FastForward Mag by Swansea Met

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WELCOME

CONTEXT

I would like to take this opportunity of welcoming you to Fast Forward >> produced in the Faculty of Art and Design at Swansea Metropolitan University (with contributions from Swansea School of Glass). Founded more than 150 years ago, the Faculty (or Swansea School of Art as it was known) has a distinguished tradition; described in Peter Lord's The Visual Culture of Wales as 'the most successful and prestigious art school in Wales'. We are based in the multimillion pound 'Art School' in the heart of Swansea's city centre, which houses excellent facilities, some of which are unique in Wales. We focus on creativity and employment. This magazine is all about employment and what we do here to help you achieve your career aims and the job of your dreams. It has been written and designed by staff, graduates and students, who all offer their experience of the ‘real world’ of art, design and media. It is full of helpful suggestions for those of you who are just starting out on your creative education and is also intended for those of you about to graduate. The magazine supports modules, such as Professional Studies for Artists and Designers; Exhibition; Marketing and Self Promotion, and the External Liaison Project, which enable us to be very successful in preparing our graduates for their professional careers. I would like to thank all the contributors: the writers, the IllustratorsRyan O Dare, Lee Court and Karl Mountford; the Designers-Darren Green and Danielle Peevor; the Researcher and Editor- Kim Wills, and everyone who helped make this publication possible.

ON YOUR BEACH

MAKING THE MOST OF...

THE VALUE OF AN EXHIBITION

AN INTERVIEW WITH TOM POPE

CERYS ACKLAND I hope you find this magazine really useful and wish you good luck in your future careers.

LAUNCH OF A BRAND

ORIEL BACH

YOUR HERO IS YOUR MENTOR

JOINING THE DOTS

DOES FREELANCING PAY?

SHAPING YOUR OWN FUTURE

LIFE-LONG FRIENDSHIPS

COMMISSIONS

DIRECTORY

18 Professor Andrea Liggins Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design

Networking Skills: “We (Dirty Beach) represented Swansea Met when we went to Students and Free Enterprise (SFES) in London where we found out more about students running their own businesses and helping communities. We also attended the National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs in Cardiff. The opportunities are there if you choose to use them. I had to develop the ability to ask for help in order for my business to expand. I had to learn to be vigilant with emails and keep up contacts, reminding people that I am there and welcoming their input, support and help. It’s always ongoing and I have now developed different networks for each part.”

Megan Evans graduated in 2010 with a 1st Class BA (Hons) Illustration Degree, she became Artist in Residence and also completed her Masters. In addition to this Megan left Swansea Met with a multifaceted business called ‘On Your Beach’. Describing the venture as a rollercoaster, Megan says “I didn’t want to put anything on hold which meant that I compromised on sleep.” “Enthusiasm drove me; I was on a roll, on a mission, and didn’t stop for anything. You’ve got to be in the mind set that nothing is going to stop you.” The idea evolved from a Professional Studies module taken across all Visual Communication courses where students from Graphic Design, Illustration and Design for Advertising were brought together to propose a ghost business venture called ‘Dirty Beach’. This cross-discipline environment inspired creative discussions where ideas evolved from the collaboration of different course knowledge. The outcome, as a result of enthusiasm and pitch, was that the team won the Robert Owen Cup, a competition named after a Welsh philanthropist that involved the preparation of a business plan that students could present to a bank in order to launch and/or further a business concept. At that time the idea was to raise money to do beach clean ups using the team’s design skills. The other team members moved onto their own individual projects but Megan’s passion and devotion for this cause, coupled with the interest of a business consultant on the panel of the Robert Owen Cup, helped Megan to take it further and On Your Beach was formed.

What makes Megan’s design work unique is that each image is made up of pieces of litter, cleaned, flattened and fed through an oldfashioned print press. “It has been important to keep the ingredients list of all the images that I make so that the story comes alive. By keeping track of the beach and the date when the rubbish was collected, people can relate to it.” Megan got her inspiration from the lifestyle gained by moving to Swansea, where she made the most of the beautiful coastlines. On Your Beach comprises three interlinking elements to engage with as many different audiences as possible through workshops, the sales of high-end art, commissions and surf brand clothing. “Really what I think On Your Beach exists to do is to work closely with people who are already doing amazing things and offer a creative side to it. When it comes to rubbish, we can see it but if we touch it then we could maybe make it better.” Due to the nature of the Illustration course, Megan was able to write her own Major Project brief during her third year and this enabled her to combine her design work for On Your Beach with the criteria of her degree. Megan also received support through the University for the launch of On Your Beach. “Commercial Services and CIRIC

linked me up with different businesses. Shut Up and Start Up offered me the support of other graduates who had already started up their own businesses. I obtained funding from the Princes’ Trust. The Textiles Technology project in Carmarthen, and a design firm in Pembrokeshire helped me to develop the surf wear and other products through digital image wrapping.” All of these contacts were made through Swansea Met. Megan was also invited to attend Beach Break Live 2010, a festival for 15,000 students held 18 miles away at Pembrey Beach, which boasts 500 acres of parkland, 2,000 acres of forestry and 8 miles of white sandy beach. “Students picked up litter from the festival around them and came to visit the stall where they made animals out of litter. People who claimed that they didn’t have a creative bone in their body were sat down for two hours making human sized dinosaurs and little tree frogs which, as a result, kept the area clean.” Megan gained many skills from her Illustration course that have been crucial for the success of On Your Beach as well as being transferrable when employed as Artist in Residence. Working on your own initiative: “I had to take my own initiative in streamlining the focus of the business when the others decided not to be part of it. I had to come up with the design process itself, designs, imagery and what I wanted it to be about.” Engaging clients and people: “I do a lot of networking events such as Swansea Foundation and Business Forum for small businesses in South Wales.”

Interpersonal Skills: “During the Professional Studies module I had to interview local surf board makers. I was really nervous at the time but wouldn’t think twice about it now. We were encouraged to do a lot of external exhibitions and I did three during my final year which involved speaking to visitors about my work and practice…. On Your Beach clothing involved being able to pitch my products to sell at local shops such as Angels and Demons in Mumbles, the Fine Art commissions involved working with the people behind different venues to exhibit and sell my work, and the workshops involved teaching children and adults and working with local councils to keep them going.” Organisational Skills: “Degrees help you work under pressure in a structure and to a time-frame which is something I have maintained by putting pressure on myself to work to my own deadlines.”

Collaboration, teamwork and knowledge exchange: “The cross-disciplinary project meant we had to find a way to work together and develop a business idea. Every exhibition involved groups of 7-8 people pulling together to make artwork, prepare spaces and work with galleries. I wouldn’t have accessed the people or places to exhibit without Swansea Met.“ Visual Presentation: “The exhibitions accelerated and improved the presentation of work and the spaces it is to be put into. When I visited high-end restaurants to ask whether they could sell my Fine Art pieces, my portfolio needed to be very professional and therefore I employed a professional graphic designer to design my logo. I am continuously improving with every new body of work.” Writing Business Plans: “Writing a business plan in Professional Studies was a brilliant exercise because we also had feedback. It was useful to see the depth of business plans and what they covered, which was an essential lesson when it all became very real.”

good times.” Getting insight into Megan’s journey prompted the question of what her advice might be for someone branching out onto a creative business venture and her answer was simply to involve those with experience. “Don’t be too precious about your idea because I think it held me up at times, thinking that someone else may spoil it! As soon as you start letting go of it and start to share it or ask for advice your idea snowballs. It is definitely a positive thing involving other people; it is just finding the right people to involve. So don’t hold onto your creative idea too tightly.” Megan continues to strengthen the brand of On Your Beach and engage with audiences young and old on environmental issues, whether they wear the clothing, buy the prints or make things in workshops. “I came to Swansea with nothing, the experience of the degree and everything that came with it has given me this great big thing that I can’t walk away from and that I will work with, with passion, for the rest of my days!”

Costing and pricing strategies: “The course touched on timesheets and pricing work but I learned a lot from trial and error, taking risks and improving. Art is subjective. In London people were buying the original collagraph prints for £70, which is just a picture of flattened rubbish. I have reduced my costs through experience, pooling resources and learning where to print.” Writing Contracts: “Commercial services put me in contact with Venture Wales to look at my business plans and contracts in order to protect my rights when undertaking individual projects for people.” Confidence: “My confidence has grown through completing my degree and creating On Your Beach from scratch, and I have loads to do here in Swansea before moving on. I feel like I have started again and built a new identity and life, and it feels like a bit of a mission in a really good way.” Motivation: “The Illustration course brought in practicing artist speakers, working with agents or freelancers. Listening to them convinced me that I wanted to work for myself and I wanted to work for something I created. I spent the whole of September, October and November working solely on designs, working every day and every night.” Taking risks: “You have to have the confidence to stick with it. There is the risk of not meeting next month’s rent but there will be some months where you can pay for a few months rent at once. The risk is just going at something like self employment or running your own business, knowing that there will be quiet times as well as

Making the most of...

Making the most of your

Curriculum

Vitae

Let us be clear, writing a CV is not rocket science, neither need it be complicated or confusing, as long as you keep these few simple things in mind. 1. First of all, think less 'what I wish to say', and think more 'what do they need to know', and be sure these ‘need to knows’ are clearly linked to the opportunity for the company or organisation to succeed in its endeavours. You are the solution to their problems. All too often cv writers aim to tell everything in one big hit, but these days that is unrealistic, as few employers have the time or desire to read complex documents that are difficult to decipher, they simply need to find out as much as possible in as short a time as they can. That is why we always suggest to our students that they prepare what we call a 'concise cv', as well as a full one, which should only ever be a page or two anyway. The concise cv should be viewed as the employer's peep in the shop window, and what should be in that window is what they want to see, in the order they want to see it. This means that to do well, you need to research the employer and learn to understand why they need someone like you before you can even start. 2. Every CV is a temporary one. As we now know, every employer will have different needs and the reason they need to take someone on is to solve a problem that they have. For you, this means that the research that you have undertaken will most likely differ with each new application, as your primary aim is to show that you are the person who can solve it (and more). Most people see their cv as a fixed document, don't fall into that trap! Be prepared to create a master document and to adapt and adjust it to each new opportunity as it arises. 3. Think like an advertising exec with something good to sell. In advertising and marketing we use something called the AIDA principle and it's very useful when designing your cv and laying it all out. ‘A’ stands for attention. Does your cv stand out? Even if it is in a pile of over 200? If it doesn't then it's game over already as it won’t be picked up and seen. Once you have their attention, have you got the points over that will interest them most? ‘I’ stands for interest, so that's the next step, and it should then lead to our ‘D’, the desire to know more and to want to interview you! Finally, ‘A’ is a call to action. Can they get in contact easily and is all the relevant detail there to enable them to call you in to discuss the next steps at an interview? 4. Creative people expect Creativity to shine through. Typical cvs are rather boring and are often typed up very traditionally. For the creative job, you need to show that you can think not only about what they need, but how your creative inputs will help to lead the company to new innovations and ideas. Forget rules, simply think easy information access and ways to stand out. For example, I still have my tin can entitled 'full of beans' with an ingredients list that told me all about the applicant. I have never felt able to throw it away, as it was one of the most creative cvs that hit my desk, but it also told me everything that I needed to know. 5. If it isn't working rethink it. Get feedback every time if you can, as once you know why you didn't get to the interview stage you can revisit the areas that need your attention. Oh, and don't let me forget to mention that asking for feedback not only shows initiative, it gets attention and might even put you back on the pile if someone drops out or the job isn't offered to someone in round one! 6. Spelling and Grammar. I’ll close with something an ex student sent me on this, as I think it says it all. “On my second day my boss put a cv on my desk from a new graduate… basically it was everything you said not to do - we all agreed it was rubbish! … long, irrelevant, full of typos…and with no visual identity they didn’t stand a chance …what more can I say but it is MEGA important to nail that cv as it really is the shop window that the employer looks through to see how capable you are.” (Anne – Graduate of BA (Hons) Graphic Design).

Making the most of Volunteering

Making the most of Graduate Knowledge via Swansea Met’s Enterprise Support

“75% of employers agreed they

Business Start-Up Social Enterprise

would prefer to recruit someone with volunteering experience.”

As part of Sara Holden’s MA in Visual Arts Enterprise at Swansea Met she was required to complete an example proposal for funding for an arts based project or initiative, demonstrating how it would meet the funder’s criteria.The application was so successful that, with support from Swansea Met, Sara was able to obtain Arts Council of Wales funding to help deliver Sculpture by the Sea’s first project. Further bids for funding supported by Swansea Met were successful and Sculpture by the Sea U.K. is now sponsored by a variety of organisations including the Arts Council and Countryside Commission for Wales. Swansea Met’s Enterprise Manager acts as treasurer for Sculpture by the Sea U.K.

www.yourfuturechoiceaction.org

“When looking for employment it has a lot to do with who you know. You have got to work hard and be good at what you do. Volunteering helped me to get to know the right people.”

One of the biggest problems that recent graduates face when looking for work is not having enough experience. The reason that they do not have that experience is that they can’t get the work to get the experience needed to get the job. A no win situation! So how do you put yourself into a WinWin situation? One solution could be to volunteer your talents to an organisation or industry that you would like to work for. Working for free is hardly ideal, however you may find that you: • • • •

learn the skills needed to succeed within the industry; confirm your ambition to pursue a career in such an industry; gain the experience your CV is lacking, and obtain a good reputation and perhaps a recommendation to accompany your CV to your next interview.

Veronica volunteered for Brighton Photo Biennial (BPB) which is the largest and most exciting curated photography festival in the UK and, with 60,000 visitors in 2010, was one of the best attended in the world. “When I first moved to Brighton I did research into all the possible ways I could put in practice photography. Luckily, Brighton Photo Biennial was looking for volunteers. I contacted the organisation in order to attend their first introductory talk. I submitted a CV and covering letter explaining my main interests in volunteering for BPB.” “I was assisting while Martin Parr curated the exhibition. Martin Parr is a very big international photographer and I was honoured to be able to meet him and it was very inspiring to be part of the BPB team. The exhibition was huge and many well-known photographers got involved.” “The main skills that I learned from BPB were organising spaces and making the most of a large space on a small budget. I gained experience in curating and setting up and many other things. Having done that in university it helped build my confidence. By volunteering I have been exposed to different responsibilities and situations and that helped me to get good references which have helped me to get jobs.”

When applying for jobs and attending interviews it is very important to be able to talk about your work. “If there is something that Swansea Met pushed it was context, why you are doing it, questioning your work. As a student I didn’t understand it but I think when you go for an interview they do ask ‘Why are you doing this?’ ‘Who are you researching?’ and ‘Why is that person influencing you?’ When you do your dissertation all the self-questioning and analysis is very important. You may not practice it every day of course, but when it comes to interviews it is good to have the preparation Swansea Met gives you to be able to answer those questions.” Volunteering has assisted Veronica in moving closer to her goals and she is now working for a commercial photography studio, Packshot, based in London. “I initially started as full-time assistant, but very recently I’ve been promoted to a Junior Photographer. I’ve been learning a lot more about studio lighting and Photoshop and I’ve gained more experience dealing with clients.”

Swansea Met supports entrepreneurship in all its guises, from developing our students ‘right brain’ entrepreneurial skills, eg. creativity, through helping commercialise ideas. Simply put, we see this as taking your ideas and helping to make them a reality.

“I think it is very important to find out what you really want to do as a photographer and to have an understanding of the industry that you want to work in after University. I would advice students to work hard on their personal advise, but along side that try to get as much work experience as you can. There are a lot of opportunities such as interning, volunteering or assisting.”

Our Enterprise team at Swansea Met includes academics, business mentors and graduates, so we can offer tailored support for students whatever their discipline.

Illustration: Ryan O’Dare

Graduate Veronica Sanchis Bencomo graduated in Photojournalism at Swansea Met in 2010 and found herself in a situation where she needed more experience. “When I was in Swansea Met I wish I had been more proactive in terms of looking for internships or looking to volunteer during the summer to gain as much experience as possible because, as soon as you finish, you are not a student any more. Wherever you go there is the question of your experience. As a student on an internship it becomes very, very valuable when you are a graduate.”

“Tell us your ideas and we will call on successful graduates to answer your questions. It is our entrepreneurial graduates who make the offering at Swansea Met quite unique, it is our alumni (ex students) experiences that guide our thinking and help shape the support we give. The lecturers therefore become reflective learners and are able to shape lessons so that they fit within the industry our students will move into. Additionally, graduates return to us with their newfound information in order to pass it on to our students through presentations, mentoring and new contacts.” Kathy Penaluna

Room 404: Room 404 is Swansea Met’s Enterprise Zone. A room that facilitates the exchange of sought after and up-to-date literature for events and a place that promotes business materials such as business cards, leaflets, signposts, services needed ads, etc. Room 404 can be used for business meetings to support and build relationships between students and graduates from different courses in order to utilise their skills and share expertise within a Swansea Met network. This knowledge exchange accelerates the development of enterprise start-ups and contributes real practice to CV’s and portfolios, raising their profiles within their industry and increasing their prospects when looking for employment. It’s a way of learning a lot more than you can on a single course, and helps you to be far more adaptable and flexible too. If you are a graphic designer looking for an accountant, or a motorsports student wanting to learn how actors present themselves so well, then you can either leave a wanted ad on the notice board, or pick up the business card.

Sculpture by the Sea specialises in art workshops and festivals for schools and communities and is now recognised as a good practice example in ‘outdoor learning’.

“We couldn’t have done it without the help and encouragement from Swansea Met…. They continue to give advice and support freely …” Sara Holden www.sculpturebythesea.co.uk

Entrepreneur In Residence

Another service available to students and graduates is to occupy a room at Swansea Met rent-free for one year. One of the many benefits of occupying a room within the University is that new entrepreneurs are neighbours to lecturers with specialist knowledge in many fields such as accountancy, marketing and design.

One of our Entrepreneurs in Residence is Jo Ashburner. Jo first established her company NooNoo designs in 2004 shortly after graduating from Swansea Met with a first class degree in Surface Pattern Design. It was whilst studying at Swansea Met that Jo developed her first range of products which incorporate free hand machine embroidered child art using drawings by her son Zac. Her company went on to employ 28 people, manufacture overseas and different distribute world-wide. In 2006, Jo was countries, so Europe awarded Business Woman of the Year by is £800 and the USA is Grazia Magazine and O2. A string of £1500. Without a trademark in design and product awards have those countries our name could be followed. The company is built on taken, so we have to buy the trademarks principles of the ethical manufacture of before we trade overseas.” ecologically sustainable and ‘clean’ Greg Bombroffe textiles. www.retrosexualclothing.com Jo is now an Entrepreneur in Residence and pops in to provide motivational and Giving back - Alumni inspirational advice, being both role model and ambassador. She assists our presentations students and graduates by offering her Many graduates give talks and experience and contacts within the presentations that help encourage and industry by, for example, matching inspire students. They give practical products with retailers. insight and advice and offer contacts and networks to Swansea Met. Lecturers “… I couldn’t have done it anywhere invite graduates from different fields and else… I was totally crushed when I first different levels in order to offer insight came to Swansea Met, with every steep into the ups and downs of different learning curve in design and business I used the experience as the rock on which journeys, from the challenges of recent graduates, to the increased responsibility to rebuild my life…” of successful business owners and/or Jo Ashburner managers. They don’t pull punches and www.noonoodesign.com the level of honesty is invaluable, so as a student you get a chance to ask in-depth questions to those who are just a bit Intellectual Property Awareness ahead of you and can connect easily with you and your studies. Our Commercial Services department works with graduates to gain up-to-theminute information on essential Intellectual Property issues, for example, Support Mechanisms – Dropr.com registering trademarks for your new As you can see, Swansea Met students business and avoiding the pitfalls of copyright. This shared knowledge is then know first hand what is needed in order to get their talents out there. New passed on to current students, so it breakthroughs by our graduates are improves new businesses skills for utlised by current students such as the everyone. software Dropr created by graduates in Multimedia, Mateusz Swansea Met 2011 Graduate Greg Cyrankiewicz and Noel Bombroffe, Creative Director of Lynagh. Retrosexual Clothing, and his partner Gareth Morgan, Solutions Director, recently had to learn about and understand registering trademarks in order to launch their new brand, Retrosexual.

For example, in 2008 a group of Surface Pattern students started a business called SI:SU, up-cycled fashion, using vintage fabric. They used one of the rooms at Swansea Met to make products and found the rent-free, innercity space invaluable during the first year business start-up. Working within Swansea Met offered SI:SU contacts such as CIRIC, Swansea Met’s Creative Industries Research and Innovation Centre and SI:SU were featured on BBC 2’s Working Lunch, ‘business news you can use’.

“I found the course tuition support and commercial services really helpful and friendly and I still see Kathy Penaluna now. The time as a graduate at Swansea Met helped me understand what to do and what not to do when starting up a business.” Helen Stew www.maiyafashion.co.uk Helen has now started up a new business called Maiya that uses high end organic, Fair-Trade and vintage material focusing on a more glamorous higher market. In February 2012 the Maiya Label was exhibited in the Ecoluxe London exhibition show during London Fashion week.

“You can purchase your trade mark by going on http://www.ipo.gov.uk/, where there are 45 classes of goods available. Our clothes and name are now secured and we are going to secure the Retrosexual Design for wall art next and then Retrosexual Records. You also have to buy the trademarks in

Incubation Space

“Dropr is a portfolio platform for artists who want to expose their work with minimal fuss. Incorporating the latest online technology, Dropr offers a wide range of well-thought out features in an attractive easy to use interface. Dropr is the first portfolio solution to offer full multimedia support, allowing users to keep their images, video, audio, text and interactive work all in the one place finally bringing together all online media.” Noel Lynagh http://dropr.com/

Shut Up and Start Up Shut Up and Start Up is funded by the Welsh Government and is an entrepreneurs club founded to help encourage graduates and undergraduates from Swansea Met to pursue their own business ventures. The club is entering its fourth year in 2012. Its mission is to offer no-nonsense business advice from local business people, helping its members gain the confidence to start a company. The club operates in a seminar format, with one or two key speakers giving attendees the chance to hear anecdotes from people who have the experience of starting their own business, followed by a question and answer session and a chance to network. Graduates and Undergraduates starting their own businesses meet every 3rd Wednesday, in Room 404. Students utilise Springboard, the online support of Shut Up and Start Up. http://springboardsmu.tumblr.com http://www.smu.ac.uk/shutupstartup

Business Breakfasts

Expertise

In Wales, the creative industries have been identified as a key driver of business growth. Swansea Met has encouraged local businesses to work with their students claiming that by working with a university, they could have access to a wide range of resources to support and develop organisations.

One of Swansea Met’s aims is to create professional people with specialised expertise, and it is always a pleasure to work with such graduates.

“The creative industries business breakfasts are open to students, graduates, start up businesses and established businesses alike and are a great way of not only finding out about current developments and support available in the sector but more importantly to meet and network with colleagues from that sector”. Lisa Lucas www.smu.ac.uk

“I got a lot of help from Commercial Services when I was still studying such as mentoring, and guidance on business plans, grants and funding. Ben Wyeth Photography has been established for five years now and last year I did a really nice job for Swansea Met where I got to meet interesting undergraduate entrepreneurs in order to produce posters for Commercial Services. It is nice to stay in touch.” Ben Wyeth www.benwyeth.co.uk

Some important points to finish on: not all students want to start their own businesses straight out of Uni, so we offer the chance to pop back and get help for up to five years after you graduate. In any case, you may not want to be self employed but the simple fact is that many of our graduates will end up working for small business and enterprising people – so understanding how it all works is invaluable experience for that first interview, not forgetting how helpful it can also be to climb the career ladder that little bit faster too.

Making the most of Community Engagement The faculty of Art & Design at Swansea Met has a long history of engagement with the community in which it exists, including the private, public and voluntary sectors. The type of engagement varies, for example, carrying out research, learning and knowledge exchange, enabling innovation in industry and support, development and generating opportunities for a variety of individuals and community groups. Student involvement in these activities also varies widely and can include paid employment, work placements and volunteering as well as carrying out a variety of external projects as part of, or in addition to, their courses. Students soon discover that there are many proven benefits to be gained through external engagement that are in addition to the obvious and most welcome financial rewards.

Arts in Action

Getting involved in any external activity also provides an ideal networking opportunity. It’s about making new contacts, meeting and engaging with new people from different cultures and backgrounds, and making new friends. Often it’s simply about enjoying a new activity and actually having fun whilst gaining that valuable life and work experience. Wherever possible our students are encouraged to be involved in a wide range of projects that engage with business & industry. For many of these students this is the first taste of industry-related work experience. Working in a particular industry or business sector opens up a whole range of new opportunities and insight into various careers, and exposure to different types of jobs and roles can inform and influence career choices, providing much needed direction.

Saturday Art School

Several exciting projects are implemented under the umbrella of CIRIC, the Faculty’s Creative Industries Research and Innovation Centre. These include video and applied arts, and often these provide valuable learning opportunities to work on a range of projects alongside experienced industry

professionals. For example, students have worked on feature films and TV pilots, and with product designers and fashion companies. CIME (Creativity & Innovation in Micro Enterprise) is a European INTERREG project that is centered on the development and implementation of creative and innovative practices into Micro Enterprises. Following extensive research, CIME developed and is in the process of delivering an extensive and intensive four-tiered training and mentoring programme. The whole project is about coming up with and exploring creative ways to deliver and develop skills. One idea led to the recruitment of two of our Illustration students as ‘Visual Minute Takers’ for the Master classes. The idea proved so successful that the students are now in the process of setting up their own company. Other students have been actively engaging in workshops related to Idea Generation & Problem Solving, Product & Service Development and Creative Marketing. For example, Design for Advertising students were employed to work with individual businesses to help them generate creative marketing ideas. Several participating students continue to engage with the businesses they helped support. For the last 6 years, from November to February, the faculty has run the popular Saturday Art School. Children and adults from the region are given the opportunity to attend free courses in Drawing & Painting, Textiles, Photography, TV/Video Production, Graphic Design, Stained Glass and Ceramics. Student involvement includes being

employed as tutors and assistants or voluntary placements in the various subjects. This engagement provides them with the opportunity to gain insight and experience in a teaching environment and several of the students have been inspired to go on to gain teaching qualifications. Others considering teaching have decided it’s definitely not for them!

student to submit a project proposal and attend interview as part of the formal application process. Successful projects have been carried out in a variety of media including textiles, photography, book illustration, site-specific fine art, theatre costume and design, printmaking, ceramics, glass and graphic design.

Experience of working in a different environment can often lead to a greater understanding of one’s capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. It builds selfconfidence through facing and dealing with challenges and so contributes greatly to personal development.

Swansea Met has a long history of working in partnership with the ABM University Health Trust to provide opportunities for a variety of projects in local hospitals and various healthcare settings. Recently students engaged with the trust on a major development scheme at Cefn Coed hospital that involved the construction of new intermediate care units and facilities on the site. NHS staff, architects and designers were keen to integrate art works into the design in order to enhance the patient environment.

This year is the 14th anniversary of the Arts in Action Residency Scheme. Coordinated by the faculty, the programme delivers up to 17 arts projects annually in local primary and secondary schools. To date, students from Art & Design or Humanities have delivered a total of 152 individual projects. This is often the first time that students carry out paid work within their various disciplines in the wider community, enabling them to share their expertise within a supported framework. Recruitment requires the

Cefn Coed

The development consists of an 18bed ‘slow stream’ facility and two 4-bed ‘step down’ units as well as a new 60-bed mental health unit for older people. The ‘slow stream’ mental health rehabilitation service provides treatment for patients experiencing an acute and often ongoing episode of mental illness,

guiding them to achieve goals towards independence within a supportive environment. ‘Step down’ units provide skills learning and the transitional support between acute care and the return to the wider community. Students were encouraged to carry out extensive research into appropriate imagery for this type of psychiatric care facilities before submitting proposals for both internal and external works. A large number of artworks were selected by a panel consisting of staff and patients and were purchased by the trust. Work included photography, prints, paintings and drawings, wall hangings and sculpture. Participation in any external activity requires commitment and initiative from the student, which in turn can enhance and demonstrate employability. In order to compete effectively in the current economic climate, it is crucial that graduates can provide evidence to employers of the transferable skills they possess and many of these can be gained and demonstrated through external engagement. A CV is an opportunity to market oneself and to stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs. Being able to

present a CV that demonstrates initiative in addition to academic achievements is essential. These are just a few examples of engagement activities that have provided our students with the opportunity to exchange, develop and gain new skills. As well as technical knowledge students acquire core workplace skills including teamwork, good communication, project management, planning and organising and an awareness and understanding of how organisations operate. All this contributes to the ability to demonstrate that crucial experience that employers look for. Sometimes though, engagement is just simply about gaining life experience, a sense of achievement and the understanding that contributing to society and the individuals that make up that society is something satisfying, worthwhile and valuable.

CIME Visual Minutes

Making the most of an Internship or any work experience “The glass department gave me confidence to apply to different competitions and as a result I enjoyed a 40 week internship as a part of the Award for Excellence, travelling around some of the most prestigious stained glass studios in Britain and Germany. Since finishing the placements I have been working for Reyntiens Glass Studio in London, on a project for the Houses of Parliament.”

I have had three internships: one of which was for Keass in China. Graduates today have to accept that internships will come before permanent employment and the process of getting acquainted is a slow one. Colleagues were working on projects so it was important that I fit in where needed, such as doing research before I was given a feature wall to design. The important thing is that you show your commitment, passion and drive. The connection in China gave me the confidence to secure my next placement. It is definitely all about leaving that lasting impression. Grace Ironside

Megan Stacey, BA (Hons) Glass (Graduated 2010)

Even in the days of high employment when a career-related job was sometimes waiting for you when you graduated, work experience and internships were still highly valuable. As a photographic student in the 70’s I was lucky enough to have 6 internships, two arranged by my University and four that I arranged myself for vacation periods. They included the Natural History Museum, Kew Gardens, London University and Sussex University’s design/AV departments, a map-making company and the ILEA Television Centre. I didn’t get paid for any of these positions but all this experience led to my first employment and within two years I was working as a designer for the ILEA, this time with a salary.

In today’s climate internships are even more important as they provide you with real life work within your type of industry and are great for CVs. Sometimes a placement can even help you to get a foot in the door for a full time position or freelance work. Within the creative industries there are a large proportion of sole-traders who work on a freelance basis so often work-experience, at the present time, may by shadowing or assisting individual artists, media producers and designers. Within your degree programmes you will undertake an external project with an organisation such as a company, charity, art gallery etc., which may entail working on site, or within the organisation. Also, often within the programmes, there are live-briefs for clients. The following suggestions (and they are just suggestions) may help with this type of project as well as short and long-term work–placements and internships. We also have in the faculty the Creative Industries Research and Innovation Centre (CIRIC) which houses several projects that work with the creative industries and provides work experience opportunities for students.

Before you get there 1. Find out as much about the company/organisation/individual as you can before you get there. The organisation will be more impressed if you’ve taken the time to find out about them. If you can, find out about what you will likely be doing. It is unlikely that you will be working on anything exciting for at least a month but you will be part of a creative team, however small a part that might be. 2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Make sure you know how to find the place on the first day, check parking, bus/train times etc and arrive early, even if it means hanging around for a while. Take a notebook, a diary or IPad/phone and some business cards and/or self promotional material, although it is unlikely that anyone will want to see your work within the first few days. 3. Practice the likely technologies you will be using. At university there is time to explore and experiment with new technologies and software.

When you are employed/freelancing you don’t often have that chance, so someone with those skills is really useful to have around. You can often make your mark by knowing the latest versions of Photoshop, Illustrator or even Microsoft Office and can problem solve using them. 4. Wear the right clothes suitable for a professional environment, meeting room or location. This is a difficult one, it is for the professionals too, as you may need to go straight from a client meeting to a muddy, windswept location shoot. While you are there 5. Although you are usually not getting paid in monetary terms, it is always worth remembering that the company/organisation is doing you a favour by allowing you into their professional world. You are being paid in time, which is the most expensive commodity in the workplace.

6. Watch, listen and take note of how colleagues do things, even the simplest things like answering the phone. Learn from everything and everyone around you.

10. Ask for feedback about your contribution and before you leave the internship, if possible, ask for professional opinions on your practice/university work and careers advice.

7. Make yourself as useful as possible, even when the work is really boring (notice I’ve put ‘when’ and not ‘if’). If you can be trusted to do the boring work well, this may lead to more interesting projects and possibly the opportunity to present your portfolio, show-reel etc. Whatever you are doing there take it really seriously, as mistakes could have significant consequences.

11. Enjoy.

8. Don’t use social media sites unless it is part of your job and don’t make personal phone calls, except at lunch on your own phone, even if the atmosphere is really laid back. Some organisations have a really strict policy on this.

Afterwards 12. At the end of the internship, write and thank those involved and stay in touch for example send an invite to your degree show. Let us have your feedback about the placement, how you benefited and whether your experience would help other students. Professor Andrea Liggins, Dean of Art and Design, Director of CIRIC.

9. Continue to be on time and reliable even if others in the organisation are not.

“From working with my peers I learned to be honest and build trust which I have taken with me to my workplace. We don’t work in a hierarchy; I rely on my team as much as they rely on me.”

Making the most from your Leadership Experience Oanis Rawbone graduated as a mature student in 2010 from Swansea Met with a first class honours degree in Video. The valuable leadership experience that Oanis gained from directing film during his course transferred easily into a management role.

Ulrich (2008) created five rules of leadership that help summarise the responsibilities, roles and characteristics that lead you in the direction of being a successful manager.

Illustration: Ryan O’Dare

Strategist – Shape the future In the beginning of a person’s life most will be provided by family or carers, after that young adults usually have to put clothes on their own backs, food on their own table, support their own adventures and make their own success in order to keep the wolf from their own door.

“Swansea Met taught me self-belief which is the bedrock of everything a person does. I was empowered by the course and the good marks and feedback pushed me to just go for it. My tutors gave me the confidence to enter competitions and apply for jobs I thought were too advanced. That confidence is something that really helped during interviews and I’m happy I didn’t waste time doubting and just went for it.”

As a result of returning to Swansea Met, Oanis has been working for Dragon DI as manager of the iTunes encoding team since April last year. Dragon Di is a post production house based in Pencoed that specialises in Shaping your own future, creating your own colour grading, film restoration, digital effects, digital encoding etc. “We are one of visions and pathways has never been more only a handful of Apple accredited important in order to improve your standard companies in Europe. My new job is of living. Shaping the future is the first rule of fantastic, with great people and great leadership according to Ulrich (2008) and it working environment. Going back to starts with you. University is the best thing I have ever done.” “I went straight into work from school and Executor – Make things happen felt trapped working in a call centre for The second rule of leadership according to years. At that time I was editing videos for Ulrich is to make things happen and get my family and loved it, so I returned to things done. “I ensure that I know all education to persue my dreams.”

deadlines and work with my team to meet them. We talk informally each morning and set out what we hope to achieve by the end of the day. It is a team effort.” Some of the skills involved in Oanis’ job role are time and people management, accounts, technical homework on computers, trouble shooting if problems occur and quality checks. “I hit the ground running. Without Swansea Met it would have taken me longer to learn my job.”

“I picked up leadership experience when making a film for my course where we would gather key personnel to discuss an idea as a team. I remember the adrenaline when I arrived on the day to film and there were about 25 people waiting for me, including make-up artists, teachers and students. It took me a moment to be confident but then I just got on with directing everyone. The feeling that I had cracked it was amazing.” The film Oanis directed during his studies was Whippoorwill Lane which went on to win Best Horror at the National Student Film Festival 2011 in London.

Communication is a key success factor for getting things done in order to make decisions, gather information, scan the environment, process and pass over information. “I learned to communicate effectively during project work at university and then passed that process over to my employment. We work in a relaxed atmosphere that is conducive to good working practice. We get each other coffee and ideas are talked about throughout the day. I don’t close myself off, we work together and address things together as they come up and we laugh.” Talent Manager – Engage in today’s talent Identifying, developing, motivating, generating loyalty and building potential talent, so that they develop themselves is rule three for managers and leaders. “I aim to build the aspirations of my team by creating an atmosphere where we talk about our feelings and opinions openly. If you empower people it inspires them to do more and to want to be a part of where they work.”

that creates job opportunities. If you are interested in working for a company, do your homework, find out as much as you can about them and what they do. Work experience is a great way to introduce yourself to a company and for you to observe what you could possibly bring to the table.”

others involved. Sign up for everything and work for free if needs be. Meet people and make contacts. Don’t waste time, start before you graduate. Take yourself seriously, if you don’t, who else will? Be positive. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone, call those production companies, make things happen.”

“I have contributed to some change since working at Dragon Di in developing different ways of doing things in order to upscale, such as producing new software that enables us to take on new clients.” Personal Proficiency – Invest in yourself Rule five focuses on character. The Greeks split character into four cardinal virtues: courage - leading by seizing opportunities and dealing with challenges; temperance leading with personal humility; justice leading selflessly by doing what is right, and wisdom - leading by applying knowledge and experience to current situations. Added later were: hope - leading by sincerely articulating a bright future especially when the circumstances look bleak; love - leading by demonstrating a genuine concern, and faith - offers positive core values demonstrated through actions. (Eastman 2010)

“It is really, really important to be teamorientated, possess a positive attitude and At Swansea Met Oanis used the team work well with others. I am determined, environment and utilised the resources whether directing films or managing people, around him to promote other students’ to ensure people enjoy the working talents within his projects. “When you are in environment and become proactive. Your University there are so many resources and attitude always comes through; we look for skilled people that you can ask. The pottery this in interviews as you can train people up department helped with a clay asteroid and if they have the right attitude. I believe that the Surface Pattern course created some Swansea Met helps to create positive, costumes and props. I saw Karl Mountford’s proactive and happy people who get things done. I have belief in myself and my abilities work and thought it was fantastic so asked him if he would be interested in collaborating and it was Swansea Met that gave me that on a film. We are working together now, Karl confidence.” is doing the illustrations for my first book. “Ensuring that I am flexible and able to work He’s an amazing talent, he does fantastic work and will go on to great things” accurately in a fast paced environment all links back to the environment set up. If a Human Capital Developer – Build problem arises in the morning it is tackled by the next generation the afternoon. I think it important for Rule four requires that you identify longereveryone to muck in. If I have a problem I term workforce plans of future talent ask them and vice versa. Leading by example is crucial.” required for future success. “University is exciting, enjoy yourself, believe “As with most businesses, opportunities for employment is born from requirements. As a in yourself and utilise everything and company grows its requirements change and everyone around you. Get involved and get

Making the most of your Gap Year

More than a Backpackerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pipedream by Will Jones Marketing Manager at Real Gap

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no secret that gap year travel has long been hailed as a great way to improve cultural knowledge and broaden horizons. But gap years now are a far cry from the backpacker stereotype of 10 years ago. CV-savvy travellers today recognise a year out as a great opportunity to gain skills that will make candidates stand out from the crowd when it comes to reapplying and seeking employment. Entrants who have used their time wisely by setting off on volunteer projects and worthwhile travel experiences will have a much greater chance of success upon returning home and re-entering the job market. Volunteering abroad is an increasingly popular way to see the world and contribute to meaningful projects. These can include wildlife conservation and community-based projects that give the volunteers the chance to immerse themselves in a new culture and gain valuable inside experience. Viewing the world through a different culture opens the mind to see things differently, arousing all your senses. Beautiful sceneries, interesting horizons, ancient architectures and traditional fashions, materials, patterns and accessories really offer a chance to expand your creative mind in order to inject new feelings and knowledge back into your own practice.

I have taken inspiration for projects from travelling to European countries including Venice and Prague. Taking yourself away from your familiar environment can highten your perception and appreciation of what surrounds you. I have a passion for architecture and enjoy recreating grand classical facades of buildings in printing and embroidery. For further information on Real Gap visit: www.realgap.co.uk, call: 01892 516164 or email: info@realgap.co.uk.

Harriet Pophan haripop.tumbr.com

The value of an exhibition

Prepare your self psychologically! You have got to be capable of taking knockbacks because you will get them, but you must go on and keep plugging the next one. You have the transferable skills that potential employers need, no matter what job you are doing. Gavin Kirby (Lecturer)

Inspiration

should be recognised as a prospective launch pad because it could offer an effective starting point for a career, project or freelance business.

I collect things and keep a sketchbook of designs that I like and dislike in order to work out my inspirations and get things from them. Laura Adams

Planning!

Exhibitions are opportunities where capable graduates can present their best work and where market information flows freely. Exhibitions can enable students to identify competition and engage with visitors and talent hunters representing the design industry, potential employers, the press and buyers. Students and graduates exhibit their work locally at Swansea Met, The Waterfront Museum and the Grand Theatre and nationally in sell out national exhibitions such as ‘New Designers’ and ‘Free Range’.

List tasks and attach schedules to meet your goals. Even the small things like drills, hammers and screwdrivers, and you MUST NOT forget a spirit level! Check everything, don’t cut corners, it’s got to be perfect. Scott Mulanby

Teamwork Loyalty and trust came from working together throughout the degree. We always help and recommend each other to potential clients. Tom Ward

Budgeting To raise money we put on music nights with raffles and external exhibitions to seek donations. Sticking to a budget was tricky, making lists of income and expenditure was essential. We ordered business cards as a group to save money. Rachel Adam

Promoting When promoting an exhibition there is a focus on inviting the right people to view your work. Take advantage of every kind of media available. Business cards and post cards with contact details are a good way of promoting individual work. Rijan Tardy

Portfolio Be familiar with your portfolio and know what you are going to say in order to get your message across. Go through it a couple of times the night before with family or friends to build your confidence. Josh Stevens

Professionalism It’s the little things, attention to detail that produce work to a high standard. Symmetry, consistency, space and order are important when hanging work. There is a lot of interesting dialogue between works. Look at the space and use its potential to make it look as professional and classy as possible. Paul Duerinckx (Lecturer)

Satisfaction Seeing your work on the wall gives you insight into how it could look in an everyday environment. It makes you think and puts you up against other people, and you up your game a little bit! Charlotte Wood

Security It is a good idea to look into the security and liability insurance for your work as loopholes in gallery insurance could leave you without cover. Leezann Davies

Networks During New Designers we teamed up with Portsmouth University and took part in a ‘Live Art’. It was great to mix with other students and exchange experiences. People came and watched, it was a chance to do something out of passion. We have since been asked to create the Swansea Met stand for Design Your Future which has opened up different opportunities and business ventures. Dave Long

“If you want to sell your work then you have got to exhibit it.”

An interview with

Tom Pope about doing a lot of everything: workshops, commissions, selling work, talks and exhibitions. The £10,000 is going to allow me to be able to work in a studio for the next year, working on a He then went on to complete a one year residency big project and hopefully I can exhibit that project and sell some of the work. If you want to sell your at Swansea Met and has since graduated from work then you have got to exhibit it.” the Royal College of Art. Tom has exhibited work at the Royal West of England Academy of Arts and in the Mission Gallery Swansea where he was the Tom has always wanted to be an artist and exhibit work and he gained valuable information on first prize winner of the Open Exhibition 2008. financing and obtaining funding to exhibit outside During Tom’s time at Swansea Met he entered the University during his external project. “One every photography competition that was relevant module requirement was to undertake an external to his practice and this enthusiasm led to assignment outside the University, in industry. A additional exhibition opportunities. In New friend and I planned a venture whereby we Sensations 2007 Tom’s entry went on to be obtained funding to go to San Francisco to make exhibited in other exhibitions for the rest of the a photographic project using the largest Polaroid year. Recently the Deutsche Bank Awards 2011 camera in the world.” presented Tom with a £10,000 prize to produce more work, coupled with a business mentor who will help him to become self-sufficient and live off “Exhibitions are quite intense and I know how important they are at the moment for meeting his own practice over the next few years. “It’s In 2008 Tom Pope graduated from Swansea Met with a First Class Honours Degree in Photography in the Arts.

people, you need to be very sociable. Private viewing is all about a social place for networking. People go to exhibitions to see artwork but they also go to see friends in the art world, which are very small circles. The viewing public consists of art collectors and buyers; there are people who could offer you funding or residencies and workshops, and this is where it all happens. Faceto-face time enables you to meet artists, curators, collectors etc, so I think that is what exhibiting is all about. I try to do at least one exhibition a year.” Tom’s check-list consists of everything from presentation to working with galleries, organising people and assistants, explaining what you are showing, invites, mailing lists, printing, taking work to framers and organising AV audio equipment. “I normally stop making work a month before and it all kicks in naturally these days; dealing with people and working against

deadlines is not the easiest, especially in the art world. I normally have about ten things to do every day for about two weeks. It is quite intense. It’s project management at the end of the day.” “It is good to see your work presented in a way that you envisioned or wanted it. When you’re in the studio it is on the wall, tight and compact. You have to come up with ways in which to present your work in galleries, with more space and bigger walls, seeing if that vision works and if the idea is successful. It is always good to finally get there, to see where your work is destined to be.” Looking back on his success Tom believes that living in Swansea as a Swansea Met student reduced the pressures upon him in the beginning to become a good photographer and good artist. In Swansea he was free from expectation and encouraged to do what he wanted and find his own techniques. “I was told to bring in a new

piece of work to every ‘crit’ or tutorial, so that is what I stuck by, it just continued working. My lecturers never told me that I couldn’t try anything, they let me try it all and that freedom and method of working was the most important thing for me and I have taken those skills with me to the Royal College of Art.” Tom’s main research areas are performance, repetition, time and public space. His work comes from how these four areas link together. Much of this work has stemmed from his dissertation while at Swansea Met, where he researched how photography documents performance, the photographer’s relationship with performance, how the photograph becomes a record of the performance and then continues to become the performance so that it continues to perform. “My practice and work is still based on my dissertation and my continued research stems from that dissertation.”

The advice Tom has to offer fresh photographers is to “have fun and find yourself, find what you like doing. People in the industry like to wait until students are in their third year when they are at a point where they are able to exhibit or they have a final show. It’s similar in MA as well, galleries and curators are interested in talking to us but they don’t want to see our work until a few weeks before the final show.... so, in the first year don’t listen to anyone, do what you want, find your own methods, enter the competitions that are right for you and don’t stop! If you’re an artist you can’t stop making work, it’s a 24-7 job, it takes a lot of time and a lot of sacrifices but the rewards make it worthwhile”

Cerys Ackland 24

Cerys Ackland graduated from Swansea Met in 2011 with a First Class Honours Degree in Surface Pattern Design.

“ My love of technology has influenced my work in menswear as I try to mimic different forms to create my patterns. I am heavily influenced by men’s fashion, my work consists of traditional tailoring of men’s blazers incorporating a new technical design to the fabric, using embroidery and LED lighting. By mimicking the digital frontier within the computer, I strive to convey a new aesthetic of the man’s suit. This incorporation of traditional tailoring and technology gives the idea of the old and new and thereby flipping tailoring on its head.

“The inspiration for the suit came primarily from technology. I take things apart! I took a broken television apart and created three to four different designs from the six circuit boards found inside that television. I also did my dissertation on the association of the suit as masculine and how it could be perceived that women become stripped of their femininity when they wear the suit. This is something I take into consideration when designing suits for different clients. I would love to have my name in men’s fashion and to see my designs on the catwalk. I recently visited London Fashion Week and it was so inspiring, they were already showing trends for the next two years, which was incredible. I got a real appreciation for the garments and being able to see the detail and stitching along with the atmosphere was fantastic. Fresh out of university, the first thing you realise is that it is up to you to make new contacts and exhibiting your work is the best way to do that. Of course, if you win any competition you gain acknowledgment, however you learn more from taking part and making important decisions when working on your own brief to start your

journey as an independent designer. The tutors at Swansea Met were brilliant at preparing us for working independently when we leave.

lights, as it is less bulky and more fluid. For the SKK exhibition I exhibited two jackets, one on a stand and the other was worn during the exhibition by one of SKK employees.

I concentrated all my efforts on the End of Year Show. I was very passionate about my designs and that came through when talking to visitors, tutors and the examiner. I made sure that I worked on my design for the final show daily to ensure it was of a very high standard. I think that passion helped get me into New Designers where I made contact with Shiu-Kay Kan the Managing Director of SKK, an innovative lighting shop in London that provides perfect lighting for unique design requirements.

Shiu-Kay Kan encouraged me to work proactively and independently. He is very honest and has given me a platform from which to launch my career by giving me key contact details, but he left it up to me to build my own relationships. One of SKK’s contacts has asked me to make a suit for a party where the lights will be synchronized, flowing from the top to the bottom like a waterfall. I have also been encouraged to look into LED wedding suits.

Shiu-Kay Kan asked me to make a suit that incorporated LED lighting to be exhibited in his shop in London. SKK invited 150 people to the exhibition including a variety of clients, Japanese press, filming companies, Royal College of Art tutors and more. My design was one of five that included two fashion designers; two animation designers and one graphic designer to produce work integrating innovative lighting. By working with SKK on this project I have a better understanding of LED lighting and the many different styles available. In order to move forward with my design I will incorporate copper wire to connect the

I love my work and wouldn’t ever want to do anything else! My advice to Surface Pattern Design students would be to enjoy themselves and stay open minded. I started the course determined that I was going to be doing 3D design when I graduated and ended up in male fashion. Use the workshops and facilities: the lazer and water cutters, embroidery machine and print machine as much as possible. The course teaches you skills from traditional to technical, learn from them all and play with them all because, when you graduate, you will have to find new contacts for these facilities and that costs money.”

” 25

Retrosexual Launch their

BRAND

Greg Bombroffe graduated from Swansea Met with a degree in Advertising in 2011. His Retrosexual designs for his end of year show sold out and, with the encouragement of his tutors and the backing of business partner Gareth Morgan, Retrosexual embarked on a path of retro revival.

The launch was just the beginning, Retrosexual has a business plan full of ideas! The Big Distinguishing Difference Retrosexual is more than a brand; its trademark stands for goodness and nobility. It is a creative hub, an umbrella of vintage seventies paraphernalia, where similar styles, attached to great values, are showcased in the limelight to attract advocates, sharing those same great styles and values. Images, songs, photographs, clothing and accessories by artists, photographers, musicians and designers will have a meeting place to reveal their designs and share their love for everything that is Retro.

Since the launch, Retrosexual have shifted their focus onto the Internet in order to build the Retro music and artists’ scene. “We want to create a gallery for selling art and photography. We are also working with bands and promoting events. We have used beer coasters that say ‘Have a drink on us!’ for people to checkout the Retrosexual site and see what we are all about.”

The Feedback In order to guard Retrosexual, it has been important to gather feedback from blogs, customers and shops. We have a group of marketing students who work for us promoting events and gathering information. One discovery was that people found it hard to read the logo and so Greg has gone back to the drawing board. “Using marketing students has helped people be more honest than if I was asking questions; we have asked about the text and colours, as colour increases recognition. We have also sent out questionnaires to our mailing lists and have done research in clubs to find out our potential customers’ preferences.”

Retrosexual’s main focus is in promoting and creating content that is remarkable. The brand promise for the Retro-fit range of clothing is to be high-end. “Clothing that can be worn clubbing or skating and would not look out of place at a good restaurant either.” Followers will experience quality in products that are ethically and locally sourced through WRAP (Working Together for a World without Waste). This honesty is reflected in the Retrosexual products so that the people who wear them feel happy. There is no room for negative unjust materials for Retrosexual believe that their karma cannot allow for that.

The Aspiration “As soon as you start your course you are an artist. Promote yourself from the start. If we had listened to bystanders giving advice and going against us, Retrosexual would never have happened. Stick to your guns. You have to swim upstream and fight against it. Think about what you want, keep that excitement in your stomach and just go for it!”

The Anticipation Greg and Gareth used a series of posters with limited information to build anticipation. The first four months before the launch stated, ‘It’s Coming!’ with the Retro Symbol. “No-one knew what Retro was at that point!” The second poster included the date, and then the third had a list of bands and details of the Launch Party.

The Retrosexual launch took place at The Grand Theatre. The free admission, central location and afternoon opening with BBQ and bands outside brought in a variety of demographics. “We created a buzz, Swansea people spread the Retrosexual word faster than any promotion could have.” The launch was followed up with a two-week wall art exhibition. “You have to be creative. You can make something memorable on a small budget.”

Greg and Gareth focused next on the clothing range, targeting one or two shops in each major city. Retrosexual aimed to get creative with their point of sales and have created retro arcade machines with rails inside to hang their clothing range on. “Almost a mini shop within a shop, just a rail, quirky!”

The Network

The Followers’ Experience

The First Impression

The Distribution

The Promotion Retrosexual used flyers, social media, newsletters, posters and word of mouth to promote the launch. “We tried to appeal to all senses with retro wall art, clothing and the smell of the BBQ. The great line-up of music outside meant that everyone was laughing and smiling. That good vibe attached itself to our brand.”

'A brand name is more than a word. It is the beginning of a conversation.' - Lexicon

Your Hero as Your Mentor! 1. A graduate can feel like a small fish in a vast ocean. There is much to learn and guidance is much needed.

I need guidance

Self-doubt holds me back

feeling good

2.Direction and action can be held back by self-doubt. A mentor has the words of encouragement you need. 3.Aim high and find a mentor who has achieved the success you seek. Ask for a reasonable requirement such as being able to email them once a month with no more than three questions. 4.A mentor can invite you into networks that take years to develop. 5. The law of reciprocity. Offer your mentor something in exchange for their help, which is of similar value, i.e. helping them promote their latest work.

Illustrations: Karl Mountford

6.A mentor can inform, encourage, open doors, push, guide, solve, motivate, check, redirect and collaborate. Being a mentor can be rewarding, improve leadership and coaching skills, recap on expertise and improve their own performance.

one good deed deserves another

7. Stand out from the crowd, be unique, reveal your new confidence, commitment and ambition so that you can be admired.

reelance has come down to us from medieval times, when knights independent of any Lord roamed the countryside in search of adventure.... Free men would sell their skills with the lance to any master, whether his cause was good or bad. Because they were unattached, they were known as “free lancers”. Sir Walter Scott in Ivanhoe (1820)

Does FREElancing Pay? David LaGrange, Jonathon Browning and Amy Teslin Davies all say YES, being both lucrative and achieving FREEdom! Advantages could come in terms of being your own boss and having control over your working hours, projects and rates of pay. Freelancing, however, is also demanding in terms of time, responsibility and risk and therefore requires high levels of professionalism and organisation to succeed.

Amy Teslin Davies graduated from Swansea Met in 2009 and she immediately started freelancing for clients who approached her from her end of year exhibition and New Designers. At present she works as a full-time freelancer for a small company where she is still able to freelance on the side. She has the security of continuous work and income with the flexibility to take time off for other work or holidays. Amy can work from home and has a brilliant working relationship with her Managing Director. Amy loves freelancing because it gives her complete control of her life, she gets to work from home and can dip in and out of different projects for different clients. “I would say my best job has been working for Shewee Ltd. They featured on Dragons Den and have had continuous publicity through the likes of Top Gear, Radio 1 and Loose Women.

David LaGrange is a lecturer at Swansea Met. He graduated in 1981 and worked as a designer on a ManPower Service Scheme and later moved into freelancing. He enjoyed working as a freelancer because he made decent money and was able to choose the work he wanted to do. David also benefited from being able to organise his working hours around other commitments. David’s best job was working for the Ecology Exhibition for the National History Museum, a project that lasted a year with a budget of seven million pounds.

Illustrations: Lee Court

Jonathon Browning is a freelance photojournalist who graduated from Swansea Met in 2005. He loves freelancing because of the freedom, being his own boss and not being constrained to a 9-5 job. He feels more in control, enjoys the flexibility and loves the travel that goes with it. His best job was working for Der Spiegel, a German magazine, where he undertook a story about wealth in China and photographed multi-millionaires, taking a look at their lifestyles and seeing what they spend their money on.

‘In light of the economic recovery appearing only weak, the preferred staffing option for hiring employers is freelancers, rather than full-time employees.... The number of people in the digital and design industry working as freelancers has increased five-fold in the last year, meaning the selfemployed now account for more than a quarter of the workforce.’ www.freelanceuk.com

Keep designing and making projects “It is difficult to get commissions if you haven’t been commissioned before. Make your own projects to put on your website to show you are competent and they can trust you. As a graduate I taught English to Universities in China and continued with photography by taking pictures for myself and making my own projects to put on my website which I was able to exhibit online and sell.” Jonathon Browning

Illustrations: Lee Court

Prospect “I had to use my own initiative to get my career started. Every time I returned home I would always go to London and try to meet the picture editors of the broadsheets. I have shown a project to a magazine and they have said that they love the story but the pictures were not comprehensive enough and so I went out and did it again and sold the project.” Jonathon Browning.

“When I lived in London I made as many contacts as I could in the publishing industry and then did a lot of design for books. That is where the work continues to come from....” David LaGrange Have a niche “It’s important to not have too wide a range in your portfolio, prepare a different portfolio for each potential new client. Keep a tight narrow edit, be specific and, if you do cross into other areas, market yourself separately.” Jonathon Browning Professionalism “Professionalism is extremely important if you want to keep clients so I always make sure all my clients give me a date for completion. I have also learned that communicating with them through every step of the design process is key. If you avoid communicating and simply just email the finished piece, who is to justify where and how the time was spent? Regular updates are a tool to legitimising your job.” Amy Teslin Davies

Reinvest “I put aside a third of my income every month and have a system to record all my outgoings. Having to save just to pay off an enormous tax bill at the end of the year is a disadvantage. It’s important to keep organised. I keep my time sheets on the computer and print them off at the end of the year. Declare everything, pay your bills and then you can sleep at night. On the other hand, getting my new Macbook Pro knocked off my tax bill was very satisfying.” Amy Teslin Davies

Persistence “I have been trying for seven years, since I graduated in 2005, and it is only the last two years that I have been able to survive from photography alone. When I was a student I would present work for feedback, more often than not it would be negative, and I would do it again. Sometimes it would take up to four attempts before I noticed an improvement. I then recognised the need to have persistence.” Jonathon Browning Update your skills “The design skills are important but also the willingness to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. The skills learned in one period will effectively be obsolete in five years, so you have to keep moving and you have to get on with people. Swansea Met students are taught that they have to adapt, we can’t teach them everything they need to know and they have a fair degree of self-learning. That should stand them in good stead for the rest of their career.” David LaGrange

Work with competitors This may seem like a conflicting habit but the best recommendation you can get is from your competitor. Healthy competition and teaming up on occasions can help you to standardise operations, methods, rates and delivery. “In an atmosphere of good competition, all competitors develop and so does the market.” Pandit (2005)

Does Freelancing Pay? “YES!” with the communication industry increasingly revolutionising it is more than convenient to freelance. It is possible to reach international clients as well as local ones. With a combination of well thought out self-promotion, professionalism when dealing with clients and, of course, some hard graft, you may be on your way to a very rewarding career.

Jonathon Browning “Photograph what YOU want to photograph. Do listen to your tutors and take on board their comments but also keep going in your style or whatever style you are working in. If you have a decent image you should be able to let the image stand for itself.”

David LaGrange “Keep faith with yourself and keep faith with your abilities, because there are plenty of people out there who will try to put you down and you need to be able to trust what you are doing. The best advice I give to students is to keep faith with themselves.”

Be a savvy and consistent marketer “I market myself via my personal website using search engine optimisers. I use LinkedIn for getting contacts and work and the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in order to network with journalists. It is often journalists Does Freelancing Pay? that I get commissions through rather than “YES!” With persistence it does. It is much the head office.” Jonathon Browning more global now and you can open up to a lot more clients over the internet. Diversify Once trust has been established in a Amy Teslin Davies specialised area, creative people can usually “Do it, do it, do it! You have to work hard, adapt their talents to be used in different maybe volunteer and put up with difficult fields, known as an ‘up-sell’. Package clients but it is worth it because eventually designers with digital skills are in high you’ll be able to choose who you work for.” demand.

Does Freelancing Pay? “YES! If you are willing to travel, i.e. go to London to get the work in the first place. If you are consistent, on time and hit your deadlines, you will get work and you will keep work. You’re only as good as your last job!”

"The lance was intimately connected to status and importance. Quality and craftsmanship in Armour were valued by knights almost as much as efficiency." http://preachan.tripod.com/knight s1.html

Supersaurus is an arts collective who met on Foundation Art & Design at Swansea Met in 2001. The group, who formed in 2010, balances individual practice with a focus on collaboration. They have exhibited widely both collectively and individually and have been commissioned to undertake projects and initiatives. Supersaurus have taught individually as visiting lecturers and also as a group with Foundation students at Swansea Met. They are all involved in the art community of Wales and play an active role in Swansea’s art scene.

MEMBERS Adele Vye is winner of Welsh Artist of the Year, Time Based Category, 2009 and is working with Glynn Vivian Art Gallery on their Book Project.

Aled Simons is an artist/designer and winner of Welsh Artist of the Year in 2011 for mixed media and has recently had a solo show at Mission Gallery.

It is difficult not to be able to forge lifelong high quality friendships with fellow students within university, possibly because they are based on fun and independence, coupled with reflected support and knowledge exchange within creative art practical, theory and exam environments. Additionally, student friendships also integrate team building and team working relationships that work really well when they overflow into the employment industry.

Fern Thomas is a Winner of the Welsh Artist of the Year, 2009, Mostyn Open Prize in 2011 and Arts and Humanities Research Council Award.

Owen Griffiths is winner of Welsh Artist of the Year, Drawing category 2009. In 2011 he was commissioned by Cultural Olympiad Wales to work on a project in Swansea. He is also a Lecturer on the Foundation Program at Swansea Met.

Supersaurus obtained their studio via Coastal Housing who are redeveloping the High Street area as part of Swansea Creative Hub, offering spaces for creative activities and development Emphasising that Foundation encouraged the development throughout the city and in of a language for talking about doing so, cultivated a strong support network. work, creative ability and confidence. They recognised “By offering an artist in the course’s focus on finding the correct form for a piece of residence scheme we feel we are broadening the work or gesture which could opportunity presented to us to range from painting, film, Swansea’s creative assemblage, sculpture or community.” Aled performance. All four artists share the same fondness for their time in Foundation describing it as ‘a fertile time where you feel you can do anything’.

“The course promotes lateral thinking and problem solving as well as traditional art skills. It’s really an intense time and you bond with your peers, critiquing each others' works and meeting new friends through artwork”. All four artists’ individual practices are flourishing, winning national and international prizes, exhibiting Internationally as well as developing new ways of working and focusing on collaborative and interdisciplinary projects. Working collaboratively has helped a sharing of resources, enabling quicker responsiveness to queries and increasing expertise. Being based in Swansea has not limited the breadth of their practices. It has enabled members participation with the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery exchange project in China and other projects in Mexico and Germany as well as a real desire to reinvest culturally in their home city.

Supersaurus have also had external support and found that working as a collaborative has helped; functioning as an individual entity with a collective CV enables a wider scope of opportunities. “Members of the group have secured individual funding for different projects including support from Wales Arts International the Welsh branch of British Council, Arts Council of Wales, the Cooperative Group and the Taliesin Arts Centre.” Aled Supersaurus recommend joining collaborative networks like Axis, Artawe or AN magazine and visiting a lot of exhibitions to meet the right people. All four artists agree that their biggest achievement as a group is getting the studio space to run and that has helped each of them with their individual successes. It is definitely something they are all very passionate about stating that the fact they are all still working together is a privilege.

Oriel Bach The Little Gallery In Mumbles “We have built on the skills learnt in University. Our combined external folders still form the core part of the gallery with the only difference being that they now take up an entire filing cabinet and are forever growing!” Oriel Bach was founded in 2010 just before Leezann Davies, Katherine O’Brien and Danielle Charles graduated in BA (Hons) Photography of the Arts at Swansea Met. They came across the exhibition space, which was called the Winter Gallery, when seeking a place to hold an external exhibition for the External Folder which was part of their degree. Goal One: Re-brand

Goal Two: Renovation

Oriel Bach’s brand image is here for the artists, a voice for local artists, keeping commission low and rent reasonable in order for the artwork to be appreciated.

The first time Leezann, Kat and Danielle saw the gallery the place was dark and dingy, the curtains were closed and it had brown carpet.

Goal Three: Network

Oriel Bach is the only gallery in Mumbles Village for hire and this means they have a unique selling point of exhibiting different work on a sometimes weekly basis. Local artists leave their cards which has enabled Oriel Bach takes 20% commission and offers “Being proactive and with the help of Oriel Bach to build relationships and increase Mumbles Development Trust, the gallery networks. reduced rent to help new and local artists, was given a massive facelift with new they also waiver fees for charitable flooring, lighting and additional wall organisations. They then charge for small “Our degree taught us to keep a visitor’s book so we could gain feedback and extras such as exhibition opening evenings, space added. We have had the privilege of working with professional artists and, because of the seasonality of Mumbles, any additional requirements, flyers and for on more than one occasion, we have had we also keep a daily footfall count so we newly painted clinical white walls. feedback from exhibitors congratulating “We felt it necessary to change the name us on our attention to detail and our of the Winter Gallery as it was definitely ability to organise and display work. time for a re-brand. As the gallery was to None of this would have been possible without the keen advice we received be open all year round, such a seasonal from our tutors. From our first year, we title was no longer appropriate.” were taught the importance of how Katherine O’Brien simply displaying your work can make “We realised that the primary goal of the or break your piece and when you get it right, I mean absolutely right, then the Winter Gallery was a new look and, with that, a new name. I thought of The concepts behind your work can shine Little Gallery. Danielle translated it into through.” Katherine O’Brien ‘Oriel Bach’ in order to have Welsh association and Kat added the Slogan ‘The Little Gallery in Mumbles.’” Leezann Davies

can identify the busiest periods as well as allowing us to see if any new marketing techniques we’ve implemented are working. The feedback we’ve had has been fantastic and even the most controversial of works has caused thought provoking conversations around the village.” Katherine O’Brien “Raising awareness of Oriel Bach and social networking has also helped with our personal work. I now freelance with Ammanford Theatre Company, Mess Up The Mess, teaching photography to young adults, and Kat is working with Swansea Met Students.” Leezann Davies

Goal Four: Promotion

Goal Five: Curating Exhibitions

Oriel Bach started using Facebook, Twitter and local networks and maintained a relationship with Swansea Met.

Recently, and due to the increased volunteers at Oriel Bach, Leezann, Kat and Danielle have been able to be more proactive when planning exhibitions. To curate art work “It was essential that Oriel Bach was from a variety of sources to meet a project able to build awareness of new brief involves assembling, cataloguing, management and work practices to local managing and displaying artistic collections. people and visitors in order to create our Oriel Bach has also been able to assist their own reputation and image. Kat did a volunteers in curating exhibitions of their few talks at Swansea Met and I emailed own. project briefs for free exhibitions. Both methods were very effective and essential for Oriel Bach to progress as an art organisation.” Leezann Davies

“It has been amazing seeing Oriel Bach develop and grow. At the start we had to practically beg for artists to give us work to exhibit on a commission only basis. It was fun and exciting but it left us with limited time for advertising. Now we are booked out for two years and we can vet the work two months in advance. We ask artists to supply us with at least five jpeg images of their work and a written proposal of how they intend displaying their work. This allows the whole team to know what the work is about and helps start the ball rolling with advertising, press releases, catalogues, promotional materials, etc.” Leezann Davies

Goal Six: Profits & The People Oriel Bach is now starting to make small profits. They are fully booked two years in advance and have promising forecasts. They have seen an increase in its volunteers and, by offering reduced rent on exhibition space, many exhibitors have stayed working with Oriel Bach and offered their time, expertise and enthusiasm to make a contribution to what Oriel Bach stands for: THE LOCAL ARTIST! “Owen Martin came to us to exhibit and signed onto our team as our IT man. His genius in technical knowhow has improved our social networking, given us a website and domain orielbach.com, blogged us, tweeted us, along with fixing computers, maintaining links with Swansea Met and offering an abundance of brilliant ideas.” Leezann Davies

JOINING THE DOTS Creative Connections for Solving Problems One of Swansea Met’s 2010 Advertising graduates, Siobhan Eyres walked confidently into her new role as Public Relations Consultant for Cuban Eight and praised The Advanced Creative Enquiry module for preparing her by sharing experiences through live briefs and close connections with indurstry.

Entrepreneurial Learning It is very important that we teach students to be able to ‘learn to learn’, but personal reflection can be difficult to evaluate and grade. We use design principles such as ‘divergent production’. This technique requires the students to come up with multiple solutions and to reflect back on how they came up with them, being able to ‘join the dots’ as to how they make creative connections to solve problems. This is a skill for life and once understood, is a natural way to approach any new problem or opportunity-driven situation. Brain research tells us that we get our best ideas and most creative ideas when we are relaxed. What is important is to get the students to gain confidence and to develop their skills so that they have reduced stress levels when they need to be innovative. This approach has to be carefully developed step by step throughout the course, for example, with lots of pitching of ideas and sharing experiences. Other approaches include changing timescales and changing briefing details, so the students get used to being more flexible and adaptable.

Practice makes Perfect The company was shocked that I knew what I was talking about and was able to get new clients. Swansea Met prepared me for these situations by encouraging me to take part in live briefs with real businesses. Plus the skills learnt showed employers that new graduates could be important additions to their businesses in a rapidly changing market place.

Fitting in The Advertising and Branding degree gave me a unique view of the media industry. If you understand how a business operates and succeeds, then you know where your skills fit into the jigsaw puzzle. Big companies are on the decline in many areas and lots of new companies are emerging, so if you understand the motivational factors within a new business you are streets ahead of your competition.

Under the skin Learning to sit ‘under the skin’ of a brand is the vital key. When representing a client it is important to communicate with them regularly to identify with their brand and promote the correct message. This involves presenting the problem to my CEO and pitching solutions back to my client. A lot of time is spent researching and writing features to meet the criteria in the brief.

Illustrations: Ryan O’Dare

Students get curious and learn through a process of discovery and experiment. Theory is often explained after the students have experienced the results for themselves – the theory lecture comes after the actual experience, it explains to students what happened and why, so that they can make sense of their experiences.

Sharing Experiences Staying in contact with graduates help Swansea Met lecturers become reflective learners as shared experiences help modify lessons, keeping them up-to-date with the current industry.

Two way process Communication is the most fundamental part of my job which involves presenting my client’s message to the public but also the public views to my clients.

Understand your colleagues I think it is important to learn about skills that are used by your colleagues and businesses around you. Being able to use the correct terminology improves interpersonal skills, as effective communication is key. Having a background knowledge of marketing, admin, the design process and printing makes it easier to communicate. Professional Studies teaches these valuable skills that are transferable in many industries.

SHAPING YOUR

OWN FUTURE WHEN REFLECTING ON THE INTERVIEW UNDERTAKEN WITH RHIAN HULLIN, I COULDN’T HELP BUT FEEL INSPIRED AND CONNECTED. ON ENTERING THE WATERS CREATIVE OFFICE I IMMEDIATELY FELT COMFORTABLE AND WELCOME; THE ATMOSPHERE WAS RELAXED BUT BUSY, FRIENDLY BUT PROFESSIONAL AND YOU COULD DEFINITELY FEEL THE BUZZ OF CREATIVITY AND CONCENTRATION.

[ Skills ] Organisational skills “Keep a running day to day plan of everything you work on. At the end of the week, add up the hours you spent on the specific projects, this will help when you come to pricing a job.” Understanding feedback “Customer is key. Listen to their requirements, and if you’re unsure of anything, ask.” Taking criticism and don’t be too precious about your work “The designs you come up with aren’t always 100% right for the customer. So listen to their criticisms and turn them into positives, explain why you did what you did, and this in turn may help them understand the logic behind your design. If they don’t agree, go back to the drawing board. They are a paying customer at the end of the day.” Communication skills “Customers often have no idea what they want. Through gathering feedback, and understanding their goals and future, we come up with a package that is tailored to their specific requirements. You have to communicate that intuitively to the end user so that they completely understand what they are going to achieve as an end result.” Design skills “Keep abreast all of the design packages that are out there, subscribe to a design magazine, become part of a forum; if you ever have a problem with something, guaranteed, someone will always be able to use their experience to help you out.”

One of Rhian’s roles as Waters Creative Director involves building a dynamic team by staying active and involved with team moral and empowering employees to take ownership of their roles to increase performance and potential. I was able to see that Rhian was approachable from the onset and that she holds natural and pleasant leadership qualities and it was also notable that many of those qualities, though now enhanced, seemed to have originated from her time as a Graphic Design student at Swansea Metropolitan University. Waters Creative is a design and marketing studio, dedicated to integrating business strategy with commercial impact, in an inspired and memorable way. It has built its reputation on visionary ideas, exceptional creativity, strategic thinking, personal service and a “Can Do!” attitude. The team brings a wealth of experience and success in graphic design, marketing and communications, spanning over 20 years, to a satisfied client base.

[ Personal Skills ] It was important that Rhian was able to shape her own future and this course of action started in university where Rhian ensured that she completed as many external projects as possible. “The experience of working with customers and companies whilst pushing myself to understand their restrictions and expectations helped to develop professional communication skills and build links. I also made sure that my lecturers understood the path that I wanted to take.”

It was those external links that led Rhian to Waters where she became a designer. “It was only by becoming a junior designer completing the day to day tasks, and continually meeting expectations, that lead me to my directorship at Waters Creative.” Standing out is an essential attribute to success. “You have to have something a little different to offer. Personality is key. Of course, your results are important, but you have to be able to portray and explain to a client why and how those ideas flourished and where you plan to take them. It’s about building relationships, it’s the individuals approach to things that gets the job done in my experience.” Again the Marketing and Self Promotion module was highlighted as key in developing the qualities needed within the industry to achieve competitive advantage. “The regular tutorials and commercial company talks and presentations that emphasised expectations from graduates were a massive help. Also, experiencing assignment deadlines helped to ensure you understand deadlines when you are faced with them.” For a graphic designer, structure and timeframes are key. “You work backwards constantly from a print slot, so timesheets and time management are vital. You will learn to time jobs through experience. Unfortunately, six weeks to develop a logo isn’t a luxury that you’re faced with once you’re in a company. I have noticed that these time restraints make you work harder.”

Computer based skills “Software changes rapidly, small tweaks to make a designer’s life a little easier are always in the pipe line, so keep your eyes open for them.” Ability to learn on the job “Our designers are constantly working on things that they are not familiar with, sometimes, you only learn by getting stuck in and giving it a go. Don’t give up at the first hurdle, a good designer is someone who can make something work, whatever the restrictions may be.”

[ Experience ] “The key is that you have had worldly experience, working in retail, interacting with customers, any external work that you have done. It helps the employer understand that you value work, and that you know what to do to keep your job. That’s important!” Swansea Met students are lucky enough to have external companies setting projects: ■

Show how you managed yourself to meet the deadlines;

■

Explain which software packages you used for each piece and why;

■

Describe areas where you pushed your boundaries and how;

State what you achieved from the piece of work: did it increase sales by 10%, improve company image, etc, is it measurable?

[ Skills ] When Rhian’s role progressed to one where she had to consider other people, different roles, tasks, deadlines and personalities there was a need to identify and develop new skills such as: Developing staff loyalty “You have to give back what they give you. No-one is made to feel like they’re not performing and employees aren’t pushed to a state where they can’t cope. We try to build the team by boosting morale in the office, the odd pizza once a month, drinks after work. This all helps to make them feel valued.” Increasing motivation “Everyone gets days where they find it tough, so we show them the testimony of their work. It’s about feedback, customer comments and working with them to work through any issues they may have with a particular project. At Swansea Met we were encouraged by good feedback, in return, produced more work. I now put this into practice at work. Encouragement is key.”

Understanding each member differently “Each member of staff has a different personality and you have to manage them accordingly.” Swansea Met demonstrated many of the skills Rhian now puts into practice. “The lecturers were very understanding and sensitive. They made it easy to approach them if there was a problem. We often had to work in teams and were marked on teamwork, which helped to develop good teamwork abilities and understand the processes you have to go through to create a productive team.” “I was also lucky enough that my ideas were taken forward for the exhibition theme and with that came the leadership role of managing how that brand was retained and allocating people to different roles. It was a leadership role that they placed you in without you really knowing it. It helped with the transition, your eyes are opened so you are not just thinking about yourself, you are putting people in different roles and you have to value it up at the end. Its hard!”

[ Advice for Graduates ]

Improving creativity “We want to enter competitions this year, design competitions, annual design awards and the Women in Business Awards that are held later this year. We are proud of what our staff do day-to-day, we want to show the rest of the competition what we have achieved. Entering competitions was always encouraged at Swansea Met and entering them always pushed the boundaries of creativity.”

You need your degree to get the interview, but you need your personality to land you the job. “The only way of really seizing opportunities is to grab them with both hands and run with them. If you want something enough then you have to pursue it no matter what. Have the vision that you are going to achieve it, so you can keep telling yourself ‘Yeah I did a really great job!’”

Developing staff through training “We hold regular staff meetings to discuss the new and improved features in new versions of design software. At Swansea Met we often used this method to discuss problems or new ideas. We have internal training courses and also send staff on external training courses, depending on the skills they require. I think you have to invest in your staff and look for courses that suit them and your working environment.”

DO be prepared and research the company. “Don’t get too overwhelmed by what the job entails because the interviewer is there to tell you that, but understand what values the company has and how hard they have worked to keep that level of service with customers.”

Readying staff for future roles while continuing present roles “As a company, we strive to be more successful, so our staff are geared up not just to deal with current projects but working towards future projects, larger projects and the talent that we bring through in the next few years will be able to learn from the team that are with us already. Rachael (Director) and myself see the importance of Business Networking and in order for us to do this, we have to feel confident that there is a team here that can completely take us to where we want to be in five years’ time. It’s about nurturing and involving our staff every step of the way.” Leading by example “Both Rachael and I have worked on graphic design projects, setting things up for print, taking client briefs, training clients in software etc. We don’t feel we can ask any of our team to do something that we wouldn’t do ourselves. If an employee was working on something that I did not understand then I would ask them for their feedback and to explain the process to me so that I could understand it, and think about a better process for next time.” “Be the professional person that you strive to be, develop your team, and never try to falter what you stand for!”

[ Portfo lio Advice ] MODIFY YOUR PORTFOLIO TO FIT THE INTERVIEW. SHOW IDEA FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT. SHOW YOUR RANGE AND VARIATION OF WORK, FROM DAY ONE TO THE MOST RECENT PIECE OF WORK. DON’T FORGET THE GAPS, EMPLOYEES WILL WANT TO KNOW THE TIME FRAME BETWEEN EACH PIECE OF WORK SO THAT THEY CAN SEE HOW MUCH YOU HAVE IMPROVED AND CAN GAUGE HOW MUCH YOU WILL IMPROVE IN THE FUTURE. SHOW AND TALK ABOUT YOUR INTERESTS AND HOW THEY HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WORK. SHOW STYLES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP FURTHER. SHOW PRACTICALITY; PUT THAT LOGO ON A LETTERHEAD TO SHOW THE EMPLOYER WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE ON AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT. PRACTICE AND PREPARE, GO OVER YOUR PORTFOLIO WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO IMPROVE FLOW AND WORD CHOICE WHEN EXPLAINING YOUR PORTFOLIO. KEEP BUSINESS CARDS INSIDE YOUR PORTFOLIO TO HAND OUT AT ANY TIME.

[ Interview Advice ]

DO be friendly, confident, personable and chatty. “When an interviewee comes for an interview you can instantly see the qualities that person could bring to your company within the first ten seconds you meet them. If they are a little bit shy, a little quiet then they may be better working in a larger organisation/group where they don’t meet customers quite so much. On the other hand, they may just need encouragement to bring out that confidence. Interviews are always tough, nerves are normal, just try and say everything that you planned on saying, so that you don’t leave with any regrets. Alternatively, leave the interviewer with something memorable.” DO prove you can stand the test of time at an organisation. DO smile and make eye contact. DO have the experience and paperwork to prove what you have done, “Shout about the external projects!” DO ensure you are well dressed and there is a little bit of freshness about you. DO show you are enthusiastic and excited and interested in what the interviewer is telling you! DON’T be too down on yourself. “We have had graduates who have said that they didn’t like projects but you have to be enthusiastic. No-one likes shouting about their achievements, but you are in an interview so that is the only time you are going to get to do it.” DON’T show up late, that is a big no no!

[ Exhibitions ] “On a local scale, Waters Creative and many other companies are invited to the end of year show. We know what it is like to be in that position and it is really daunting, but if someone stands out under that pressure then you know that there is something about them that could spur them on to do better things.” It is important to be familiar with your exhibition layout so you can direct visitors. However, wandering around the exhibition is something that can be done before the opening. As a marketing officer I was surprised how many students I had trouble finding in order to undertake interviews. It is important that you stand by your work prepared. Use your work as a conversation starter, use good open-ended questions, smile, look friendly and make eye-contact.” Kim Wills “Yes, you are going to get people who stand there and criticise, but you are also going to get people who may see a little spark and who will take your business card and ask you further questions about you and your work. Embrace it! You may not hear anything for six months but you know you stood there with your work prepared and made an impression.”

[ Overall Advice ] “Get as much external experience as you can, even if it is not paid. Allocate the right amount of time to it. Stay in touch with different students because you never know when someone may need your skills and vice versa. Keep designing! As soon as you stop you get rusty and lose your confidence. Your head will tell you to give up before your heart and getting that job will be worth all that heartache and pain. Getting a degree is hard work and you want to make sure you get the most out of it when you leave.”

Commissions

DIRECTORY A small selection of our graduates

Working through commission is like entering a relationship where you are paid for your time, toil and talent. Increasing your compatibility could enhance your experience and help the process to run more smoothly. You can offer information via your website to attract compatible commissioners by: • • • •

publishing frequent questions and answers publishing a personal statement to offer insight to your personality publishing statements to offer a better understanding of your work offering a good sample of your work that can be used to identify likes or dislikes in order to reduce any gap in perception or expectation.

A contract can give you the confidence to take on a commissioned job. Henry Lydiate 2007, www.publicartonline.org.uk has offered a basic structure divided up into five phases: • • • • •

origination and fee fabrication, fees and costs installation, fees and costs maintenance, fees and costs ownership, moral rights and copyright.

Ensuring that you attract compatible commissions can extend your portfolio and add value to your website, build links within industry and improve your CV and reputation. Completing such commissions can be a rewarding and satisfying experience.

It is vital that you are able to communicate frequently and openly with your commissioner in order to identify exactly what is wanted. Ensuring that they are comfortable questioning your methods is key for creating a piece that fits its purpose.

Arran Hodgson, Photography www.fringeartsbath.co.uk

Sibhan Eyres, Advertising www.cubaneight.com

Rebecca O Grady, Surface Pattern www.rebeccaogrady.co.uk

Jenna Hions, Surface Pattern www.tigerprint.uk.com

Oanis Rawbone, Video www.dragondi.co.uk

Veronica Sanchis Benocomo, Photojournalism www.veronicasanchis.com

Tom Pope, Photography www.tompope.co.uk

Deanne Mangold MA Glass

Deanne Mangold graduated in MA Glass in 2008 and has since undertaken her own commercial work and completed many public and private glass commissions. Deanne’s potential in the field of ‘design’ led her to experiment in using glass lit by artificial light. The facilities available at the department allowed her to explore both water jet cutting techniques and warm glass processes in this new glass production. Deanne was commissioned recently to design and make a decorative lighting scheme for a new and prestigious South Wales restaurant. Her scheme included both chandeliers and wall lights. The restaurant called ‘Sosban’ is owned by four prominent Welsh people, Wales and British Lions rugby internationals Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel, construction entrepreneur Robert Williams and restaurateur and food broadcaster Simon Wright.

Lianne Harrison, Illustration www.lego.com

Dalatando Almeida and Michael Hughes, Advertising www.amvbbdo.com

Carly Davies, Illustration www.carlydavies.co.uk

Jo Ashburner, Surface Pattern www.noonoodesign.com

Rhian Hullins, Graphic Design www.waters-creative.co.uk

Hannah Downing, Fine Art www.hannahdowning.co.uk

Jacob Pole, Advertising www.gyro.com

Laura Adams, Graphic Design www.lauradams.com

Luke Jones, Video www.Tinopolis.com

Toby Huddlestone, Fine Art www.tobyhuddlestone.net

Gemma Copp, Fine Art Welsh Artist of the Year 2012 www.gemmacopp.com

Erin Rickard, Fine Art www.artacrossthecity.com

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01792 481285 artanddesign@smu.ac.uk www.smu.ac.uk