to get to grips with when approaching my own work, so it was encouraging to hear it from one of my favourite designers!

“Always remember the ‘3C’s’: curiosity, concentration, and courage.”

CRAIG OLDHAM Craig Oldham is a graphic designer, primarily of The Chase, Manchester, but now working for Music. From the start I knew this would be an enjoyable and relaxed presentation, as he began by excusing his swearing “I do it a f *cking lot”.

Knowing that I was later due to have a portfolio surgery with him immediately put me at ease, and made me look forward to having more of a casual discussion with him later on in the day.

Despite being very informal, Craig’s lecture was really helpful and insightful. He ran through a series of pointers that he felt were important for us to consider when entering the graphic design industry. These included understanding what graphic design means to us. This resonated with me for a while; although I have been studying the subject for over 3 years now, I don’t think I have really taken the time to consider what it actually means to me personally. It’s easy to forget where you personally stand with what you are studying, so this really made me think and evaluate what I feel is important to me. Another point Craig made was to strive for people’s opinions; but not to expect compliments. We should request them to say what is wrong and

“It’s easy to forget where you personally stand with what you are studying, so this really made me think and evaluate what I feel is important to me.” work on their criticisms rather than fish for positive feedback. Nothing is ever perfect, and sometimes I find myself missing out on simple mistakes or things to change about my own work because I haven’t shared my ideas more.

Craig’s talk was really interesting and definitely made me question myself more; which is always beneficial. Sometimes it’s difficult to see past your graphic design ‘bubble’. You can find yourself fixated with your own work and ideas, and miss out on anything external influencing you. I intend to keep my eyes open more; as in the long term it will only help.

FERNANDO GUTIERREZ I was really looking forward to the talk

by Fernando Gutierrez. He is someone who I have admired for a long time; his career is so vast and varied and he has a style that I’m really inspired by. Because of the fact he has done so much in his career, I was expecting it to be a really stimulating and interesting lecture.

I was in awe at the range of his work; from art direction to signage, identity design to typography, and how good it was. He was clearly quite humbled by what he had achieved in life, which was refreshing to see from someone who has achieved so much. I also was interested to hear about his experiences at Pentagram design in London. He was a partner with them for 6 years; and was involved with many of their big projects.

This was significant for me at the time, as the next day I was due to travel to London to see Pentagram for myself. It made me even more excited for my trip; but also a little overwhelmed as I was fairly nervous about going.

I was slightly disappointed however, Fernando was quite quiet and nervous when speaking, and spent a lot of time explaining each project he’d completed which took away from how much impact his work had. It was a massive shame that he didn’t let the images do the speaking, as I loved everything he had to show, it just seemed to take too long to do so.

“He was clearly quite humbled by what he had achieved in life, which was refreshing to see from someone who has achieved so much.”

RED PAGE

EXHIBITIONS

MANCHESTER MUSEUM: HERBARIUM I visited the Herbarium at Manchester Museum, in order to gain a wider insight into the world of plant matter while working on my project “Not Just Fleurons”. The work in the Herbarium is based upon the extensive research and reference collections of preserved plants. There are about one million specimens, from all across the world; and some of which are the first ever specimens to have been recorded from that particular species.

I was in awe at just how much there was to look at; it was all fairly overwhelming and I really wasn’t sure where to begin.

I was also quite aware that the majority of the specimens were extremely fragile, often only one-of-a-kind and much of them up to 200 years old, so handling them was quite a daunting experience.

Although the plants were fascinating in themselves, I was more intrigued by the way in which they had been collected and stored. There were hundreds upon hundreds of carefully filed boxes and cabinets - some of which featuring some really beautiful old stamps and type. There were also boxes of small packages containing moss samples, which had been intricately folded up in old newspaper sheets, old letters and envelopes dating back to the 1800s.

The type on the paper and tactile quality of these little packages were

really intriguing and fragile; they seemed a lot more precious knowing that they were wrapped in fragments of the past. A lot of these were then stored in old cigarette tins and old packaging, which featured some really lovely type and illustrations.

Maybe I missed the point of this visit slightly - I ended up spending more time looking at the packaging than I did the actual plant matter. However, this was possibly a valid activity too. My brief is to come up with a way of showing the importance that plants have on our lives; and the way in which they are so carefully stored shows that they are treasured by many. People have spent a long time collecting, referencing, studying and curating these millions of specimens.

If plants weren’t important to us then this wouldn’t be done. The way in which they are stored becomes a part of how we treasure these species; time is taken in keeping them in decent condition (mercury solution is used to preserve and reduce the risk of insect infestation which is extremely poisonous to humans) so it is clear that these are highly valued fragments of information.

“I ended up spending more time looking at the packaging than I did the actual plant matter.”

RECORDERS PRINTED & PUBLISHED The Special Collections area at Sir Kenneth Green Library hosted an exhibition of book design and letterpress printing from Bracketpress (2005-10). The collection comprised of printed books, pamphlets, commercial designs and printed matter, all of which had been produced using traditional printing methods.

The pieces were beautiful; I am a big fan of this style of work, as type and image seems a lot more considered and well-presented when it is printed using traditional letterpress techniques rather than digital methods. They seem far more special and precious.

“type and image seems a lot more considered and well-presented when it is printed using traditional letterpress techniques.”

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer creates artworks that depend on your participation to exist. This exhibition records your pulse, fingerprints, voice and image, and these recordings form the actual content of the works. The content is entirely "crowdsourced", to use internet terminology. In this sense the works are playful, open and inclusive.

However, there is also a more ominous or predatory nature at play. The works use biometric and surveillance technology employed by governments and corporations to profile, control and predict our behaviours in the name of efficiency or safety. These tools have built-in prejudices, as when they are used for ethnic profiling.

In an age of reality TV, mobile computing, virtual economies, Google street view and credit databases, Lozano-Hemmer sees technology as an inevitable part of our culture.

His approach is to “misuse” the technology to create experiences of connection and complicity by using ambiguity, irony, repetition, performance and self-representation.

I really enjoyed this exhibition. The idea that I was helping to contribute to the work that was on display was an interesting one. For me, tactile and interactive design is really important, and a quality that I want to incorporate into my own work more.

LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL We took a trip across to Liverpool, to see their annual Biennial - one of the largest contemporary art events in the UK. Although there were numerous events and varying locations across the city, I unfortunately was only able to see the exhibition “The Cooperative” at the Old Paint Shop. I really didn’t know what to expect when walking up to the exhibition space, but when I was confronted with a woman sat in one of the windows in nothing but her underwear and with the slogan “Make Belive” painted across her stomach (I am not entirely sure whether this was a deliberate spelling mistake or not) it was clear this wasn’t going to be your run-of-the-mill art exhibitions.

The event has been promoted as one of the most exciting exhbitions in the UK, yet I really didn’t feel that it was as good as it was being promoted to be.

The work on display was supposed to “touch” you; in various different ways.

However, a lot of it was extremely distasteful and definitely not for young eyes. I agree that it affected us as viewers by shocking and making us feel uncomfortable, but I struggled to define whether this was successful in a good way or not. It didn’t leave me feeling very inspired and I feel this may be the reason it has taken me so long to write this visit up.

Some of the pieces were quite interactive - which did add to the experience - albeit not greatly. For instance I enjoyed the Rosa Barba display, titled Free Post Mersey Tunnels because as you walked through it sounds of the Liverpool underground were heard through a labyrinth of intricate pipes, giving a really atmospheric effect. It was quite visually beautiful too; stark and industrial but very intriguing. I also quite liked NS Harsha’s installation; a room with a mirrored ceiling that reflected a sea of faces staring back at you from the floor - which created a very strange sensation of being watched.

Though it may be missing the point of the visit slightly, I was far more taken in by the old signage that was still existing in and around the building that hosted the works. They gave glimpses of what the location used to be. There was also some beautiful wallpaper remnants that had been left on odd walls here and there. It was a really lovely location, it is such a shame that this was all I could really comment positively on.

“ I struggled to define whether this was successful in a good way or not”

prints & portfolios: henry moore I visited the Henry Moore: Prints and Portfolios exhibition at the Henry Moore Institution in Leeds this month. I’ve long appreciated the work of Henry Moore; however I have to admit I was unaware of the extent of his portfolio. Moore is most acclaimed for his sculptures and his paintings of the London Underground during the blitz, which are recognisable from their fluid and undulating forms. I was really surprised on entering the exhibition, as I did not know that he had also created numerous print and graphic works.

Moore worked mainly with etchings and lithograph printing, which he developed an interest in after the First World War and continued until the end of his life in 1986. What I really enjoyed viewing was the publications that he and various writers, artists and poets - including W H Auden, Hans Arp, Picasso, Max Ernst, Joan Miró and Mark Rothko - had collaborated on. These are all people that I have been inspired by in the past, so it was really interesting to know that Moore was influenced by them also.

I was really taken back by Moore’s choice of colours in his prints.

From a graphic design perspective, the colour palettes complimented

each other brilliantly and really added personality and depth to his work. The range of pieces and methods of mark-marking was also really impressive. Moore used lots of different techniques on top of his sketches to add texture and detail, as well as layering different sections on top of each other on translucent paper to form images.

I liked this approach, it seemed to add another dimension to his work and created a soft aesthetic.

After the exhibition, I also visited Leeds art gallery, which is connected to the Henry Moore Institute. It was a really good experience, there were a lot of pieces that I recognised, for example the work of Francis Bacon.

I find galleries a really relaxing place to be, and I love just taking in all of the sights so it was a really good experience for me.

“the colour palettes complimented each other brilliantly and really added personality and depth to his work.”

ANISH KAPOOR I‘ve been aware of Anish Kapoor for a long time now, in fact I’m pretty certain I first discovered what he was about back during my AS Level Art studies, but this was the first time I was to witness his work in person. If I am completely honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was probably due to my rather limited knowledge of what he does, but on entering the exhibition I was very pleasantly surprised.

Kapoor’s ‘Flashback’ exhibition is currently being held at Manchester Art Gallery by the Arts Council Collection, and comprised of sculptures from different stages of his career. The pieces ranged from early sculptures made using pigment, to later works employing stone and mirrored surfaces, to works that engage directly with the surrounding architecture. It was this last element that I think impressed me most, particularly his piece “When I am Pregnant” (1992). From afar, it seemed as though the wall at the far end of the gallery space had some sort of eerie shadowy shape projected onto it, but as you came closer you realised that it in fact formed a rather large and protrusive bump extending from the wall’s surface.

It was very surreal but fascinating, and really played tricks on your perceptions of the room and its dimensions.

The whole space had a strange sense of calm, I found myself staring into the works and becoming almost lost in what I was viewing. I was also really taken in by another of his works, titled “Her Blood” (1998). These 3 curved mirrored plates distorted the reflected images that varied depending on how close you stood to them, rather like a more beautiful and dynamic hall of mirrors. I spent a lot of time trying to discover the surface of the plates; one of them was stained red, but it was really difficult to see how they had been created. I liked this fact though, it all added to the mystery of the experience.

I left the gallery feeling quite overwhelmed - in a good way. It was a really beautiful collection of work, and a very relaxing experience.

“I left the gallery feeling quite overwhelmed”

OSA/MERZEN Recently around Manchester, there has been a festival showcasing exhibitions and happenings the have been inspired by Kurt Schwitters. Titled MERZMAN, the festival explores the artist’s legacy in modern architecture and contemporary art practice. I also went to view Ingo Gerken’s exhibition at Castlefield Gallery as part of the festival, which if I am honest I was completely disappointed by. With this in mind I really wasn’t sure what to expect but wanted to experience Cube’s event with an open mind.

It was an odd set up - at first I wasn’t sure whether I had entered the correct room, as it was filled with planks of wood, old doors, scraps of building materials - and even a broken litter bin - which was curious to see in a gallery space to say the least. It looked like a junk site, however we were soon given a run-down of what the show was about, and there was a lot more material to read which helped explain the idea behind the show.

This was already an improvement on the previous Castlefield exhibition, as previously we hadn’t been given any explanation of what we were supposed to be viewing.

The idea was to transform the gallery in order to blur the border between existing space and installation, or frame and content.

This is exactly what Schwitters’ was exploring in his collages - one of which was featured as part of the exhibition. His work has been really highly regarded by me for a very long time and it was amazing to see it on display as I have yet been able to do so. His collages are so intricate and visually stimulating.

I loved the fragments of old type and stamps the most.

The exhibition set up allowed me to view these random fragments of Manchester in a different light; plastic construction fencing cast vivid shadows on the wall and the orange colour contrasted beautifully to some planks of wood that had been hung next to it. Roadwork barriers held from the ceiling formed layers against the gallery’s fan. I began taking photographs of what I saw, which themselves became installation collages.

I thought this was a much better representation of the Schwitters legacy. It was interactive, dynamic and really made you view the somewhat mundane elements in a different way; a sort of beautiful context displacement.

“beautiful context displacement.”

WIM CROUWEL I‘d been hearing about this exhibition for a while on Twitter and via various blogs, so I knew I had to take a trip down to London this Easter so to not miss out.

As I walked across Tower Bridge, I could see the Design Museum, with Wim Crouwel’s recognisable identity design emblazoned across the exterior walls in the distance, and my excitement grew rapidly. I’ve sadly not yet been able to visit the Design Museum, despite it showcasing many amazing design exhibitions in the past, so I was really looking forward to my visit.

The Dutch designer has had a prolific career, and this is evident as soon as you stepped into the exhibition space.

I was totally overwhelmed with the size of the display, and the amount of work that was being showcased.

Crouwel is regarded as one of the 20th century’s leading designers, and you can see why when viewing his work. I was really taken aback with how much he had produced; from posters to brochures, and typefaces to calendars, it really was an inspiring collection of formats and designs. I was particularly drawn to the far wall, which showcased some of the identity designs he had produced, as they were all such simple - yet impressively

clever - pieces of design. It surprised me that I was drawn to this particular area of his work, as I really struggle when trying to create identity designs.

For some reason, it isn’t my strong point, but definitely something I want to push myself into doing more often.

Another area of work that I was really excited by was the work he produced for Stedelijk museum, Amsterdam (with Total Design). He helped create a series of really beautiful posters and brochures, which blew me away.

Their bold use of colour and type was expertly considered, helping to produce some incredibly striking pieces of design.

I felt completely in my element while at the exhibition, I probably spent over an hour studying his work and making notes and sketches. I even felt inspired to start generating ideas for one of my projects. It was a really great experience, and has made me want to try and see more exhibitions when I have the chance.

“I even felt inspired to start generating ideas for one of my projects. It was a really great experience,”

ROGER THAT! While in London, I also nipped across to Shoreditch to Kemistry Gallery. I’d heard about a typographic exhibition that was being held there, titled “Roger That!”, based upon the phonetic spelling alphabet, developed by The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The work had been created by EatSleepWork/ Play, Inventory Studio and Julia. It seemed such an intriguing concept to me; I am very much interested in experimental and exploratory typography, so I was really looking forward to it.

After getting lost for a while I discovered the gallery, which was a tiny unit down a lovely little cobbled street. I was a little disappointed that it was so small, but the exhibition itself was so charming that I soon overcame my disappointment. Spread across 3 of the walls was a narrative, broken up by the letters of the alphabet, printed on A3 sheets in 2 colours only. Each of the posters portrayed the phonetic spelling of each letter, some in an obvious way, some in more abstract ways. It

was a really lovely representation, and certainly brought a smile to my face. It was a great approach to marry a narrative with the phonetic spellings, as it made the experience more interesting and I loved the witty and imaginative tone to their work. It has definitely given me the desire to create work that has more character and fun to it.

“I loved the witty and imaginative tone to their work.”

MAXIMUM MEANING MINIMUM MEANS I visited an exhibition of work by Abram Games, one of the twentieth century’s most influential graphic designers.

For over 60 years he produced some of Britain’s most iconic images, for instance the “Blonde Bombshell” ATS poster of 1941.

I was really impressed with the body of work Games has produced during his career. His clients included London Transport, The Financial Times, The United Nations, Guinness and Shell.

His influence even reached the infant television service in 1953 when he created the first moving BBC on-screen symbol. He created 100 posters during his role as Official War Poster Artist.

Games used a lot of clever and interesting devices in his work, for instance when signing his pieces he would sometimes incorporate elements of his designs in his signatures, as apparent in the poster he designed for Guinness, below.

Another feature of the exhibition I enjoyed was being able to see the sketches and developments he created when designing his posters. Games fervently documented every idea he came up with, creating hundreds of tiny thumbnails for each poster

he designed, in order to aid his development. He sustained that if the design worked small-scale then it would work when placed into the public eye, because it is how you would initially view his posters; in small scale from afar. This is a habit I need to put into practise myself, as I often find myself rushing straight to the computer when creating my initial ideas. I think it would help my work greatly if I were to sketch all my rough plans out first and allow the pen and paper to develop the ideas that are in my head.

“He sustained that if the design worked small-scale then it would work when placed into the public eye, because it is how you would initially view his posters; in small scale from afar.”

red

INSPIRATIONS

DESIGNER: ABRAM GAMES I have loved the work of Abram Games for a very long time now. It is safe to say he is one of my main influences, which can be seen significantly throughout my Static project work. The fact that all of his posters were created using an airbrush and no digital technology is amazing; I just wish I had the same abilities myself. His colour palettes, text placement and illustrations are so powerful, and I strived to achieve a similar look with my own work.

“It is safe to say he is one of my main influences, which can be seen significantly throughout my Static project work.�

DESIGNER: A. M. CASSANDRE Similarly to Abram Games, I am also really inspired by the work of A M Cassandre. His poster and type designs are beautiful and striking.

It is interesting that Abram Games was also influenced greatly by his work; it seems I have a specific style and aesthetic that I am drawn to. Cassandre’s typeface designs are beautiful; typography is an area that I am highly interested in and an area that I wish I was better at.

“it seems I have a specific style and aesthetic that I am drawn to.”

DESIGNER: WIM CROUWEL Before I had visited the Wim Crouwel exhibition at the Design Museum in London, I wasn’t fully aware of just how much design work he had created during his career. I was overwhelmed when I went to the exhibition and his work has definitely influenced me during the latter stages of my studies. While I was designing my typeface, I often reflected back on my visit to the museum, and the type design he had created. The exhibition displayed his development process of certain typefaces such as Gridnik and New Alphabet, which inspired me to really persevere with the development of my own.

“I often reflected back on my visit to the museum, and the type design he had created.”

bOOK: AVANT GARDE PAGE DESIGN 1900-1950 This book, written by Josef Andel, has been incredibly influential during my third year.

Not only does it showcase work from some of my favourite 20th century designers – Il Lissitzky, Jan Tschihold, the Dadaists and Constructivists to name but a few, but it also has a brilliant theme running through it highlighting the value of the printed page.

This was exceptionally helpful during the research stages of my dissertation “To Have and to Hold: What is the Value of Print in a Digital World?” Without this book, I would never have settled on this topic for my dissertation, as it was this value that we place on printed matter that really intrigued me. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this topic for my dissertation, and was so pleased to receive a very good mark for my writing.

“Without this book, I would never have settled on this topic for my dissertation, as it was this value that we place on printed matter that really intrigued me.”

BOOK: THE ART OF LOOKING SIDEWAYS I am always flicking back to the pages of this book; there is just such a vast array of images, topics and ideas that have been collated by Alan Fletcher. It covers so many different themes of design that I will often find links and references that help guide me on the projects I have been doing. For instance, during my typeface brief, I referred to the book’s chapter “Alphabet” which covered the history and evolution of type as well as other interesting topics. It was great to have this as a resource during this project as my concept was quite a complex one.

“It covers so many different themes of design that I will often find links and references that help guide me on the projects I have been doing.”

bOOK: L-R THE CULTURAL SHIFT FROM WORDS TO PICTURES This book, written by David Crow, is one that I have always been meaning to get my hands on, since I discovered it in first year.

It has taken me until my final year to finally look at it, and I am disappointed I didn’t do so earlier.

Crow writes about some really interesting subjects related to the cultural shift from words to pictures. Again, this was useful during my type design work, as I began creating more pictogramstyle characters that weren’t necessarily legible as letters. The book features work from Otto Neurath and Gerd Arntz, whom I am also very interested in, plus some amazing quotes from various designers about type versus image.

“this was useful during my type design work, as I began creating more pictogramstyle characters that weren’t necessarily legible as letters”.

BOOK: A CENTURY OF POSTER AND ADVERTISING DESIGN This is only a small, and somewhat inconspicuous book that I discovered by accident in a library one day. I flicked through to discover the pages filled with every type of poster design that I love. It featured poster artists such as Abram Games, A M Cassandre and Gene Frederico. I often find myself picking it up when I am not feeling very productive and it always instils more inspiration in me. It is a shame that it is so small; meaning that the images are therefore small also which doesn’t really do them justice. Despite this, it is a really good read and full of visual treats.

“I often find myself picking it up when I am not feeling very productive and it always instils more inspiration in me.”

WEB: SOMUCHPILEUP .BLOGspot.com I always find myself clicking onto “So Much Pile Up” blog created by Mike Davis. It showcases graphic design artefacts and inspiration from the 1960s – 1980s. There is so much on there, but I particularly enjoy their “Philately Fridays” feature. I myself am really drawn in by beautiful stamps, and it is something I really want to get into once I have a bit more time.

There are some amazing examples on the blog; what makes them more impressive is that they can still be so visually stimulating at such a small size.

“There is so much on there, but I particularly enjoy their “Philately Fridays” feature.”

WEB: FUBIZ.NET Fubiz is a “daily dose of inspiration”, and it always offers something interesting from design to motion graphics, and advertising to photography. Although in French, the images speak for themselves so I always find myself flicking over to their pages. Unlike other blogs that can become a little dry and samey in the subjects they write about, Fubiz always has something unexpected being featured. I have discovered many more designers and creative works since following this site, so it has been a great platform during the research stages of my projects.

“Unlike other blogs that can become a little dry and samey in the subjects they write about, Fubiz always has something unexpected being featured.”

RED

FOR EVEN MORE PLEASE VISIT MY BLOG: WWW.GEMKS.BLOGSPOT.COM