Week 8

SKILLS AND THEORY

LECTURE MATERIAL:

Talking heads case studies:
• What would you like to be doing that you are not doing?

Simon:

Does not want to anything else. has always wanted variety of challenges that come with running an agency. compelling. enjoy coming to work. 20 years in enjoys it. very diverse. radical different mindsets with each projects. variety – not just packaging. keep everyone on their toes. mixed projects. transformative work, he would do that if he wasn’t do that. strategic plans, make things that are interesting. robots – remembering things, humans are great at original thinking and that’s what he enjoys most of all.
Simon mentions transformative work, which is really interesting.

Sam:

Loves what he’s doing, very hard to imagine not doing what he does. Maker/artist. Always interested in the cultural sector. Fascinated by society. Doesn’t think he could ever leave the cultural sector, and if he had to, he would watch trees grow.
I think what Sam means, is that he would be outside, at one with nature and be in a place of solitude. I get the impression (even more so now I have watched him mention solitude in the second video below) that his studio and the way he works is very spacious, he is a man who definitely appreciates solitude.

Regular Practice:

Try to do what they enjoy anyway. I love that Tom mentioned they document things they like and are inspired by, so when projects come around in future they are able to use them for inspiration. Such a great way to incorporate into their projects things they would like to be doing, and actually experimenting with that.

Sarah Boris:

Lots of book projects, and found out she loves to test other materials, things for the home. Rugs, tableware, collaborate with project designers. Thinks you can learn a lot from people who have completely different backgrounds. I really appreciate Sarah’s response for this question and feel I would be the same, always wanting to explore new processes, new techniques and even collaborate with more creatives. The creative world is constantly evolving and everyone, no matter what industry you work in, can always explore new options that they have not considered before. I felt like Sarah answered really carefully and she was honest about saying she wants to explore different routes in projects.

Intro Design:

Spend most of their time being cynical, but they do secretly love their jobs. Clients do annoy them more than they used to, but that could be with age. Talbot Type provides a great source of joy in daily commutes, and came across it as a challenge but it turned out to be a salvation as needed a new challenge. Having personal projects takes a lot of the pressure off the work you do, as you enjoy them, it’s a world with no pressure and you own it.

• How important are side projects and are you currently working on any?

Simon:

Working with other people; always had side projects. They are valuable. He has created identities for people, helped with wedding invites etc. but side projects end up being hassle. His work is so busy, so exciting, and he is putting all his time and effort into work. Working on own projects within the business, being inventive, own software, own platforms etc. Really compelling and challenging, taught them to think from clients perspective.
Simon mentioning that he has no current side projects but has been working on what seems like a side project at work – developing own brands, seems like something he has really enjoyed which is good evidence that having a side project benefits your perspective. Simon is now able to see from a clients perspective which is fantastic, he can empathise and even would be able to provide solutions going forward.

Sam:

Made a career from side projects. Has problems. Making his side projects work related, didn’t work. Find stuff that isn’t what you do in your work. Meditation, social engagement. Still gets a lot from going into solitude; trusting that giving yourself space gives you time to breathe.

Regular Practice:

Authorship. How to incorporate that into their work. Have a sub folder of things they want to work on, so there’s always ideas there.

Sarah:

To-do list of side projects. Sit with them for a few years, if they’re still there then you will do them. Define you as a designer, most of us are good at doing “design” but a side project is independent from behinning to end, exactly what you want to do. They say a little bit more about yourself than portfolio work!
I strongly agree with that as that is exactly what I have in my portfolio – self-initiated briefs. I think it’s because you thoroughly enjoy them they become really interesting and fun.

Intro Design:

2004 was a great time where people could communicate globally but nobody would steal any ideas. Ghostbox is an outlet for film, events, vinyl etc. Prefers physical products rather than digital. Ownership, owning the world you create. Things that have been made for no money, in own time, feed back into work. side projects should offer relief but also feeds back into the day job. Learnt that creating type is difficult, a highly visual process. Even the most geometric typefaces are full of inconsistencies. Learnt a new craft and really enjoys it.
There was a mention of how just designing for the sake of it is a ‘vacuum’ which I don’t really agree with because I think being creative, especially on a side project is the whole point of exploring, experimenting, and being able to do what you want with no pressure, guidelines etc. If your happy little side project has a brief – what’s the point and why not just do work? Why not just see where it goes, what you learn from it and feed that back in to everyday work/new side projects. I have been surprised by that statement because Intro were both so positive about side projects after both owning a website/brand, and they spoke highly about being able to have ownership and do what you want to do, not adhere to briefs and guidelines etc.

Webinar:

“Choose 10 words that excite you” I have chosen:
Sponge
Sustainability
Geology
Digital
Nature
Innovation
Majestic
World
Science
Clarity

Feedback on my card process so far:

I explained in the webinar that the cards aren’t a ‘game’ so to speak, not anyone would be able to play them as they are personalised to myself. They are a visual journey of my strengths and weaknesses – I can revisit the cards anytime throughout my journey of being a designer.

Hannah’s feedback – likes the white space and joker cards idea. Joker cards could be blank so you could write on them yourself as you advance. I love this idea! I could then personalise the cards as I go along my journey, to fill in any new skills that I would like to learn or develop something I’ve discovered.

Matt’s feedback – likes all the considerations with the type, colour, layout etc. I could consider a chart, to keep track – milestones? Level up? He said it’s hard to visualise my journey, which I agree with. I would probably forget what new things I learn and my priorities will change the further down the creative path I go. I would probably benefit from having a document that reminded me of what I’ve learnt so I really like this idea also.

Sarah’s feedback – Joker cards could be a wild card – a challenge, out of comfort zone. I stated I wanted illustrations – Hannah thinks there could be a quirky illustration, on the back of the cards. Hannah – take the beginner, intermediate, expert text and develop it.

I also asked what everyone thought of the design of the cards themselves, and maybe having an illustration on them would be beneficial. Hannah said she could see there being a really unique design on the joker cards, seeing as they are the ‘odd’ ones out from the skillset cards. I agree with this completely, and I wanted to do illustrations on those cards. Sarah mentioned how I could improve the back of the skillset cards also so I will have a look at developing that further too.