Alex Ostrowski talked to us

On Friday we had the privilege of having a talk from Alex Ostrowiski. A young designer doing exactly what we all would love to be doing. He gave some crucial advice as someone who has been approaching people for work and making contacts in the design industry. He mentioned how it is important to build a rapport, a conversation rather than a request for a job or a placement. Other than his advice on getting work when we leave he showed us a collection of his work which has got him where he is now. A mix of fantastic ideas and well executed design solutions. The 'NOTE TO SELF' book was a great piece of work. It was designed to fulfill a competition brief which insisted it was to be A3 size and have only 16 pages. He created a book of reminders, beautifully illustrated little messages to inspire. He is currently working for YCN doing some great work which I hope to one day be doing.

Was a great time to have the talk from Alex and will definitely put us in a good frame of mind on the run-in to the end of our time at uni.

Adrian Shaughnessy

We had the pleasure of having a lecture from self taught all round creative Adrian Shaughnessy. It was more of a talk than a showcase of his work. He discussed what his book was about, which is what it takes to be a Graphic Designer. My attention was kept constantly throughout the lecture as it is an issue I am dealing with during my final stage of third year. He broke down the criteria he feels are what defines a good designer. These were cultural awareness, integrity and communication. He went into each subject with great detail, explaining what he meant by these three catorgories. He also mentioned you without question need talent, something expected on a design degree course.
The lecture made me question what my abilities were like in these areas. I can sometimes struggle with expressing my idea, whilst in my head I know exactly what I am trying to say. Practice makes perfect. It is vital to have this ability as the client needs to understand every aspect of your work.

This was a different lecture to previous but in no way less valuable, more academic and informative. Vital information for me to know when approaching agencies and studios.

Jonathon Barnbrook lectures 21/4/09

Today we had the pleasure of having not one but two lecture/talks from the well established designer Jonathon Barnbrook. He was incredibly captivating and at times hilarious. His 'no bullshit' approach to the lecture made sure the attention of every person in the room was kept. He was full of interesting anecdotes from his time working with the likes Damien Hirst and David Bowie.
What was even more interesting than the big names in his stories was his actual advice. At times going against the advice we are used to hearing, he talked about personal choice, moral obligations and the power of opinion. He reminded me of some of the most important reasons I am in design and love it so much. He talked about how he has a human moral code which determines what clients he will work for. He gave the example he was doing work for adbuster when 'Coke' came calling for his work. As he was at the time making an example of the consumer brands which shape are world with adbusters, he felt it would be hypercritical to work with them even with the tempting large pay checks.
He showed us a sample of his work which showed he clear interest in world issues, human right and other social issues. He has an incredible skill for creating typefaces and graphic compositions. He was extremely inspiring and at times controversial. I loved it.

He second lecture was more personal. He took the chance to take us all back to basics. Teaching us the rules we may have overlooked. He told us you cant create a successful design unless you have fully understood the problem of the brief. He took us threw a power point presentation to look at the stages of breaking down the brief and not just running to the end creating a basic design outcome. The advice was very constructive, I will take it on board and use it to improve my designing skills.

Paul Farrington lecture 17/03/09

Paul Farrington of Studio Tonne came to give a lecture about his professional experiences in the design industry. Studio Tonne is a multi discipline design agency. They show an amazing ability to discover new ideas and outcomes for design. There interactive web design is where I feel they excel. The 'sound toys' are beautifully designed and have incredible functions for creating sound/music and visuals. The toys have a huge number of possible outcomes which means the toys have life after one use. The Studio also creates a stunning range of print work, logo design and illustration. Paul Farrington has a distinct style of work exploring shape, pattern, colour and perspective. 

NCC Stephen Smith lecture

Stephen Smith is Neasdon Control Centre. He has a large range of creative disciplines in graphic, installation, film, motion and more. His work shows superb vision and technical skill. We had a lecture by Stephen Smith recently where he talked about and displayed his work from his career in design since leaving university. He came with some great advice, suggesting the world around you can be inspiration enough to create great work. I said how he would regularly go for walks to think about work and take a look around. Often finding odd object, unwanted materials which he could work with. The talk was inspiring and contemporary and for me not one I will forget. 

Matt Pyke lecture 11/02/09

Matt Pyke is based in Sheffield from his studio 'Electronic Cottage'. He is well established in the design industry with huge clients such as Nokia, Audi and the London 2012 Olympics. He is experienced in art direction and excels at creating fascinating concepts using modern technologies. He has interactive work which has been displayed in galleries in an art format. The 'Second Nature' piece is a program which reacts to sound to create tree like images. The colour sound and shape are all determined by the sound it receives. this lecture was interesting for me as it made me think about the concepts of my work before the visual. I can sometimes rush on in a project before giving it enough time to fully resolve the idea which could potentially get a better result. He is very ambitious and with each project tries to create something which hasn't been done before similar to how a fine artist would work. 

Johnny Hannah lecture 7/11/08

This was the first in the series of guest lectures from industry professionals. He is a skilled illustrator with a strong love for hand drawn typography. He has a distinct style which has found a place in the design industry. He shows his interests for music and culture in his work. I love the imperfections of his work, showing his human character. The loose style of illustration works so well. If the work had a more realist style it wouldn't have the same impact and quality which makes it successful.

In the lecture Johnny Hannah talked about how he creates his work and some of his career highlights such as his jazz projects and his work for 'The New York Times'. His talk was really inspiring and reminded me of the importance of the hand as your first and most important tool. Not all designers need to live in front of a mac. I also enjoyed how he has been able to pursue his love for his own style and find a successful life.

Si Scott lecture 24/3/09

Si Scott is a well accomplished designer with specialties in typography and illustration. His work is created by hand showing incredible talent. He has a distinct style which contains delicate flowing lines and shapes. He has had success across the globe, an example of this is the Nike advertisement made for french audiences where his work speaks for itself. In the lecture his gave us a look through his work since his college days to present showing his continuing change and development as a designer. His work has effortless beauty and has been exhibited as Art in some cases which shows the standard of work he creates. Si Scott also talked about his movements after leaving University to find work in agencies in London and Manchester before making the decision to go freelance. His casual attitude was refreshing and i found it easy to connect and understand what he wanted to tell us.

After the lecture I was fortunate enough to get to sit down with Si Scott to talk over some of my work. We talked about where he saw my my going and the next step. I wanted his opinion on some of my illustrations. He also told me how it was important to remember what it is I am trying to say. His advice was very influential and the meeting was a great experience.