KATE FAWCETT THIRD YEAR DOSSIER
CONTENTS
Core lectures and assignments Perfect Future Escape Plan What was the brief?
Extra experience Work placement: London Sandu Publishing Contribution Buddy Scheme Society President Sixth Form Student Tutor Part Time Employment Peer Mentor Volunteer London Degree Show Fundraising Private Commissions
Inspiration from the lecture theatre Stuart Henley Nobrow Rupert Bassett Industry Insights Clare Sutcliffe Fig Taylor Studio Ponto Fleur Isbell Lomokev Rejane Dal Bello Si Scott YCN, Jennie Webber
Inspiration from outside the university SomeOne Mr B & Friends Wild & Wolf
Self promotion Business Stationary Professional Graphic CV
Workshops and masterclasses Rupert’s Typography Workshop Business Start-up Basics Graduate Job Search Portfolio Clinic Lomokev Masterclass MA Marketing Brainstorming Session
Exhibitions Pop Art Design Great Western Railway in Art Richard Hamilton Paul Klee Simon Brett All Over The Shop Body In Discourse M Shed Used & Abused
Perfect Future 14.10.13
I doubt I was the only person in the room dubious about the set of 40 multiple choice questions. But surprisingly I found this exercise to be useful, and in some cases, eye-opening. At the moment, I see myself in full time employment shortly after I graduate, but I answered that I wasn’t too sure about my choices for the future, seeing as nothing is set in stone yet. I am very much a team player, yet enjoy working individually as well as in groups, due to my desire to get tasks done quickly and efficiently. I would be prepared to learn a new skill or language if a job required it, but the new skill being more likely than a language. Realistically, I’d be prepared to travel 10-20 miles for my first job if necessary, and I’d choose to have less money more regularly, rather than regular, but unreliable work. I would like to have a good salary in a firm nobody’s heard of, rather than a poor salary with a firm everyone’s heard of, because if you aren’t getting paid enough to live there’s not a lot of point grafting away for little reward! My view of a career is to live and breathe it, 24/7, all year round; design is something that is everywhere we look so passionate designers are always going to be switched on to some extent I think.
Escape Plan 24.10.13
I think I can define my work overall as being a little quirky. From dissecting the tools required to service a fire extinguisher, to documenting the order of chocolates eaten from a selection tin, it’s safe to say I have a big interest in making the ordinary, extraordinary. This concept is one of the main characteristics of Graphic Communication in my eyes. I am a keen print-based designer, as I prefer the tactile nature. But that said, I don’t disregard the importance and potential of digital technology and have dipped into the area in preparation for work within an agency. With one of my main interests being visual identities, I believe I would fit in very well with a branding focused agency, at least to start with.
I don’t feel it’s important to have my name attached to my work, unlike in Fine Art for example, because realistically we won’t have our signature on any of our work. I would prefer to apply to a job in person, as communication is so much easier face to face. If I had the opportunity to do a huge project in too little time, I’d still say yes to the challenge, but perhaps find someone to help me. I would try applying to jobs even if there were lots of applicants, as it’s always worth a shot. Before tax, it is quite normal for people to need £1500 to live on per month which was quite a suprising figure. I tend to think short-term because I don’t believe relying on huge dreams will actually give you happiness during day-to-day life. If I was offered the job of my dreams, but it required a lot of unpaid overtime, my first instinct would be to accept, at least for a while, because it might be a one-off opportunity. If I ever feel like the work I’m doing isn’t intellectually challenging I would look for new opportunities. I do prefer to be involved in every stage of projects, seeing as through education this is what we’re used to, but I am prepared for a difference, and a team effort would potentially be less stressful. When risks are concerned, I would generally research first, but I’ve never been afraid to take up challenges.
At this stage, my plans for after graduation are definitely not set in stone. I have been asked to work alongside my uncle in London, which I’m excited to do after working with him during the Summer too. I aim to do this at the end of July through to August. Afterwards, I aim to launch myself into the industry through placements and work experience, in order to gain more and more contacts. Potential ones so far are Proctors in Bristol, and Mr B & Friends in Bath. A bit of travelling is also on my agenda, because after eighteen years of education I would love to do something a bit drastic, as well as relaxing, also to be beneficial for my work through photography and valuable life experience. I think it’s important not to have a set directed mindset, and be open to work in a variety of companies because all will provide experience, even if some aren’t too enjoyable. I’m not in a rush to walk into a job, but I will make sure that by early 2015 I have enough contacts and experience to enable me to start my career and chase all job opportunities.
I definitely aim to work within agencies, to improve my overall skill set and enjoy the teamwork aspect of a company, or several. Then, one day, I have always had the idea of running my own studio, perhaps with a few other like-minded people that I meet along my career path. My father and grandfather have both run their own companies in other disciplines so I have strong helpful connections. One of my uncles is a Graphic Designer in London, currently working for himself after many years of working with others, so therefore a good influence for my career.
CORE LECTURES AND ASSIGNMENTS
What was the brief? 21.10.13
Opening sequence for Dexter, TV series Introduction Dexter is an American television drama series within the thriller genre. The plot derived from novels written by Jeff Lindsay. The main character, Dexter Morgan, leads a secret life of a sociopath and is often depicted as ‘America’s favourite serial killer’. The opening sequence is a vital element of a television program; it either attracts or detracts the viewer’s attention. A title sequence is the method by which films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound.
Target Audience The series has an age restriction of 18. Seeing as the plot is based around a serial killer, it features many scenes of violence. Therefore the target audience is a mature one.
Task Design the title sequence of the TV series, Dexter. Dexter lives two lives, with a dark secret lying behind the most ordinary of façades. He is a forensic blood splatter analyst working alongside the Miami Metro police during the day, and hunting down criminals who have slipped through the justice system by night. This contrast would be an interesting thing to play on, getting the balance just right. He is essentially satisfying a need, and portraying himself as ‘normal’ is challenging for him.
Both Crime Scene Investigators and sociopaths have the ability to focus on excessively intricate details, excruciatingly close up. The sequence needs to depict both an ordinary life, with a hidden shocking one. It would however, aim to reflect something the viewer can relate to; in order to represent Dexter’s seemingly mundane lifestyle to the people around him. An example would be: average everyday items or scenarios magnified and twisted, either through audio or visuals, to be seen as horrific. He depicts himself as a calm individual to the people he knows. An intriguing comparison is a film being chopped up, and his literal action of chopping body parts. Contextualise a different reality, with the use of exaggeration for effect. A hyperbole is exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. Microcosms are characteristics of something much larger, which would be used to keep the suspense and not spoil anything. Another element to consider is whether the music or sound relates to the visuals or not, as the audio is often just as important within effective opening sequences. When visuals and music combine and react to each other, it creates a interesting balance for film.
(Film stills from existing opening sequence on following pages.)
Film stills from the opening sequence of Dexter Above: the mundane everyday activities, such as shaving and flossing teeth Right: the morning routine being twisted, depicting disturbing activities
INSPIRATION FROM THE LECTURE THEATRE Stuart Henley
Nobrow
Rupert Bassett
‘British graduates are very individual’
‘Even if you’re not busy, make it look like you are!’
‘Efficient, clean, modern, decoration-free’
I found Stuart’s lecture on living in and working in America to be intriguing, even though I don’t have a current intention to travel there. It was good to hear some first-hand experience, and also to know it was possible if I ever considered it. He started the talk by listing the cultural influence the USA possess, and how everything he was wearing was by American brands. Obviously, going to a large city with a bigger economy will hold more job opportunities, and the recession is different in different countries.
Sam Arthur is one of the founding partners of Nobrow. They started in 2008, with the aim to provide an independent platform for graphic and illustrative comics in the UK and abroad, now with twelve staff members. He had an interesting way of presenting, making sure to add humour to maintain our interest. Seeing as digital is often thought to be overtaking print these days, Nobrow strive to keep publishing printed material of the highest calibre and quality.
I admire the simplicity and rigorous grid systems Rupert promotes. I think his typographic workshops, whether handrendering type or information design in strict layouts, are really valuable for a designer to have experienced. I think many students find Rupert’s way of designing too repetitive, but I actually really enjoy it, possibly because I’m a bit of a perfectionist. His design involves ‘as little as possible’ and the majority of the time with san-serif typefaces, much like in the Modernist era. He mentioned some pioneers of modern typography, Herbert Spencer and El Lissitzsky, both of which I know and like.
10.10.13
The America Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional membership organisation focused on enhancing the value, and deepening the impact of design on business and society. It is also a platform to research jobs and internship opportunities. A few more similsr websites I hadn’t known about were: Coroflot, Head Hunters, Pakter and Ritasue. It was also interesting to hear about the type of visas necessary, and the funding possibilities such as Fulbright, Rotary and the British Council, if I were to complete a Masters degree. He ended the lecture with some comparisons between British and American graduates. For example, the British tend to be much more individual, but not as skilled in design and typographic history. In America they tend to like to hire a particular attitude and an off-beat way at looking at things.
07.11.13
I think to be so highly involved in the production of books, magazines and zines, you need to be a bit of a collector yourself. This seemed to be the case with Sam as he mentioned he collected all sorts of printed ephemera, as well as the Ladybird books such as ‘How it Works: Printing Processes’ and described them to be ‘a design classic’. This also reflects how passionate they are about printing methods as well as the quality of the stock for the publications. He spent quite a lot of time talking to us about their printing methods, ‘the tactile nature of the ink on the page’. Their printing started with silkscreen, but now get sent to a proper factory after the business increasing. His description of CMYK and spot colour printing was interesting and he took pride in saying they only use responsibly sourced paper; FSC certified paper can be traced back to the tree it was made.‘It has to deserve to be in print or it could be stuck on the internet’.
21.11.13
Rupert studied at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, which sounded like it was a very strict design environment, but widely renowned. It was recommended by my Graphic Designer Uncle, but now it’s become more of a television school. I found it amusing how he explained his design relationship with Wolfgang Weingart, the stark difference from Rupert’s regimented composition compared to Wolfgang making pictures from type and ‘breaking the rules’. It shows how designers can differ so much in opinion on style. Some intriguing work Rupert has been involved included the Talk Zone in the Millennium Dome, and having to be escorted home after typesetting important financial reports for The Global Reporters.
ROW P
SEAT 1-5
N
USA flag graphic
‘Nobrow 1’ front cover of magazine
6-10
11-15
16
VALENTINE’S DAY TWILIGHT
SH GAME SHADOWS UP 2D INBETWEENERS SH GAME SHADOWS TRANSFORMERS CASINO ROYALE ROBIN HOOD WALL-E
H P QUAN TTS: DARK
SHERLOCK HOLMES
TERMINATOR SALVATION FUNNY PEOPLE TRANSFORMERS 2
NIGH
M Info mapping during a workshop with Rupert - my cinema tickets since 2005 L
ANGELS & DEMONS THE DICTATOR
SATC 2 HUNGER GAMES THE HEARTBRE DRAG ME TO HELL CIRQUE VAMP ASSIST HP HALLOWS PRT 1
HALLOWS PRT 2 RUN, FAT BOY, TENACIOUS D THE HANGOVER
COUPLES RETREAT MEN WHO STARE
SUPERBAD 27 DRESSES
INTO THE WILD YES MAN TTS: BREAKING DAWN 1 THE BOAT THAT ROCKED EPIC MOVIE
ZOMB BLAC
Industry Insights
to Brand, Design & Imaging 04.12.13
‘Know exactly where you want to work: bad advice!’ David Kimpton was of most interest to me; owner of branding & design agency
Clare Sutcliffe 05.12.13
‘Ideas are really fun and they underpin your best work’ I was excited to hear about Clare’s work, especially to see where she is now after previously studying at Bath
Fig Taylor 17.02.13
‘Getting your foot in the door, and keeping it there’ Fig Taylor is a portfolio consultant and wrote the popular book: ‘How to Create & Portfolio and Get Hired’. I found her talk to be primarily centred on Illustrators rather than Designers, and she had warned us that this might be the case.
Kimpton Creative. His career path was quite interesting; going from The Partners, then 3 friends forming their own company Hat-Trick Design, to his own creative agency. He ordered his presentation as if to categorise his clients, which was an intriguing format. His most religious client has been The Salvation Army, and his toughest client was London Cyrenians Housing, defined by the quote ‘I don’t know what I what, but I’ll know it when I see it’, something any designer would find frustrating! His first project was to design a Christmas Card for Earthlife charity, in which they attached a seed to plant a tree, and therefore replace the paper used for the card. Then finally, his favourite logo design was for Terry Moore Design (pictured); a witty approach to the initials. Some key advice for us included the importance of placements, applying to at least ten companies for interviews,
and remembering to look for the humour in things!
Spa. Starting her talk with some top tips was a good insight into what she feels holds importance when starting a design career. One of which was to learn to code; something that she didn’t realise she’d end up doing as a full time job, but something she’d recommend us learning.
and she pointed out how design makes a big difference to children. Colour coding for example is very valuable when designing for children. Her hope from the company is that lots of children become programmers, but more importantly, for them to know what goes into the technology they use so frequently nowadays.
After working in London companies within digital design, she had the successful idea of providing an after-school club for children on learning how to code. Now nationwide, she identified that finding volunteers, venues, children and projects were the components, and the solution was to create a network and a brand. With a single tweet sent out on the launch day, it was reached and publicised by BBC News magazine and Wired magazine. ‘Designing for children is very different’ was one of her initial tips of the lecture; However, I did pick up a good few pointers. British commissioners have odd mindsets; they judge you by what’s in your portfolio, but also by what’s not in there. It’s important to include the work you enjoy doing, and that relevant projects are targeted at each company. If you are a jack-of-all-trades, show this, but in such a way not to confuse. Face to face client interviews are generally a maximum of ten minutes, if you’re lucky; professionals can assess whether they like work or not within twenty seconds. Word of mouth recommendation is very valuable, and the most important thing to do after graduating is to create an industry-ready portfolio, as a portfolio that pleases tutors often won’t be fitting for employers. Regarding my portfolio, it’s important to be objective about the work - ‘if it’s not really you, or a bit weak, get rid of it’. I intend
Katherine Bebbington-Taylor, the Rights & Asset Management Director from Future Publishing, gave quite a complicated presentation. A few points of interest included her being adamant that ‘it’s all about digital’, and linking that to the importance of being multi-skilled and being aware of commercial business.
Terry Moore Design identity by Kimpton Creative
Code Club logo to have an A3 box for publications, and a digital portfolio of my work, which is now increasingly on iPad, due to it’s quick, intuitive format. Commercial content is very important and aims to be ‘relevant to the needs of the marketplace at any given time’.
Cover of Fig Taylor’s book ‘How to Create a Portfolio & Get Hired’
entrepreneurship was inspiring to hear about. It shows how collaboration can have great results.
Studio Ponto 20.02.14
‘Reversible scarf instead of a Christmas card’ Studio Ponto is a collaborative studio set up by Portuguese students Eurico Sá Fernandes and Mariana Lobão during their degree at London College of Communication (UAL). Only graduating last year, their drive and success of their
Their work often centres around publications, a format I’ve always loved. A particular project that stood out to me was a publication documenting corner shops around Stoke Newington in London. It’s designed and printed in such a way so that the shops are printed around the corner of each page. Another publication they created provides a helpful guide to the Riso printer whilst at University, offering simple graphics for a complicated process. This sort of problem solving can have a great impact on future students too, keeping the design alive and talked about in future years. They seem to seek out quirky ideas, such as sending out a reversible printed scarf describing her opportunity to design a cover for a D&AD annual, and it was good to hear about the process to reach the concept. Fleur was a confident speaker to the large number of people, something many people find very daunting at such a young age.
Fleur Isbell 27.02.14
‘A book to live beyond the book’ I had heard of Wolff Olins before, so having a lecture from someone working in the company, as well as being a former Bath Spa graduate, was pretty inspiring. Most of the lecture was centred around
Lomokev 04.03.14
‘Swimming while fishing, aka swishing’ After a full day masterclass with Kev, it was a good way to end the day with a lecture on his practice. He’s gone from a teenager photographing raves for a part-time job, to a degree in Graphics,
She wanted to push what a book could be, and was keen for the concept created to ‘live beyond the book’. Her idea for the D&AD cover shows how successful collaboration can be; she had the idea, but sought out others to create the online program to go alongside it. This enabled the concept to venture, and ‘live’ beyond the cover design. Named ‘Global Horizons’, it especially interested me due to one of my self-initiated projects being based on the illustration of global music.
to existing and potential clients instead of a Christmas card. This sort of thing really interests me, seeing as most of my work tends to follow unusual ideas too. They seem to have dipped into various areas of design, both print and digital, and as they’re still developing their portfolio it will be exciting to follow their progress from now on.
Corner Shops, publication by Studio Ponto also inspiring, causing me to wish I’d taken more advantage of some of the facilities at University during my three years. She often found mistakes more interesting than original intentions! Her top tips to us were to be open, take risks, be ambitious, and experiment. All good pointers from a junior designer to keep in mind for future practice.
Her enthusiasm for experimentation was
‘Global Horizons’ by Fleur Isbell
jobs in web design, and now to a fulltime popular photographer. I wasn’t too familiar with lomography before, and being a keen photographer myself I found his talk really interesting. Lomo cameras are beneficial to low light environments, taking high contrast and high saturation photos. I found his on-going projects of documenting ordinary things the most intriguing, such as the Brighton swimming club he’s attended for years, full English breakfasts, and different shoes. His photos of patterned Wellington boots ended up leading to a job for the Sunday Times Festival Guide, showing how small projects can bring surprising commercial value.
see. Even before platforms like Flickr, he religiously carried around a six-by-four album everywhere he went in order to show people his photography (and also show people he wasn’t creepily stalking them!)
Lomokev’s increase in popularity is thanks to internet recognition, so he was sure to persuade us the importance of putting your work out there for people to
He advertised his published books which look very useful, and his ‘phoot camps’ would definitely be something to consider in the future.
‘Brighton swimming club members posing in the snow’ by Lomokev
Rejane Dal Bello 19.03.13
‘Design a certain time of life’ Rejane Dal Bello is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator from Brazil, having worked in Rio, New York, Rotterdam and now London. She has a BA in Graphic Design, then studied under Milton Glaser at the
Si Scott 27.03.13
‘And that came off the back of that...’ I had initially thought Si Scott was solely centred around illustration which I don’t often seek out, but I looked up some of work and really liked his style. Although an illustrator by trade, it was
YCN, Jennie Webber 03.04.13
‘Empowering creative talent’ YCN’s purpose is to empower creative talent, and to bridge the gap between
School of Visual Arts in New York, and also completed a MA in The Netherlands. I found it interesting to hear that she had worked for a good while in design companies, before deciding to study a MA. She described her reason for the late study as wanting to find more of a direction within her work, which makes sense. The projects she showed were quite intense, such as the visual identity for Alzheimer disease, a campaign for the homeless, and branding for a children’s hospital. Unafraid to delve into deep topics, this passion came from her love for making a difference and participating in social work. Her MA showed her that she could also make a difference to people through her design. The most important thing I took away from the talk was her promoting how designing
very interesting to see how much of his self initiated work ended up leading to jobs with famous brands, and therefore becoming nationwide advertisements. The majority of the time, his clients have liked something he’d drawn, and asked for something similar to fit their own brief. I was most interested when hearing about his early days, hand-drawing a lot of typography and being concerned with geometry and intricate detail. These projects aren’t shown on his website so I felt lucky to have personally seen them. His ‘0 through to 9’ project really stood out for me; graphic posters following a grid system and based on how you can make any other number with 0 to 9.
a certain time of life is important, things relevant in the present and in the news. She also pointed out the importance of the creative process, how you often find your final concept through the experimentation journey. Paul Rand’s honest and simple design is a huge source of inspiration to her, primarily down to his honesty.
Section from ‘Adam Sinfonietta Poster’ by Rejane Dal Bello
album spread using a lomo camera, with hand drawn type. He didn’t focus on giving us advice, but perhaps the one tip he gave actually held a lot of importance. When designing logos, he often provides the client with four variations, each with different depths of detail, claiming this pretty much covered all possible needs.
His work to document a day in New York also interested me; a handmade photo
‘Bespoke alphabet: Coley Porter Bell’ by Si Scott
university study and entering industry. It used to stand for ‘Young Creative Network’, but after thirteen years, YCN wanted to branch out further than just students, so the organisation has been re-branded to stand for ‘You Can Now’. The new logo features a cursor after the letterforms, which represents potential. Based in London, the headquarters consist of a shop, gallery, administration, talent agency, and in-house design studio. The website offers an online magazine, business insights, start-up stories, upcoming events, and a jobs board for around the world.
membership and entering their student awards this year. Membership involves some useful perks including getting to see job opportunities three days before website viewing, and receiving their printed magazine. She showed videos of the Student Awards ceremony and how commended students receive mentoring sessions afterwards with professionals, which I can only hope I have a shot at being a part of if they like my Fedrigoni calendar concept!
Having already known about YCN, there wasn’t a lot of information given that I wasn’t already aware of, but Jennie marketed the new YCN membership package which is definitely something I’m interested in after holding a free
New YCN logo
SomeOne
‘Why be a pigeon when you can be a parrot?’ One of the most inspiring talks I attended this year was by London company SomeOne, hosted by the West of England Design Forum at the Arnolfini, Bristol. Four people from the company gave talks based on papers they’d written on key areas of creating new brands: play, ambition, colour and entertainment. They produce these, entitled ‘The White Papers’, as a collaborative newspaper publication. Engaging in written material suggests how passionate the company is, and also how important both words and language are within design.
Karl Randall spoke about ambition: ‘there are a million starting points when creating a new brand however, there is one key component to aid success. The installation of ambition’. SomeOne take joy in attempting the impossible, seeking challenges and answering ‘why not’ instead of ‘we shouldn’t’. Brand languages that don’t rely on badging or stamping, and ones that aren’t afraid to try something new, are ones open to the future. Laura Hussy spoke about colour, also very inspiring; how we can ‘transform people’s emotions by using colour in branding’ and it being ‘branding, not blanding’. Showing work from SomeOne’s portfolio to suggest how sectors can branch out from comfort zones, how the whole financial sector is all blue!
26.02.14
Lee Davies presented ‘play’, which I found the most interesting. It’s all about nailing the brand vision, through thinking creatively, yet simply; people don’t like to be confused. A brand is ‘a system of coherent elements that can be tuned and adapted to suit a spectrum of applications’, and is also ‘a living thing’. He pointed out the success of other brands to illustrate this, such as the geometric shapes and colour palette Google use, still so easily recognizable in Chrome and Drive etc.
Simon Manchipp spoke about entertainment, a word often seen as ‘dirty’ within the industry, but spoke some insightful words about how reflecting an entertainer is key; they display an understanding of their audience. He also predicted the death of the logo. Too often born meaningless and only there to accelerate understanding - logos don’t work on their own and need to part of the set.
INSPIRATION FROM OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY
‘SSE Telecoms, ‘How do you help a FTSE 30 company to perform?’
Mr B & Friends 26.03.13
‘Inquisitive to the Nth degree’ Hosted by Creative Bath at The Guild, this talk was by the man behind Mr B & Friends, Simon Barbato, and how his business went from ‘the bedroom to the boardroom’. He packed in a lot of information during the hour’s talk, with an in-depth description of how he got to where he is today, and what the company is about.
Insurance For Car Hire, ‘How do you drive awareness for a niche insurance product?’
Initially wanting to be a journalist, a quote that stood out to me was how there is ‘something about the power of words’, relating to the marketing world as well. It was obvious through his talk that clients were the central focus for him personally as well as the company, being the required component to start up a business before anything else. A company of 25 people now, it’s gone from Mr B and his associates hired in for the jobs, to the permanent members of staff covering all areas of marketing, design and brand direction. The importance of specialising in sectors was also covered; a key to winning more clients. Being such a volatile industry, clients can move around agencies easily, so loyalty and trust are hugely important. Recommended sources of inspiration included John Hegarty on Advertising, and Richard Branson’s book ‘Business Stripped Bare’, described as the best dissection of entrepreneurship.
Fourpure, ‘How do you create a craft beer inspired by adventure?’
Wild & Wolf 09.04.13
‘Conversation is the catalyst for innovation’ This was another event hosted by Creative Bath at The Guild. Wild & Wolf design and manufacture award winning gifts, homewares and accessories, all around the world. Matt Thomas, current Creative Director, took the talk. Possibly not known to many, the name of the company originated from the famous creatives Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolfe. Matt wasn’t the most confident of presenters, seemingly quite shaky at the start until he got into the swing of it. His talk also began with a video of skateboarder Rodney Mullen which seemed a bit off-topic at first, but then became more apparent through comparing passion and innovation for new tricks, with design. His position at Wild & Wolf seemed to have come about simply through word of mouth, showing how powerful contacts are. The first products to gain widespread recognition for the company
were the V&A ‘Pretty Useful Tools’; decorated tools still with the same functionality. The company, now at 56 staff members, aim to always reflect core values: the need to be inventive, collaborative, efficient and thoughtful. Designing products for major brands such as Hornby, Scrabble, Ted Baker London and Beano, he described how the duration between designing the product to it being on the shop shelf is a very long-winded one, but the result of a massive effective group effort. He made sure to make the presentation fun, possibly to reflect the company’s approach to design; giving the audience a balloon to blow up and let it go all at the same time. They also gave everyone attending the talk a freebie Ridley’s ‘Balloon Fun Kit’ which was nice of them. I was surprised that both Creative Bath talks weren’t attended by any other students from my year, as they were both very good commercial insights into current successful companies.
Ridley’s House of Novelties ‘Balloon Fun Kit’, by Wild & Wolf and a freebie given to us at the event
WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES
Rupert’s Typography Workshop 11.10.13
I signed up for Rupert’s typography workshops at the start of the year as I found all of his previous ones incredibly beneficial. We were told we could only wear black, white or grey clothing to the workshops which I found pretty hilarious: ‘Students wearing any other coloured clothes will be politely but firmly refused entry to the studio.’ Rupert is very much a monochrome man so it didn’t surprise me too much, but some students found it very challenging however! Another requirement was to bring an example of a leaf to the sessions, identifying both the common name and the Latin name. We experimented with hand-rendered type and the composition of text and image with photocopies of the leaf. All compositions were required to be asymmetrical, with elements sized and positioned according to a strict grid. I find hand-rendering work quite therapeutic, perhaps because I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to layout. It’s not until you spend hours adjusting tracking manually, that you really start to understand and appreciate typography in my eyes. Although the constant use of the photocopier reminded me a bit of First Year, I really appreciate how valuable these workshops are.
Photos taken in the workshop. Second photo showing results from all participants presented on the wall
Graduate Job Business Start-Up Search 20.11.13 Basics I attended the Graduate Job Search workshop from the careers advice team at the University and it was quite useful. I definitely didn’t realise the number of jobs unadvertised was as high as seventy percent.
Some key tips for finding a job included researching extensively before interviews to know all answers to questions, work experience, the importance of meeting the job description and criteria, following industry news, and most of all, speaking to people. More often than not, contacts are the most valuable way of getting jobs. It’s important to tick all the boxes of a criteria. Websites such as Target Jobs are good for graduates, as well as industry websites such as Ideastap, which include a jobs page. The BSU Alumni Association was also mentioned which would be a good way to keep in touch with other students for collaboration possibilities. On CV’s it’s recommended to write what you’ve gained from experiences; specifically for volunteering or mentoring. Updating online presence is vital; social media platforms are used by 91% of employers, and making sure contact details are up to date. Some final tips included researching into specific recruitment companies, and attending careers fairs, industry events and conferences. Careers fairs sometimes even offer interviews on the day.
13.02.14
Peter Tribe, the Employability Projects Officer at the University took the Business Start Up Basics workshop. The workshop had the aim of giving some ideas on how to prepare for freelancing, setting up a social enterprise or being a sole trader, with tips on an organised approach to being your own boss and turning ideas into income. I chose this workshop to attend specifically due to always having an idea of starting a company or going freelance at some point later in my career. It’s important to distinguish whether you are selling a product or a service; and also whether it’s an idea or a need. The element I found most interesting was regarding the ‘elevator pitch’, something I didn’t know the full explanation of beforehand. The elevator pitch is a thirty second window of attention in order to sell yourself to a potential client or employer. We acted out a few scenarios of elevator pitches during the session which I found especially useful, showing just how short thirty seconds really is! The most important elements required include explaining your own unique selling point - what makes you different from competitors, and also always handing over a business card at the end to make sure your contactable. I definitely learnt a few good tips from this session. This area perhaps should have been more covered within the Graphic Communication course program.
Portfolio Clinic 28.03.14
Dan Weeks Steers McGillan Eves Dan gave a good few helpful points for aspects of my projects, and overall praised my work too. Something I may well take on board from his review of my film festival posters is to use a varied set of imagery for the backdrops, perhaps using other British countryside and picturesque postcard-like photography.
Bob Mytton Mytton Williams I had really looked forward to meeting Bob, probably due to Mytton Williams being a main brand and design consultancy in my hometown of Bath. However I think his patience was wearing a bit thin due to some of the students not having had organised their portfolios. However, Bob gave me a few good tips on what makes a strong portfolio, and some helpful constructive comments on what was necessary to include within mine so I definitely gained something from it.
Richard Holt Brand Union Richard was definitely the most informative consultant of my portfolio, so it was great that I ended the day by meeting him. Having studied Graphics at Bath Spa himself, I think this made him really excited for seeing our work. He gave me some good tips for tweaking my projects and was also keen to stay in touch, so I made sure to find him on Twitter as soon as I got home, and thanked him for his informative friendly feedback!
Lomokev Masterclass
I really enjoyed the Lomokev masterclass day. He gave us a short presentation on tips for successful portrait photography, along with some work from others who inspire him, and then we spent a few hours in the centre of town taking photos. Kev seemed to be a really down-to-earth guy, and it was obvious how passionate he is for photography. He gave us a list of things to photograph and it was useful to have these specific aims. Some of which were singular words for us to interpret personally, and others had a particular focus in mind. The ones I found most interesting were: stranger with a story, matching, day trippers, rats eye view, communication, risky and someone with a camera who isn’t on the course. I think the most challenging thing to photograph was the ‘stranger with a story’, especially since people in Bath seem to be less in favour of being approached and having their photo taken. The aim was to gain a few facts about the stranger, to be spoken alongside the photo. Eventually, I managed to take a street-trader’s photo and learn a bit about the fossils he was selling! The masterclass reminded me how much I enjoy photography, how I should take my camera out with me more often. It was definitely good to challenge our confidence; being quite a risky thing to do taking photos of people without their permission!
04.03.14
Photograph I took to represent ‘youth’, but one that could also be under the ‘risky’ category, sneakily capturing the child’s tantrum!
Photograph I took to represent the ‘daytrippers’ category
Photograph I took to represent the ‘at work’ category
MA Marketing Brainstorming Session
I was glad I was one of only four students to accept this opportunity. Granted it was the day before a live project pitch deadline, but I’m pleased I managed to prioritise in order to gain from this one-off experience. The students we met were MA Business Planning students, with current modules on Marketing, and it was intriguing to see how Marketing and Graphics can work simultaneously. The briefs were to create a new campaign to avoid Marmite being forgotten at the back of cupboards, to find an innovative way to market San Pellegrino sparkling water, a new campaign to minimise the friction between the locals and tourists in Bath, and finally a campaign for Cadbury to regain the trust of Britain after the American takeover. We organised the session to spend around twenty minutes generating ideas for each brief on a one-to-one basis, which was successful. However, if I were to take part in the opportunity again, I think I would also suggest a group effort from the creatives on each brief, reflecting the team approach within studios, bouncing ideas off each other.
I found it very intriguing how seemingly uncreative the Business students were; a few expressions of amazement were given at some of our more quirky ideas! One of the students dropped a few hints about wanting us to develop some work for them, despite knowing the session was a one-off brainstorming event. Seemingly cheeky at the time, it proved how valuable our practice is to them, which is a positive. They needed to be challenged to think outside the box, something very familiar to creatives. It was definitely a learning experience for both parties. It was interesting to hear that they’d gained something from the opportunity, and hopefully realising the importance of a creative input in the beginning process of marketing ideas. We were hopefully useful for their projects, perhaps prompting their ideas to be a bit less rigid. This sort of session is really valuable, and it would have been good to have throughout our degree; it goes to show how interesting collaboration can be. I think Paul’s description of Marketing and Graphics being ‘two sides of the same knife’ has a lot of truth in it; and also it being amusing how the two areas involve such different personalities! Having a few family members within the Marketing discipline, the session made me consider the possibility of doing a part-time Marketing course after I graduate, which would no doubt be valuable for my practice.
10.04.14
Photograph taken at the MA Marketing Brainstorming session
Work Placement www.philipsimpson.eu
I mainly focused on packaging aspects whilst working with them, something I didn’t have a lot of experience with but thoroughly enjoyed all the same. I also was given a valuable opportunity of attending a client meeting, where I joined one of the businessmen behind The Gourmet Hotdog Company, the freelance illustrators hired in, as well as the project managers. This was a really great insight into the industry.
At the end of the Summer I worked alongside award winning Museum Designer Philip Simpson in central London. He was at the early stages of managing a project with Architectural Designer Neil Whitehead, from Stuff International Design, on rebranding The Gourmet Hotdog Company. This was an amazing opportunity for me, especially due to my love for branding design. Phil and Neil were both sharing a studio with other designers on a floor of MET Studio’s company building, a short walk from The Shard and London Bridge.
It was interesting to act as a link in the production chain, to be part of the team involved in the project. I was set my first task to design a seal of approval which television food presenter Gregg Wallace had given to the company. I also had the freedom to decide where this seal of approval was placed, so I designed a box for retail shelf purposes and a cellophane wrap to cover the hotdogs. A fair bit of cutting and sticking was involved in making the mock-up, but this was the one shown in the client meeting so it had a lot riding on it.
Philip Simpson Design, London
Some side projects involved designing a set of stationary for the Hoopers Africa Trust, a task set by Neil Whitehead, and I helped Phil out to design a card to be sent to all of his clients prior to him moving studio. The speed of the work turnaround during the industry was an eye-opener, but a really valuable one. The importance of mood boards was also surprising to me, as each client meeting required a new digital mood board to be constructed to aid understanding. I took various forms of transport to work in central London, cycling, train, tube and bus, giving me a real experience of working in the bustling capital city, which I may well end up in again during my career.
EXTRA EXPERIENCE
Photograph of the mock-up packaging I constructed for client meeting. Hotdog packaging designed by freelance illustrators/ seal of approval by myself.
InvItatIon for ContrIbutIon
Sandu Publishing Contribution
I received an email from Sandu Publishing in China, for my Fedrigoni Calendar Design to feature in their next publication: ‘The Art of Calendar Design’. They found my design on my portfolio website, which shows how important an online presence is, to have global connections that give opportunities like this. The most famous publication from Sandu Publishing is their Design 360° Magazine and they produce publications within many areas including: Graphic design, Architecture, Interior Design, Fashion, Advertising, Lifestyle and Design Theory. Their main market is in China, Asia and Europe, with a developing market in North and South America. ‘The Art of Calendar Design’ is due to be published in September 2014, and I’m really thrilled to have the opportunity of being featured in a nationwide publication!
the art of Calendar desIgn Calendar plays an indispensable role in our life, because it witnesses the change of time with everyone. Calendar design has been paid much attention these years, and graphic designers are involved to produce outstanding works which embrace both creativity and functionality. The Art of Calendar Design brings together a collection of the most creative calendar designs from all over the world. This book will showcase great calendar designs in many aspects, like color, layout, typography, materials and other elements. This source of inspiration is a best reference for all graphic designers and anyone who wants to explore the universality of calendar design. speCIfICatIon 240P, 210×285mm elIgIbIlIty All outstanding calendar design works from 2010 till now requIrements 1. More than 6 images of each project are appreciated, which can be the whole format, layout and the graphic designs; 2. CMYK JPG or TIFF format, 300dpi Invitation for Contribution to or above; 3. Fill in the submission form with the info “ Project Name + Year + Credits + Project Description” ; 4. Description of project of about 50-100 words, a profile of the designer or the design agency is also required. how to submIt Use your own ftp or any other online service, such as Yousendit, Sendspace or Wetransfer. Important deClaratIons 1. You can submit your works in the name of an agency or an individual. There is no limitation on nationalities and number of contributions. 2. Fill out a contribution form for each project with accurate and complete information. 3. Contributors shall be responsible for copyright of the contribution. The editorial department shall not be responsible for any dispute caused by the copyright. 4. Sandu Publishing has the right to edit and publish the contributed works. 5. On the principle of voluntary contribution, all the contribution received will not be returned or paid. Payment for editing, reviewing will not be charged for. 6. The selected works will inform its authors with confirmation and acknowledgment after the final version.
Buddy Scheme
Dan Hardaker Proctors & Stevenson www.proctors.co.uk The training and ‘pairing’ event for the scheme was held at the end of November, with the chair of the West of England Design Forum introducing us to the program and asking what we wanted to achieve from it. Portfolio critique, experience of the industry, mock interviews or tips, client meetings, studio tours, contacts, and the chance for increased employability were the most popular desired aspects to get from the experience.
My ‘buddy’ pairing was with Dan Hardaker, from Bristol company Proctors & Stevenson. The initial meeting went well with Dan and I felt he was excited to take part, being his first involvement within the program. After some email correspondence we organised our first meeting at the company base in Bristol for the following week. I brought along the projects in my portfolio at the time, and received some valuable feedback from him. A tour of the building showed how it wasn’t just a design company, but housed many other areas under the same roof including: strategic services, content marketing, digital marketing and offline communications. The second meeting, early March, followed on from some email exchange asking his opinion on one of my ongoing projects. Dan had just come back from Saudi Arabia with the company, travelling
being a definite bonus to working with worldwide clients! At just a short meeting during his lunchbreak it was evident how busy they were. While being in contact with Dan, the company website was redesigned, definitely for the better! They already have an ex-Bath Spa Graphic Communication student working within the company so obviously have high hopes from Bath graduates, and they’re also advertising for internships. Seeing as I’m already in contact with Dan, I can hope that an internship at Proctors is highly possible. I will meet up with him again shortly after my deadline, to see what projects he’s working on, and get a bit more insight into the real industry as this experience has been extremely valuable.
Society President
After weekly attendance and enthusiasm for the Samba Drumming society since joining in First Year, I was voted President at the end of Second Year. Responsibilities included: liaising with the teacher of the society (owner of Jamma de Samba) in organising gigs, attending regular Student Union and Student Council meetings, and being the main point of contact for the society members.
WE NEED YOU! JOIN THE BATH SPA SAMBA BAND! Seen us perform around the University and the city? Always wanted to join? JOIN NOW!
During my year of being President, we managed to raise the popularity of the society to over forty members, third highest of all societies. I took the SU minibus test in order for us to drive to gigs further away, for example a London nightclub performance. Another benefit of being President was the opportunity to take a Basic First Aid course, and although the role required some of my limited time during Third Year, it’s a really great addition to my CV so something I couldn’t turn down. Graphics also played a part in being the society’s President as I took it upon myself to design various material to promote the society throughout the year.
We regularly perform in and around the city of Bath, as well as LONDON and all around the South West! Bath Half Marathon Bath Lantern Parade *Newly introduced in 2012* BATH CARNIVAL! Various SU events including the Freshers Ball! Every Firework Night we get invited to perform at Center Parcs, then we swim in the pool afterwards! Plus weddings, festivals, and society socials all year round!
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Part Time Employment
Sixth Form Peer Mentor Student Tutor Volunteer
After transferring my contract to zero hours half-way through my final year in order to concentrate fully on my work, it’s nice to know I have an immediate moneyearner still available for when I graduate and whilst applying for internships.
Through our meetings I was able to give opinions of current projects and ideas on briefs for future projects. She applied to the course at Bath Spa and was successful, but has chosen Plymouth University to take her Graphics degree, in order to be a bit further away from home. She may well become a useful contact in the future when we’re both working within the industry.
I have worked in the ‘Garden Cafe’ of Bath’s famous Holburne Musuem from the start of Third Year, as a waitress and barista. Having worked in many catering establishments, customer driven roles have definitely increased my confidence for the better. Reliability, responsibility and the ability to work well in time-pressured environments are other key benefits from jobs in catering.
I have acted as an outside tutor to sixth form student Ellen Roberts from Warminster School throughout my final year. I was primarily put in contact with Ellen through family member Mandy Mills, an Art teacher at the school, to give some critique on her portfolio and an insight into a Graphic Communication degree course being the only sixth former in her Art class with a firm interest in Graphics.
I have been volunteering in Bath Spa University’s Peer Mentor Scheme throughout both my Second and Third years of study. I felt as if I could give useful information to First Year students as they get accustomed to University life, especially since Bath is my hometown too. Volunteering in the scheme across two years has given me a sense of achievement and satisfaction that I’m supporting fellow students in what is sometimes a challenging point of life. I was able to give tips on living in Bath, as well help some students decide whether they seemed to be on the right course to suit them. The main contact exchange was during the initial few months of starting University, which suited my availability well too. Volunteering in this scheme has provided me with a valuable duration of volunteering, which looks great on my CV.
GET A MOVE ON
GET A MOVE ON
GET A MOVE ON
London Degree Show Fundraising Design for Jukebox 05.12.14
I participated in the fundraiser event put on at The Nest, which we called ‘Jukebox’. The students who took part produced a square vinyl design for a song of their choice to get played on the night and I chose Mr. Scruff, ‘Get a Move On’. Instead of placing the artist name on the design I decided to go with more of a motivational message, for more success in selling, which seemed to work. My design sold out and had a few more pre-ordered to be printed after the event.
Attended the Mexican Pub Quiz 09.02.14 I also attended the quiz fundraiser put on at The Bear pub, which not only made me think I need to know more general knowledge, I also knew none of the question round on bears!
Meetings After attending the degree show meetings held at Uni on Thursdays, I am a reliable team member and have signed up for both participation in the branding team, and also the refreshments team for our degree show at the University. I will also play my part in promoting our London degree show at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen in July, as I have a few members of my family in journalism and design, who live and work in London.
Private Commissions
Across the year I’ve been commissioned by a variety of people for my design work. Here are some of them, which represent vastly different areas - something I love about design, the extent of knowledge gained from working with such varied clients: Fireshield are an independent company for the maintenance of fire extinguishers all over the South West. I designed a new logo for them, different to the usual red branding that the majority of the sector adopt, and taking the famous Fire Door sign as inspiration for a quirky logo to remember.
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Alison Ward, the woman behind Miss Bones Makeup approached me to design her business cards to aid the start-up of her company. Vibrant pink hair, her love for leopard print, and a tattoo style logo by an illustrator are the components I used to design the cards. Three variations of photographs were used on the reverse of the cards. CDB Soundsystem, a DJ collective based in Bristol, commissioned me to screenprint their logo onto T-shirts during the beginning of the year. I printed both black ink on grey, and white ink on black. Not having used the screenprinting workshops for a while it was a good way to get myself back into the techniques. Trust Systems is an IT reseller and marketing company based in Cirencester. I was commissioned to design two leaflets for them at the start of Third Year, giving me a great insight into the demands of a real client and the time pressure involved to produce work.
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SELF PROMOTION Business Stationary
Kate Fawcett Graphic Designer
07967 794257 katefawcett _64@hotmail.co.uk
/katefawcettdesign
Professional Graphic CV
Kate Fawcett
14 Claverton Buildings, Widcombe, Bath, BA2 4LD 07967 794257 katefawcett_64@hotmail.co.uk
Graphic Designer
/katefawcettdesign
Industry Experience April 2014 / Sandu Publishing Co. Feature Invite My Fedrigoni Perpetual Desk Calendar design for this year’s YCN Student Awards has been asked to feature within design publication ‘The Art of Calendar Design’ by Sandu Publishing, China. It is due to be published in September 2014.
July 2013 / Philip Simpson Design Work Placement, London Working alongside Philip Simpson, as well as a collaboration with Neil Whitehead on re-branding the Gourmet Hotdog Company, London. Sitting in on client meetings, and experiencing the busy capital city, confirmed my dedication towards my career in design.
July 2007 / Entire Direct Marketing Ltd. Work Experience, Bristol I knew I wanted to work in design, even at this early age. Working in a busy office in central Bristol and participating in the advertising for an exhibition based on the passions of people in Bristol. The opportunity gave me a great insight into the discipline of the industry.
Qualifications
Part Time Employment
2011 - 14 / Bath Spa University / BA(Hons) Graphic Communication / Pending
Over the last few years my part-time employment in Bath has been focused on customer service roles, improving my confidence and proving my reliability. All have demonstrated my ability to work efficiently in a team, and cope well in professional time-pressured environments, much like within the Graphic Design industry.
2010 - 11 / City of Bath College / University of the Arts London Diploma Foundation Art & Design / Level 4 Merit 2008 - 10 / Ralph Allen Sixth Form, Bath / AS Level English Language: A / A Levels Art: A* Photography: A* Psychology: C
Extra Attributes Society President / Bath Spa Samba Drumming Society: weekly rehearsals and regular gigs of Brazilian percussion / 2011 - present
UCAS Interviewing / Aiding the interview and portfolio assessment of prospective First Year students / February 2013
Peer Mentoring Volunteering/ Providing appropriate and informal support for a group of First Year students as they begin University life / 2012 - present
Sixth Form Tutoring / providing guidance and critique for Graphics student Ellen Roberts from Warminster School, Wiltshire / September 2013 - present
Emergency First Aid at Work: Avon First Aid Consultancy / September 2013
Specialisms
References
Print Design / Branding / Typography
Stuart Henley / Course Leader, Bath Spa University / s.henley@bathspa.ac.uk Annalisa Ferrarotto / Benugo Manager / aferrarotto@benugomail.co.uk
Pop Art Design 10.12.13 The Barbican, London
Great Western Railway in Art
14.01.14 Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
Richard Hamilton 31.01.14 Tate Modern, London
Paul Klee
31.01.14 Tate Modern, London
Simon Brett 04.02.14 The Holburne Museum, Bath
EXHIBITIONS
All Over The Shop
07.02.14 Green Park Station, Bath Final year IMO students
Body In Discourse 24.02.14 Dartmouth Avenue, Bath Final year Fine Art students
M Shed 07.03.14 Bristol
Used & Abused
11.04.14 Centrespace Gallery, Bristol