I didn’t quite know who Jon Hill was, but I was intrigued to find out. The day concluded with being one the most interesting lectures that I’d attended.
Jon had a wide range of experience in many areas of design starting off as a student at Kingston University, Junior and Senior designers at two small agencies, setting up his own studio, then finally ending up as the design editor at The Times. I found it extremely insightful, learning about Jon’s career path and how it kept evolving.
One aspect of the talk I found comforting was that whilst Jon was working for a small agency he felt overwhelmed by the competition and new age of designers. It was inspiring that he didn’t conform to compete but stuck to his own talents and skills, then had the confidence to set up on his own.
Jon then went on to discuss how he came about his role at The Times. He was introduced to The Times when working with Neville Brody to do a revamp of the paper. He was then later taken on as the design editor, a huge leap! Whilst working there it became obvious that the paper had to evolve digitally and Jon a vital part in making this successful. Learning the whole process of the transition was captivating. Being such an iconic paper it was important that the new digital side lived up to its reputation, which it did.
Jon also discussed how all the roles at The Times were continuously interchanging, it was necessary that everyone knew a bit of everything within the company, and that no one pigeon holed themselves.
What I took from the lecture was that you don’t have change your style to conform and that you can simply be the best at what you have to offer. I also understood that with how fast the industry is moving digitally, it’s vital to have a bit of background knowledge with how new programs work.
As my placement was agreed at my visit with the House of Fraser, I’m currently waiting for my email confirmation. However I already completed my placement at Liquid in April and they offered my another one for the summer, which I’m extremely grateful for.
When leaving university its vital to make yourself widely known and desirable to potential employers. I’ve created various online accounts to achieve this, also a business card that adds a bit of my own personality.
My hopes after graduation is that I gain a job in a profession I enjoy. The most disheartening thing I learnt through the course was that I lost my love for design. I took up my placement opportunity to see whether or not it was the University side that I didn’t enjoy, however it only confirmed my lack of passion for the profession. This year I decided although I no longer like design I would give my all to the course although it has been difficult to keep my motivation up and be optimistic about the future. I hope that after a break and a change in career, my passion will be reborn and I can use all my knowledge and skills to set up a business as a freelance designer. My fears are that I don’t achieve what’s expected of me after all my efforts and that I end up demotivated and not focusing on gaining a fruitful career. Whilst on the course, especially this year, I have found when I put my mind and efforts to something I can achieve a great result which I’m proud of. I feel I applied the criticisms from last semester, which were to be more organised, handle my time efficiently and leave time to change and experiment. Having taking all those points into account I am now for the first time, organised with my brief and on target with spare time to alter my work. One thing that I still have is lack in confidence with my designs; I feel this is because my hearts not in it and I’m not actually good enough for the industry. Another criticism would be making decisions. It’s irritating because I know what is expected of me and I’m certain that my choices are wise, but for some reason I become hesitant in making them. This is something that needs altering if I want a good role in any job, again I feel this is down to my confidence.
When leaving the course and for the near future I’m going to take all my skills learned and my own talents to find a career I’m happy in. This will begin with my placement at House of Fraser experiencing how it will be to be a visual merchandiser. I realise it’s hard to get a job in this current climate and slim to none in getting one you like, I’d be naive not to take that into account. The one thing I am confident of is that I will achieve a career I enjoy as I am incredibly hard working, optimistic and adaptable to change. When leaving the course I will take all positive and negative criticisms and continuously work on improving them.
For my final major I decided I wanted to showcase all of my talents with in design, which included craft, printing techniques, web design, conceptual ideas and brochure design.
What I wasn’t prepared for was everything that went into the production of a brochure; the photography, type set, grids, binding and printing. After I’d acquired all my content I decided I wanted images in my design that started off being someone else’s images, to which I later discovered wasn’t right or professional. It became apparent I had to take my own images so I had to learn a bit of photography. This reminded me of Jon Hills talk, where being a new age designer you need not pigeonhole yourself to just one aspect of design. I then arranged a meeting with the head of photography for a quick overview. Not only did I wish to us my images in a brochure but also as promotional posters, which meant I needed a specialised camera to get the best quality. To get a good quality image and for it to work at an A3 size I needed to use a good digital SLR camera, alter the focus to my needs and get the correct compositions. In the end I preferred my images to the ones I found on the Internet. After I put the brochure together and chose my paper quality I then had to learn how to do pagination printing, a skill needed if I were to enter the design industry. Problems arose with the printing, as the University ones aren’t made for commercial use so the lining up of the pages wasn’t precise. After trimming I now have a brochure I’m proud of. If I were to improve, I would have to sent my design to a commercial printers, however the cost to print such a small amount would be extortionate. The whole experience has taught me new skills which all look good on my CV when applying for jobs. I will continue to feed these new skills to better my design abilities.
As I was on my placement I used the opportunity to get some much-needed feedback on my portfolio. The last time I came to Liquid they suggested that I came back with more work and included projects I would have no qualms discussing, also extend certain briefs. On my last day of placement Karen went over my portfolio again, once more this was such a confidence boost. She seemed happy that I had extended Eco-Hab to the digital side also mentioned how my design skill had improved over such a short period of time. On criticism she did make was that I should explore different ways to display my work, make my portfolio box mine, not just another black box. This will take time to think about as the price of the box was high. Another was that if I wasn’t looking to work in graphic design, then take aspects of my work and alter them to suit the profession I wanted to enter. Karen then asked what I planned to do for my Final Major. I told her and she gave me great feedback, which was to push your self as hard as you can and showcase everything you’ve learned in the past three years. When it comes to future job opportunities, she explained that your final major is the one brief most agencies want to see as it represents your hardest work efforts. When it came to my program skills she explained how its not a necessity. If an agency likes your creativity and personality they will be the key factors for your employment. I then went on to gain the junior designers opinion. The feedback was similar, however they added I shouldn’t be scared of going on as many placements as possible and not to be disheartened about negative criticism as all criticism is good.
In the past I failed to gather enough research for it to have a massive impact on my work. With my Journal I wrote about my project AFTER I had finished it, but in order to fulfil the journal guidelines, I had to include in depth research. Although this may be a backward way of doing things having so much background information would have in fact increased the standards of my finished product and gained me better marks. Eventually it even inspired me to go back and alter the one I’d previously made.
However for the Final Major project, research is the bulk of the workload and is necessary to succeed to an impeccable standard. Once I found what interested me, I threw myself into all aspects of the subject. My project was based on mental health, so this meant meeting with Doctors, Councillor’s, Therapists and organising interviews with people who are currently suffering with their mental health. I then went on to test out different theories they recommended (bar the prescription pills). All this information gave me a launch pad and the opportunity for me to do whatever I wished.
I finally decided on what I wanted my final outcome to be and that for it to be a success I need to look for inspiration and delve into other designers work. Going into something without prior information can only take you so far.
When on my placement I realised that even the professionals had a whole room dedicated to inspiration and researching was vital part in the design process. I realise that although I am at University I need to take everything I’ve learned and apply it, also that although there may be no apparent reasons to provide so much research, it all is useful in the end.
As I don’t partially know if graphic design is for me, I decided to find what I enjoy the most and see if a job exists for me. One of these is the window display’s in high end department stores. Through researching I found out the job I’d be applying for is a visual merchandiser. All stores from Top Shop to Selfridges have dedicated person or team who make the windows and store displays. I decided to contact House of Fraser in Manchester. The process was more or less the same as gaining a visit in an agency, and they were more then happy to meet me.
In the end I met with Helen Draper, Head of the Visual team who was lovely and inviting, which I needed because I felt silly with my black box. Their team consists of three people and is located on the top floor of the store. The space included various mannequins, weird and wonderful boxes, playful fabrics and objects.
She sat me down and asked what was it that interested me in this profession and I explained that I was interested in fashion but more so the colours, composition and the design aspect of the displays. When I showed my work she explained I needed to include more areas aimed at getting a job in this market. However, she pointed out it was evident I had impressive design skills and enthusiasm for the business. When she described how to get started in the business, it was interesting that it was in fact quite similar to making your way up in the design ladder. Helen explained that I could take up free placements, to learn how they worked and gain experience.
Although some prior experience is needed she explained that a friendly personality, a flair for art and designs, also interest in fashion were just as crucial. In the end Helen kindly offered me a 2 week unpaid placement in the summer, which was fantastic. Hopefully I’ve found the dream job I’ve been searching for.
Today we had to present where we are up to with our FMP. We had a special guest Helen Taylor from the agency Taylor O’Brien in Manchester. Helen was there to help judge and give advice on our final projects and our skills to present.
Helen explained that the most important factors were to always introduce yourself, speak clearly and that it’s crucial you stand up and address your audience probably. Presentations are always difficult and nerve racking however they are vital in this industry and all others. It’s easy to shy away and fall into the background when you’re not a confident speaker. However if your not speaking confidently about your work, how can clients trust you own the confidence to do the job right?
I sometimes have a problem with confidence and this in turn doesn’t portray my work in the best light, it’s crucial I overcome my fears in order to succeed in the business. Its hard when present not to get caught in the “snow ball” effect when a mistake arises, the best thing to do is to take a deep breath and start again. To make the most of your short amount of time, preparation is key, being under prepared reflects badly on you and your work.
Although Helen’s advice seemed straightforward it was all extremely important and excellent to get her input, being in the industry. For future reference I’ve decided no matter how daunting it is, it’s vital to stand up and address your audience, to be pound of what you’ve accomplished and always allow time to rehearse.
All these skills will help me get the career I wish for when I leave university and prepare me for the real world.
Book Binding With Lucy Wilson
