I got a job offer after our end of year show (so put the effort into these, people do go to look for potential staff)
What is your job?
I’m a Designer / Strategist at Engage Group (www.engagegroup.co.uk). We deal primarily in engagement of customers and employees which, loosely translated, means we help organisations communicate with people.
What does your job involve?
Coming up with creative concepts, assisting in production of wireframes and planning an online strategy for clients. About a 50/50 mix of design and strategy.
How did you get to this point in your career?
I started doing an HNC in music technology, then onto an HND in multimedia. I got a job offer after our end of year show (so put the effort into these, people do go to look for potential staff).
What training did you do and where?
I did an HND in Multimedia at North Down & Ards Institute of Further and Higher Education.
Which piece of work are you most proud of?
Take a look at www.myactionaid.org.uk. Not only was it a fun project to work on, it actually does some good.
What do you need to succeed in your industry?
Hard work, attention to detail, and the ability to be a sponge, soak it all up.
Who’s your work hero / heroine?
No particular names as the work that ends up online is more often than not a team effort. But I have to say Poke London do some great work.
What inspired you to do this type of work?
It’s funny, I was always interested in music. I did a music course and then I wanted to learn to put visuals to my music. To do that I went on a multimedia course. There I learnt to design for the web, and that was the skill that got me a job.
What do your family/friends think of the work you do?
I think they think it’s cool, or they certainly did. It’s not the ‘new media’ thing it was. It’s still a bit different but is becoming pretty mainstream.
What are your tips for anyone wanting to do your job?
Create a site of your own, I wouldn’t dream of hiring anyone that didn’t have their own online presence. Keep up to date with new technologies, the web is changing faster than any medium we have and you can only be current if you know what’s possible. Follow design blogs and read articles online - there is so much great stuff out there, make use of it. Lastly, enjoy your work.
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
Creative inspirations
Cities
London is a wonderful place to work/live, it has everything: great music, art, architecture, the river. I love walking around the city. New York too - what a place, you cannot go there and not be in awe of the sheer scale of it.
The Interwebs
I love the internet, love twitter, I learn so much from there. I have an unhealthy amount of design blogs in my RSS feeds and love the daily dose of lovely stuff they deliver to your door for absolutely nothing. I advise everyone thinking of a career in design to make the most of the constant stream of amazing stuff available to us all.
Print
Some digital people say ‘Print is dead’. Fools. I love a magazine, book, anything I can touch. The introduction of web standards, as necessary as they are, has stifled creativity a bit online. Oh for the freedom of a blank page with no thought on browser compatibility or semantics. Monocle, Creative Review and Eye are just a few of the magazines I regularly grab. Also It’s Nice That, comes out quarterly. Beautiful - www.itsnicethat.com.
Photography
I photograph a lot and have a few different types of cameras. I love Lomography (www.lomography.com) and the results it offers up, there is something nice about the anticipation of getting a film back from the developers. I think digital photography has created an element of the disposable in photography - no longer does every shot count and every picture mean something. Shooting with film brings that excitement (and cost unfortunately) back.
Music
Where would we be without music? From DJ Shadow to Jimi Hendrix. The Nextmen to The Specials. I listen to all sorts of music all the time. Seeing Portishead live in a tent at Glastonbury many moons ago was easily one of the most spine-tingling experiences of my life. Country and Western is an exception - listen to this music with caution. I also produce music and have done a few short film soundtracks and released a few bits and bobs over the years.
Film
Such as: In the Mood for Love, The Lives of Others, Shawshank Redemption, Taxi Driver, Children of Men, Pans Labyrinth, The Departed, Sexy Beast, Lost in Translation, Princess Mononoke, Transamerica, The Consequences of Love, You Me and Everyone We Know, Hard Eight, Spirited Away, I've Loved You So Long, Wall-E.
I love watching film, the ability to escape and put yourself in someone else’s shoes is unbeatable. ‘In the Mood for Love’ specifically is a masterpiece. Every shot is like a still photograph.
David Attenborough
If there is one person on this earth that deserves the accolades he receives, it’s him. What an amazing committed spirit. Legend.
Studio Ghibli
From Spirited Away to Princess Mononoke, such imagination, vivid colours and beautiful story telling. As much at home in the eyes of a child or an adult.
My School
I went to a Rudolf Steiner school. Its curriculum is laid out differently to that of standard state school. Instead of stuffing 4, 5 and 6 year olds with times tables (that their brain does not have the capacity to understand, they simply learn to recite a 3x table as they would a song) they teach the children about fables and get them to do crafts. They grow their imagination. I firmly believe it was a major part in me ending up in a creative industry.