Work experience is a great way to get in contact with professional studios. Also, talk to your tutors and staff at school, college or university and find out what they think and how their experience can help you.
What is your job?
I'm a freelance Graphic Designer.
What does your job involve?
Being a graphic designer involves working with clients to provide a visual solution to problems. A company might need a logo to help people understand what kind of business it is, or they might want a web site to communicate through the internet, for example.
How did you get to this point in your career?
During college I did work experience with a graphic design company. However, it was the ‘live briefs’ we did at college that gave me a really good insight into working in the industry.
Unusually, rather than working for a design agency first then setting up my own company, my business partner Owen and I decided to set up our own business on graduating. We wanted to offer something different – truly co-operating with clients and listening to what they wanted, rather than going to them with one fixed idea.
Our first studio was in Owen’s bedroom, then we graduated to the spare room and finally set up a studio of our own in London Bridge. We worked with a range of clients, from small charitable organisations to large multinationals, offering everything from corporate identity design to publicity material and web site design. After seven years, we went our separate ways. I’m freelancing and hope to be employed by a larger design agency to gain experience of working in a different environment. Ultimately, I want to run my own studio again, but with the benefit of that experience behind me - see my website.
What training did you do and where?
I wanted the fastest possible way to get into graphic design, so I studied a GNVQ Advanced in Art and Design, rather than studying for several A levels. My graphic design tutor recommended Ravensbourne College, so I went on to study a degree in Visual Communication Design there. It appealed to me because the course placed emphasis on ideas and concepts.
Which piece of work are you most proud of?
I’m proud of one of the first major projects we undertook, which was designing a prospectus for Ravensbourne College. The solution was innovative – a box that was torn open to reveal five different sections that could be updated.
What do you need to succeed in your industry?
You need the ability to think and generate ideas, but also to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues and Creative Directors. You have to be able to ask the right questions, listen, interpret, discuss ideas and sell your concept.
Who’s your work hero / heroine?
Alan Fletcher, one of the founding members of Pentagram. Sadly, he died in 2006, but he produced some very inspiring work for companies including Pirelli, Penguin, Reuters and Shell. He was very much an ideas man, and unlike so many identities that only last a few years, his work lives on.
What inspired you to do this type of work?
I got it into my head early in secondary school that I wanted to be a graphic designer, even before I really knew what that meant. Perhaps because I always enjoyed drawing, art and designing posters.
What do your friends/family think of the work you do?
My parents have always been very supportive, even though they have completely different jobs. My dad’s a physics lecturer and my mum works in a library. I was always very clear that I wanted to be a graphic designer, and they were always behind me.
What are your tips for anyone wanting to do your job?
Work experience is a great way to get in contact with professional studios. Also, talk to your tutors and staff at school, college or university and find out what they think and how their experience can help you. Constantly look for new information and find out as much as you can to help you make a decision. When it comes to colleges or universities, go to Open Days. In a creative profession, you need to be inspired by your surroundings, so it’s important to check out the environment and see how you respond.
Creative inspirations
Garfield
At primary school, I was obsessed with cartoons. Once we had a fair and I sold posters I’d drawn of Garfield. It helped fuelled my passion for design.
Hartbeat
This was a children’s tv programme dedicated to art, hosted by Tony Hart. It inspired me from a very young age and encouraged me to draw and make all sorts of things out of odds and ends.
Bauhaus – modernism
I like the concept of form following function and things not being overly ornate. It fits with my beliefs about how design should be.
Bridget Riley
I love her Op Art designs and the way she uses simple geometric forms to create the impression of movement on the page.
Alan Fletcher
He was a very conceptual designer whose designs have longevity and meaning, and they’re clever. There’s always something else going on when you take a second look.
Josef Müller-Brockmann
He was a Swiss designer who was very influenced by the Bauhaus movement. His design was ground-breaking – very clean, functional and elegant with hardly anything on the page.
The outdoors
Anything that gets you out of your normal working environment can spark an idea – a billboard, an empty can, or just walking down the road.
Erik Spiekermann
This German typographer and designer created the Meta typeface, as well as several others. I admire his work because he has an intelligent and considered approach to design.
‘I ♥ New York’
Milton Glaser created this advertising slogan in 1977. It made me realise the power of symbolism – that something so simple can mean so much.
René Magritte
I like Magritte for a completely different reason – because he used symbolism that meant nothing. Like the painting of a pipe with ‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe’ – this is not a pipe – written underneath.
If you would like advice on creative careers and courses, contact a Creative Way Careers Adviser - either Matt Ball on m.ball@uel.ac.uk / 07889 001764 or Sarah Comerford on s.comerford@uel.ac.uk / 07515 051509.