3's

3 areas of design I'm interested in:
 
Illustration
Layout & publication
Web development

3 main strengths of mine:

Illustration
Layout and communication
Attention to detail

3 main weaknesses of mine:

Time and project management
Documentation of my design processes
Following current design, knowledge of the current industry

3 main goals of mine for this year:

Create an online presence
Win a competition brief
Bridge contact with studios

3 wishes:

I wish my back and leg would be alright
I wish I get to collaborate with Parra, Patta and Asics
I wish I could afford to live somewhere in Scandanavia or Amsterdam

5 Studios

SNASK.com

Snask has to be number 1. I love their work and making things large scale and so complex to be photographed and scaled down so small that serve a clear yet playful communication to the viewer. They have clear and concise design that exploits the use of bright colours and large type, but still considering the negative space. Snask would be my dream place to work and I hope I can get the chance to visit them. They're some crazy Swede's with mental ideas which would be the perfect environment for me.

eatPES.com

Pes is a studio that creates stop motion short films and commercials frame by frame. Their work is insane, with clients such as Nike, Sony, and a more memorable from TV, the More Than animation. The style in which they work, giving inanimate objects personalities and movements with very clever choices of props. I really like their work and this is definitely somewhere I can relate too.

byParra.com

Parra has been a favourite of mine for a number of years. Based in Amsterdam and running a successful clothing line titled Rockwell, Parra has some awesome illustrative work. He uses bright colours and playful text mixed with minimal block colouring. This is work I can relate too and enjoy, but I do also really like the figures and ornaments he makes alongside murals and other art installations. All things I hope to do one day.

Nobrow.net

 I was first introduced to Nobrow around 2 years ago when a friend of mine had a small run of around 50 screen printed books. There was huge attention to detail paid to the work done which is something I look for. They also print a lot of Patrick Hruby's work, his alphabet that he did for Urban Outfitters is sweet, along with his vector images and use of colour. Although I don't regularly follow Nobrow and their website isn't the best, I still feel a connection through print and illustration to this studio.

permafrost.no

4 Norweigan Industrial designers, set up a studio a number of years ago which is an all round design agency. I noticed them through the Hall of Fame shop fitting they did, which is clean and effective, showing a relationship from the apparel to the street where it all started. They design furniture, toys, shop identity's, packaging and tools to name a few items. Their studio is minimal and clean and looks like an inspiring place to be. I would love to branch out into product design and producing exquisite items with my own hands.

Heydays.no

Another Norweigan design studio, Heydays are brilliant. The exact type of work I would like to produce as a professional. Well designed and considered design, just like their website making the most out of their work and experimenting with concepts and ideas. Norway is a place I'd love to go to once I graduate, if not before. I find it truly inspiring and think it would be the ideal environment to thrive in, especially at a studio of this calibre.


Snask would have to be my top choice. This is because of the work they produce which I really aspire too. 3-d work and subtle incorporation of different mediums such as embroidery, wood, paint and inanimate objects to such good effect. Thinking outside the box and producing something that would fill a room just to photograph for a flyer. I love how it creates a more personal attachment to the work, my kinda design exactly.

Who are they? 
A Swedish design company with good honest design. Working outside the box to create personal design which relates tot eh project.

Who am I?  
A big thinker, creative and focused on detail. I like producing work that has depth, subtle sometimes and other times not so. I've tried to create 3d elements to 2d work a couple of times and will expand on that this year.

Why are you contacting them?
They are my kind of studio, big thinking and subtle workings towards bigger ideas. They seem like they have a lot of fun producing the work that they do and I've never seen work like theirs.
 
Why should they get back to you?
Because I am similarly minded to the kind of work I like to produce. Not too bothered about being famous personally but having my work speak volumes across as many disciplines as possible. I'm creative and think up good ideas when in the company of other big thinkers. A valuable team member.

Methods of contact:
Phone them
Visit their studio
Send them a creative CV
Post them some samples of work
E-mail them some work, establish a relationship
Send them branding and something which is specifically tailored for them

Web Design

As opposed to writing about the session and adding screen shots, I decided to use an Issuu file of combined screen shots as a walk-through to setting up basic code.

What is Industrial Experience?

What is industrial experience?

1. Entering live briefs from industry clients, working to a realistic timescale and for a real client.

D&AD     YCN     TalentHouse


 2. Self identity and professional presence, branding yourself to the professional environment.

Business cards, bridging contacts, innovative ways to attract attention, samples of work.


3. Online presence as well as a physical presence, to obtain professional feedback and promote yourself.

Behance     Pinterest     Tumblr     Issuu     Emails     


4. Knowing what work's being produced in the industry, winners of awards, innovative design and potentially, trends.

D&AD Awards     YCN Talent Agency     


5. Visiting studios to network in person, getting your foot in the door.


6. Attending trade shows, exhibitions, art & print festivals, museums.

Nobrow     Leeds Print Festival     


What can you learn? 

1. A good understanding of the pace within the industry.

2. A network of contacts to help me further my career.

3. How to generate an income from a hobby making my practice profitable.

4. A knowledge of what's being produced within the industry before it's released.

5. How a client relationship within industry works.

6. Different ways studios operate.

7. What studios look for in work and portfolios.
      

How can you obtain industrial experience?



1. Visiting a studio.

2. Talking to professionals and attending lectures.

3. Following design blogs, keeping up to date with what's being produced.

4. Visiting printers and places involved with production.

5. Summer intern or helping out a studio on spare days.

6. Competing with other professionals by entering live briefs.

7. Assess your work on a weekly basis.


What areas of industry are you interested in?
 
1. Web design and coding.

2. Motion graphics and interactive design.

3. Print and publication.

4. Illustration and hand rendered.

5. Branding and identity.


What are your concerns about industrial experience?
 
1. Working in a studio which has bad vibes.

2. Not feeling like part of the studio.

3. Being ordered around as opposed to learning anything.

4. General rejection from the studios I try and talk to.

5. Feeling as though I've wasted my time.