OUGD602 - Evolution Print visit

The classes visit to Evolution print in Sheffield was a highly beneficial day out of studies, as we had a real insight into a printing facility. From the moment we stood in the door we felt welcome, and I got a genuine impression the staff at Evolution didn't see us as students, but as clients. Prior to the visit I had a understanding of printing and processes involved, but this visit covered everything from costs, quantities and limitations. With Tom Winter, the customer care manager carefully taking us around the space giving the pros and cons for every service they offer. I managed to have a quick chat with Tom, towards the end of the visit regarding a project of mine in which I'm thinking of using newsprint. He was more than helpful giving me estimates and advice, and handing me his business card if I had any further questions regarding the project. We were also welcome to help ourselves to the vast range of creative work they've printed which are spares. From the selection I took, it goes to show the quality of work and range of work they are capable of doing at Evolution, so they are definitely somewhere to consider using in the future. Another thing that caught my eye during the visit was Evolutions identity which I had a distinct feeling was designed by Ian Anderson. The overall aesthetic and the fact they are based in Sheffield made me assume this until I was proven correct. The identity really impressed me as its clear Evolution have a real desire to create work for creative minds, through their contemporary identity.

OUGD602 - Founded contact

I contacted Founded a studio based in my hometown of Newcastle, regarding an internship. I came across the studio last year while doing a self initiated brief for the BALTIC who happen to be one of Founded's biggest clients. From here I made sure to keep an eye on their work, as I feel I would be suited at the studio in terms of work and ethic. I used Linkdin to find the creative director of Founded who is Anthony Cantwell, then I had to fish around the internet to find his email which was hard to come by.

http://wearefounded.com/

In my email I wanted to introduce myself and work but at this moment in time I don't have a portfolio so I sent a link of my website.

Anthony replied a day later and was very open to having me in. I deemed the dates 26th-9th February the best dates for me in terms of workload and having a week off due to the international trip. Now everything is scheduled for two weeks in February commencing the 26th as them dates were okay with them. Only hiccup was that they are currently updating the mac suite in the studio so they don't think they'll have a computer ready for me but my macbook should be fine.

OUGD602 - Rabbit Hole contact

I recently contacted Leeds based agency Rabbit Hole regarding an internship. The studio specialises in art direction, brand identity design & web development and i've always admired their work from a far and believe I would enjoy working for such a studio. Therefore, I took it upon myself to contact the studio asking about any potential internships. On their website they note that they take on a few interns every year and successful applicants will hold similar outlooks within design to their own. To apply I had to send my most representative work via email with all suitable information. So I gathered some of my favourite work and projects I think align to them, and put a pdf together.

Martyn from Rabbit Hole was quick to reply regarding the position but sadly at this moment in time they aren't looking for an intern. However, i'm glad he informed me that they are having an open call in a few months and he mentioned he was very impressed with my work, and would move it top of the pile for consideration. It was satisfying to receive positive feedback about my work along with a link to their inspiration tumblr, so I can keep an eye on what they are up to. Hopefully, in the coming months I'll receive a email about an internship but until then I will continue contacting other studios I have on my list.

OUGD602 - Creative Convos

Overall I really enjoyed the Creative Convos week as it presented me with an abundance of inspiration and guidance for the future. Each speaker was distinct which benefited everyone in the class I believe, it ranged from art residencies, packaging design to creative consultancy. From this we got a broad understanding of the creative industries, and personally it opened my eyes to the numerous opportunities available which don't revolve around designing solutions to brief.

The week began with Dines from Studio Blup who are a London based agency who help brands  'connect with their future customers through culturally relevant design' I checked the studios work out prior to the talk and the 'remix of brands' was very apparent in their overall aesthetic and it visually creates a sense of the current I believe.

From the off Dines presented himself as all round positive guy which really made the talk engaging for me. He informed us of his humble beginnings of working from his bedroom to now working with Nike, Adidas and Lacoste to name a few. However, Dines made it clear he didn't want to sugar coat the industry and emphasised how hard its been over the last ten years to get where he is now. The talk was centred around the hacks of the design industry, and he took us through the different steps he's taken to get where he is today. One occurrent theme was to set goals, as Dines discussed how he used to look up to certain people in university but once he graduated he thought of ways he could become that certain person. This was achieved and is still in play today, by having goals and setting achievable stages to fulfil them. Other useful notes I took from the talk were:

• Omnipresent / Dines talked about being omnipresent which is to be widely or constantly encountered and widespread. This benefits gaining clients but also knowing what clients want exactly. If your encountering a variety of culture on a day to day basis then your output will definitely reflect this. 
• .com / He talked about making yourself more professional by simply having a more professional mannered email. As he receives hundreds emails per week but dismisses them due to a unprofessional email. This is a simple thing but one that can have a huge impact one ones practice once graduating. 
• Make yourself a mini studio / He encouraged us to take jobs then worry about it later, and act as a mini studio undertaking a variety of work your not necessarily great at. 
• Process / What I especially liked about Dines presentation is that he showed us a short process video of how created a piece of work for Soccerbible. Before he showed us the video, the work was still and looked rather intricate and daunting to create. I often dismiss myself for creating work similar to Blup's, but once he showed us the process and the steps he takes which are simple and are a matter of a few effects on photoshop. This encouraged me to maybe try this style out more and push my photoshop skills.

The second day of Creative Convos was with Rose Nordin, who is currently a freelance graphic designer and illustrator based in London with a particular interest in self publishing and DIY culture. Rose went through her last few years in the industry and informed us of residencies which have been such a helpful hand so far in her practice. Prior to the talk I didn't really know much about residencies so it was beneficial to learn more about how they can let you create work of your own. At this moment in time residencies isn't something i'd consider as I'd rather work in a studio. But for the rest of the class I know a few people would definitely consider this as they have interests in publishing and creating zines as Rose does. Notes from the talk:

• Consider the relationship of the medium / Rose wanted to highlight the importance of showcasing mediums and the best ways of doing this. Say if something is physical then really consider the best way to show this, rather than jumping on digital mockups.

On the third day we had a visit from Chris and Eve from Leeds bases studio Robot Food. The studio mainly focuses on  product packaging, food branding, food package design and new product development which shone through the presentation. Although, I have no interest at this moment in time in packaging I still enjoyed the talk, especially the discussion of project disrupt. I looked into the project when it was released a few months back and had a number of queries about it. The talk presented a great opportunity for me to learn more and to see whether or not the project was successful. Project Disrupt in a nutshell was a shake up of five days to create three brands to get excited about. I was concerned whether or not the project was a success and to see if any brands have approached Robot Food looking for something similar. Furthermore, to see if the project has improved other elements like teamwork and idea generation.

Chris and Eve talked a lot about the benefits of stepping away from client work for a short while which can also be done through personal work. However, since doing Project Disrupt the studio haven't been contacted for more work similar but I'm sure brands will come in time as the studio showcased how exciting and disruptive packaging can be.

The Elephant Room joined us on Thursday, to give us an insight into their relatively new agency and discuss advertising today. I really enjoyed this talk as both Will and Shannie were humble and passionate about what they do. They both went into detail about how they ended up where they are today, and although it was mainly advertising focused it still showed the ups and downs of the industry. Notes from the talk:

• About potential, not experience / I liked the encouraging words surrounding potential as they both stressed that employers should hire on potential and not experience some times.
• Creating a role right for you / To land in a perfect role right after uni is considered lucky. The perfect role may take years but you have to create the role right for you. 
• Don't disregard the little things / They spoke of interviewing graduates and how people often disregard the more creative work. I myself often neglect odds and ends of projects therefore Will and Shannie made me think of ways of presenting this work that is cast outside. 
• Never assume your audience is stupid

On the final day of Creative Convos we had Abraham Asefaw from The Pop Up Agency. The agency is all about about driving change by forming dedicated, intensely focused teams for short periods of time. What struck me from Abraham was his confidence in talking about something that is often swept under the carpet in the creative industries, and that is money. He informed us of how much his agency charge for 48 hours and exactly why. What I got from this, is to charge a flat fee which gives confidence to clients and allows them to value your service more. Say if your work was good but you charged low, it doesn't exactly put you across in the best light. Abrahams overall presentational skills and attitude were inspiring as he left me with confidence and inspiration when leaving university.