Professional Practice | Career Plan Research

C A R E E R P L A N RESEARCH

JOB ROLE ANALYSIS Whilst there are many job roles that illustration can bleed into it is rarely seen to be a job title that is advertised. There are clearly illustration roles wi thin editorial or book illustration but I feel like it is rare that you would see job posting for these. I feel that a lot of what would be classed as the job of an illustrator would come under the umbrell a of freelance. That would involve creating work for a newspaper, magazine or book publishers without being employed as a full time member of staff. Many other roles contain a lot of what an illustrator would do so those are the ones I have focused on as there is more information readily available online as information about illustration jobs seems to revolve around the freelance position, and whilst that is something that I would like to do if possible, it would be along side other projects or job positions and not the main source of income.

I have been looking into graduate and junior positions as they suit the kind of experience I have. Some junior positions still expect a year or two of experience and through my previous work experience placements and my 3-month internship before my time at university I feel that I am well equip for these positions. The main roles that come up are for Junior Designers, or Design Interns. Ideally I would go into a paid position as by waiting a few years before deciding to go to university I feel that I have already spent a long time not earning money from my craft and I really need to be in a position where I am finally seeing some gain from these years of hard work. Obviously my art will always come first but if I can get into a stable creative position it will enable me to do so much in terms of my personal work.

I have found a job that I plan to apply for and even though they are looking for someone to start fairly soon after the application deadline, with the country still planning to be in lockdown for a few more months it could be possible that the timing could work out. I fo und the job role on a website called ‘If You Could Jobs’. The position is listed as a Graphic Designer for Chilly’s Bottles. The listing and the requirements all really suit my skill set a nd a lot of my skills from other projects an d work are transferable to this role.

They have listed the Job Requirements as: • • • • • • • •

A recent graduate or 1-2 years experience A working knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) A good eye for Typography and Composition Highly collaborative with effective communication skills and ability to both give and receive constructive feedback Ability to problem solve and follow creative direction Ability to work within tight brand guidelines and to deadlines Positive and motivated A genuine love for graphic design and a desire to keep up to date with the latest trends

I feel that university has given me the skills to be able to confidently say that I match very well with these requirements, and I have no doubts that I would be a great fit for this job.

I also wanted to take note of the things that this job note as being a bonus for the role: • •

Knowledge of After Effects or other motion design software Photography / videography experience

I often see that within design roles that the three essentials that always show up is Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign but I often see that animation, video editing software programmes or any kind of website dev elopment tools come up very often.

Whilst I have done some very small animation work before it is a n area that I feel very out of touch with and I tend to struggle to get my creative mind to work in motion or within a 3D space, so it is often important for me to read the job descriptions to see if that could be a common part of the role as it is something that I know I am not suited for.

Another trend that I have started to see within job postings is not only giving the desired skills of the applicant, but also the qualities and the type of person.

For example this one lists: • • • • • • •

Confident not arrogant Wants responsibility not power Hungry not ruthless Believes making mistakes equals learning Builds relationships over managing margin Gives and creates trus t Respects everyone equally

As much as this is clearly guided towards the applicant, it is also an incredible opportunity to gain insight into the kind of company you are applying for. A company that takes the time to include this in their search is a company that wants to bring the right person on board; they want someone that will fit with the existing staff. I also feel that any studio or company that gives you an extra days holiday for your birthday must be a nice work environment.

Another job posting I have looked at is for a Junior Graphic Design and although the title is similar to the one I spoke about, there is a very clear difference within the job role. The requirements are: • • • • • • • •

Creating social media posts Creating digital banners Designing newsletters (monthly updates etc) Designing the landing pages for their website Designing exhibition stand graphics, price lists etc Supporting the marketing team with assets for channel partners Design/update company and product presentations Assisting the graphic designers with designing the UI for any software and applications

The skills required are: • • • • •

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Knowledge of video editing would be a plus Minimum 1 year exper ience would be preferred

With the titles being so close it is clear to see the differences within the roles, and whilst I could be tricked into applying for this one also, there is a clear focus on web based content and seems a lot more software and marketing based. This to me would stand out as a job that I would probably avoid as my skills are in creating imagery and creative idea development and although the skills listing doesn’t point out any web software the description of the day to day gives that impression.

It can sometimes be hard t o find creative jobs especially when a lot of jobs are rolled into one category and knowing how many different potential jobs come under the umbrella of a designer can be hard work to sift through to find the one that ’s right for you.

A p art of my experience is also in printing work and getting files ready to print for standard printing or more specific things like prepping and separating layers to be screen-printed. All of these are useful tools and things that I will have to evidence in m portfolio. I am hoping to get to the point where my portfolio speaks for itself so that I no longer need a CV. I have a mix of retail work and design based work but once my portfolio is strong enough I want that to be used to evidence my previous work to showcase only the most relevant pieces. Out of the interviews that I have had in my life, there have only been a few that were unsuccessful and I feel that they were unsuccessful due to miscommunication of the role or from not feeling like a suit the role. I know that if I am confident in the role and my portfolio I will be able to comfortably hold my own in the interviews.

COMPANIES / STUDIOS I have been looking into specific companies and studios that I plan to contact for job opportunities or as a place to send my portfolio to. I am hoping to make a few contacts even if it doesn’t lead to anything immediately, but I am going to be proactive about engaging with these companies and making sure they know my name.

TITAN PUBLISHING GROUP (Comics, Books and Magazines) As much as I have been looking at discovering new companies and new studios, I have also been looking at the places that I have previously worked. I have been lucky enough to gain previous first hand experience working within design studios before I joined university. For my Year Ten Work Experience placement I was lucky enough that through a family friend contact I was able to get into Titan Magazines where they work with brands such as, The Simpsons, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Tank Girl.

Needless to say that for a young aspiring graphic designer at the time it was a truly defining moment and one that I have not forgotten. I was lucky enough to be able to return two years later for another two weeks and then again 6 years later when I applied for the Ads and Marketing Internship. It was an incredible 3 months and gave me experience that paid off when it came to starting university the September of that year. After a few weeks there they ended up taking on a second intern to do the work that I was initially

supposed to do but as they knew I had a design background they quickly began to trust me and it wasn’t long before I was working on live briefs and creating full page ads across a wide range of coveted titles. I would like to think that my performance during my time there would have been enough to offer me a full time position at the end if I hadn’t already confirmed my place at UCA. I made sure to get a written reference from the person I worked closely with at that time and I am definitely planning to reach out to them about possible opportunities very soon.

IRIS WORLDWIDE (Advertising, Branding and Marketing) The year after my first work experience placement I was given the opportunity to take someone’s place for two weeks dur ing summer. It proved to be another valuable opportunity and I picked up even more skills that really helped me. One thing that stood out to me was how these huge goliath sized companies were willing to trust teenage me to work on live briefs, it was something th at really stood out to me and made me incredibly proud. I have learned that they have moved office from Southwark to Central London but they do so much varied work that it will be worth contacting them and seeing what they have available. I only have one name from my time there so I plan to see if they are still working there, if not I will just have to contact them through regular channels. They have worked with companies such as Adidas, Barclays, BMW, Dominos, Guinness, Hugo Boss, IKEA, Lego, Samsung and Starbucks to name a few.

STUDIOMADE (Creative Problem Solving, Branding and Strategy) Another design studio within the Southwark area. This studio serves as a good example of the kind of studio that doesn’t 100% fit into what I would be aiming for but would be a job that would still allow me to be creative in some form without creating illustrations everyday. It would be the kind of place where it would be more design led using illustration skills here and there when needed. Still a good place to contact.

APE CREATIVE (Branding and Communication) Ape Creative is a company that deals in a very specific area of design, they do rebranding around food companies. One of the main things is that they are based in Brighton, but I am will ing to move for job opportunities if they are right. Whilst the subject matter may not be super relevant to my work, just looking at their catalogue of previous designs it is clear that the emphasis on design and style is really bold and I love the majority of their work. When I look at these places I am constantly reflecting on my work and thinking what the fit would be and I am glad that I have a flexible style. I feel that I am able to accommodate any style that is needed and as that was once seen to me as being a negative I am embracing it as a positive as I feel that my portfolio will be broad enough for employers to trust that I can adapt to any style needed and still keep the professional quality that is required. Their views of breaking the mould and embracing new design is one that really stands out to me and studios like this are really interesting to me. They have worked with companies such as Honest Cru st, Cake Angels and Deli Bites.

TOGETHER DESIGN (Branding, Publications and Packaging) When a branding design agency has a strong striking visual language for their own brand it really makes me take not and see what they do. A lot of design can be too minimalistic for me and I lo ve when it is illustrative and dynamic. Those kind of companies are the ones that I am most interested in as it reflects the work that they put out.

The more I learn about certain design studios the more excited I get at the possibility of working for some of these places. I really like when they work in multiple areas as it lets me imagine that it is a dynamic work place where no day feels the same, constantly working on new briefs. Together works on brand identity, style guides, copywriting, publications, social media, packaging and campaigns. That also means there is the possibility for multiple roles within the company. They have worked with companies such as Caffe Nero, Gordon’s Gin, Roald Dahl and The Gruffalo.

STRANGER & STRANGER (Packaging Design & Branding) This studio has such an incredible amount of stunning designs and many that I have ogled at as I walk down the alcohol isle of supermarkets. They are incredibly striking and the design is amazing. I am running out of ways to describe how I feel about these designs. Whilst I know that a lot of my work doesn’t revolve around type I feel that there are elements of my work that could fit in well to a place like this. I noticed that they are looking for a Design Intern at their studios in London so I am going to apply and see what happens. I wanted to include this place to show as an example of a place that I may not be 100% wanting to work there but my style and skills will fit in here.

They are an incredibly prestigious company so I know it will be incredibly tough to get in there. Especially with the way that the job listing is written, I can tell they have a very specific type of person in mind.

REDACTIVE (Marketing & Publishing) This studio seems like a studio that focuses on publications and reaches out in a variety of different ways. I like that they have a lot of variety in the work that can be seen immediately from their website.They are currently hiring for a designer. I think I would be really suited to a studio like this where they dont just focus on ine area it would mean that lots of the work would be different and you would be able to engage with a lot of various companies and briefs.

CONTACT DETAILS Titan Publishing Group 144 Southwark Street London SE1 0UP +44 (0)20 7620 0200 Iris London 3rd Floor, 10 Queen Street Place London EC4R 1BE +44 (0)20 7654 7900 enquiries@iris-worldwide.com Studiomade 29 Maltings Place 169 Tower Bridge Road London SE1 3JB +44 (0)20 7394 7234 nm@studiomade.co Apecreative 5 Isetta Square Brighton BN1 4GQ 01273 571 310 studio@apecreative.com Together Design 67 Orford Road London E17 9NJ 020 7631 4545 hello@toge therdesign.co.uk

Stranger & Stranger 1st Floor 161 Rosebery Ave Islington London EC1R 4QX Redactive Level 5 78 Chamber St Whitechapel London E1 8BL info@redactive.co.uk