I’ve been working for this company for nearly 3 weeks, it was a perfect fit. As I’ve said before everyone is friendly, the work is fantastic as I’m working in the same skill set as before but able to apply it to a different area, the subject matter is almost totally new to me professionally, also it’s in a great location – more on that later (also there’s usually an abundance of leftover boardroom sandwiches, cakes and cookies! A delicious plus!)
The fact of the matter is, in case you haven’t already noticed, I am torn about whether to disclose where I work. There are pros and cons.
The pro’s are obvious, I want you to know where I work. It’s a great company who make fantastic designs. Serious innovation with some really talented people, working there is a joy.
Likewise I share a large amount of myself on my blog my twitter page and my dribbble account …some might even call it ‘venting’ ^_- so what if I slip up and say something that inadvertently gets me the sack?
I’m not stupid, I know that slagging off my boss is a bad idea… Dooce. (FYI Heather Armstrong has lead to the term “dooced” being used to describe the act of getting sacked for something you say on your website) but it’s not always as clear cut as that. Making your company look bad can be done in many, many ways. Directly or indirectly, they might not like the image you are painting of someone that represents their company.
So I guess I had better lay off talking about work issues altogether? Watch this space.
I got that perfect job I have been banging on about, the morning after I went for the interview I was offered the job (So hopefully they liked me as much as I liked them) and I start work on the 4th January.
Here is where the difficulty lies though. I was offered a couple of other jobs in the same week. All these places are great and the positions I was offered were very tempting. BUT! Here is what it comes down to future recruiters… *rapport*
As all the jobs were equally great, they had perks, all provided health care, so the job I accepted had to offer something extra and in the end it came down to the simple fact that often gets overlooked these days… at my new job everyone is friendly and could be bothered to spend time talking to me, even though as “just an applicant” they may never see me again. Because they spoke to me, I learned that they had much the same ideals as me when it comes to designing.
This is important to me because, let’s face it, I might be working with them for the next few years!
Although I’m not going to tell you where this perfect job is yet, I will give you a clue in the form of the image above sent to me by the company in their seasons greetings email ^_- Oh I am a tease!
These beauts arrived on Monday but I have been so busy preparing for the show and going to interviews that I haven’t had the chance to photograph them. The ever-wonderful George at Ripe Digital printed them for me, and the colours are just magic, my shoddy photography doesn’t do them justice! Thanks for all your help Mr Penny <3
These will be together with my work for the MA graphic design show starting this Friday (will post details shortly) and use the same methods as one of the pieces I am exhibiting. Teeny tiny versions of the big deal, when you fold up/unfold this card you can read some anamorphic type.
Incase you haven't noticed, these tie-in with my new website design. Stripey! ^_- More work updates to come soon and some big announcements, it's all go here at LYGD!
Above is the end video of my outcome for the final major project of my MA in Graphic Design, the whole project was handed in for assessment yesterday morning!
The title of the project “How can I create interaction using multipoint perspective”
The basis of the project was, I wanted to see if I could create a deeper understanding of content if the viewer has a chance to physically interact with the form in order to decipher it (or whether they would be able to decipher it at all)
This involved developing an output which used multipoint perspective to incite user interaction.
I used a quote by Henry David Thoreau to illustrate my method “it is not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
I looked at how John Berger and David Hockney had said that visual depth is lost when content moves from 3D to 2D form. But here I created 2 dimensional form from 3 dimensional objects.
In time I will upload the visual summaries and the report so that, for those of you who are interested, you can read more about it.
The output installation itself took around 2 weeks to finish, stringing up the 32 letterforms of four different sizes, “exploiting” diminution present to make them all appear the same size. Not to mention kerning in 3D!
Projecting the second view type onto the foam letters was the most difficult part. Ever tried to draw/paint on hanging letters that have to stay in millimetre perfect positions? Punishing.
Although difficult, it was brilliant fun to put together. Created in a classroom, there were always people around who would slink about the perimeter of the installation and try to figure out what it says. Which was incredibly fulfilling to know that I had made such a curious object (:
This still currently hangs in D207 of the London College of Communication and will be included in the post graduate design showcase starting on the 3rd December, so please come and have a look if you can, it really looks much better in real life!
I’ve been working on my final project for what feels like forever, above you can see a (rough) video of it, I’m taking the final shots of it tomorrow including filming it.
There is ultimate pressure on to get it finished asap (obviously aside from meeting print deadlines and the like) and it’s big BIG news, I want to tell you all about it but I don’t want to jinx things.
As usual I will keep you updated with more info nearer the time. But let’s just say 2011 is looking to be a MUCH more exciting year than 2010!
Halloween is coming up this weekend, which will give me a much deserved break from work. Whether I like it or not!
In the mean time, check out these pictures of some of the finer details of the project, up close and personal!
So just last week I was featured in Notes on Design‘s graduate season. It was a privilege to be asked to contribute by the lovely and talented Dave Cuvelot.
It was a bit surreal actually! Mainly because the questions that I was asked… I had never really even thought about how to answer them before. I hadn’t ever stopped to think about what my design inspirations really were, or how to explain them to people.
In my head I know what I like, but its difficult to put into words. It’s like if someone asked you to describe what makes you happy, or how you feel when you are most relaxed?
Also it was a strange feeling to be asked “what’s next?”, as I guess everyone has an end goal but I’ve never been asked to address it before, to sit down and think about it seriously is another thing entirely. Next?? What do you mean next!? I only ever just have my head around what’s going on now!
I’ve included the questions I was asked, and I encourage you to attempt to and answer them, whatever stage in your (design) career you are at. I know most of them are focussed around my MA, but instead, swap it out for your current job position/university/college course whatever. You might learn something about yourself, I know I did!
1. Who are you and what do you do? (university name and course, education history, current profession, current situation)
2. What is it about design that gets you excited?
3. Why did you decided to do an MA? Is it something you would recommend?
4. How does it differ to an undergraduate degree?
5. If you can remember, what was the hardest thing you had to overcome as a graduate?
6. What has been your key to success?
7. What’s next for you?
8. Based on your experiences do you have any advice for this years graduates & those considering taking an MA?
Once I’d finished, I did feel a bit like perhaps I might get in trouble for that interview… and every draft I did I thought that perhaps I should make it a little less “honest”. Perhaps the World of Warcraft insight was a bit too much information, but it might be of use to know everyone fucks up. Not everyone glides perfectly into the job of their dreams, there are struggles, and mishaps, if WoW counts as that? And actually I think its the difficulties that craft us into better designers, harder workers and better people.
The other way of looking at it is, who wants to read an interview where everyone says the same old thing?? ^_-
Richard Harvey is a recent LCC graduate who studied a BA in interactive design. His work is amazing, I think you could describe them as inventions, they really are mad scientist type ideas.
Especially my favourite “Sound, Fire and Smoke” a variation on the Ruben’s Tube theory, a gas filled tube with different sound qualities applied, pushes out more of the gas where the wave peaks, resulting in a sound wave of fire… though not exactly safe as you will see if you watch the outtakes video. Definitely do not try this at home.
However, this featured video above is a floating display that reinterprets weather information via hovering patterns and flowing movements. Quite different from the fire experiment, in this one the user is invited to create patterns and sequences using either an iPhone interface or a sequencing program. Ah iPhone, is there anything you can’t do?
Really brilliant innovative work from Richard Harvey, be sure to check out the rest of his work in his portfolio and prepare to be amazed and inspired. Mr Harvey, I salute you!
These are the designs for the range of Topshop Make Up items and also the Spring/Summer 2010 range by Sarah Thorne a fellow University of the Arts student who graduated with a first class honors from Central Saint Martins last year and landed the job as Topshop’s Creative Designer… lucky girl!!
“Design for Topshops’ new Main line make up range. Packaging features matt grey componentry with black patterns, uncoated cartons with grey print, hand drawn illustrations and text.”
Check out the pictures of the two different ranges on her portfolio site, gorgeous stuff, cute hand drawn features.
Amazing amazing amazing! This was brought to my attention earlier this week by @chris_jordan. Very cool. A sensory project that has been created with multiple projectors making a display which can only be described as sci-fi!
Here is an example of one that uses just one projector and still manages to be pretty awesome, all of these were made by SuperBien.
Unit 2 is fully underway. I’m not panicking. Who am I kidding, I’m always panicking about something… but this atleast feels like it’s all under control.
I have 2 electives to complete and also my major project proposal, in which I have to define what I will be doing in Unit 3. I have already chosen to *investigate interaction in a 2d and 3d space* my tutor was enthusiastic about it and described it as “a strong idea”, so I am calm and collected and just intend to plough on with the work. As usual, I already know what I am going to make for my outcome, but I’m keeping it hush-hush for now. (Mainly because I am a creature of mystery, but also because if I change my mind I will look stupid!)
Yes, it’s all coming together… but I have so much stuff on at the moment that I find myself constantly under the risk of overdoing it. I honestly think if I wasn’t so organised I would have flunked the last unit. ‘Swamped’ is the word. I have to much *work* work to do and it is taking a whole lot of concentration getting some kind of structure developed so that I am not constantly working on that and forgetting how much I have left to do for uni projects.
If any of you were ever considering doing an MA and have to make the decision between full and part time, I would strongly suggest part time. Not only will your uni projects be alot more thorough and you will not feel like tearing your hair out, but you will have enough time to make some real money in the mean time.
Where as I have either had to squash the work in around my timetable or cut back on work (and therefore also my income!) It’s not easy being a full timer.
