OUGD602 - Protest Press Workshop

6A2 - Demonstrate specific knowledge and specialist understanding of the professional and contextual location of their practice.
6B2 - Undertake research to identify and evaluate their personal and professional skills and the career or progression opportunities available to them.

Protest Press are a collective running hands-on workshops using creative methods to engage conversation, evoke positive change, and inspire powerful activism. The workshop aimed to get us thinking about different issues of protest which we felt passionate about, and to produce a collaborative, typographic poster using off-cuts of paper based on this.

In order to get us thinking, we started the workshop with a word association task, writing a statement then passing it on for someone else to respond and continue this way responding only to the statement above until the paper was filled. Issues which came up included sustainability, climate change, sexual consent, politics and student welfare.

The topic my group decided to focus on was student welfare, since we thought mental health is a big issue at the moment and that it is important to look at how stigmas behind this can be changed or thought about differently. We therefore began brainstorming ideas for quotes surrounding this topic, but in the end chose to focus on the statement 'I'm ok' which tends to be the general answer to the question 'how are you' when it is clear the person is not but don't feel comfortable talking about their issues.

In the design of our poster, we decided to focus on the juxtaposition between the two meanings of the statement 'I'm ok' by folding the paper in half and on one side placing the words 'I'm ok', but on the other side placing the word 'not' as a continuation of the statement. The type style we created used outlines made from off-cuts of paper in order to create more of an impact.

Placing the poster out of the studio, we experimented with folding the poster around corners and various shapes so that from a certain position only one side is visible, but when walking back in the opposite direction, the other side is then also visible.

We felt this worked better when situated on the corner of a wall. The poster was then kept up on the corner of the notice board in the university's cafeteria since it was thought that here it would grasp a large amount of attention and get our message across more effectively to a mass amount of people who fit our target audience of students. At the bottom of the poster we also added the email address of student welfare in suggesting that it is okay not to be okay and that there are people here who are willing to listen to your problems and help you get the appropriate support if and when needed.

Experience:

Protest Press take a hands-on approach to these workshops, working with raw materials to produce original posters which aim to engage the public with important issues of protest. They believed that this hands-on approach meant that the posters seem more personal and allows for an experience which gets people to engage more with not only the message, but also the process.

OUGD602 - Pitching and Networking

6B2 - Undertake research to identify and evaluate their personal and professional skills and the career or progression opportunities available to them.
6C2 - Develop and implement a personal promotion strategy to communicate to relevant organisations.

Elevator pitch:
An elevator pitch is a short description of an idea, product or company that explains the concept in such a way that any listener can understand it in a short period of time.

TASK: Create an elevator pitch for a project featured on your website - needs to be one sentence. Include what, how and why? What is the core idea? How does it work? (output) Why does it work?

Project - Micro-genres of music:
The floppy disk and bubblegum packaging stickers aim to communicate wider issues of society presented in vaporwave music, focusing specifically on themes of manufactured nostalgia to encourage viewers to regress to their childhood days, and escape from a less idyllic reality.

Networking:
- hunter.io - search domains, website finds associated email addresses if you know the structure of a company or agencies' emails.
- Google - tools - all results - verbatim (searches word for word).
- Could use Cc or Bcc on an email and send to multiple potential email addresses at once.
- Face-to-face meetings.
- Phone calls.
- Think of ways to put image or moving image into emails to make them stand out.
- Contact people in the morning before they check their emails (more likely to see and reply).

OUGD602 - Being A Professional (2)

6B2 - Undertake research to identify and evaluate their personal and professional skills and the career or progression opportunities available to them.
6C2 - Develop and implement a personal promotion strategy to communicate to relevant organisations.

Annual goals (what I want to achieve by the end of the academic year):
- To finish my degree with a first class honours, keeping up the streak of firsts gained throughout the other two years of study. However, if this doesn't work out, aim for at least a 2:1, which I will also be very happy with.
- To have some form of work placement ready for when I have finished university.
- To finish the academic year with a finished portfolio I am proud to show off.

Termly goals:
- To secure some form of work experience that I can do for one of two days a week throughout the course of this academic year in order to gain valuable experience into working in the industry.
- To finish work at a decent time before the deadlines, organise my time more efficiently in order to avoid rushing pieces of work last minute.
- Work on interesting personal, research-led projects, in addition to extended practice briefs, which can then go on to build up a portfolio of a range of work which I am excited about, proud of and can confidently explain / show off to potential employers and clients.

Hourly plan for next week:

- Work on a day-to-day basis, plan and make a list each morning of what I want to achieve that day, work on ticking off everything or at least the majority of this list.

Productivity tools:
- Use 52/17 or Pomodoro app - work in 25 minute bursts with 5 minute breaks - help to break the habit of taking a break every 5 minutes from work, keeps my focus on the work and not get as distracted if I am able to take regular breaks after a certain amount of work.

OUGD602 - Being A Professional

6B2 - Undertake research to identify and evaluate their personal and professional skills and the career or progression opportunities available to them.

Visioning:
"A picture of what success looks like at a particular point in the future, described with enough richness of detail that you'll know when you've achieved".

An effective vision should be:
- inspiring, detailed, documented, communicated and a little scary.

"A vision without execution is a hallucination" - Thomas Edison.
Success is defined on your own terms, not that of others.
Break a vision into smaller, manageable actions and tasks - using time effectively, work smarter.

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A vision for the future:

1. set your vision five or ten years in the future.
2. start by writing the date (2023 or 2028).
3. write in the present tense (I have, I do, we live, etc) - family, life, etc - talk about both personal and professional life.
4. describe your ideal life, in rich detail.
5. include personal and professional life.
6. cover everything that defines success for you.

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09.11.18

The year is 2023. I am living just outside of London, an ideal spot between where my family live and between work, in a small house with my boyfriend, Laurence. The place is very cosy and filled with the same IKEA furniture from Laurence's first place, however has been arranged and decorated in a much more organised way than he had it originally. We have a spare room, which I have turned into my own little studio space, a place where I can work on personal projects and display my work - my own personal art gallery.

I work during the week as part of a team in a studio specialising in print and publication design, from which I have had numerous works published already, which is still exciting to see every time, especially when I find them on shopping trips. I love to travel, and I am lucky enough that my job allows me to spend some of my time in new countries, working on exciting collaborations with other design studios and new clients. I earn a healthy living which allows me to do this.

On the weekends I spend my time working on personal projects, the odd bit of freelance work, and spending time out with my boyfriend on days out. I have my own dog now, although not forgetting about Alfie, the family dog, of whom I am still his favourite even after leaving him depressed when I left for university in 2016. He still gets over-excited when I go to visit. I visit my mum and sisters regularly, who are still at school. I hope that what I have achieved in my life so far now after university inspires them in their career choices also.

In addition to travelling for work opportunities, I love to travel in my free time also, with my boyfriend who enjoys the same. These new experiences continue to form ideas and inspiration for both work and personal projects. Perhaps one day I will move out of the UK to live and work in a new country, exploring design from an entirely new perspective.

OUGD602 - Making Your Own Experience

6A2 - Demonstrate specific knowledge and specialist understanding of the professional and contextual location of their practice.
6B2 - Undertake research to identify and evaluate their personal and professional skills and the career or progression opportunities available to them.

The Nomadic Designer (Dan Cooper):
- "I'll give you two days if you give me one back" - Cooper offered creative agencies two days of his services if he received one day back of mentoring, turning unpaid work into experience.

The Cool Bus:
- A mobile graphic design studio - saved an old school bus from a scrap yard and kitted this out into their own design studio to travel around America finding new creative opportunities where they went.
- Based on this, one of the founding members were invited to an interview for WILD for the position of junior designer - instead, he got offered the role of art director.
- Shows that if you do something that interests you, make a creative opportunity for yourself, then more stable job opportunities could come from this.

Snask Creative Agency:
- "Make enemies and make fans".
- "When you make something no one hates, no one loves it" (Tibor Kalman).
- Don't be afraid to make work which is controversial or people don't like, this makes your work more talked about and therefore more publicised.

Soren Danielsen:
- GO VIRAL - Danielsen created a short promo video for himself in order to try and secure an internship, which was then shared on various social media platforms. This went viral and was viewed over thirty-thousand times, also by professionals who offered him feedback on his work, as well as job opportunities and freelance work.

The Pop Up Agency:
- Started up their agency by aiming to solve any creative brief within 48 hours (over a weekend, whilst they were studying). This took them to 15 different cities, over 15 weeks and solved 15 briefs within this time. All expenses were paid for by other agencies who Pop Up were offering their services too, alongside a discount rate for their work.
- Shows you do not have to have tons of money to be able to pursue something big.

Kate Darby:
- Believed that sites like UpWork, Fiverr and 99designs did not work well in providing a stable income from freelance work.
- Took part in a social enterprise accelerator programme, which then allowed her to launch her app she worked on for a final project at university called Dovetail X, which allows people to set up their own profile, showcase their work and apply for jobs whilst also allowing other creatives to find you with other job opportunities.

Everything these examples have in common is that they tap directly into their creator's interests and passions, which allowed them to essentially build their dream job and gain work experience. This is an important aspect since there is always value in being yourself.

Ikigai - A Japanese term for "a reason for being", which usually refers to the source of value in one's life or the things that make one's life worthwhile. Looks at life balance and mindfulness. A creative exercise which allows you to rule out what you do not want to do (in terms of a job) and find out what you do want to do.

OUGD602 - PPP Module Briefing Workshop

6B2 - Undertake research to identify and evaluate their personal and professional skills and the career or progression opportunities available to them.

PPP WORKSHOP 26.10.18

The workshop began with a quick fire task asking us to "empty our brains" of any anxieties or worries which we may have about the world of graphic design, particularly about this year of study and what happens after graduation, allowing us to get these anxieties out there on paper, not thinking about them too much.

Based on this we then chose one of these anxieties we wanted to elaborate on and wrote about this anxiety in a bit more detail on a large sheet of paper. This then set us up for a "creative speed dating" task whereby we would swap spaces every two minutes, adding to the next person's anxiety, stating whether or not we have the same anxiety, what other problems may surround this, any other questions we may have regarding this, as well as offering potential solutions to the problem through the form of written words and small pictorial illustrations.

As a group, these anxieties were then discussed as a whole and the group ranked them from one to three, from the most important to the third most important to us. In our particular group all the anxieties seemed to have a similar direction, focusing on the potential problems associated with getting a job after graduation, for instance, worrying we do not have all the relevant skills needed for a design job or worrying that these skills are not at a high enough level of ability to be suitable for a job, the idea of having limited experience in the design field as a student who has only just graduated.

Some advice gained from this was that you should not take part in too many competition briefs, or at least not put too many of these in your portfolio, since this doesn't show people and employers who you are as a creative more personally. The only thing which sets us apart as students or professionals is if you tell someone you are a student. If you have more confidence in yourself and your portfolio is at a high standard then there is no reason why you shouldn't get a job after graduating, even with the limited experience of a student.

Upon discussing this, we then had to produce a potential solution to this anxiety in the form of something people could do or see, rather than just a piece of written advice. Ideas were brainstormed, however our final idea focused on the production of a creative podcast, called "push yourself" based on the idea that if you do not push yourself, you won't learn anything. The podcast would be aimed mostly at students, although anyone could take part, setting a weekly short, creative challenge to allow listeners to push themselves in terms of design and perhaps sometimes work out of their comfort zone. The podcast would be linked with a social media account, whereby listeners could send in their pieces from that week which would then be uploaded to the social media account. This was thought would help engage listeners more if they are getting something more out of it, and allows creatives' work to be put out there, with the potential for a good opportunity to come from it (e.g. a person gets recognised by their work and receives a job opportunity).

This idea then had to be condensed down into a 280 character tweet, accompanied by an emoji sentence which quickly explains our solution, using an analogy of a chick being pushed out of its nest in a tree and having to learn to fly. In a similar sense, our idea was that if you do not push yourself then you won't learn anything, like the chick will never learn to fly if it does not eventually leave its nest.

Personally, I found this workshop as quite a motivating way to be introduced to PPP for our final year, as well as reassuring, knowing that many other people in the class had the same anxieties as me about what happens after graduation, particularly in terms of finding a job. The tasks set in this workshop then allowed us to think through these anxieties in a more positive way, offering advice to others and coming up with potential solutions for such problems. As a result, this left me leaving the sessions with a slightly more positive outlook on what happens after graduation, even though it is still a scary thought.

OUGD602 - Glug Leeds - What I Wish I'd Never Known

6A2 - Demonstrate specific knowledge and specialist understanding of the professional and contextual location of their practice.
6B2 - Undertake research to identify and evaluate their personal and professional skills and the career or progression opportunities available to them.

GLUG LEEDS 27.09.18

WHAT I WISH I'D NEVER KNOWN:

Glug is a global creative community connecting, inspiring and educating creatives from all corners of the industry, and around the world. The theme of this talk was based around personal reflections from four creatives on things that have held them back personally, professionally and creatively - things they wish they'd never known, things they wish they ignored that have held them back or caused doubt.

Andrew Brown - Brass Agency:

- if you're stuck on a problem, forget about it and think about what you want to do instead - try and then make this work for the problem.

- Andrew believes that all experience is equal, by this he meant that you do not necessarily have to go out of your way to try and do something exciting, e.g. travelling, because you can gain just as much experience and ideas from such experiences still doing seemingly mundane things.

- don't get hung up on trying to be someone or something, just be it.

- pursue your art, this will put you in a better headspace which you can then use to help inform your ideas and let new ones grow.

- avoid knowing things that shutdown the "playground", just play in it. By this Andrew meant do not get caught up on things which could inhibit your creative flow of ideas, simply work with what you have.

- don't worry about the destination.

Jonny Ridout:

- Jonny is a freelance sound engineer, who works with many artists and is currently working with Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen.

- remember that qualifications don't dictate your worth, it's not the qualification or grade itself, it's what you gain from it, learn from it, experience from it which is what matters.

- "it's not what you know, it's who you know" - it's important to have the ability to talk to people and build relationships (networking).

- it's never too late, remember that you have the freedom to try new things that you are interested in - you never know where it may take you, just pursue the things you enjoy.

- do not worry too much about financial stability, as long as you earn a living then just continue to do what you enjoy.

- when deciding what to charge people as a freelance designer know your worth - figure out what level you're at and then work out charges based on this. E.g. where are you in your career, who is the client. When you know your level, do not try and compete with people higher than you. If struggling, find out industry rates.

Simon Forsrer - Robot Food:

- founder and creative director of the branding agency, Robot Food.

- was influenced early on by two books by Paul Arden, It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be.

- Rule 1: experience is everything. Simon believes that determination is more important than experience, do not say no to something even if it's something you've never done before, do not turn away big clients, seize the opportunity instead to challenge yourself.

- Rule 2: "that's the way it's done". Paying too much attention to rules always produces similar outcomes, you have the freedom to be creative.

- Rule 3: the expectations we put on ourselves. Seize opportunity when it arises, set yourself challenges not explored before.

- remember that you can't do everything alone.

Max Adamski - Jigtalk:

- designed a dating app where the premise is 'talk more = see more'. The more you talk, the more of the person's profile picture is revealed, fall in love with the mind.

- during the talk, Max brought up quite a controversial point which did not impress the majority of the audience, who predominantly were working for agencies - do not outsource or look to agencies to put out your idea, Max rendering them as useless. Instead, build a team of people to work with yourself and don't take shortcuts.

Next talk: Glug-xibit 28.11.18 @ Duke Studios.

OUGD502 - End of Module Evaluation

Through studio brief 01 of this module, this taught me the value and importance of networking and talking to people already within the creative industry. For my creative report, I decided to contact two print-makers, Anthony Burrill and Ben Rider, since this made sense to me as I aim to have a career in printmaking at some point in the future. It was interesting to hear first hand about their own practices, but this also gave me the opportunity to ask for invaluable advice about the industry which will help me in my own development as a designer. From this I have and will continue to make an effort keeping in contact with both designers, Rider specifically asking me to 'keep him in the loop', hopefully meaning I have secured a contact I can potentially go back to throughout the rest of my degree and in the start of my professional career to help when needed. In addition, their responses allowed for me to produce practical work, which gave me an opportunity to put what I've learnt and their ideas into practice.

For such practical work, it was initially thought about producing screen or lino block prints to work with their methods of production, however it was forgotten how much work goes into just preparing to traditionally print designs and attempting to visualise my ideas into prints did not work as well as I hoped which meant I had to take a different approach to this. This truly taught me the importance of experimentation as Ben Rider also suggested in his responses in that not everything will go as you plan, it's just all about not being afraid to make mistakes and use these mistakes to your advantage in some way or another.

In a similar sense, the importance of talking to others and working collaboratively was further highlighted through this module, in particular studio brief 02 which asked us to work in groups of 5 to produce and pitch an idea to the class for a new wayfinding system for the university. Our pitch specifically was based on the history of the university being situated within the arts and crafts movement, whilst adding elements which would make this more contemporary - colour, light and nature. A lot of our work towards this final pitch was embedded within our initial research, however feedback suggested that it was thought this was not embedded in research enough and was a little 'under presented'. Our group did not necessarily agree with this feedback, however this taught me that it is important to think carefully about how you communicate your ideas to a client and the fact that they may not like what you like or see the same things in the way you do - whether you agree or not, you have to take the client's needs and feedback into account.

Reflecting on the year in the form of a presentation through studio brief 03 I thought was a good way to round off the year as a whole. This allowed me to work on my presentation skills which will be useful in a future career when presenting talks or pitching ideas to clients, and as a result I felt much more confident presenting myself as a designer than I have done with any previous presentations. I feel a part of this may have been to do with the fact that overall I have been more confident in my own work this year, learning more about myself as a creative, whilst developing new and existing skills.

OUGD502 - Submission Design Boards

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 03 - Presentation Feedback

• Presentation made clear that I have an interest in hands-on approaches to design.
• Think about personal branding/ have you thought about it?
  (lino cut stamp for logo last year - needs developing/ changing).
• Think about how you communicate yourself as a designer, not just in terms of personal branding, e.g. for hands-on approach maybe digital communication through email is not the best approach - send something physical.
• General feedback to group - everyone has a clear direction as to where they are going and who they are as a creative, we all just need to have a bit more confidence in our own work.

OUGD502 - Aims Over Summer and Level 6

• Seek out work experience and/or studio visits - I have already been invited by printmaker Ben Rider to visit his studio in London over the summer period.
• Continuously enter external competitions and briefs - based on what I learnt from being shortlisted for Whitecoate's banner design brief as part of OUGD503.
• Make work which is relevant (as said by Anthony Burrill when interviewed for my creative report) - work which is relevant to my own practice and to today's society.
• In doing so I will work on more self-initiated briefs in order to build up a portfolio of work which does not just consist of university work.
• Do more screen-printing and publication design work.
• Work on the external logo brief for POGSEE music and photography.
• Work on time management skills in juggling various briefs such as those above.
• In the words of Ben Rider, eat good food.
• And take a well earned rest!

OUGD502 - Online Presence

Over the course of this year, I have started to build up an online presence through the use of various social medias in order to showcase my work. One of these is LinkedIn, an account which was creating in response to a workshop on the importance of networking. This account allows me to make connections with other creatives outside of university and across the world who could potentially help me in my future career, whilst also allowing to showcase your own work or other creative's work you find of interest. Although I have made a few connections on this site since the creation of my account, I have not yet been actively using it which is something I shall work on over the summer period in order to start building up a better online presence.

Another social media account I have been trying to build up is a creative Instagram page. This is something I have worked and been on much more actively than LinkedIn. I felt Instagram was quite a popular site for people in general to see my work and potentially help my work get recognised. Whilst it has allowed me to showcase my own work, it also allows me to follow other creative's work I like and acts as a good form of inspiration. Creating this account was not something I had done previously since I lacked confidence in some of my work, however this year I have built up a body of work which I am much happier with and have no problem sharing with others. Again, this is something I will continue to build upon over the summer and level 6.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Keeping in Contact

Once I have printed my final designs, I aim to email some images to both Ben Rider and Anthony Burrill to show first hand how they have helped in the development of my ideas and practice. More specifically, I have been updating Rider on how I plan to use his answers to produce a practical piece of work, which he was very appreciative to hear and has offered to give me a tour of his studio if I would like which I will agree upon to visit during the summer period since this would be a great and invaluable experience.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Physical Outcome Production

In physically producing my final practical responses, it was decided to stick with the idea of printing these as postcards of an A5 (148 x 210 mm) size. Each design was first printed onto matte paper. This stock was decided on since it was thought to allow the ink to stick better to the page with minimal smears of ink from previous prints, which also gave a nice texture to the postcards which can be seen to enhance the design, particularly its colours. To make these less flimsy and more sturdy like typical postcards, these were then stuck to some hardback card used typically for the production of hardback book covers. This made the designs thicker and sturdier, something which can also help minimise any potential damage to the postcards.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Practical Responses in Context

In the production of the final practical responses to my creative report, it was decided that due to the block and fairly minimalist nature of the designs, that these would work better on a smaller scale as postcards of an A5 size (148 x 210 mm) since at a larger scale these could potentially lose some of their detail. At a smaller scale, these would also be more effective to mass produce as traditional prints, which was the first initial idea for these designs.

Despite this, the designs were also mocked-up in a larger scale to see how they could potentially work as posters. The design below, however, I felt also worked nicely at this scale due to the nature and composition of the design.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Final Practical Responses

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Practical Ideas Development Cont.

Since my initial ideas had not worked so well, it was decided to produce a set of digital illustrations which could potentially be turned into lino prints due to the block nature of the illustrations generally attempting to use a limited colour palette.

Initial outline design based on the comment by Anthony Burrill that for a lot of his early creative practice he was busy experimenting and 'planting seeds'. The design therefore uses an image of a plant pot to represent him planting seeds and new ideas growing from such experimental approaches to design.

A colour version of this design was also produced to see how potentially this would look once printed. The design uses only three colours being brown, green and black (for the outlines) would was initially done in order to make the design suitable for block printing. However, the thin nature of the black outlines would potentially work better if using a screen printing method of production.

Experimenting with the layout of this design, it was then thought to put the illustration within a frame which was something that Ben Rider was found to do within his practice to add some element of freedom within a design whereby they mostly have to be created exactly the same in contrast to his general work which is typically very experimental with lots of layering of colours so no design turns out exactly the same.

Adding colour and the caption again, this time in quotation marks to show that these aren't my own words as to not claim them as my property. (Design before any touching up was done as can be seen where outlines are present over the block coloured areas).

However, for some, it proved to be slightly more difficult to stick to a limited colour palette for prints since much of the detail which would have made the objects recognisable would have been diminished. For this reason, it was decided to focus on turning these into digital prints rather than handmade prints. Although this can be seen as defeating the point of this body of practical work since it does not link to the more traditional approaches which both designers I interviewed were concerned with, in my own time it is hoped these designs can be simplified slightly to eventually be transformed into either screen prints or lino block prints since the way they have been designed would mostly already allow this.

Designs based on a comment by Ben Rider whereby he compared digital vs. handmade approaches to design like comparing a ready meal to a bbq. An illustration of a disposable bbq was produced in this instance in order to match the shape of the ready meal illustration, producing a small element of consistency in the images so that they could potentially work better together.

Potential idea placing a ready meal next to a bbq grill, the ready meal with the red cross over the top to suggest it is not as good as the other.

Potential idea incorporating type into the design. This design uses justified text so that it stretches across the whole page, incorporating the illustrations amongst the negative space in appropriate areas.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Practical Ideas Development

Potential ideas for a practical outcome in response to my creative report were initially directed towards potentially producing some form of traditional prints using methods by the designers interviewed. Ideas included laying type over half tone photographic images or over illustrations/ using black card and painting a white bored over this/ using different colour variations. Another final list was produced picking interesting bits out of the responses received from both Ben Rider and Anthony Burrill. The list is as follows:

• digital vs, handmade is like comparing a ready meal to a bbq.
• spend money on good materials and good food.
• beautiful decay.
• never give up, follow what you absolutely fucking love.
• you can't separate the person from the designer, they are the same thing.
• we are servants of the message.
• busy planting seeds.
• make work which connects deeply with yourself.

In beginning to develop such ideas, some initial digital positives were produced thinking about using both primary and secondary imagery. One of these was thinking about what can be classed as 'beautiful decay' which Rider said he was inspired by, such as plants growing out of brickwork. In response to this, one initial design used an image of plants growing out of a wall with the words 'beautiful decay' broken up across the image to represent the idea of decay.

However, such designs were not turning out how I had visualised them, therefore it was decided to take a different approach and produce a set of digital illustrations rather than using photographic imagery since using secondary imagery without much manipulation could have potentially caused issues of copyright.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 03 - Final Presentation

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Creative Report cont.

Ben Rider is a commercial illustrator, printmaker and teacher, describing himself as 'a fluorescent ink obsessed print mercenary' who loves the potential for experimentation which comes with the printmaking process. His work was something which caught my eye especially due to the punky and colourful nature of his prints which have no regards for any rules, a style the total opposite to that of Anthony Burrill, therefore Rider was contacted also to see how his views on design differ.

I understand you studied at London College of Communication. How would you describe yourself as  creative whilst you were studying? Rider, not long ago being a student himself, described himself as a design student whilst studying, not yet figuring out his path into illustration. He began developing his practice as a graphic artist through letterpressing business cards, something which would later go on to inform his creative practice.

How did you first get into printmaking? What drew you to this process over more digital methods of producing design? This proved to be an easy question for Rider, stating the simple pleasure that comes with producing something with your hands is mostly what drew him to the printing process. For Rider, digital media just does not excite him like handmade design does, comparing this as a ready made meal for him compared to having a bbq. He feels much more comfortable being able to think creatively when he can physically handle the tools.

Who and what were your main influences which have brought you to where you are now in terms of your practice? The list of influences were broad, describing most as 'beautiful decay' like the riverside when the tide is out, abandoned buildings with plants growing out of brickwork, faded cracked paint, hand painted signs and misprinted packaging (mainly those with bright colours like fireworks). Recently Rider describes also getting into 'super fake things' like fake bootleg toys and really cheap mass produced religious ephemera.

Your style of work can be considered very punky and experimental, some may call it subjective. How do you feel this method contributes to the realm of Graphic Design today? What advantages do you feel this has over a more objective and uniformed approach? Now there was some confusion over this question, original research findings miscommunicating Rider as being a graphic designer since his work is already very graphic in nature as a result of his university education, studying Graphic Communication Design at London College of Communication. This was meant to gain an insight on his views of the famous debate between Crouwel and Van Toorn, but Rider describes himself more as an illustrator. However, in attempting to answer the question at hand, Rider argues about working ethically and with a conscience whether this is a self-initiated brief or working for a client.

In particular, I find the use of colour in your work very interesting. The layering of colours and images works to produce unique designs. What process do you go through to make these sorts of decisions? In answering this question, Rider explains how sometimes you can plan something, but when its printed it can look totally different, therefore he lets the process itself have some sort of control over the outcome rather than planning too much. His process therefore is mainly based on his willingness to take risks and not being afraid to fail or make mistakes. Testing and practising are key, whilst also making sure to have fun at the same time.

I also understand that research is something of value in terms of your practice. How much research do you engage with before starting design work on a project? Is there any sort of process you go through in terms of this development? "Loads". A normal process for Rider starts by using the Kipling method before anything else, then furthering research using mostly interviews and online research. Based on this then a large body of ideas are generated.

Any advice you would give to someone like myself about getting into the design / printmaking industry? "NEVER GIVE UP. FOLLOW WHAT YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING LOVE. Don't give up and spend money on good materials and good food". Quite frankly.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Response from Ben Rider

" 1-The simple pleasure that comes with producing something with your hands. I feel much more comfortable thinking creatively and problem solving when I can physically grip and handle the tools. There’s nothing wrong with digital media etc it just doesn’t excite me. It’s like a ready made meal to me compared to having a bbq

2-I’d describe myself as a design student basically but I remember letterpressing my business cards as a graphic artist as I hadn’t figured out yet for me to dive into illustration

3-mostly beautiful decay, things like the riverside when the tides out, abandoned buildings with plants growing out of brickwork, faded cracked paint and hand painted signs, also misprinted packaging brightly coloured firework packaging and things like that. and recently got into really super fake things like fake bootleg toys and really cheap mass produced religious ephemera

4-hard to know what you’re really asking, how does a subject approach fit into graphic design? Technically not at all, but I’m not a graphic designer, but I would argue about working ethically and working with a conscience even in graphics where traditionally you’re working to someone else’s brief and if you ruin it you’re fired, I still believe there’s wiggle room to put in a hidden message or at least me ethically minded

5-I let the process have some control over the outcome. Sometimes you can plan something but when it’s printed it can look different. So making decisions based on some experience, being willing to take risks and not being afraid to fail or make mistakes. And tons of testing / practicing and fun.

6- yeah loads mostly interviews / online research and tons of idea generation normally starting with the Kipling method before I do anything

7-yeah easy question to answer this: NEVER EVER GIVE UP. FOLLOW WHAT YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING LOVE. Don’t give up and spend money on good materials and good food.

Keep me in the loop hope that helps

Ben "

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Creative Report

You should aim to subsequently develop a report that is engaging in terms of both its style and content. The completed report should be submitted as a digital Issuu publication posted to your PPP blog and needs to communicate your interview subject's route into industry and identify where their creative practice is currently situated.

Anthony Burrill is graphic artist, print-maker and designer best known for his typographic compositions using traditional image-making processes and materials, such as screen-printing and letterpress. As someone whos work I have admired for a long time and with aspirations to have a future career within the print industry, Burrill was interviewed to gain a more personal and specific insight into his creative practice and his opinions on analogue methods of design over digital.

I understand you studied at Leeds Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art. How would you describe yourself as a creative whilst you were studying? Burrill told of his art education starting at college, studying first at Leeds Polytechnic before moving to the Royal College of Art, however during this time he did not reach any firm conclusions as to who he felt he was as a young creative. At this point, his practice was more situated in experimenting with various different materials and processes, such as sculpture and printmaking, whilst beginning to learn the basics of typography which you can now see has helped inform his current practice. Through this, Burrill described the importance of 'planting seeds', by which he means experimenting with such different processes to develop your own unique approach. It took him years to understand who he was, what he was trying to say and how to communicate it, and this is something which particularly resonates with me since it also took me a while to figure out who I was as a creative.

How did you first get into printmaking? What drew you towards the process over more digital methods of producing design? As a young creative, Burrill did not have a computer, which meant first and for most he began to use analogue means out of necessity. With limited money this meant he had to work on a tight budget which made him resourceful as a creative, seeking out cheap production methods to express his ideas. As a result, this led him to work with the local corner shop photocopier for 4p per A4 copy, which was just about within his budget. Eventually he graduated to screen print and letterpress, mainly for the availability and affordability, working with small local businesses in South London.

Do you think more traditional, analogue techniques are becoming more popular in design today? If so, how do you feel this is affecting Graphic Design as a creative discipline? It was found through my own research that there seems to be a resurgence in more analogue means of production, a period known as 'the late age of print', therefore I thought it might be interesting to get Burrill's view on this. He stated quite clearly that there is more of everything now, including both analogue and digital, as well as more cross discipline work. The important fact being that it's all about producing your own unique approach, dependent on your own perspectives. Within this, therefore, it is important to gain a network of like minded people who you can potentially work with to help the development of your work, whilst finding the appropriate audience for your work. It's all a case of being continuously active.

Who are what were your influences which have brought you to where you are now in terms of your practice? Burrill described his influences as being broad, therefore finding it difficult to name specific artists or work which helped shape him as a designer. In Burrill's case, you can't separate the person from the designer, influences come from a broad range of experiences and things in both the real world and the design world.

Your bold typographic compositions are something which have become unique to you. How important do you feel it is for designers to put more of themselves and their own values into their work? 'I think it's vital', Burrill exclaimed. As a young creative he was taught that we are all 'servants of the message' however its impossible to separate your personal views and politics from work, even that commissioned by clients. This simply depends on what sort of designer you wish to be, for instance, socially aware or purely commercial.

Any advice you would give someone like myself about getting into the design / printmaking industry? In response to this, Burrill highlighted the importance of networking, something we're constantly pushed to do currently at university. Make contact with as many studios and practitioners as possible, build friendships, be part of the community and conversation, but most importantly, make work which is relevant. Make sure this has something to say whilst connecting deeply with yourself. 'As the phrase goes, work hard and be nice to people!'

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 03 - Presentation Briefing

7-10 minute presentation.
Needs to be uploaded by 8th May.

- who you are/who you are going to be in the future.
- why do you do what you do?
- where do you see yourself going in a career and how will you achieve this?
- reflect on who you are as a person and as a designer.
- current aims and ambitions - how have your experiences informed these?
- identify creative concerns, personal aims and professional ambitions - what do you intend to explore over the summer and level 6?
- personal branding?
- consider examples of contemporary graphic design and relate to the development of your own work.
- responses to set tasks and individual tasks set by yourself.

Need to address:

- who you are as a creative.
- what have you discovered about you and your practice over this year?
- what have you found from your creative report? was it difficult, useful, etc?
- talk about report in general.
- what you thought of pitching an idea brief (wayfinding).
- what stood out about this year creatively that had influence?
- view on your practice - has it changed over the year and how?
- plans over summer, next year, new areas/skills?
- are you talking to any creatives in the industry?
- placements over the summer?

Could potentially be in the form of a video, etc.

OUGD502 - Easter Break 2018, Italy Trip - Rome

The third and final stop on our trip around Italy was Rome, Italy's capital city. This is somewhere I have always wanted to visit, particularly due to my interest in ancient philosophy.

On the second day of our visit to Rome, we took a trip to the Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome which sits the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and is home to the Pope and famous Sistine Chapel whereby another one of Michelangelo's most famous works is held. Due to the chapel being a holy and sacred place, unfortunately pictures were not allowed to be taken, however this just made me think and appreciate the artwork more. The huge scale of it was like nothing I'd ever seen. It made me realise that we have become so trapped inside a technological bubble that, again, sometimes we simply need to stop, look and appreciate things for what they are without these sorts of technological influences on us.

However, other pieces of design and architecture inside the Vatican were just as amazing. For instance, the highly detailed and decorated gold ceiling which seemed to stretch for hours along one corridor through the museum. I get neck-ache again just thinking about it.

Along with the more historical pieces of design held inside the Vatican, this was also home to various contemporary artworks by the likes of Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali and Fancis Bacon. In learning about these artists during the early years of my art education at school, I have always had an appreciation for their art, therefore it was great to see such work in person.

Other pieces of artwork within the Vatican which I thought had more of a contemporary appeal were such below. The first two images show works by artist Tano Festa who used a process of photographic emulsion and varnish on wood to produce an image. The works are inspired by Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel (part of the Vatican). The colours have been reset through the use of photographic reproductions in black and white, contrast to the red paint also used around the frame. This process gives the work a style similar to that of prints, something which drew me to these artworks since I have always had a love for traditional printing methods of design, the artworks showing an new and interesting way in which an image can be formed.

The piece of work below is called FrontisPiece of the Portfolio "The Lord's Prayer", produced in 1921 by German expressionist and printmaker, Max Pechstein. The piece is a hand-coloured woodcut on paper, a form of traditional printing whereby an image is carved into a piece of wood, layered with ink and then pressed against a piece of paper or other medium to form a print. This method of producing design is something which I had gained an insight into before, previously having the privilege to view works of art held in the Central Saint Martins archive whilst taking part on a short course there. This archive held a range of traditional Japanese woodblock prints and I found learning about the process fascinating. Therefore, viewing the piece below inside the Vatican made me think about potentially experimenting with new forms of print which have perhaps died out now to produce some unique pieces of work inspired by this trip.

Overall, this proved to be a really inspiring trip, allowing me to take a break from work, but also gain new experiences and new knowledge which have become enriching to both my education and my development as a designer. Not only this, but the trip has allowed me to appreciate architecture more, something which I had never been quite fully immersed with before.