Dossier
George Nutting
Lectures Workshops Briefs Mentoring
Lectures
Rejane Dal Bello Rupert Bassett
Matthew Robertson Stuart Henley
Lomokev Studio Ponto
Sam Arthur Jason Ford
Fleur Isbell
Stuart Henley Graphic Designer / Lecturer
Portsmouth College of Arts
Yale
New York
Having travelled to New York in
here in the UK. Not only that, but the
2012, I had a short but sweet insight
assurance of actually getting paid on
to the graphics industry in America.
time and for the correct amount is a
During my stay I was lucky enough
lot higher out there - it seems a lot
to visit a variety of agencies based
more organised and secure.
out there. This was an amazing experience, so much so that as soon as I returned home I could not think of anywhere else I would rather be than New York. Hearing
Stuart’s
journey
from
studying at Portsmouth College of Art to completing an MFA in graphic design
at
Yale
University
was
incredibly interesting, yet felt slightly dated in the sense that the way he achieved this would be harder to implement today. The procedures he had to take to legally study and work there seem to be a lot more relaxed than now-a-days. Having said that, nothing is impossible. A common factor that came up in both Stuart’s lecture and my time in New York was the financial benefits of working in America. It seems that the paying rate per job is nearly double the amount you would receive
Matthew Robertson Graphic Designer
Australia
Peter Saville
Factory Records
By combining two of his main
Eloise’. The design worked so well
interests, Matthew Robertson has
because the cover conveyed both
made a successful career pivoted
bands seemlessly. Rather than using
around his passion for music and
individual
graphic
from
were on the same record, yet easily
Australia, he now lives, works and
distinguishable. Using a colour for
teaches design in Bath.
each band (red and blue) the lyrics,
In Robertson’s lecture we were
sleeve and record itself were colour
presented with a wide range of his
coded in a way so clear to the viewer
work, mainly consisting of record
that there was no need for titles,
sleeves and CD covers for a large
labels or added information. It looked
variety of bands.
clean, crisp and understated, yet
‘Factory
design.
Records:
Originally
The
Complete
Graphic Album’ was the focus of Robertson’s lecture. The book that Robertson’s wrote and codesigned is a visual history of the widely recognisable artwork and designs from record sleeves, posters, ephemera, venues and packaging. The book itself is organized as an illustrated catalogue, arranged by the infamous Factory reference system. My favourite piece of Robertson’s work was one of his most recent projects - artwork for a record by an Australian band, ‘The Underground Lovers’ and a Chinese band, ‘Dear
systems,
both
bands
giving all the necessary information in a simple and effective way.
Rupert Bassett Graphic Designer
Ravensbourne
RAC
Typography
With a strongly evident passion
importance to least. The eye reads
in typography, Rupert Bassett is a
everything in the order that he’s
graphic designer and lecturer at Bath
intended it to be.
School of Art and Design. Having
As well as talking about his time
been part of a recent workshop held
at university, he also spoke about
by Bassett, I was looking forward to
larger, more corporate projects he’s
this lecture as I had not seen any of
been a part of, for eg. designing
his work outside of university before.
a hardback book for RAC. What
Although I have been taught by him
with RAC being a large company
and his style of work is recognisable,
and brand already, he did have
I was looking forward to seeing what
restrictions when designing this book,
he’s worked on in the past.
as the project wasn’t brand identity.
Bassett started the lecture by stating
The grids and systems he uses so well
that he has not changed his design
were put in place to handle the vast
style for 25 years, this devotion to his
amount of text, so to make it readable
specific interest in typography was
and organised on the page.
inspiring. He seems to me to be the type of person that sticks to his guns. He said of one project at university he did whereby the students were asked to all design a door, his answer to this was painting a black rectangle on a white wall. Personally, I think that is brilliantly witty. Bassett’s style of work is systematic and simple. Aligned, regimented type is arranged in a square format. Type is placed in a hierarchy of most
Rejane Dal Bello Graphic Designer / Illustrator
Rio de Janeiro
New York City
Netherlands
London
Currently living in London, Dal Bello
This phrase has inspired me, I feel
is a graphic designer specialising
that I used to look too hard to find
in developing brand experiences,
the perfect outcome, when in fact
creatively-lead business strategies
the outcome that I needed is simple
and visual identities. Her work is
and right in front of me, one that can
strong, typographic and colourful - it
be more widely appreciated by the
is eye catching and confident yet still
target audience.
simple and uncluttered. Rejane’s lecture was a breath of fresh air. The enthusiasm she expressed for both her work and the world of Graphic design was invigorating. Despite some of her designs possibly seeming
simple,
yet
amazingly
beautiful to someone outside of the design world, her work is in fact incredibly
thought-provoking
and
highly researched into the topic and task in hand. Her style and thought processes are very prominent in all she does. At the start of the lecture Dal Bello stated that she believes no matter how hard you are searching to find the perfect solution, in the end it will in fact find you. Anyone can see this ideology in play throughout all of the work she does.
Studio Ponto Eurico Sรก Fernandes & Mariana Lobรฃo
LCC
DGC
London
Studio Ponto is a design studio based
collaborative effort with the course
in London. Eurico SĂĄ Fernandes and
students to organize the graduate
Mariana LobĂŁo are the founders and
show.
designers that started to collaborate
What I found most inspiring about
whilst studying on the same course at
these
London College of Communication.
appreciation of both the analogue
A large amount of their work
and digital processes. With this in
includes projects that were done
mind they were also keen to express
whilst at university - these are mostly
their passion for thinking outside the
research based projects on design
box and out of their own comfort
methodologies and graphic design
zones.
education. One of the projects they focused on in the lecture was a beautifully designed introductory guide to printing with a risograph machine. Having worked with a riso printer before I know how complicated the instruction manual and information on it is, so I thought this guide was not only a cleverly designed publication but also a well needed piece of information. Another project that caught my eye was the design and identity for the DGC graduate exhibition. This entailed creating a bespoke typeface, branding, website and the overall exhibition design. It was a
two
designers
was
their
LomoKev Photographer
Brighton
Swimming Club
Hot Shots
Photography is a secondary passion
LomoKev has definitely re lit a flame
of mine, typography/design being
in me for photography. I hope that
my primary. I find the relationship
I keep taking photos for myself and
between image and word together a
maybe others one day.
fascinating subject. My photography knowledge and style is quite amateur. I am mainly interested in the process and skill of analogue photography, so Lomokev’s lecture was a great insight to the life and work of a professional photographer. Kevin Meredith (Lomokev) is known for his photography using an LomoLCA camera. Meredith holds monthly photography
courses
specifically
using Lomo cameras. While holding lectures internationally Meredith also finds time to undertake commercial photography work while having personal projects on the side. Meredith’s photography style is very ‘hands - on’, putting himself right in the midst of the surroundings and subjects he is photographing. This style of photography allows him to capture the moment perfectly making his pieces very natural and in many cases quite comical.
Jason Ford Illustrator
Tintin
Swimming Club
Super Book
Jason Ford is a British Illustrator whose
the idea and leave only the key
approach to image making has been
details. His work is subtly detailed,
heavily influenced by a childhood
the greatest of thought has gone into
love of Tintin and Marvel comics.
every piece of work, whether it’s the
It was refreshing to see an artist
nose on a character or an object in
present as much of their inspirations
the background.
as their own work. Ford has a lifelong obsession with not only comic books and French ‘Bande Dessineé’ but also record sleeve artwork by the illustrator Barney Bubble. This range helps him to inform the line work within all of his images. Ford’s lecture was a great insight into his experimentation and development processes. The amount of sketches and ideas he puts down before going anywhere near the final design is astonishing. When approaching a brief, Jason will read and doodle before he begins to sketch and draw in earnest layout
pads,
rigorously
refining
the composition and the idea-flow around the drawing. Although his eye for detail could suggest complex drawings, Jason’s art is to edit and distil the information, home in on
Nobrow Sam Arthur
Spot–Colour
Shoreditch
Illustration
Nobrow is an independent platform
in the supposed ‘dying days of print’,
for graphic art, Illustration and art
Nobrows books had to be somehow
comics. The publications Nobrow
different. There is however a saying
produce are incredibly distinctive
that the best creative organisations
visually. My favourite part of this
thrive in times of financial crisis, and
lecture was learning about the print
Nobrow definitely proves this.
process they use to produce this distinctive style. Arthur explained how they use a process called spot–colour printing, whereby pure Pantone colours are combined in separations to create some of the most vibrant and lucid artwork you will ever see in print. Having visited their shop based in Shoreditch, it was amazing to see the huge collection and variety of publications they produce, ranging from children stories to independent zines designed by recent graduates from around the country. When inside the shop the
colour palettes
used for each outcome work so beautifully together, it makes all the hard work put in to the production and printing worthwhile. Given that the company started both in the midst of the financial crisis and
Fleur Isbell Graphic Designer
Bath Spa University
Glitches
Neville Brody
Fluer Isbell Graduated from Bath Spa
she was commissioned to design the
School of Art and Design in 2011.
annual by D&AD chairman Neville
While studying at university she was
Brody, as part of a commitment to
incredibly busy and highly successful
recruiting new talent.
with her work, completing the course
Isbell’s
with a First Class Honours and was
features data visualisations based
also featured in Creative Review in
on latitudinal and meteorological
September 2011 as ‘one to watch’.
data. 196 countries are represented
Experimenting with a range of
by code-generated ‘horizon motifs’
processes
cover
design
letterpress
to
incorporating various metadata from
photography
to
the day the call for entries was issued.
photocopying, Isbell stumbled onto
She stated how the design did not just
finding her passion for mistakes and,
end with the cover, but throughout
what she referred to as ‘glitches’.
the whole book. Inside, each entry
Hearing Isbell speak first hand
is tagged with the geographic co-
about her work was amazing and in
ordinates of the city from which it
some way made me feel guilty that
originated. Little touches like this
perhaps I am not working to my full
make the annual an amazing finished
capabilities.
piece.
digital
from
striking
coding,
Isbell’s story of her time at Bath Spa was heartwarming. Hearing about her days of being by herself in the letterpress studio for weeks on end definitely didn’t go to waste. The main topic of her lecture was the design and production of the 51st edition of the D&AD annual in 2013. As a designer at Wolf Ollins,
Workshops
CV’s & Presentations
Networking Workshop Portfolio Clinic
CV’s & Presentations Fig Taylor
It
was
fascinating
to
have
a
telephoning or going to a studio in
professional insight into the “do’s and
person is far more valuable than
don’ts” of getting hired. Although it
sending an email to a place you’d
did seem a bit intense, I do feel the
like to work, this is because it shows
design industry is a lot more forgiving
confidence and willingness as well
than she portrayed.
as more interest. It is easy to sit at a
The main focus of the talk she
computer and email endless agencies,
gave was directed at illustrators
but like Fig said, speaking to people
as opposed to graphic designers,
on a personal level is more engaging
which resulted in some of the advise
and shows you’ve put effort into what
she gave being unapplicable to me
you’re doing, rather than speaking
as a designer, however, it was still
to future employers generically and
interesting none-the-less.
lazily. I have taken note of a lot of
Her view on the design industry was
what she said and will put it all into
strong and this came across in the talk.
practise when I come to applying for
According to Taylor, presentation is
jobs at various agencies.
key and I agree with this. She also mentioned how important confidence is when presenting work to potential employers, which is something I try to convey at all times when talking and presenting my work to people. I have taken on board many of the tips and advice she put forth, such as perfect presentation, bags of confidence and the ability to take constructive criticism. She also spoke strongly about how
Portfolio Clinic Bob Mytton & Dan Weeks
The portfolio clinics with Bob and
It was great practice on how to
Dan were incredibly helpful and
efficiently communicate and present
insightful. It was a great opportunity
my work in as few words as possible,
to present and talk about my work
whilst still explaining what it was I
in a professional environment. They
had done.
both commented and could tell that I
One point Dan raised that I felt
had done some research into creating
was obvious but should always be
and designing a portfolio prior to
remembered is the editing of your
the clinic. I decided to bring both a
portfolio depending on the agency.
digital and physical portfolio along
It is noticed when someone has
with me. Each one including the
done research into said agency and
same projects, that was to show how
adjusted a portfolio to make sure
I feel my work should be presented.
the work that is included is fitting
One of the main queries I wanted
for them, and not have projects that
answered was on the presentation of
have nothing to do with the work they
projects depending on the medium
produce.
the outcomes take.
I feel a lot more confident presenting
Bob mentioned that when looking
and talking about my work in a
through portfolios he hopes to see
professional manor now. I also
between 6 and 10 projects. He would
understand the what projects and
rather see 6 amazing pieces than
work to include and not to include.
10 weaker pieces. I was also told to start and end my portfolio with an amazing piece so that our potential employer starts and ends on a high note. It was great to get his thoughts and advice on my work and how to present it.
Networking Workshop Tom Davidson
I have always known that networking
People can hire you, they can also
is a huge and vital part of the
help you access jobs that are not
industry. It is a crucial way to stay up
being advertised.
to date and more importantly getting a job or getting the work you want. In this workshop we were told that networking is not as formal as some people may think it is. This being people in suits going for meeting, but instead it can be much more casual, like going for a coffee on your lunch break with a potential employer or friend who has contacts themselves. It was incredibly interesting when we were asked to write down the ‘contacts’ we have at the moment in a kind of family tree format. I was surprised to the depths my current contacts could potentially lead me. Everyone needs other people to help them at various points throughout life. People can help you understand your aspirations, skills, wants, and wishes. Contacts act as a filter in a world full of clutter, advising you on which books to read, skills to develop, people to turn to, events to attend.
Briefs
Brief 1
Brief 3 Brief 2
After completing university I plan to stay independent and continue living away from my home in Richmond. As of yet I have no specific location in mind - where ever I end up living, my career plan will be the same. I would like to remove myself from the graphic design world for a few months - but not completely. I am currently working in retail for a large nationwide company, this allows me to transfer to another store depending on my current location, where ever that may be. I hope to get a contract where I will work 3 days a week, this will allow me to earn enough money
Brief 1 Perfect Future
to pay rent and general outgoing payments whilst spending the rest of my time compiling my work and taking my time to create a strong and more profound portfolio. There are projects I have thought of since being at university that I’d like to start and complete to add into my portfolio, however being a busy final year student, I haven’t found the time to do these self-set projects outside of my university work.
During my time at university I have
within agencies I would like to leave
found a passion for typography and
the corporate world and become a
branding - The self-initiated projects
freelance designer working
I have set myself are centred around
home. I will then offer or take on
these two topics of design, as I want
work for smaller independent clients.
to further my portfolio and present work I’ve done in the field I am most interested in. Since realising typography and branding is the career path I would like to pursue, I am able to focus on the agencies that work predominantly in this area of design. The most likely locations I will end up in are going to be either London or Bristol, however, as I mentioned above, I am open to moving anywhere other than back to Richmond. I have begun researching design agencies in Bristol and London so far, which has allowed me to get and an insight into the professional world of graphic design. Having spoken to my tutors and mentor I feel a larger agency is more what I am looking for as opposed to a smaller independent place of work. After committing seven to ten years
from
Brief 2 What’s the brief
Bulmers,
the
British
cider
from
Heineken is showing their new colours with the new ‘Bulmers. Live Colourful’ campaign. This is a multimillion pound marketing campaign embracing TV, press, digital and outdoor running from April through to September. The company collaborated with 6 artists who used the colours of the five Bulmers variants to bring the ‘Live Colourful’ advertising proposition to life. The photographs, paintings and graphic designs they created have been turned into an exciting display of prints. Jacco van Der Linden, Marketing Director at Bulmers brand owners Heineken said: “Live Colourful is a celebration of Bulmers’ diverse and exciting range of flavoured ciders and a manifestation of the brand belief that variety and choice – living colourfully – leads to more vibrant and exciting consumer experiences.” It is clear that the theme of this campaign
is
to
shed
a
new
colourful, exciting and vibrant light on the existing product range. The
advertisement
communicates
how
sense.
Bulmers is the catalyst to colourful, fun
They all look amazing in real life
nights with friends, showing groups
and on screen and I must say the
of people enjoying the range of five
use of acrylic paint strokes and the
Bulmers ciders in a variety of urban
beautifully vibrant colours showing
settings, seemingly oblivious to the
no sign of saturation creates a smooth
stunning multicoloured effect Bulmers
free flowing atmosphere that makes
is having on the cities around them.
you crave a cold Bulmers on a warm
Having recently travelled home to
summers evening.
London I must say that along the motorway as you enter the city these advertisements stand out from miles away. As soon as I saw them for the first time I was constantly looking out for them everywhere to see what variations there are and what ties them all together. One thing I have noticed with the outcomes they have produced is that some are missing the Bulmers cream colour. They state that it was to incorporate all five of the colours of their product range, but on the typographical poster they are only using four. This is most probably due to the motto they wanted to follow of the ‘Live Colour’ so only using the vibrant and brighter colours makes
I hope to pursue a career in the branding and packaging industry, this will be achieved by obtaining a position at a large agency that specialises in this sector. The main reasons I believe a career in a larger agency is more suited to me than a position in a smaller company or studio is the stability and opportunities that comes with it. Freelance does not appeal to me at this point in time. From what I have heard from guest lecturers and tutors, the life of a freelancer is incredibly
Brief 3 Escape Plan
risky and unreliable. This is due to the amount of work that would potentially be coming in. It seems that the only way to stay financially afloat is to have clients that need work done regularly so you always have a steady income and constant workflow. This being said, I will not rule out freelancing later on in my career. Having spoken to my mentor about her career paths and moves, I feel I would like to follow a similar path. This is being part of larger
organisations that allow you to travel
taker, I am always planning ahead
to their other offices around the world
and nervous to do anything out of the
for seven or so years to then leave
ordinary. I am hoping that in time this
and work freelance from home.
and I will change to become more
Entering agencies as an intern or
adventurous not only with my life but
junior designer I hope to move up the
more importantly my work.
ladder or stick with my position within said companies for as long as I am needed/wanted. After staying within agencies for a few years having gained experience and client base, I could leave and become freelance or start a smaller independent studio with friends and contacts. If I become a freelance designer working from home it will allow me to exit the world of graphic design a lot easier as there will be no contracts or obligations holding me back. It would hopefully make a pretty smooth exit. I am not ruling out working for more than one agency, opportunities could arise and my interests could change. I would love to be able to leave the design world knowing that I took as many opportunities and chances I was offered or found. This being said I can honestly say I am not a risk
Mentoring
Elizabeth Stannard
Elizabeth Stannard Mentoring Scheme
During my third year I have taken
and packaging design was a route I
it upon myself to enrol onto a post-
would ever be interested in.
graduate mentoring scheme. This was
Liz has given me so many contacts
because I missed my chance of taking
and an amazing insight to the
part in the buddy scheme, I felt this
community of graphic design.
was a missed opportunity, so I am
Liz has been amazing and we are
thrilled that I was able to get a similar
currently working on my portfolio
experience else where.
for my interview at Brandopus. This
Elizabeth
graduated
from
Bath
has given me confidence as Liz has
Spa school of Art and Design
previously worked for them and has
Liz graduated from the Graphic
a good idea as to what they would
Communications
like to see.
course
back
in
2004. After graduating she worked for Reach in Bath for six years then JKR - a global design agency in London. She worked with international brands such as Coca Cola, Bacardi, New Covent Garden, Penhaligons. Elizabeth
is
now
a
freelance
packaging and branding specialist working from home. She has a specific interest in typography, luxury brands and big ideas. Even though her work and style is not what I had in mind for myself, I am quickly opening my mind to the different avenues that I could go down. At first I did not think food
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