THE MAVERICK ISSUE
06 // Studio Tour: Nice and Serious 12 // Portfolio Spotlight: Andrés Clerc 18 // What's a Video Shop, Dad?
20 // How Bezar, How Bezar 24 // Graduate Feature: Nataly Lee 28 // Opinion: You're Crowding Me
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THE MAVERICK ISSUE Cover Artwork // Belen Peralta Ramos
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maverick: an unorthodox or independent-minded person At Shillington, we welcome mavericks with open arms. We love the renegades, the out-of-the-box thinkers, the brazen ones. Since 1997 we've challenged convention, turned traditional teaching methods upside down and developed an unorthodox approach to help students achieve amazing results in a seriously short amount of time. As maverick educators ourselves, we jump straight in. And what inspires me most is watching how our course gives students the skills and confidence to charge straight ahead into bold, uncharted territory. In this third issue of the Post, we're championing mavericks in multiple industries from around the world. Meet the innovative brains behind UK ethical agency Nice and Serious. Seven of our teachers share the maverick who has inspired their life and work. Learn about Bezar—an online marketplace that's shaking up the e-commerce world. We catch up with graduate Nataly Lee, a stylist who came to Shillington with no experience and now juggles multiple ventures across continents. And since new technology forces mavericks to evolve, Steph Ransom discusses how designers can counter crowdsourcing in the creative industry. Happy reading. Here's to the mavericks! Andy Shillington CEO of Shillington
MY FAVOURITE MAVERICK We've all been inspired by someone who zigs when we zag. For this issue, we asked seven teachers from around the world to share their very favourite maverick—in design and beyond.
ADAM DUDD FULL-TIME TEACHER, NEW YORK Amos Paul Kennedy Junior. He’s an eccentric printmaker—a self-taught free spirit. He prints not for profit nor fame, but because it’s what he loves to do.
SPENCER HARRISON PART-TIME TEACHER, MELBOURNE
He worked as a computer programmer until he was 40, then stumbled upon an old printing press at one of those historic colonial American civil-war re-enactment type villages. He instantly fell in love, quit his job, started printing and never looked back. Amazing.
The maverick that inspires me the most is the world famous drag queen RuPaul of RuPaul's Drag Race. His wildly independent nature, love of colour, laughter and overall approach to not taking life too seriously has inspired me in both my creative work and in my life.
His prints are rich and deep with layers upon layers of text and colour. They’re full of passion and have a freeness about them I don’t think could be achieved if he had been formally taught. His work is powerful and inspiring and addresses difficult subjects such as race, religion, politics and love in a light-hearted and fun but thought-provoking way. When the world zigs, Amos zags, and it’s beautiful. He’s an amazing man and a true inspiration to me.
STEPHANIE MUNOZ FULL-TIME TEACHER, NEW YORK Michael Jordan. MJ. The greatest basketball player of all time. During his earlier years, his short height motivated him to prove his worth which lead him to several 40-point games. He then attended North Carolina University and later got drafted by the Chicago Bulls. Jordan had a way of hiding his every move on the court and keeping the players and fans on their toes. He was doing things on the court no one could ever imagine was possible. His unforgettable moments were when he would put his heart and soul into the NBA finals.
He is also an incredibly savvy business person and I've learnt a lot about how you can structure a life of fun, creativity and laughter from him by exploring a broad range of creative disciplines. And don't forget his famous advice to all of us: "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
CHAD MILLER PART-TIME TEACHER, NEW YORK Tom Cruise as hot-shot pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in the 1986 film Top Gun. FIONA YAP FULL-TIME TEACHER, SYDNEY One maverick I find inspiring would be Michael Beirut. He founded Design Observer, an online design journal, as a means of understanding the industry. This was long before the world of social media. But there was one piece Beirut penned that really resonated with me—Ten Footnotes to a Manifesto. It was a manifesto full of heart, urging designers to prioritise their skills for more cultural interventions over mass consumerism. Beirut tore into it. And, as a budding graphic designer geeking out, this was a relief. Pressured to change the world with my design and more, this is a great perspective check. I still think I can change the world though.
Whether he was inverting his plane, giving obscene gestures to the enemy, or falling in love with his instructor, he flew by his own rules. A true inspiration in my life. STEVE WARING PART-TIME TEACHER, MANCHESTER I’m not sure about inspiring me as such, but Jim Morrison, Chris Morris, The Designers Republic and even Tony Soprano have had a big influence in one way or another. That said, the first person that came to mind was ex-footballer Eric Cantona. A boyhood hero who epitomises maverick. A cultural icon with arrogance, flair, passion and eccentricity in abundance. "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea."
“ Whether he was inverting his plane, giving obscene gestures to the enemy, or falling in love with his instructor, [Maverick] flew by his own rules.”
LEYLA MURATOVIC PART-TIME TEACHER, MELBOURNE My maverick is Iris Apfel. Early in her career she was told ‘You're not pretty and you'll never be pretty, but it doesn't matter. You have something much better. You have style.’ Can you imagine!? She doesn’t care for trends and is no shrinking violet. Always unique, always interesting and interested. I try to channel my inner Iris when tackling new designs as it’s so easy to let those little demons tell you to do something you know everyone will like. Be Iris—don’t be beige!
STUDIO TOUR // Nice and Serious
STUDIO TOUR:
NICE AND SERIOUS INTERVIEW BY ALI NEILLY // PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICE AND SERIOUS
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STUDIO TOUR // Nice and Serious
Meet Ben Meaker and Tom Tapper, the men behind London's Nice and Serious— an ethically driven creative agency. Having met studying Environmental Sciences, they’re now fighting the good fight by creating engaging and thoughtprovoking design solutions for clients like BBC and WWF as well as raising awareness of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Their unique approach and passion for the cause results in a portfolio bursting with inspiring, emotive content. Read about a typical day in the studio, get advice for young designers and find out how hiring someone is like ‘a fine pint of Guinness’.
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STUDIO TOUR // Nice and Serious
"What brings us all together is our shared values. Every single person in the team is super passionate about making the world a nicer place through creativity." Nice and Serious is an ethically-driven creative agency that “makes nice things, but only to solve the serious stuff”. What sparked you to work in this unique space? We were both studying Environmental Sciences at university and soon realised that not many people were paying much attention to the stuff that really mattered, such as climate change and human rights. One of the reasons was that the stories being told at the time were uninspiring and preachy, so people simply zoned out. This was the catalyst for starting Nice and Serious. An agency whose sole purpose is to make people care about the serious stuff. How? By producing awesome creative content about environmental, social and ethical issues. More specifically, what experiences and career paths led to where you are now? What were you doing before N&S and how did you two meet? After our little undergrad stint at the University of East Anglia, we enrolled on a Masters in Science Communication course at Imperial College. We knew a lot about environmental and social issues but we felt there was a lot to learn about how to engage people with the issues. The course was great for that and combined with some work experience here and there, we were ready to set up Nice and Serious. Tell us about your team and studio culture. Who makes up Nice and Serious? What makes them tick and why do they work well together? We’ve built up an incredible team over the years. We have the privilege of working with people who have both scientific and creative backgrounds across the fields of digital, film, animation and design. But what brings us all together is our shared values. Every single person in the team is super passionate about making the world a nicer place through creativity. Alongside that, we’ve tried our very best to build a culture which embraces learning, failure, initiative, experimentation and above all, fun. We tackle serious subjects on a daily basis but we always, and we mean always, like to do this in the nicest possible way.
Describe a typical day at Nice and Serious. Or is there any such thing as a typical day? Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a typical day here at Nice and Serious International HQ. We do, of course, have processes in place which give us structure and help ease the workflow. However, as we work ad hoc, rather than on retainers, it helps us keep things fresh. That said, there’s always music blazing out of the sound system, constant tea and coffee rounds and furiously competitive table football tournaments going on. You’ve said that the day-to-day at Nice and Serious always comes back to the “why” of what you do. Could you elaborate on this? Ever since we started Nice and Serious, we’ve always fundamentally believed that each and every piece of work we create should aim to make people care about the serious stuff in life. That's how we'll create positive change. That's our why. We could of course make stuff for big brands that aim to flog more crap to people who don’t need it. But that’s not us. We stand for something and that has to come through in our work and in how we operate as a business. Could you share the biggest achievement of Nice and Serious to date? It’s tricky to pin down our biggest achievement. We would say that the impact our work creates is probably the biggest achievement we could ever hope for. But we’ve also won a few awards in our time and that’s always a great feeling. Being recognised in the industry for our work, and the impact we create, is a truly remarkable feeling. What amazes us most though is when people come to us and want to work with Nice and Serious, either as members of the team or as clients, because of what we stand for. That marks another big achievement. To be honest though, we feel our biggest achievement will come when people don’t actually need to use us anymore. We hope that one day, the world will be in such good shape environmentally, socially and ethically that we’ll be forced out of business. And that, ultimately, is what we should be aiming for.
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STUDIO TOUR // Nice and Serious
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STUDIO TOUR // Nice and Serious
"Be a nice person and you'll do seriously well." What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt since launching the agency? There are so many things we’ve learned over the years. Too many to list here in fact. If we had to boil it down to one thing though, it would be hire the right people. It may sound obvious, but Nice and Serious is pretty much a collection of dedicated, passionate people who are amazingly creative and share similar values. It’s actually quite a tough job to find the right people and one thing we have learned is never rush into hiring someone. Like a fine pint of Guinness, good things come to those who wait. Any favourite recent projects? We’ve recently worked with the wonderful Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) on a digital campaign which aims to put a stop to factory farming. CIWF were very open to doing something really creative which was great for us. And they were jolly nice people to work with too, which helped! In the end, everyone in the team was involved in the project at some point because we created a range of different products, from an interactive website, to a launch video and even a 3D printed farm set! You can see it in action at www.yourfarmtoy.com Can we get a sneak peek into your creative process? How do your teams work together?
When you’re not designing, where can we find you and what are you doing? Our studio is based in London Bridge but if we’re not there, we’ll be in one of the many coffee shops in the area. And if it’s a Friday, that coffee morphs into a pint! What’s on the horizon for Nice and Serious? We’ve got some really exciting times ahead. Next year, we’ll be setting up a sister office in New York and possibly in Copenhagen too. We’re also looking into establishing a couple of new departments within Nice and Serious which would develop technology for good and help budding creative social entrepreneurs respectively. Any words of wisdom for young designers just getting started in the industry? Word of warning: please don’t take this as gospel. Whilst we feel it’s important to gain industry experience, we always admire designers who come to us with personal projects they’ve undertaken in their own time. These can often be great opportunities to showcase your true, creative talent but it also shows prospective employers that you have energy and drive to do something off your own back. Anything else you’d like to share?
Well, it’s a bit like a secret sauce so we can’t reveal too much without giving away the magic. To be fair, it’s not exactly rocket science. It all begins with immersing ourselves in the brief and getting a full understanding of the task at hand. Once we’re all on the same page, we start developing creative concepts for the project. These are usually overarching ideas which help anchor all of the creative outputs we develop subsequently. Then depending on what needs to be done for the project or campaign in questions, we form the A-team for that particular job and get cracking!
Be a nice person and you’ll do seriously well. Good luck!
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SHILLINGTON INSIDER:
After working in brand consulting, Gael Welstead decided to get closer to the action and enrolled at Shillington London. Throughout the three months, Gael formed a close bond with her tutor Jen Dennis, sharing a love of sarcasm, passion for design and Gael's ‘solid hugs’. Jen recently caught up with Gael; she's come a long way since day one of Shillington—securing an internship at Nice and Serious on the day of her graduation. She’s now working on projects for big names like IKEA and The British Heart Foundation while enjoying some complimentary yoga and competitive table football, all in the name of studio culture.
Congratulations on landing an internship at Nice and Serious! Why were you drawn to working at an ethically-driven agency? Thank you. I’ve always been interested in the environment and sustainability and get excited about amazing creative ideas to communicate these issues. I’d been aware of Nice and Serious for a while, so it was exciting that an internship came up the last week of college. It's definitely a change from Shillington, but there is still a lot of creativity, hard work and coffee in my day to day.
helped out on a successful proposal for IKEA’s sustainability communications, and created storyboards for some Unilever animations. What's agency life like? Everyone is great. The atmosphere is very relaxed and easy going. I really like how open the place is— there is a lot of sharing of ideas. At Friday drinks you can pitch your own idea to the company and if it’s exciting, people will help you realise it. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt?
What’s your day-to-day like as an intern? The days go pretty quickly—a combination of being busy and having fun. There is always stuff to do, even if work is quiet. I’ve been helping decorate the (fairly new) office and getting involved in brainstorms for lots of different projects. I worked in brand consulting previously so it’s not a massive environment change, but getting to be a designer is certainly something fun and new to get used to. Could you tell us about some projects you’ve worked on so far? Such a variety; I’ve worked on an annual review website for the British Heart Foundation,
Ask for help when you need it. The time management we learnt at Shillington has definitely been helpful. I’d love to invite you back to Shillington to share your story with current students. What advice would you give them? Not to get too distracted looking at other people’s work. It can be inspiring but it can also confuse you—focus on what you enjoy most.
AndrÊs Clerc had a management degree, but always dreamed of becoming a graphic designer. A fervent street artist, his love of letters and illustrations grew naturally and led him to study at Shillington. He now works as a graphic designer at Impero and freelance illustrator in London. See more of his work at www.andresclerc.com.
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3. CHEM+CO ANNUAL REPORT
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4. BRITISH TYPE PLAYING CARDS
5&6. INCEPTION POSTER
Poster by Shillington Teacher George Simkin
WHAT'S A VIDEO SHOP, DAD? // John Fry
WHAT’S A VIDEO SHOP, DAD? WORDS BY JOHN FRY // ILLUSTRATION BY BELEN RAMOS
As a young lad, many a weekend would include a trip to the local video shop to grab a few new releases. Every shopping strip or mall had a store, if not more, all offering pretty much the same product. Fast forward (see what I did there?) to 2015 and you’d be hard pressed to find a video shop in existence. So what happened?
In 1997, Netflix broke onto the scene offering mail order movies you could rent online. No need for bricks and mortar stores or bored video store attendants, just cheap DVDs and a postpack. Jump ahead to improved internet speeds and digital downloads and Netflix was able to pivot its model into a totally digital business. Now Netflix, valued at $52 billion, has evolved into a complete entertainment company, with many traditional TV companies scrambling to copy its model. And it left the treasured video shop in its wake. But it's not just our local video shop—it's a wide-spread phenomenon. ‘Digital Disruption’ is a term used to describe companies that circumvent the usual business model by leveraging technology. They approach an existing market from a different angle or create an entirely new business that previously didn’t exist. Think about it: Uber, the world's largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world's most popular media source, creates no content. And AirBnb, the world's largest accommodation provider, owns no real estate. What’s made this possible is our perpetual connectedness, the rapid growth of smartphone usage and Big Data tracking every aspect of our daily life. For a large majority of people in the developed world our social, business and consumer interactions mostly happen online. What this means is that the stages in between a consumer and the producer of a product or service is greatly reduced, levelling the playing field. 18 // Shillington Post
WHAT'S A VIDEO SHOP, DAD? // John Fry
Development expert Patrick Forth notes that 75% of the Fortune 500 in 2020 will be names we’ve never heard of.¹
We've covered Netflix, let's talk about Uber. Uber relies on the fact that we’re always close to our mobile phones, which is also the case for the driver of an Uber car. All that needed to happen was to build a bridge between these two parties. In comes an easy to use app, a greatly simplified payment process, and a strong push for transparency in the deal between the passenger and driver. Traditional taxi companies simply can’t compete with this agile approach without offloading a lot of infrastructure.
Is the graphic design industry next?
And how about AirBnB?
So, should we as graphic designers be worried that the robots will take our jobs? Will services like The Grid that uses algorithms to design your website replace the role of a designer? Not likely. A computer program can never talk to a client and really get to the crux of their communication issue, then offer viable options. Hell, it might be they don’t even need a website and that something else would better serve their business needs.
While ‘house swap’ services have been around for years, AirBnB turned it into a real commercial venture. Creating the digital infrastructure for people to list, rent and promote their personal properties. And it's giving the traditional accommodation industry a serious run for their money.
What it does mean is designers are perfectly placed to help companies ‘pivot’ to take advantages of opportunities offered up by advances in technology. Design thinking and the ability to look at problems from different perspectives makes designers a valuable addition to any team.
This Summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) nearly 17 million guests stayed with AirBnB hosts around the world. A growth of 353% over the last 5 years.³
This doesn’t mean all designers need to know how to build an app or even write a line of code. Instead we'll need to gain a broad overview of what’s possible. Which companies are doing interesting things with technology. Or how people are using technology in unique ways.
Uber currently operates in 330 cities and has a valuation of $51 billion, all achieved in 5 years.²
Not even the music industry is spared—there's Spotify, Rdio, Pandora! First we had Napster with people ‘illegally’ sharing their digital music. So what did the record studios do? They tried to sue anyone involved to get them to stop. Maybe not the brightest idea.
My advice to stay ahead of the robots? Observe, question and stay curious.
¹Patrick Forth, is the global leader of The Boston Consulting Group's Technology, Media &
Things shook up when Apple introduced the iTunes store offering digital music Telecommunications practice Source: https://www.ted.com/watch/ted-institute/ted-bcg/ downloads and the iPod, the perfect product for these digital files. And now? patrick-forth-technology-distruption-meets-the-change-monster-who-wins We’ve jumped again with streaming services like Spotify, Rdio and Pandora, who thought—why buy music you’re just going to get sick of, when you could just as ²Source: http://www.fastcompany.com/3050250/what-makes-uber-run easily rent it? What’s interesting is Apple have now had to play catchup with their new Music service, showing you can’t rest on your laurels in this day and age. ³Source: http://blog.airbnb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Airbnb-Summer-TravelReport-1.pdf 19 // Shillington Post
HOW BEZAR, HOW BEZAR. WORDS BY SARA MAZZONI IMAGES // BEZAR
Where can you find affordable Danish lamps, exclusive prints from the Refinery29 team and a pillow shaped like a ham leg? Look no further—Bezar is here. Your own personal shopping service for high-quality, quirky and colourful products. It's a self-proclaimed "platform for the next design icons".
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HOW BEZAR, HOW BEZAR // Sara Mazzoni
bi•zarre: striking out of the ordinary. ba•zaar: a market selling goods.
First, let's meet the man behind it all— Bradford Shellhammer. He's a maverick to his core, named one of the '100 Most Creative People in Business' by Fast Company and coined the 'King of Quirk' by Forbes. We were lucky to get the inside scoop and catch up with the man himself.
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HOW BEZAR, HOW BEZAR // Sara Mazzoni
"Designers are my heroes. They give up comfort and security to follow their dreams, and that takes courage."
Shellhammer is a seasoned entrepreneur who rode a wave of success and challenges with his first major enterprise, Fab. In recent years, he reinvented the iconic Backcountry brand and continues to serve on the board of six companies. Plus, it should be noted that he strikes out of the ordinary and dresses like a maverick every day. You'll always find Shellhammer in the brightest colours and fashion's best. With his new brainchild Bezar, Shellhammer has created an online marketplace that focuses on beautifully curated products, all of which champion design talent. But why? He says he "was bored with retail and wanted to provide more people with the access to the stuff he's fallen in love with". Here's how it works. To start, a team of expert Design Scouts, who Shellhammer calls "a team of passionate, tasteful, kooky folks from various walks of life" scour the world over to curate a jaw-dropping collection of unique goods. Then, each day a new online storefront or Pop-Up Shop is launched in one of four categories: Art, House, Jewellery and Accessories. Finally, you place an order and beautiful things arrive at your doorstep. But it's more than a shop—it's a revolution! The most exceptional thing about Bezar is how it holistically supports its sellers' work, rights and livelihoods. Shellhammer respects the designer's craft and unique story. His aim is to help the small fish in a big e-commerce pond. And by staying true to this strong mission, Bezar has seen rapid growth since launching March
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2015. "It's been a wild ride! We've launched collections of more than 600 brands," says Shellhammer. "That's a lot of design!" Shellhammer calls designers his heroes. "They give up comfort and security to follow their dreams," he says. "That takes courage." And with both Fab and Bezar, Shellhammer pushes designers to dream big and take the business world by storm. In fact, he penned an essay for Dezeen titled You're a design entrepreneur, not a designer. Essentially, he challenges self-employed designers to bootstrap their businesses, accept feedback to inform their approach, seek exposure at every turn and fully embrace a business mindset. Another key to Bezar's success is a brilliantly conceptualised and refined brand identity, which proved to be a unique challenge for Shellhammer and his team. Can you believe an initial trademark and company name denial led to the enterprise we know today? "We had a brand and a name we loved and then it was taken away from us," says Shellhammer. "In those moments of despair some of the best decisions and work can emerge. It was a lesson that when things don't go your way, there's usually a better solution or idea once you get through it." Because the team was forced to abandon the initial (and more literal) name, the design language and identity evolved into something sharp, modern and genderneutral that actually reflected the pillars of the brand.
HOW BEZAR, HOW BEZAR // Sara Mazzoni
The Bezar logo is simple, modern and versatile with a wildly infinite colour palette. As Shellhammer describes, "it's a disc, a coin. It has two sides: our designers on one and our customers on the other." It's an ingenious visual representation of the Bezar's commitment to buyer and maker. Plus, with a multitude of colour combinations, the brand stays fresh and dynamic at every turn—it's interactive and everchanging. For example, the website's logo changes colour every day. The daily e-mails change hue every single day. And Shellhammer's business cards spread a wide continuum of colour. He even requires each new acquaintance to choose their favourite, which reflects on their own personality. "There's a consistency in our inconsistency that works," Shellhammer writes in the Medium article Building Bezar.
And beyond visuals, the beauty is in the details—from the "Bezarchives" to the #howbezar hashtag to the enterprise's collaborative ethos. Bezar is a virtual paradise that marries online shopping with top-notch UX. Brands require a point of view, and Bezar has undoubtedly nailed it. So what are you waiting for? Go to bezar.com and find the quirky product perfect for you! Non-US readers, brace yourself. Unfortunately Bezar is not yet shipping internationally, but Shellhammer says to "sit tight"— they're not slowing down yet.
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Our Design Scouts are a "team of passionate, tasteful, kooky folks from various walks of life" who scour the world over to curate a jaw-dropping collection of unique goods.
PROFILE // Nataly Lee
Shillington Graduate
NATALY LEE INTERVIEW BY ANTHONY WOOD // PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETERIS TENSION
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PROFILE // Nataly Lee
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PROFILE // Nataly Lee
Nataly Lee has cultivated a vibrantly diverse creative career. Since graduating from Shillington, she's made her own rules and reality—splitting her time and talents between creative pursuits and location. She currently works as a stylist, photographer, blogger and designer between Australia and Phnom Penh. We sat down with her to learn more.
How did you get your start? Having a creative career wasn’t something I imagined was possible as I came from an immigrant family and the expectation—or so I thought—was to become a doctor or a lawyer. It wasn’t until I was at university, interning as a stylist for a local publication that I discovered my passion, and natural talent, for all things visual. Unlike styling, which I feel I came into by ‘accident’, the move to becoming a designer was very intentional. What have you been up to since graduation? The day after I graduated I moved to Cambodia. Since then, I have been working as a freelance designer, photographer and Creative Director in the capital, Phnom Penh. Aside from my freelance jobs, I also have a lifestyle brand, SAAT, and I'm setting up NOOK, a positive and creative space that focuses on food, design and community. Since Shillington, I have been presented with so many incredible opportunities—opportunities that may have always been there, but which I did not have the confidence to pursue. What do you love about being a designer? I love the fact that I get to be creative every day. I love that I get to work on interesting projects and collaborate with so many talented and inspiring people. I love that through design I get to live a richer and more meaningful life. Tell us about your blog, A.HA. How does that venture enhance your work as a designer? A.HA is a food/photography blog which I created initially as a way to hone my photography skills. Since then it has become a platform for me to showcase all the wonderful things I see and a
medium in which to develop my voice, visually and otherwise. This voice informs my work as a designer. Could you tell us about a favourite recent professional project? My favourite projects are the ones where I can work with a client early on in their journey and help them tell their story. I recently did the branding for a sustainable furniture brand called Alchemy Design Co. It was a big branding project which included everything from logo design, stationery design, styling, photography, video and website design. It's so rewarding seeing a brand come to life from the very beginning. Tips for freelancers? Always be nice to people. Maintaining good relationships is the most important thing in business and this is never truer than when freelancing. Most of your work will come from recommendations so if you are an easy person to work with then you are more likely to get the work. Also, care. The best projects are always the ones where you have cared about the work you are producing and the clients you are working with. If you care, it shows. If you don’t, it also shows. How did Shillington help you create your own creative career? I can honestly say that studying at Shillington was the best thing that I’ve ever done for my career. To say that it gave me the confidence to put myself out there as a designer is somewhat of an understatement. Not only did it teach me the technical skills (which I felt were a missing piece of the puzzle), but it gave me the confidence to go for bigger jobs and challenge myself in ways that I thought were unimaginable.
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PROFILE // Nataly Lee
“ Like life, everything in design has a purpose. Don't use a colour or font just because you like it. Ask yourself, 'why?', and if you don't have an answer, dig deeper."
What's the biggest lesson you took away from Shillington? Like life, everything in design has a purpose. Don’t use a colour or a font just because you like it. Ask yourself, ‘why?’, and if you don’t have an answer, dig deeper. Any advice for fellow creatives? Develop your own style. The thing that makes your work different from others’ is YOU. Understand yourself, what you like and dislike, and develop a personal style that is reflected in your work. Let your work be an extension of who you are, and create things that you like. If you do that then it doesn’t really feel like work. Do everything wholeheartedly. It shows. Finally, be authentic and kind. It goes a long way. Where do you see yourself in a year's time? Well, if all goes according to plan, I will be in Cambodia, doing exactly what I am thankfully able to do now; living my dream.
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OPINION // Steph Ransom
YOU'RE CROWDING ME WORDS AND ARTWORK BY STEPH RANSOM
It would be hard to find an industry that hasn’t been touched by digital disruption. It has certainly loomed large in the design industry. However, for as long as graphic design has existed tools have emerged that have changed the face of our industry.
The printing press, French curves, Letraset, computers, desktop printers, desktop ‘colour’ printers, powerful computer graphic software and of course the World Wide Web—each of these technologies changed the way graphic designers went about their practice, charged for their time and invested in the tools of their trade. The web in particular has provided designers with access to global design inspiration, research at our fingertips, quick and fast ways to show design mockups to clients and wonderful avenues to share ideas, techniques and trends. However, it has also brought with it the bogeyman of crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing businesses in the design industry offer their clients cheap design solutions and a huge array of choices, all from a pool of designers that live on all corners of the globe. It sounds very much like utopia for clients and hell on earth for the local design industry. But is it? For those of us who have invested in a design education and value our professional design skills, it can be enormously frustrating to wrestle with the ethics of crowdsourcing. While we can complain about unfair rates for subpar work and the devaluation of our craft the fact remains, crowdsourcing is here to stay.
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So where does that leave us? Perhaps the emergence of crowdsourcing will force us to come out of our matte black shells to sell our skills with more confidence. Graphic designers are not known for salesmanship. We prefer our work to speak for itself and for clients to simply recognise the value in our talent. We need to differentiate ourselves from the anonymous designers behind crowdsourcing platforms. Because let's be clear, a professional graphic designer does so much more than produce a good looking layout, logo, package or website.
OPINION // Steph Ransom
How are we different from the "crowd" of crowdsourcing? We collaborate.
We are real people in real time.
Crowdsourcing by nature leads to client-led design. The client art directs the designer. The process is reactive, rather than inspired and proactive.
So many tasks that we do in our everyday lives are now done without face to face communication – banking, shopping, even being friends! It's important to remind ourselves and our clients that potent design results are driven by personal contact.
In contrast, professional graphic designers collaborate with their clients. From brief to presentation through to amendments to the final solution, the collaborative process between client and designer brings rich and targeted results. Often this means that an entirely different solution is reached from the one the client had initially envisaged. A good designer will know when to push the boundaries but still meet the client’s brief. An interesting opportunity can be seized, a brave and powerful direction taken. We consider the big picture. Professional graphic designers will develop a brand strategy and design solution that works for the business as a whole—not just that one isolated issue. This ensures that there is optimum potential for continuity of communication on many applications and longevity of the design as the business grows and changes.
Well-written or obtained briefs, diligent process and constructive collaboration are vital to a successful design solution, but there are also those wonderful a-ha moments that lead to powerful results. And they don’t just come out of nowhere! A quick throwaway comment from a client over a cup of coffee can spark a great idea. Or a walk through a business environment can lead to a deeper understanding of what makes the business tick. Conversation and observation feed a designer's instinct and create the perfect environment for the creative light bulb to switch on.
We value long-lasting client relationships. Developing a great working partnership saves everyone money. As professional graphic designers, we get to know our client and their business well over time. This pays off for both parties—mostly because there's a shared history with no need to repeatedly explain the business's function, essence and goals. We even keep an eye on what our client’s competitor businesses are doing and ensure along the way that we know as much as we can about that industry. And beyond this, a proactive designer will also see opportunities for visual communication that the client may not see themselves. These opportunities are well-informed because there has been a successful working history in place.
29 // Shillington Post
Our skills have the potential to create enormous value for our clients. In contrast, crowdsourced design really is a new generation version of the local print shop—cheap and cheerful. While there is definitely a place for this basic level of service, it shouldn't become the new normal. So, perhaps the reality for professional graphic designers is that crowdsourcing is forcing us to sharpen our sales pitch. We now need to educate potential clients about what skills a professional designer brings to the table and why this is better than the cheaper alternative. If we can do this our face-to-face practice will be very much alive and kicking.
CALENDAR: JAN ’16 – MAY ’16
20
08
09
12
WHAT: THE O’REILLY DESIGN CONFERENCE WHERE: SAN FRANCISCO
WHAT: PAUSE FEST WHERE: MELBOURNE
WHAT: WEBSTOCK WHERE: WELLINGTON
WHAT: SUPERGRAPH WHERE: ADELAIDE
Pause Fest is the premier creative tech conference and festival for Asia Pacific, a catalyst for innovation, and a uniter of industries: a showcase for the leaders of the world’s future economy.
An annual celebration of the magic of the web and those who craft it, celebrating it's 10th anniversary in 2016.
Supergraph is Australia’s Contemporary Graphic Art Fair that celebrates design, print and illustration.
Ends 12th February 2016.
Ends 14th February 2016.
JANUARY
The O’Reilly Design Conference is where interaction designers, UX designers, user researchers, product designers, product managers, and entrepreneurs will explore new ways design will shape the future.
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY
Ends 14th February 2016.
This three-day conference is a deep-immersion experience focused on providing designers with the full stack of skills they need to remain competitive and create the next generation of products and services. Ends 22nd January 2016.
15
07
08
22
WHAT: SMASHING CONFERENCE WHERE: OXFORD
WHAT: WEBVISIONS WHERE: NEW YORK
WHAT: OFFSET WHERE: DUBLIN
WHAT: GENERATE NEW YORK WHERE: NEW YORK
SmashingConf Oxford is packed with smart real-life solutions and techniques, ranging from front end to design to UX—and a few delightful surprises along the way. Two days, one track, 14 brilliant speakers and 350 fantastic attendees.
WebVisions explores the future of design, content creation, user experience and business strategy in an event that inspires learning, collaboration and entrepreneurism.
With over 2,500 attendees each year, Offset has fast become one of the world’s most inspirational, educational and vocational conferences for the design and creative industries. Representing industry at all levels, speakers are key disruptors and influencers in their field driving everything from huge global campaigns to awe inspiring personal projects.
Generate conferences are presented by net magazine—the world’s leading print and digital publication for web designers. A source of inspiration, education and networking opportunities, this year's Generate will be packed with more top content from world-class speakers.
MARCH
Ends 16th March 2016.
APRIL
APRIL
Ends 10th April 2016.
APRIL
17
02
11
11
WHAT: DESIGN INDABA CONFERENCE WHERE: CAPE TOWN
WHAT: INTERACTION 16 WHERE: HELSINKI
WHAT: UXHK WHERE: HONG KONG
WHAT: SXSW WHERE: AUSTIN
The annual Design Indaba Conference in Cape Town features the best of global creativity all on one stage. The event is independently curated with a focus on case studies and ingenious problem solving, rather than simply eye-catching portfolios, conference alumni are contemporary industry pacesetters.
Interaction 16 is organized by Interaction Design Association IxDA.org. The conference will bring nearly 1000 design professionals, leaders, students and volunteers together to enjoy three days of workshops and lectures. The overarching theme that Interaction 16 explores is what’s next, in the context of the future of interaction design as a craft, as a profession, and design practice as a whole.
User Experience Hong Kong (UXHK) is a learning event dedicated to bringing all product and service design disciplines together, from research, marketing, design, technology and the business to name a few, who are interested and passionate about designing great experiences for people and business for a better world for all.
The South by Southwest Conferences & Festivals offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery.
FEBRUARY
Ends 19th February 2016.
MARCH
MARCH
MARCH
Ends 15th March 2016.
Ends 12th March 2016. Ends 4th February 2016.
05
19
22
26
WHAT: 99U WHERE: NEW YORK
WHAT: HOW DESIGN LIVE WHERE: ATLANTA
WHAT: SEMI-PERMANENT WHERE: SYDNEY
WHAT: OFFF BARCELONA WHERE: BARCELONA
The goal of the 99U Conference is to shift the focus from idea generation to idea execution, providing roadtested insights on how to make your ideas happen. The conference brings together some of the world's most productive creative visionaries and leading researchers to share pragmatic insights on how ideas are brought to life.
HOW Design Live is where creative professionals in all disciplines with a range of experience come to learn from the brightest minds in the creative industry — and beyond. It’s where you can discover new ideas, new sources of inspiration, new skills, new connections with other creative professionals. HOW Design Live is where you can get faceto-face with brand leaders, big thinkers and design heroes—in sessions both large and small.
One of the largest events of its type, Semi-Permanent is a creative platform spreading art and design inspiration. It consists of a conference and side events which include exhibitions, competitions, workshops and parties. It’s a week long celebration of all things design.
OFFF is more than just a Festival hosting innovative and international speakers, it is more than a meeting point for all talents around the world to collaborate, it is more than feeding the future. OFFF is a community inviting all those who are eager to learn to participate and get inspired in a three-day journey of conferences, workshops, activities and performances.
MAY
Ends 6th May 2016.
MAY
MAY
Ends 23rd May 2016.
MAY
Ends 28th May 2016. Ends 23rd May 2016.
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