Presentations

Since studying at LCA, I've had to present my work in front of classmates on numerous occasions. Graphic design is a creative subject which can make presenting work intimidating as everyone's opinion on what they like is different so there is always a chance that someone wont like it. However, I have become more confident speaking in front of people as I have found as long as I justify my design decisions with cohesive evidence presenting is a lot easier. I find talking about my interests and inspiration good practice because it allows me to show people what I'm passionate about which makes presenting a lot easier as I hope to influence the audience. Learning how to communicate my concepts is going to be a key skill for me in the future so I am glad I am getting practice now so that I can progress in the next three years. I enjoy getting feedback, both verbally and written because it broadens my perspective which should improve my outcomes. 

Why am I here?

Why I chose to study Graphic Design at LCA

Having the majority of my family living in the North meant I spent a lot of my time in Yorkshire and Scotland. My cousins were educated in Leeds and one even studied her Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Leeds College of Art. The positive feedback that she told me about LCA definitely made me want to study here. Yorkshire has always been a creative hub and I think it is only just being recognised for this. Leeds in particular host great gigs, galleries and events which is definitely a key reason for making my decision to come to LCA. When I had my interview, I looked around the great facilities and was immediately inspired by the 'Archive 15' book that I was given. The consistent professional and creative quality of work made me want to be a part of such a successful university for graphic design and other creative subjects. 

What I want to learn during my time on the course

I have a fine art background and it was only in the past year before applying to LCA that I realised I wanted to specify in Graphic Design. This means that I haven't had much experience at all in typography, however a lot of the design work that we've been doing has been typography based and I have already learnt a huge amount. I enjoy putting text and image together but I haven't been taught how to do it correctly so I would like to learn more about grid systems so that I can make my compositions consistent and visually attractive. Book binding has been an ambition of mine for a long time and it was one of the predominant reasons why I chose to study Graphic Design. Having my own publication that I made by hand and be proud of is a big goal. I have always enjoyed traditional printing techniques but I would like to become more confident and skilled, specifically with screen printing as the outcomes are always unique and bespoke.

My current strengths:

As I said before, I have always enjoyed producing work using traditional printing techniques because of the unique contrast and texture it can create and I have used my prints for branding projects before. When I am set a brief, I always find that I can produce a lot of ideas from research and brainstorming which is really helpful for producing an outcome from informed decisions. I have always enjoyed working collaboratively with people on different courses or with different skills to me as it is an exciting prospect. Using their specialist skills with mine can create some really inspiring work and I often learn a lot from other people. During my previous course, I became interested in stop motion animation so I produced my own stop motion music video and I think this would transfer well into a graphic context: 

What I would like to improve:

Learning is improving

What inspires me?

I enjoy listening to alternative music because they often produce their own artwork and gigs that are contemporary. This allows me to follow the band and use their sound and artwork as inspiration. Looking at publications such as The Art Form, Vogue and Law gives me inspiration for all areas of graphic design, from layout to imagery. Going to visit galleries in the UK and abroad allows me to discover artists and designers that I would have never seen on the internet. This allows me to absorb culture that will reflect in my work. I like to watch surfing videos because of the colour and natural beauty that surrounds the sport. Surf photography/filming is becoming more and more popular and successful and I like how people harness the environment and make something visually stunning out of it. 

What's going on in November?

It's important to make sure I'm aware of events around me in Leeds and around the world. Making the effort to attend gallery events and gigs influence the way I work so that I keep developing. Looking at film, editorial, websites and talking to people help broaden my perspective. 



Useful websites that I use to keep updated with events:

• Songkick: A really quick and easy way of seeing what gigs are coming up around you. It's really useful because you just type in the location you want and the app can scan your iTunes and Spotify library so that it only updates you when a band/dj you listen to has a gig near you. The constant updates are really consistent and I have previously used it and discovered new, cheap festivals and events. 
• Leeds Inspired: This website shows all of the upcoming events in Leeds from gigs, exhibitions, dance, film and drama. The website is well presented and it's easy to navigate around which helps to find an event suited to my requirements. 
• The City Taking: I use the printed newspaper version over the website, mainly because I prefer to read solid copies. The magazine offers a broad range of subjects such as fashion, food, music, culture and sport in Leeds so it's a really useful source for seeing what events are coming up and also to read the reviews of past events.
• Eye: The Eye magazine is very popular because it critically analyses design and visual culture from all around the world. I use their website content to find what's on on an international scale. 

I have chosen some local, global and digital events coming up in November:

Local

Beacons Metro

Leeds is home to a huge amount of influential bands and Beacons Metro celebrates this by putting on a music festival spread over a month that hosts gigs from alternative bands and DJs. There are a lot of bands that I want to see playing the festival and I have bought tickets to see two of them as a result of looking into events in Leeds. This will also allow me to explore Leeds more and see some new venues. 

Belgrave Feast - 14th November

This event is hosted at Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen and is a completely free food festival. Local beer and food companies get the chance to show off their food along with live music, a vinyl store and designers/artists. I think this event will be really enjoyable and I can get inspired by the art/culture that will be there.

International 

Bauhaus.Foto: 11th October - 1st November

This November, White City, Berlin will host a selection of just 100 photos taken from Bauhaus. If I had the time and money I would really like to go as Bauhaus hugely impacted on design and it inspires me a lot. Photographs of the architecture and figures reflect the style of Bauhaus and it would be great to see it in context.

Billabong Pipe Masters: 31st October - 20th November, Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii.

                              

I've always thought surfing is one of the best sports in the world. It's a recreational sport that has it's own music, fashion and language. To be able to go to Hawaii and see the best surfers in the world compete in such an iconic location would be amazing. I've always been overwhelmed by the images photographers manage to capture. The energy and colour of the water is beautiful. I would like to create a publication or magazine showcasing some of the best surf photography and waves around the world.

Be a Sponge 1.0

What inspires me?

Short of the Week is a web based film company where people can upload their own short films for a small fee. The videos are then critiqued by the team to see if it's good enough to post. They have a huge range of genres from action and adventure to stop motion. The site reveals so many new film concepts that aren't available in mainstream cinema which I can use to influence my work. The films are all very well produced so I like how the website has revealed these under-the-radar actors and producers/directors. 

Vogue is one of the best fashion and lifestyle magazines in the world. Although the magazine focuses on women's fashion, I like to browse through the magazine and observe how they combine text and image. I like to appreciate the craftsmanship in the clothes as I've always been interested in surface pattern and textiles, along with credit to the photographers. I have used colour schemes inspired by the clothes and I think it's a really useful because colour is very important in fashion.

Chazwick Bradley Bundick (AKA Toro Y Moi) is a music recording artist and producer. I am a big fan of his music as he was part of the chillwave movement. He also creates art, predominantly from sketching and then digitally improving it into screen prints that he uses for his merchandise but also as a side project. Here is a video about how he likes to work in music and design:

  

I like the simplicity of his designs as he mainly focuses on shape and colour to create dynamic compositions. 

The art form was recently created by designer Andrew Townsend. There is only one edition of the magazine out at the moment but it holds the work of 6 practicing artists/designers such as Paul Insect. The Art Form is unique because it asks the artists questions of which they can reply to in any way they want. It's this personal concept that allows me to see how successful designers work and it was refreshing to see how different each designer was. The designers that feature in the magazine are hugely influential which allows me to see what can be done with a range of different mediums. 

I use creative review because it covers a wide range of stories which helps me keep up to date with what's happening in design around the world. The magazine is very thought provoking as you get to see the relationship between designers and companies, along with solo projects where the concept is key. Subjects such as typography, advertising and branding focus on graphic design. The only problem with this magazine is that it's fairly expensive, however the library has them so I can still keep up to date. 

The Line Of Best Fit

I am interested in alternative music and The Line of Best Fit allows me to stay up to date with the latest news in the music industry. It introduces me to new bands and l often attend gigs to experience them live as I find this a raw experience. I think music and design cross paths as I've always been interested in motion graphic music videos and cover art.

Like the majority of people, I use the BBC News to stay up to date with events happening around the world. Designers often use political and cultural issues to influence their art and I believe it's always important to know current events. 

Creative Allies 

A good opportunity for getting work out into the world is Creative Allies. Bands, festivals and films set a brief for someone to design them a new album cover, poster or merchandise. The artist or organisation then choose their favourite one and the winner gets a cash prize and the design is then used. The website allows anyone to submit a piece of work ,which can result in a range of standards, but I really like seeing how people interpret the briefs. 

Twitter is a good source for finding the latest news from artists and designers in creative fields. It offers a personal experience with them as they often tweet about their latest work or updates on where they are playing/exhibiting. Twitter also gives me the opportunity to easily personally message people if I wanted to find out more information. Following a band can then lead into finding a designer as they often tweet about work they are doing and who for.

deMilked

I use deMilked to get inspiration. The blog updates regularly and shows contemporary design from advertising, art and interior design. It is predominantly image based with short and concise information at the bottom. The broad range of media inspires me and I like to transfer the skills I see on the website into my projects. 

Design Companies

I liked this brief because I was able to learn about successful design companies that I'd never heard of. I was surprised at how small the companies were and the huge businesses that they design for. 

Ah-Ha Studios was created in 2011 by Carolina Cantante and Catarina Carreiras who were two friends at university who decided to work together. They are based in Lisbon and practice using a variety of mediums including interior design, advertising, traditional and fine print, photography and product design. They are known for their basic geometric designs and simple primary colour schemes. The work is tight and minimalist, I really like the consistency and quality of the work. I really like the fact that Cantante and Carreiras were friends who have become successful because of such a good working relationship. 

Hey

Hey is a graphic design studio that started in 2007, based in Barcelona. They specialise in brand identity, editorial design and illustration making sure they work closely with their clients in one-to-one relationships. As an agency they love to use geometry colour and direct typography. They often create side projects so they can experiment with new techniques and ideas to push their creative boundaries.  This allows them to put their passion into big name companies such as Apple, Vodafone and Oxfam. 

S&G is a small yet successful design company based in New York. It has a work force of just four which includes Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh. Sagmeister has worked for bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Talking Heads and Lou Reed. Walsh is a very successful designer who has won many awards for her work. The studio does a very broad range of services from web design, identity, advertising, print and furniture design. They like to work closely with photographers and film makers to combine skills. A lot of their work relates to the pop art movement, bright colour schemes and bold shapes are prominent in their work. You can see the evidence that they collaborate with other designers so that they can feed off other people's specialties. 

Heydays

Heydays are a Norwegian design agency who specialise in visual identity, web design and interface design. The agency is made up of only 6 designers but they often collaborate with other designers from specialist fields. Heydays want to have their own identity, which makes them unique. Five years on, Heydays is one of the most award winning graphic design agencies in Norway.

They do not limit themselves with the mediums they use. From looking at some of their work, they have adapted their it to suit their clients requirements. Mediums such as woodwork, digital and traditional print, app design and moving picture are a few examples of why they cater for such varied clients.

LUST

Lust is a multidisciplinary graphic design practice established in 1996 by Jeroen Barendse, Thomas Castro, and Dimitri Nieuwenhuizen, based in The Hague, Netherlands. LUST works in a broad spectrum of media including traditional print work and book design, new media and interactive installations, and architectural graphics. Lust are interested in finding new ways of creating new media from technology and architecture, they have their own space to experiment with ideas and media. I like the idea of designing compositions using traditional and digital techniques to create a final outcome.

S T U D I O    D U M B A R

Studio Dumbar is an international agency with a Dutch heritage. It is the third most awarded organisation after Pentagram and Apple and they specialise in visual branding and online branding. 

Looking at their work, it's clear they like to work with typography. A lot of the typography has been manipulated to make the compositions look abstract, geometric and distorted. 

BUILD

Build Design is based in London but moved to Yorkshire in 2015. It was created in 2001 by Michael Place and Nicky Place and only has a team of 4. They like to work with typography a lot to produce brand identity, editorial print and help design spaces. They have worked for large companies such as Nike and Microsoft. I like their work because their typography is tight and pleasant to look at, especially with the toned down limited colour palette.

Elmwood design has currently won the most awards than any other design agency in the world. It was started in 1997 and is now an international company with studios in Leeds, New York and Singapore. Something that makes this studio really unique is that they create their own design tools to allow them to consistently create successful work. Elmwood's work has a very broad range of styles and I think this is because they have so many clients they all need something different. Companies such as Andrex, BBC and Met Office have all used Elmwood's creative passion. I like how they have such a broad range of services and styles to cater for any client. It shows that Elmwood is a very distinguished design company. 

Bleed

Bleed is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Oslo and Vienna. They have won numerous European design awards for their passion for creative identity through concept development, art direction, graphic design and service design. Personally I really like how clean and concise their work is, especially with typography. A lot of the typography they create is serif. I really like serif fonts as they're traditional and smarter. Bleed have adapted these fonts using a minimal colour palette to create a contemporary look. 

This composition incorporates shape and typography, along with the monochromatic colour scheme, to make a harmonious outcome. 

A recurring theme from their typographic work that I found was cutting into an image or block of muted colour to create a negative space of the letter. I like the muted colour schemes, along with the geometric shapes/type to make a balanced composition. 

Face was founded in North Yorkshire, 2006. They are dedicated to helping their clients succeed. They make it clear that the client comes first as they provide understanding and sensibility towards clear communication between the studio and the client. They do a lot of work in brand identity which is clear to see as their work and clients reflect a clear message in the form of a logo or book. In my opinion, I like contemporary design, something that has pushed a boundary such as type and made something new out of it. I think Face are designing for clients that want a smart outcome, not a contemporary piece which is interesting to see. 

dessein 

Dessein was founded by Geoff Bickford and Tracy Kenworthy in 1987, Perth, Australia. They also have three more designers working for them to produce branding, signage, website and packaging. Bickford is passionate about exploring new possibilities. They state that as a company they work closely with their fellow designers and clients to get the best outcomes. The design team all come from different cultural backgrounds, religions and travel experiences which they feed off.  

Wolff Olins has been around since 1965 in London by Michael Wolff and Wally Olins. They have studios all around the world such as New York, San Francisco and Dubai. They stated that when they work for a client, they want to create a brand that lasts forever. They created the controversial London 2012 Olympic logo and have worked for huge companies such as EE, AOL and Virgin. Personally, I think this company is thinking ahead and creating successful and smart outcomes which we probably see daily. 




I am surprised by how small the teams of people are in the majority of the companies and the scale of some of the projects.