OUGD603 - PPP - My Practice

Trying to define my practice I looked at my interests and design skills. I found my work had a varied mixture of typographic and imagery based design, these two aspects are often separate from one and other, mainly working on just visual collages or only typographic compositions, this is something I have attempted to challenge on level 6.

As mentioned another focus and interest of mine is collage and applying collage to graphic design briefs. Through this I have looked at relevant design studios who have collage and photomontage at the heart of their practice for example Dr.Me. Being a hands on graphic designer I find that traditional ways are the best and produce physical work through posters, banners and publications, usually through traditional print methods. With a heavy focus on Screen printing, it is clear this is a path I would find my self most suited for and have looked into the relevant design studios and print studios.

By combining digitally produced graphics with traditional print methods I have explored a wide variety of technique and been able to used a multitude of different mediums to produce multiple outcomes for one simple Idea.

OUGD603 - PPP - Contact

BERLIN POSTERS
MAILING ;

HORT
PATRICK THOMAS
NODE

-BERLIN POSTERS
-MY TYPE
-MY PHOTOGRAPHY
-SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO SEND

RESPONSE
- ONE

OUGD603 - PPP - Contacting studios

CONTACTING - SPIN -

Who - Spin is a London Based design studio whos practice focusses on exhibition branding, print medium and much more. Spin have a wide range of international clients such as Samsung, BBC, Wim Crouwel, Unit Edition and many more.


Why - The work Spin produce is bold and original often with typography at the heart of there outcomes. I would like to visit them to discuss there work and methods and see there professional set up. Spins work is interesting and expressive working on various projects from publication design to exhibition branding to Digital promotional campaigns.

Method - I have chosen to Email Spin in order to engage in a conversation and hopefully organize a placement/studio visit which will benefit my personal progression into a professional job.

OUGD602 - PPP - Studios to contact

Having identified particular design studios I would like to contact to start to help my progression and hopefully find a placement. I have also identified that I would like to work in another European country.

Hort Berlin -

Hort is a Berlin-based studio which does art direction, branding, creative consultancy, editorial design, graphic design, illustration, lectures, and workshops. Hort works with institutions such as Arte, Bauhaus Dessau, Bergen Assembly, Mousonturm, Frankfurter Positionen and Tanzplattform Deutschland, as well as brands like Adobe, IBM, Microsoft, Nike, The New York Times and Universal Music.

There work is bold bright and focusses on a print medium process, utilizing modern techniques and styles to produce bold, striking posters.

Hort works with huge brands, on ad campaigns such as the examples below, working with Nike to produce print posters for the Nike Basketball Finals. They also work with illustrators like Jordy van den Nieuwendijk and writers to produce publications such as Read Magazine. These are things I would like to do and follow in my Practice.

Patrick Thomas Studio- 

Patrick Thomas is an English graphic designer based in Berlin, Germany. He also works in Stuttgart, Barcelona, and London, while frequently touring his work or lecturing. His work now focusses on silkscreen print, working on many uncommissioned personal pieces.

One More Studio - 

One More is a design studio based in Paris, France. One More's practice focusses on art direction, graphic design and interaction design. The work they produce ranges from print media such as publications to online branding. One more have also worked on music-related material such as designing album sleeves and promotional materials.

Hey Studio- 

Hey is a Barcelona based design studio, they specialize in brand identity, editorial design, and illustration. There practice heavily focusses on geometry, colo, and direct typography.

P.A.R 

P.A.R studio are a Barcelona based studio which focusses on design identities, editorials and websites and his art direction, for big and small companies. They work a lot with print media, producing brand identities and a mixture of publications.

OUGD603 - PPP - UK Based Design studios to contact

I have identified a number of designers/design studios to contact in order to discuss their practice, what tips they have for my own progression and also if I can get a placement or studio visit.

Darren Cullen - Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives - Darren Cullen is an artist, designer, illustrator and guerilla advertiser whos work parodies political/military policy of the UK and US. Cullen is outspoken yet this is the reason I would like to contact him, his work communicates strong and valuable messages on often overlooked important subjects.

Email Adress: darren@spellingmistakescostlives.com

spin studio
- London - Exciting bold design studio working on a range of international based design. I would like to mail these as there ethics and design experimentation aline with my own. Working on a mix of print and digital design, I feel there work would aline with my own.

Email - studio@spin.co.uk

dr.me
-Manchester
DR.ME is made up of Ryan Doyle (DR) and Mark Edwards (ME), The pair studied together at Manchester School of Art & Design where they were paired together on the first day due to alphabetical serendipity. Upon leaving university the pair went and worked for a period in New York before returning in 2010 to open the studio. Alongside creating record sleeves for record labels including Tri Angle Records, Young Turks and Memphis Industries, poster art for The xx, MIDI Festival and YoungArts Miami the studio also spent a year creating a collage a day in their 365 Days of Collage project which led to the ‘Choice Cuts’ exhibition at Home and the studio being asked to author a book on the use of collage in design entitled ‘Cut That Out. There work with collage and traditional print is a path I want to go down, being able to apply my skills on a professional level would be both incredible and elevate my practice hugely.

Email-info@dr-me.com
craig Oldham
-Manchester

Craig Oldham is the Author of In Loving Memory of work, a book about the fight of the coal miners during the strikes in the 1980s, a piece of design which I have admired and referenced within many of my briefs over the time spent at uni. Having attempted to contact him last year only to Craig not replying due to his current position at Falmouth University, I wanted to attempt to reopen dialog with him.

Contact - craigo@craigoldham.co.uk
-hello@craigoldham.co.uk


print project
-West Yorkshire

Having met and interview Nick Loram or the print project, in Shipley last year, I wanted to discuss deeper how he started his own print room and how he has funded his work. Knowing already he works alone in a small studio, I knew potential internships would be not available, but I knew Nick would have valuable advice for me.

Magpie Studio
-London
Magpie is a design studio which focuses on big ideas and conviction, working on large projects, which often have a bright theme, I feel this would be another very influential place to visit and possibly intern at.

OUGD602 - PPP - Start Of Year - Future

This year I wanted to find a placement abroad, in the second year I went to Paris on Erasmus exchange to study for six months at an art university, this was cut short for many reasons. Wanting to complete a time abroad I have looked at a number of possibilities.

Hoping this year to find somewhere to possibly intern or visit this year I felt I wanted to go somewhere which will be easier than the French capital had been (though also having a desire to re-try Paris. This combined with who I want to work with I made a list of people I could contact.

Designers/Design Studios/Location -

• Patrick Thomas (Berlin)
• Hort/Eike Koenig (Berlin)
• One More Studio (Paris)
• Say What (Paris)
• Hey Studio (Barcelona)
• PAR (Barcelona) 
• Eps51 Graphic Design Studio (Berlin)
• Design Studio Maurice Redmond (Berlin)

I shall look at each design studio closer to see how I should angle my work to suit them, or how to approach them. I have listed more than a few Berlin Studios as it is a place I have been to and visited on numerous occasions and it is my desire to work there one day.

PPP - Postcard Project - Creative report (Evaluation)

The project started as sending postcards to designers as a different way to ask them to partake in an interview, it developed into a project where I designed the postcards myself and sent them off, I had 3 responses in totally so far and have conducted two of the interviews, one with Nick Loaring of the print project, the other with Mark Wheatley AKA Marko, the project evolved into producing a zine which held the interviews as well as images of work and my own images I was able to take upon visiting the print project. I realised the project had potential and so made that the zines much like the postcards had a clear theme, inspirations are taken from a range of things which have been mentioned within my PPP blog, including Max Huber, punk, swiss and print methods. The project is still in its early phases though potential for mass printing and sale can be seen. I experimented with a number of formats and stocks which the end product can be printed on, so far the product feels like it is in its final stages, with only the content needing editing. The colour and type are influenced by the postcards which are influenced by a number of things.

I produced small accompanying posters which can be sent to the designers which the interviews are about. The interviews are interesting and the work spoken about is brilliant, these small zines can easily be produced in huge numbers and distributed, I shall be continuing this project past the hand in to fully explore where it can go and hopefully get a number of responses from other designers. I have identified that the publication is the best format for the interview as these are both printers, they believe in physical work, I should explore print further to see how I can incorporate it into the project.

The interview I did with Nick Loaring is also featured in my collective 'Lifes A Pitch' project where a group of second year designers and I had the concept of collating all our interviews throughout the year into one publication and printing it for sale, the publication would cover many aspects of design and feature a wide range of contemporary designers and printers. Again this is only the start of a project which has a lot of potential to it. With collaborating in this way we have brought our own expertise and interests together to produce a well rounded book of design interviews.

Working on this project has been challenging in many ways, the biggest challenge being that the designers don't always reply, luckily I asked a number of designers and printers to avoid getting no replies, I had 6 which I asked and got a couple of replies which was really good. The project has helped me not only contact and interact with designers but also helped me to think outside the box and be more creative with how I do approach creatives. Choosing to do a project which has rounded into something different and incredibly interesting has broaden my design style on also how I work. This project can be taken into summer as an independent project and possibly further than that, I have to be fully into the project and believe in it, hopefully inspiring people with the interviews being undertaken.

PPP - Craig Oldham Response - Studio Brief 2 - Creative Report

I have received a response from Craig Oldham in regards to my postcard, though I sent it to his office studio in Manchester, he has responded from Falmouth University where he is lecturing at the moment. He has agreed to speak to me further about my project and answer some questions. 

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PPP SB1 - Art From Non Art Exhibition

Having successfully been accepted into the exhibition for Goat Collectives 'Art From Non-Art' project, I was able to showcase my work at The Brunswick Leeds with all other accepted submissions. The project was entered by a number of other students from LCA and as well by design agencies, studios and collectives from Leeds, including DR.ME amongst others. The exhibition was an interesting look into different styles of collage and image making which is coming from Leeds, it shows that as a style it is very much on the up and being utilised more and more. Each piece took on a different angle and has its own message, my own piece was printed in black and white as well as many other submissions. 

I feel taking part in exhibitions is a great way to engage with my practice, using a social event to showcase work and see other like minded people's work too, it is a great way to personally reflect on work. Being able to produce work which is subjective and different to the things I am making in my studies is great, it gives me freedom to explore different and unusual styles which can sometimes be too subjective for graphic design. I have thoroughly enjoyed producing this work for Goat Collectives exhibition and I will definitely jump at the chance to be in more exhibitions.