I'm not a girl, not yet a graphic designer either: A manifesto by Laurie J Smith

I’M NOT A GIRL‌ NOT yet a graphic designer either! (and not sure if i want to be one?)

A manifesto by Laurie J Smith

CONTENTS: Introduction/About me:

page 3

Reflection: summer show #5:

MODULE INTRO:

Page 5

REFLECTION: We won! (Somehow?) Page 13

Statement of intent:

page 6

My TOP 5 SUCCESS TIPS:

page 15

Reflection: My Practice:

page 7

Snippets of wisdom (QUOTES):

page 16

Critical Evaluation:

page 18

Reflection: summer show #2:

page 8 Stylescape:

page 20

Reflection: summer show #3:

page 9

Reflection: slogans:

page 11

page 12

HI, I’M lAURIE, A second year visual communication student whose practice focuses on graphic design and art direction...

Formally a fashion student, with intentions on working behind the scenes, firstly, within buying before discovering ‘Mary Portas’ and branding.

I dreamt of one day working within fashion’s big powerhouses as chief creative. Overseeing the single vision of the brand. My second fantasy involved fashion publication. And me being named the next ‘Anna Wintour’.

But alas, this dream was never realised and I quickly discovered that fashion was not for me.

My love of fashion editorial design however still remains, but now knows no bounds. I literally get stupidly excited over layout concepts.

Typography, design concepts and print materials (you should honestly see my pinterest account!)

There is nothing more satisfying then holding a well thought out and considered piece of print between your hands.

As a poor student, i spend pretty much the majority of my loan on either lunches or on books, zines and magazines. I am that obsessed!

And my villainous desire to be named creative director of a super forward thinking, creative publication design house and achieve world domination (a la, Ugly Betty’s, Wilhelmina Slater) is still my ultimate goal!

Initially naive to the world of design, particularly graphic design, I assumed that my designer friends and people within the industry simply made things look pretty. However as my interest within this field began to grow and the more i was exposed to it through work and personal self development. I began to appreciate that it doesn’t focus purely on aesthetics alone.

My love for editorial and publication design stems from my love of magazines and books. For me, it's not about the words. It’s about the design. I trace and study the pages with my eyes. Appreciating the imagery, photography and other design elements and how each component compliments one another. That ultimately conveys the desired story.

MODULE INTRO: The aims of this module are; to enable us to gain experience and understanding of working practices within the creative industry through three main projects that reflect real-world situations.

These projects are designed to allow us to acquire new and develop existing skills that are essential in our specific field of work.

Professional skills such as, collaboration, pitching/presenting, working on live briefs, budgeting and industry standards. All the while being encouraged and gain confidence in our abilities to apply creative flair and sound critical thinking.

Supported by industry professionals, who are on hand to inspire and further develop our skills with workshops and critical talks about their own personal journeys and practices.

Project one: A live brief set by the Head of School, Andrew Stone. In groups, we set about creating and developing a full brand concept and visual identity for the school-wide end of year summer show.

Project two: CV and digital portfolio carefully curated to present a selection of our best work, showcasing our talents. These will then be used for our upcoming work placements next year and will continually evolve as we do as practitioners throughout our final year, ready for the world of work.

Project three: Manifesto. A digital publication that allows us to voice our learning aims for this module. It will also house our reflections on these aims, our skills and outcomes, along with us sharing any useful knowledge gained throughout our studies.

STATEMENT OF INTENT: The idea of the potential at designing the final concept for the school wide summer show, is an amazing opportunity too good to miss!

And, if chosen, to have this achievement on your CV would be a great benefit for future employment.

For the CV, Portfolio and Manifesto projects. This is a great time for us to take a stand back and take stock. To fully explore and reflect on our own current practice and future practices. And how best we can communicate our works to other such professionals in the wider world.

I am hoping that working on such wide-ranging projects will allow me to hone and strengthen professional industry skills. Enabling me to become an active participant in the design community.

Though my previous employment history within multiple creative industries, alas, not as a creative. I bring with me essential soft skills that I have developed over time. Tools that have led me to lead by example, showing a mature approach and sound judgement when dealing with conflict and motivating those who are around me.

It is my intention to fully utilize the above, and pair them with the newly ongoing developing technical and non technical skills, learnt during my years at The Cass.

I also bring my particular interests and passions within this field.

I have creative vision and can help bring clarity and definition to works. In collaboration with others I help to unify a single vision using critical thinking and the ability to turn ideas into reality, creating meaning and depth.

However what I do lack is confidence in my ablitiies. And it is my hope, that this module will help me overcome these fears and anxieties.

REFLECTION - MY PRACTICE:

While only in my second year, i cannot articulate nor fully comprehend my own design practice. So to make a form of declaration to the world, just seems unfathomable for me at this stage.

Over the duration of the course so far, i have struggled and questioned not only my abilities as a ‘graphic designer’ (a term i’m still reluctant to use to describe myself, as i feel i lack the skills, passion and dedication required) but also whether i enrolled on the right course. The constant pull and yearning for photography is a daily battle.

I do however, find myself choosing to identify myself a visual communicator as i feel this aligns more to me and my ultimate future creative endeavors. I want to tell stories.

Using the medium of photography (at this point, i feel i must point out that i am not a photographer in any true format) i do however have great admiration and respect for this medium. As well as visual design (i know it doesn’t sound like it!) And wish to continue to explore this learning within my final year and push the boundaries between the two.

Which hopefully leads me to my goal of working within editorial / publication design...

REFLECTION: Summer Show #2: The first problem that my group has (although, a common theme within most groups) is that the majority (except from me) work.

So from the off we knew that we were never going to be fully able to all come together at once due to peoples shift patterns.

When they have time off, they are then playing catch-up with project work and CCS. So the only real time we all fully have is during lunches on taught days and assigned work ready classes (although this time could have been better allocated to allowing us to actually just get on with things) Another big issue i faced from my group was their lack of commitment. From early on i adopted the position of group leader, not through choice and certainly a position i am not comfortable in.

I have been the one that solely regularly communicates to the group, the one that tries to organise us to meet and work on this.

I regularly post to our collective G:Drive and our Padlet, ideas and inspiration.

As a non-natural leader, i look to the others for advice and confirmation but is usually deflected back onto me to make decisions.

Also, from the off, our concept was created on a whim, without much thought behind it. We have struggled with it as a whole.

What does diversity look like? How can we interpret this and inclusivity visually? How do we make this less obvious? How can others respond and relate to the concept and know what it is we are trying to communicate?

After weeks of sheep herding trying to get an actual concept together. It has become very apparent that our vision is still too broad and really needs focusing and pairing down into something more tangible in order for us to be able to move on.

https://padlet.com/las0685/u7lsx9oe4qe8/wish/496465561

REFLECTION: Summer Show #3: We still have no real concept. We have ideas, broad ideas, which have yet to be explored. Ideas that had some potential in parts but sadly remain abandoned. Due to lack of any real desire or commitment to this module. We were to focused on details and final outcomes of ghosts.

Demotivated, uninspired and weeks of feeling frustrated. We finally had a breakthrough Charlie, had presented to us a concept he had been working on individually. This concept was a DIY invite which would allow attendees to participate in the summer show buy creating their own art.

Immediately we were hooked. Something about this idea just spoke to us. (Maybe because this was the first solid concept we had? Not to trivialize Charlie's work. This was a bloody good idea!)

Thinking critically, we (i) began to dissect this vision to try and get underneath it. See its positive points and points that maybe might not work or need a little refining.

While we thought it was fun, ● ● ● ● ●

Sadly in its current form, the design was lacking and, ● ●

● A light had been switched on and suddenly for the first time we all came together and creativity began to flow.

Fostered creativity Including Engaged participation Focus removed from internal and moved to external guest.

Investment/take away, that could lead to a bigger body of work.

Uninviting, soulless, cold, clinical. Sterile Too design lead (which considering the feedback, students felt last years design was too design lead and felt excluded) In its current form, it wouldn’t inspire any form of creativity.

With this in mind, i was reminded of works that i had seen during a recent visit to the 2019 London Illustration Fair.

Left:

REFLECTION: Summer Show #3 CONT: One particular studio stood out for me whose practice we could try and emulate to help inspire the creative spark was 'Rude' A duo of creatives, whose work focusing mostly on typography prints and posters, Rude create fun typefaces to deliver their messages in a bright, playful, engaging graphic way.

Two examples of works produced by Rude (bttm right), that heavily inspired our direction at this point. We really liked the bold and playful nature and the overall which simplicity of the design which helps communicate the message clearly. The organic, hand drawn element, which gives it a more personal feel.

Hopefully by taking these elements on board within our design concepts we can deliver something unique that directly correlates back to our aim of inclusivity. That also fosters creativity and is engaging.

https://padlet.com/las0685/u7lsx9oe4qe8/wish/501843795

Charlie’s DIY design.

REFLECTION: Slogans: I came up with the #wearethecass to act as a rallying call to students to, get behind, unite and feel a sense of community and pride, not only during the summer show but in it's build up (and potentially beyond!?)

During the DIY concept phase, we talked about the use of slogans and hashtags as a vehicle to drive and contain our aim.

"Join the party" came to life because the word party is a kangaroo word (a word carrying another word within it. Without transposing any letters) and contains the word art, which we wanted to emphasise. We added "Join the" to act as the rallying call for invitees to join in and participate.

However, through feedback, it was brought to our attention that this slogan was too singular and focused solely on art. Therefore neglecting our aim of inclusivity of the other schools (Architecture and Design)

Back to the drawing board, we started to look at words relating to the word "Create". As primarily this is what we all do across all creative practices.

Marking making has been a strong constant underlying theme throughout our journey, and whilst thinking about the very concept of this practice. I concluded that all,

"Creativity starts with a simple mark" This slogan was the second catalyst we needed to really get us back on track and continue pushing forward.

https://padlet.com/las0685/u7lsx9oe4qe8/wish/505954902

REFLECTION: Summer Show #5: Feeling fired up, once again due to the second catalyst. I was inspired to create the below. Using artwork i had found online, i wanted to create a sample that would not only give my team a visual of what we could possibly achieve with the mark making concept. But also spark our creativity.

While my team was enthused, this didn't really translate into the production of original work at first, that i was hoping for.

I will freely admit, that i am no fan of mark making. I can never see the 'art' within my own creations. Just a bunch of lines and splodges. But within others work, that's when i can start to see something creative.

As Amber and Helena are the illustrators of our group (not to discredit Charlie or Dolviltas abilities) it was natural for me to want to rely on these two to this task.

Again, lack of motivation/commitment from the group left us once again falling behind. Feeling frustrated once more, i had to enforce my will and put my foot down. As there was talk of wanting to change the concept once more. And at this late state, given the already turbulent journey we had been on. It was foolish.

Taking up the mantel one day, i decided to use the screen printing facilities and attempt to explore and experiment mark marking by using a variety of materials. Both Amber and Helena then contributed efforts individually.

I was particularly keen on some marks made by Dolviltas in his sketchbook. Reminiscent of the Rorschach test. Which could have been a cool concept, but i fear we would have only found ourselves once again straying too far into art territory.

https://padlet.com/las0685/u7lsx9oe4qe8/wish/510304461

REFLECTION: We won! (Somehow?)

At first glance at Emily's email, i thought it was some sort of joke.

I spent a number of time rereading the same line "chosen as the winning pitch" over and over. Each time, going further into a deep sense of shock and disbelief.

In a sense of screaming hysteria, i took a screenshot of the message and immediately sent it to the group. Where equally, a sense of utter shock and disbelief was shared.

Initially, i admit i wanted to win and saw it as a great opportunity that would look good on the CV for future career prospects.

But with all the additional work it would entail, not to mention the many trials and stresses of trying to actually realise a fully completed concept. Our group's unofficial motto was "pass, not win" basically, just do the bare essentials to pass the module.

(Now you can understand why we were a little surprised at finding ourselves winning)

Not to diminish the work we eventually accomplished. While still a bit rough around the edges in terms of design. The concept was solid and a bit more considered than others. Ultimately, i think this is why ours was favoured.

In light of the recent global situation. Sadly the summer show in its usual capacity will no longer take place. Evolving from a physical show to a digital concept as part of a web project called 'Liveness' curated by Joseph Kohlmaier.

What this project involves, remains to be seen. But Joseph was said to be keen on Ambers typeface as well as the identity as a whole. And felt that it had a number of possibilities for digital application.

(The pessimist in me, would see us only winning, purely because our design/concept reflects in some manner the aims of the new project. Or that it is much more malleable) The feedback from Andy Stone, head of School, is said to him liking the monochromatic colour pallette (not initially a deliberate choice) and how the design as well as the identity as a whole is quite sympathetic. That it can sit alongside students work without taking primary focus and stealing attention.

REFLECTION CONT: Something, i had discussed with the group in the early phases of development. But we never fully explored.

So with less than three weeks til final hand in. Our obvious priority will be working towards this goal.

However we are intrigued by this new project and are interested to see how our concept will play alongside it and how will it evolve?

Will any of our elements remain and retain a sense of us or will something entirely new emerge?

Watch this space....

https://padlet.com/las0685/u7lsx9oe4qe8/wish/538639052

My TOP 5 SUCCESS TIPS FOR NEWBIES: As part of my role as a student ambassador and mentor. I was asked to share my top 5 success tips and deliver them to the current intake of first years, at the very beginning of the academic year.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Attend, attend, attend. It’s obvious but it’s essential.

Actively participate. Engage. Work together. You guys are going to be stuck together for the next 3 years. Get to know each other. Help each other. Make use off all the facilities within the cass. Come in during independent study periods. Come to the talks.

Be open. Be an active member of the design community. Take inspiration from everywhere. Just because you’re graphic designers or illustrators doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look at work from ceramic artists or jewellery designers. Don’t just follow people on Instagram, research, read. Get out, explore go to exhibitions and events.

Your practice will benefit.

Seek help. Speak up! If you are struggling or feeling overwhelmed. Don’t suffer in silence. Speak to lecturers, speak to us or each other. Use the tools within the cass to get help.

What you put in is what you get out. The more you put into your studies. The more you’ll get out of it.

Finally, be you. Don’t try to be someone else. And be kind to yourselves. Don’t be so hard on yourselves or put so much pressure on you. Make some time for you. Go out. Have fun. Stay hydrated and eat well!

*Advice i still need to remind myself of and take heed!

Snippets of wisdom (QUOTES): “You don’t start out a project to create a failure or success,” “I think it is very good to be unafraid to create something new or different. If you experiment, research and walk paths others don’t dare to take, the result can be good or bad. But what is good and what is bad?” - Irma Boom [graphic designer specialised in making books]

“The key to great ideas is not having them, it is executing them. And great ideas come from problems. As designers, we call problems, briefs and we call reactions to problems, concepts.” - Kate Moross [Art Director, Illustrator and Graphic Designer]

“Just be true to yourself, and listen as much as one is able to to other people whose opinions you respect and look up to but in the end it has to come from you. You can’t really worry too much by looking to the left and the right about what the competition is doing or what other people in your field are doing. It has to be a true vision.” - Dame Anna Wintour [British-American journalist and editor-in-chief of Vogue since and artistic director for Condé Nast]

Snippets of wisdom (QUOTES) cont:

“Failure is something that we should try to embrace. If you’re not making enough mistakes you’re not taking enough risks.” - Debbie Millman [Writer, Designer, Educator, Host of the Design Matters podcast and Shillington New York Guest Lecturer]

“Push yourself out there. You get back what you put out. Don’t sit there and wait for opportunities to come knocking. You need to take charge and find them yourself. If you’re looking for work and a studio doesn’t reply to your email, then email again. Be persistent, but not pushy.” - Dylan McDonough [Art Director at Paper Stone Scissors and Guest Lecturer at Shillington Melbourne]

CRITICAL EVALUATION: Looking back in what has been a difficult academic year. I feel that my main learning outcomes have come as a direct result of my studio practice. Where i have ultimately learnt about aspects i don’t particularly enjoy as a practitioner.

For this module however, I learned to have confidence within my own abilities and have forged and strengthen my leadership skills.

While it’s still not a natural role for me to adopt. I have proven to myself that i am more than capable at leading and influencing a team to achieve its desired goals. As evidenced by my team’s summer show concept being chosen as the winning design.

I have overcome the many challenges that group work entails. Often at times living up to that age old anecdote of “if you want something doing, do it yourself” But ultimately i am proud of our achievement and would like to think it’s a direct reflection of me and my abilities as well as the collective team's efforts..

While it has been pointed out to me numerous times over the years not only in a professional capacity but also during my academic studies. I have strong communication skills both written and verbally. I have proven this by engaging actively in the majority of all presenting roles and adopting the role of main spokesman of my group for the summer show project as well as heavily contributing to all collective written elements.

Public speaking is a fear of mine, but the work ready module has helped take away some of that anxiety through our presentations and pitches. And i now know that i can confidently and eloquently deliver a message to an audience.

Since covid, we’ve all been forced to adopt and adhere to a new way of working and the many pressures and challenges it brings.

For me, i definitely struggled with, commitment, motivation and engagement throughout. And as a result my efforts to this module and my studies have been greatly affected.

CRITICAL EVALUATION CONT: My capacity to work to my full potential as been limited due to not having the required tools. Which would have allowed me to communicate my work to the required profession standard.

However, while the aims of this module was to deliver real-world experience and understanding of working practices within the creative industry. I feel that these aims have not only been delivered but also exceeded expectations.

While i have had past industry experience, it has not been in the creative capacity. I feel that this module has alleviated my fears and nerves of entering a professional environment as a creative. By not only supporting me but also encouraging and giving confidence too.

Above: Summer Show 20 Final Poster Design

STYLESCAPE: A visual representation to help define my visual direction for my intended manifesto.

When it comes to presenting my works, i like things to be: ● ● ● ● ●

Simple Clean Minimal Modern Uncompleted

My work should stand out and speak for itself with little to non distraction.

When it comes to presenting my work, i like things to be: ● ● ● ● ●

Simple Clean Minimal Modern Uncompleted

My work should stand out and speak for itself with little to non distraction.