ugar Sweet treats from leading creatives
every deser tre
ybody rves a eat
What Now? 6
19
Fig Taylor
Finn Kidd
Are you a graphic designer or an illustrator that has just graduated, or someone passionate about art and communication, that want to start to work within the creative industry but don’t know where to start and feel a bit overwhelmed? Generally, to find a job it is not an easy task, but within the creative industry, it is even harder and challenging. To its students, The Cass offers recurring talks from leading creatives where they share their career experience. This booklet collects some of these talks and other personal stories, experience, suggestions, tips and genuine advice from creatives. The purpose of sugar is to help and inspire students and non-students to find their own way within the creative industry. In here you will not find all the answers in finding a job within the creative industry because we are all different and it is an impossible task, however, you can find ideas that you can shape to yourself towards your own personal job search. francesca dompe
26 San-San Chan
32 Alessandro Messina
FIG TAYLOR AOI Prtfolio Consultant Fig Taylor has been advising illustrators on how to make the best of their portfolio since the 1980s. Author of How to Create a Portfolio and Get Hired: A Guide for Graphic Designers and Illustrators Fig has run her own illustration agency and worked for several others. Fig has lectured on profession al practice at over fifty UK art schools. On the following pages, you will find extracts of her recent lecture at The Cass.
“Whether you want to be a graphic designer or an illustrator, or perhaps, as is becoming increasingly common in this boundary-blurring digital age, a multi-skilled practitioner, it’s a fact that the two disciplines are inextricably linked”
7
The UK’s always been very hot in illustrators having a strong and recognisable style, and this attitude is now popular all around the world. Worldwide commissioners tend to look for the right illustrator for the right job. In the last few years, the internet has shrunk the commissioning spheres, and now these global commissioners are enjoying the choice of illustrators from all around the world, this is why it is crucial to decide who you are as an illustrator. Leave your work, and your style evolves naturally and stay away from to be a generic illustrator. You cannot please everybody, and the global market is expecting illustrators to have a robust, consistent and recognisable voice
8
For a graphic designer, the mindset style is different from an illustrator. As a graphic designer, you cannot give the same house style to every client, because every client has different needs. For example, the needs for an artisanal brewery will be different from a corporate that deals with stock and shares. So, as a graphic designer, you have to be at everybody back call. But you can narrow down the routes you can take: if you want to work into a particular area, for example, you want to do book covers, or you want to work in packaging, or you want to design book for children, you need to have your portfolio full of book cover designs, or packaging designs or children books designs.
9
Advertising
Design
10
Books Magazine
The creative area that pays the most is advertising. However, it is tough to enter this field without experience Realistically for students is very difficult to find a job in advertising straight after university.
The easiest way to start to work is within Magazines area
Magazines cover every subject, use every style, and they are always on the lookout for new talents. Printed or online, Magazines have a very fast turnover, and that means that you can be in a professional context really quickly and other commissioners can see your professional work. You need to understand what is going on in magazines.
There are two groups of magazines: Public Facing and Trade and Professional genre
11
ublic acing magazines
12
Are consumer magazines, and there are thousands of them. To find work in magazines, you could go to any big WHSmith and search on every shelf for titles that you feel they could use your work. If through the pages there are
illustrations that possess commonalities with your work, means that that particular magazine could use your work. So, you could contact the magazine and show some of your work that is relevant to it.
rade rofes ssional and
Are those that you subscribe for a particular service. For examples PetPlan magazine, AA Motoring magazine or Waitrose magazine. These magazines look like the other consumer magazines, but they are available only through
magazines
subscription and usually are short-lived because they are produced on a short contract basis. You can find these magazines through the library, university libraries, specialist library, issue. com, magpile.com. There are thousands of these
magazines, and between them all, trade, make up nearly 5300 magazines tat you will never see in a WHSmith branch. So, start to look for magazines for which you could work!!!!
13
14
things to
In your portfolio, whether you are an illustrator or a graphic designer, you need samples of your work that relates to the industry you want to get into. For example, an illustrator that want to do lifestyle illustrations needs to have a lot of examples of foody, drinking, travelling, or eating out material. A designer needs to think and focus about the designing area he wants to get into. Junior designer positions are rarely advertised, because agencies have often internships, and if they like an intern they offer him a job. So, internships offer the chance to get a real job. To get a job in your dream design agency, you really need to be careful about how you apply: you need to be
NOT SENDING SPAMMING GENERIC EMAILS out to potential employers in the hope that something will stick.
BLANKET BOMBING
is the worst thing you can do, it will just alienate job providers because you are basically saying “Dear sir/madam, I am sending 3000 of these letters out this month, whohoo you are lucky recipient of this one, have you get a job? Thanks bye.� Employers hate these letters. If you want a job, you should do some research and show that you know a bit about the company, its area of expertise and the people who work there. In your letter say specifically why you are applying for that design agency.
Try to do the first contact by post. It is very easy doing it by email, but the problem is that a lot of clients, particularly editorial ones, have a spam filter that can block your email. In your letter be very specific, do your research so, you are addressing the actual person, making fairly obvious that you know the nature of the work they do, which is why you are choosing them. SO ALWAYS BE FOCUS AND TAKE THE TIME TO DO RESEARCH Once you reached out job providers follow it up with a phone call, and if they are happy to receive a PDF of further examples of your work you can then email forever because you will be in their address book.
15
The number of printed portfolio is in decline, and the VIRTUAL PORTFOLIO gained the upper hand. This is because virtual portfolio can be many things: for example, it can be a website or, it can be a very small curated selection of work on a hosted website such as Behance, Cargo, Carbonmade, Childrensillustrators.com
16
but they would feature fewer examples compared to your website. It could also be a PDF: a PDF very general, or a PDF that is required by a specific client. All of that means that there is no such thing that you make a portfolio
and you will never going to do something to it again, because your portfolio whatever forms it takes, it will CONSTANTLY EVOLVING Having a strong, regularly updated web presence it is going to be really important, so whether you are a graphic designer or an illustrator, you should be, for example, on Instagram, you should be hashtag in thing you rehearse, you need to be following what your dream designing agencies are doing, you need to crossreferencing all the time. You need to be using at least one social networking platform to let people know what you are up to.
YOU HAVE TO BE INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY AND TAKING PART IN IT If I were an illustrator I would start with a website – square space is the most popular because it’s simple and it functions very well. Do not put too many images on one page because it results challenging to concentrate on. In your website, everything has to be simple, well curated and fast and say succinctly who you are. How many samples of your work to put on your website? This is really at your discretion depending from the kind of work you produce, but you need to be specific without
boring the viewer and without giving a short trip. You should also make a blog. Your blog should promote your work, and through it, you should allow potential job opportunity providers, to get to know you if they do not have time to sit down with you and talk to you.
To do List
☻ a WEBSITE ☻ a SMALL SELECTION of your work on a HOST WEBSITE
☻ at least being on a social media platform
☻ many illustrators
are very successful on FACEBOOK- think about IT
☻ have a BLOG
17
FINN KIDD
Freelancer Multiskilled Illustrator
Finnian Kidd is a former illustration student at The Cass. During his years at the university, Finn has always been regarded by other students with admiration and become a source of motivation for them. His university work has always been outstanding but, Finn also possesses a unique Zen personality that makes other students love him even more. Finn has always been drawing since he was a child, read a lot of comics and passionate about music (in fact, he is a musician himself). Finn likes creating narratives, stories and characters. He thinks of storytelling as an imaginative and positive way of letting people know that there are more interesting ways of looking at things than the common view. It is not passed a year, and Finn is already a successful practitioner in the real work world. Here he will share some tips on how to get work after university or how to get paid for doing what you love
On the following pages, you will find an interview with Finn, where honastly and sincerely, he shares his experience after his university course at The Cass.
19
What did you do when you finished your course?
20
After finishing my BA at The Cass I had the fortune of working on a commission for Tatty Devine. Tatty Devine are a jewellery company based in East London, specialising in colourful hand-made laser-cut acrylic jewellery. I was asked to work on a set of 10 illustrations that would support a fictional narrative that sat as the conceptual foundation for their limited Autumn Winter collection that year. My illustrations would make up an online story book / look book for the collection, with each character of the story being an incarnation of one of the pieces of jewellery. This was a job I was recommended for by one of my tutors at the time, and it turned out to be a great fit, both aesthetically and conceptually. Around the same time, me and Lisa(Wallius) got asked to work on a project for The Cass Projects
Office together, this was to design and build a website and an artefact in the form of a publication for Made in Hayes–a community program bringing together public arts projects for the London borough of Hayes, brought to life by Shadow Chancellor John McDonald and London Metropolitan University. This became the catalyst for a longer term working partnership to be established be-
tween myself and Lisa, taking the shape of Fancycats, a design studio/partnership which we have been running since. I also started working as the Alumni in residence at The Cass Vis Comm department one afternoon a week that September. This evolved from helping out at open days during the Summer, running workshops with John Sinha and helping students out with the Risograph.
As a FREELANCER
JUST BECAUSE YOU' RE NEW DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD BE CHEAP
How did you get your first job? I guess my first “paid” freelance job was for Viral Nights promotions, back in 2015. Who I am still working with today, making posters for various events they have each month. This came about like most jobs or opportunities, through word of mouth / friends. How many try you give in before to get a job? I haven’t really “tried” to get that many jobs, not since graduating. This is mainly due to the fact that I went straight on to do a Masters, and have been doing freelance work both independently and with Fancycats in all the hours I have free. I also have been very lucky in being asked to do bits of work here and there, which usually turns into something more, or at least builds experience and gives a little cash. That said I
have applied for a couple of things in the last few months, both at the Design Museum, of which I got neither. But applying and doing interviews when possible is great in terms of making you aware of what is expected and practising your presentation skills. What kind of challenge you have faced? I think one of the biggest challenges is always managing your money, and making sure you think ahead when budgeting. I say this because when you do freelance work, there is always a possibility that you suddenly wont have any work, and therefore any income for a while. I have tried to maintain regular bits of work, even if it’s outside of my chosen area, just to make sure I always have something coming in. I guess I think you have to be prepared to work if you want to get anywhere in life. Which brings up an-
other challenge, managing time. Oh and also, knowing how much to charge people for your work, this has been a tricky one, and something you have to evaluate per each job you come across. To quote Accelerator though ‘charge what you think the work is worth, if you know it is adding value to your clients product, then charge accordingly’... ‘Just because you’re new doesn’t mean you should be cheap’. I’m paraphrasing, but you get the picture. How your approach to work evolved since the end of the university? My approach to working has changed a lot since the end of my BA, I have become a lot freer in my making and producing, thinking wider and less self-consciously, but also far more focused, pin-pointing exactly what I want and thinking about how to achieve it.
21
If you had moments where you felt not good enough (which is happening to all students, I think) How you kept on going?
current practitioners and, it is often coming up suggestions for CV, portfolio and online presence? What are your insights about these?
Ha, I think this is a never ending struggle for most creatives, or just most people to be honest. Even the most arrogant and self assured. I think the only way you get through it, is the fact that you have to, you have to just keep producing work and keep trying to be better. It’s what drives us.
I think it’s important to have an online presence these days if you want to work within the design world, it is essentially a communication business so it makes sense to situate yourself within the current sphere of communication. Obviously Instagram is the most favoured for illustration and design as it is primarily a portfolio that you can update on a regular basis. Twitter feels very old and overused, that said, it can be very useful for getting in touch with people who you would otherwise be unable to contact. So it does have its networking advantages. But really it’s entirely up to you how you wish to promote yourself, or what you feel comfortable with, you don’t ‘need’ to do any of these things, it just depends on
Do you have any quote or mantra that helps you on not giving up?
22
Nope. No mantra, just a goal. I also try to be positive and distract myself with great things that inspire me. Books, records, summertime, nature... I asked other students what kind of suggestions they would like to hear from
what kind of work you want to be doing and where you want to go. In terms of CVs, it’s important that you rewrite it, re-design it, update it, for everything you apply for and to think about what you have done that relates to the position and or company you’re applying to. It should always be bespoke. Same with the portfolio, make a new digital portfolio for each application, create a prefix on the pages where you can note your name, date, and the job/institution it is for. And then curate your work accordingly.
a concise and straightforward CV but with a hint of character
Finn Kidd Curricolum
23
24 example of a portfolio that can be digital or physical
25 example of a portfolio that can be digital or physical
San-San Chan is the Latitude Agency Managing Director. On the following pages she shares some insights about her career into the branding design field. Particularly interesting is that a BA in Modern Languages defines San’s background; however, her passion for design allowed her to become an essential asset for Latitude and her former employers.
“BE YOURSELF� 26
latitude
Latitude is an awardwinning, independent and international creative branding agency with over 25 years of successful practice. Its studios in London, Dubai,
Singapore and New York collaborate together as one team around the world bringing brands to life through identities, interior and moving images.
Sa n Chan
San passion for her job is striking. Although her journey towards the creative industry wasn’t set from the beginning, San’s drive from the end of the university to her present position as director manager at Latitude Agency is representational. San’s experience demonstrates that it is possible to get into the industry despite the fact of not having a specifics creative school background, but of course, you need to be determined and passionate.
San, during your studies in modern languages, were you planning a career into the creative field?
28
No really. I never knew when I was a student that there was a career out there that would combine my strengths as an organised, people-person that was creative… but couldn’t draw! Having studied Modern Languages at university, what I did know was that
I was inspired by culture, travel, art, meeting people who had stories to tell and share. All of which is ultimately about expression and sense of identity. Likewise, as
a teenager in the 80s, there was clear visibility for logos, from my trusty Sony Walkman to my Benetton sweatshirt (I know, it was a good look).
stories to and
Once you got your degree in modern language what did you do, I mean, how did you land to the design field? Straight out of university, I went into retail really just to earn some money and start paying off the student loan. But I realised that I only targeted shops that had a clear and strong personality. And so, a year at DIESEL, in the shop and then in the HQ, introduced me to like-minded people who motivated me with their passion for what they did and feeling of belonging to that particular tribe. It was then that I picked up on my natural skills for organising, coordinating, rallying and supporting people and tasks. This pointed me in the direction of taking a position as a PA and Junior
Project Co-Ordinator for a small design firm. My appetite to take on more responsibilities and be involved in the creative conversations behind the scenes eventually took me to world-renowned branding agency, Lambie-Nairn where I learnt my craft with the great Martin Lambie-Nairn and group of people who I’m proud to still call my peers and friends. United by a culture that was about problem solving, teamwork and having relationships with clients that were conversational and collaborative, ultimately, the reward was seeing work in the real work that you somehow contributed to.
It was, in turn, a culture shock in terms of having an awareness of the commercial context of a business and having to be efficient, productive and priorities not just yourself but others around you. My journey continued within other agencies, from industry greats like CDT to progressive teams like Moving Brands and boutique craftsmen at Construct.
“like minded people motivated me�
29
Now you are at Latitude, what can you tell me about it? Here at Latitude, I have combined everything I love. As MD, my responsibilities are broad and far reaching from a business development perspective to hands-on involvement and input on driving and delivering branding projects. I’m never far from creative conversation, and now in a sector (hospitality, travel, leisure and entertainment) that excites me as a person not just a professional.
30
What could you suggest to a person that is new in this kind of field? I think that’s important when you’re thinking about what to do. Be a sponge, observe, ask questions, find out what you’re good at and play to your strengths, and ultimately find something that you enjoy doing.
I am aware that, accordingly with projects that you are dea ling with, you would employ designers temporarily and that can happen quite often. What will you expect from the right candidate? Authenticity, passion and enthusiasm. These always come through when you’re interviewing. Where practical skills can be learnt, natural talent, drive, energy and enthusiasm cannot. Like good branding, don’t pretend to be something that you’re not. Be authentic, be clear about who you are, what you do and why you do it.
“practical skills can be learnt, natural talent, drive, energy and enthusiasm CANNOT!!!�
31
AL M E ES SS SA IN ND A RO
in house Graphic Designer
Alessandro Messina is an Italian multiskilled graphic designer working in London. Alessandro graduated with BA Hons in Art and Scenography at the Art Academy in Rome but, his career swing towards graphic design quite immediately after the university. Although Alessandro gained some experience in the graphic design field while in Italy, however, once in the UK he felt that a course focused on graphic design was necessary to improve his career prospects. Alessandro went to the Shillington College where he grew his skills and deepened his knowledge in graphic design, and after a few years of internships, Alessandro became an affirmed graphic designer.
'' I know it sounds'' a cliche" but,
NEVER GIVE UP!!!!"'
33
Alessandro, you are employed as an in-house graphic designer at WESWAP. How long have you been working there? Since you studied in Italy, can you tell me about your experience/ journey until WESWAP?
34
I have been working as a graphic designer with WESWAP for two years. Before that, I graduated in Italy in Art and Scenography a few years ago. After my graduation, I felt interested in graphic design, and as a self-taught person, I started to learn the software Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. I was fortunate to get a year internship in a design agency in Italy. A year later, I decided to come to the UK. Here I felt necessary to do a graphic design course so, I went to Shillington College. At the end of the course I had a substantial portfolio, and I refined my skills with the specific software. I, then, applied for many jobs
and internship, and I have got a year internship with MAAN’S SOLUTIONS. It’s a company that deals with people who need a VISA for working and studying here in the UK. They needed a graphic designer for the realisation of banners, pamphlets, booklets, magazines little advertising etc. When the internship ended, I started to look for jobs, not internships and after a while, I got the job at WESWAP. What is WESWAP and what do you do? WESWAP is a company that deals with travel money and currencies. Here, as a grapic designer and with another graphic designer, I work in collaboration with the marketing department. My colleague and I, as a team, we take care of the website, the social networks, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. We create illustrations, and
also we research images. At the moment we are updating the website, and we are redesigning the card. Can you tell me more about your process when you were looking for a job? As they say in the UK “to find a job is a hard job!!!” Finding a job is really difficult because the competition is high and employers look for experience. So, the action of finding a job becomes a really time-consuming task. You need to be very patient and never give up. I sent thousands and thousands of CV. I was looking for a suitable position through different websites, such as indeed, ifyoucouldjobs.com, or becomerecruitment.com, jobs. designweek.co.uk. You could also look for the agencies that you really would like to work for, you never know, you could be lucky.
Regarding the CV, do you have any suggestion?
What was the most difficult challenge you faced?
The CV, should be simple, tell about yourself in a very succinct way. Tell about your experience at school, experience at work, if you have transferable skills from previous jobs, the software you can use, your website or online portfolio
At the beginning the English language was a big obstacle but, with the time I improved a lot. During the interviews sometimes it was hard to understand and be understood. Otherwise, I didn’t have enormous challenges, but you really need to be consistent and produce work quite regularly. Produce personal projects and put it on your website, you never know if somebody likes it and contact you.
Any suggestion for the interview? When you have an interview always do research before to go, you need to know what the potential employer does, because if they ask you something you need to be prepared. You need to show them that you understand them and that you are interested in them.
Do you have any other suggestion for a student that has just ended university? The field is continually changing and evolving so as a graphic designer you really need to keep up. You need to be always updated on what is going on within the field. You need to be aware of the particular trends of the moment, or about the software that is available, for example when I finished my course at the Shillington College, the application ‘’sketch’’ came out and I had to learnt it because very often potential employers ask you to use it.
35
36
example of Alessandro's work on is portfolio website
37
example of Alessandro's work on is portfolio website
NOW THINK!!!!! After this reading, what could YOU do to get into the creative field?
38
These two pages are for you, can you plan your actions?
39
....have a look at these www.theaoi.com Association of illustrators. It is the professional body for illustration in the UK. Established in 1973, the AOI champions illustrators and the illustration industry with education, promotion and campaigning to achieve a thriving industry for us all.
www.instagram.com/finnnkiddd finnigank.wixsite.com/portfolio studiofancycats.com www.latitudeagency www.thebolda.com www.indeed.co.uk www.ifyoucouldjobs.com www.becomerecruitment.com www.jobs.designweek.co.uk www.thedesignkids.org 40
“We bridge the gap between studying and working in design, by providing an online resource and offline community for 196,241 student & graduate graphic designers across 33 countries�
Postcard During your job search send to yourself postcards as a reminder of what tou have to do
Steps to do 1. Research company you want work for 2. Make CV and posrtfolio according with the nature of the company
41 3. Send your CV and portfolio by post (A4) and email 4. Follow up, call them
This project is being done by Francesca Dompe
Thank you to all the people that helped me with this project especially fig Taylor finn kidd san san chan alessandro messina but also the students who did survay and had conversations with me
May 2019