Yesterday I went to see Creative Lynx for a portfolio visit where I met Kate Hawkins and Steve Waring. When I arrived at the studio I was surprised to see how big the studio was. Kate greeted me and showed me where she and Steve wanted to view my portfolio. Kate stared to ask me questions about my course and so did Steve, I was happy to answer. I moved on to show them my portfolio and immediately Kate liked the first page of my portfolio, which had a simple graphic iconic feature of me (my glasses). Kate explained it’s important to show something memorial because it can help identify an individual person. As Steve and Kate looked thought my portfolio they asked me what each project was about and the ideas behind them, I was happy to explain. As some of my early work didn’t have much of an idea behind them I explained to them both that it was to do with more with the layout, space and experiment at the time. After having viewed my entire portfolio Steve and Kate both said that I had some nice work in my portfolio but would have liked to seen more identity work. I agreed and than Steve suggested that I add a bit more colour to my work as most of my projects where in black and white, he said I know some pieces of my work best in black and white but try to inject some colour, I agreed. Than Steve looked through my portfolio again and suggested that I show some of my ideas a bit better practically my typeface and the British Dental Museum poster, I agreed and said that I was in the process of redesigning the logo from my pervious feedback from other agencies. After they had viewed my portfolio I had a chance to ask Steve and Kate a few questions. I asked Steve and Kate that is there any other changes that I could make to bring my portfolio up to scratch? They replied that by adding more colour, showing my ideas more better, maybe take out pieces of work that don’t have much of an idea and do some freelance identity work. I was happy with the answers and told Steve that I am currently doing an identity for the Manchester Art Gallery for my FMP. I tried to explain my logo to Steve for the Manchester Art Gallery but it was a bit difficult and told him that I was having a hard time showing my idea through the logo. Steve suggested that a few websites for me to look at. I than thanked both Steve and Kate for their time and seeing me on such short notice. Overall I was happy with the feedback and told Ben and Kate that it always helps to have a second opinion on my work as bring up new ideas and thoughts.

I got in touch with creative lynx recently and was surprised to get a reply so fast from Kate Hawkins who is one of the designer from the design agency.

Today I went to Tayburn design agency for a portfolio visit and found their advice very helpful and motivating. When I arrived Ben took me to the studio where I meet Vicky who was very nice. They asked me to take a site and we got chatting. I introduced my self and told them that I was in my final year at Stockport College. Vicky said that she also went to Stockport College and studied the HND degree; I asked her how she found the experience? She replied saying that it was good and that she didn’t have computers back than so she had to do her work differently. Ben explain that Vicky was the one who is very hands on with the design work that they do and the he liked working on the computers. I than showed them both my portfolio box and the work inside.
They liked my screen printed poster and asked me if I had an idea behind my work, I explained that it was more to do with experimenting rather than having an idea behind it. Moving on they looked at my British Dental Museum Logo and Poster, they liked my poster but said my logo was good as it had an idea but wasn’t very well executed, Vicky suggested that I change it, she explained that I know that this work has been graded but if you want to show your work for a placement than it needs to be spot on, I agreed. Ben and Vicky both suggested that I push the poster idea further as the idea behind it was nice but didn’t do my poster any justice. Having looked through my portfolio Vicky gave me some helpful advice. As she was looking through my portfolio; she noticed a few things and suggested that I make changes in order to expand my design work. First thing she noticed was that I use the typeface Futura a lot in my design work and suggested that I use different typeface as it shows that I experimented with different typefaces and that Futura doesn’t always work. Second thing she noticed was that I liked working in black and white but need to move away from that and use colour where necessary. Third thing she noticed was that I had a lot of posters in my portfolio and that I should design something different to expand my portfolio. I totally agreed with Vicky and Ben and told them that I will change some of my work in my portfolio in order to improve it. I was at the studio for almost an hour discussing about my work and ideas to Ben and Vicky and they both seemed to like my work and asked me to revisit them in June. I also told them about my current project and ideas behind it; they gave me good advice on ideas and gave me one of their design works as I was designing something similar, I thanked them both for their advice. I also asked Vicky and Ben if it was ok to send PDF of my work and they both said that would be great. I really enjoyed the portfolio visit as it helped open my eyes to few things that didn’t noticed in my work.

I got another reply regarding a portfolio visit but the agency mistakenly took my e-mail as a job opportunity. I decided to e-mail back asking for a portfolio visit not a placement.

I got a reply back from James Buckley asking me to send a PDF sample of my work. I e-mail James back asking that it would be better if I come see him in person but there has been no reply so far.

I e-mailed quite a few design agency asking them for a portfolio visit and finally got a reply back from an agency called A to M.

Yesterday I went to see Mike Fallows from A to M studios for a portfolio visit. When I finally met Mike he was very friendly and welcomed me in the studio, which was located on the 5^th floor. He asked me to take a seat and asked if he could have look at my portfolio. The first thing he picked up was my magazine, he flicked thought it and liked it. He than started to look at my portfolio pages, as he was looking through, I explained very briefly what the projects were about and why I choose the out come. When he was looking at my British Dental Museum poster and the Logo that I designed, I thought he didn’t see the idea behind that design so before he was about to move on I explained the reason behind why I was holding the poster. When he saw the smile levelled with my face he smiled and sad “I didn’t notice that”. He really liked my poster and the idea behind it. The only thing he wasn’t very fond of was the Logo that I designed, he told me that I couldn’t get away with that logo because of the spacing and the boldness of the typeface, and he suggested that I improve it or take it out completely. I totally agreed with him and told him that it was part of the poster and I will defiantly make improvements on the logo.

He moved on to my older posters that I design in my first year for the Design Museum and liked the ascetic of my posters. He asked me why I chose the main poster and displayed in situ, I explained it had more of an idea than the other three posters. He gave me advice on my Design Museum posters as he liked the other three which where located on the same page, he suggested that I have a separate page to show off the other posters, I agreed. After having viewed my entire portfolio he suggested a few tips on what pieces of work I should include in my portfolio and what I should avoid. He also gave me advice on how he like to see my ideas pushed more further to show them at their best. Overall I thought the visit was very helpful and ask Mike that if it was OK with him if I send him my work to get further feedback. At the end of my visit I had a chance to ask Mike a few questions about my work and a bit about the design industry. I asked him do you find the process of coming with ideas very difficult? He replied not really, sometimes when there are deadlines it can be quite difficult at times but not for the most part. I asked him how do you feel when the client doesn’t pick your ideas? He replied we just have to agree with them and take on board what they have to say? I asked him how do you find working in a small studio? He replied that he liked working with a small group of people and that it really only gets busy near Christmas time. Unfortunately he was running out of time and I thanked him for his time and advice.

Scott Mills from Avalanche Creative has got back to me asking which day I want to come see him with my work.

Alan Herron from True North has got back to me about my portfolio visit. 

True North

Today I want to see Alan Herron from True North to show him my portfolio. When looking through my work he said it was good. Most of the work was fine but he said that he would have liked to seen some pieces of work shown off a bit better.
He looked at my Magazine and liked the layout of the type that I used in the shape of a glass and a bottle. He said that using the parcel paper was unnecessary. He also commented on my other double page spread saying that the image was good but the type was not working the right way. Then he moved onto my front cover saying that I could have pushed the idea a bit more.
He also liked the British Dental Museum Logo and Poster saying the type for the logo could have been something that was a bit more suitable but I explained that I had experimented with different typefaces and done concepts. He thought the poster was a very good way to promote the British Dental Museum but not the logo, which he would have liked to seen. As he noticed I had put down in my text that the poster was to promote the Logo which was not the case. He said the idea behind the Logo was very good. He said he would have liked to seen poster been promoted in a different way.
He looked at my first year work and said that there wasn’t any idea behind it but I explained that the brief involved me experimenting with layout.
Overall I think I got some good feedback even though most of it wasn’t that positive and helped me understand a bit more about my work and what I could do in the future to improve it.

Portfolio Visits: True North

I sent an e-mail to True North asking them for a portfolio visit.