knowledge is power if applied correctly!

Today was my last day working at Anikst Design. I have been there since September and I can honestly say that I am very glad that I spent a long period of time there. The knowledge, experience and skills I have learned from Misha Anikst is priceless. He truly is someone who has contributed a significant amount to my development as a designer. One thing he said to me when I first started to work with him was that I would leave his studio a different person. He is right. I left the studio today feeling confident and as a professional designer! I am certainly going to miss him, his wife, who has excellent taste in cakes! Oh and of course lovely Danielle!

I start at DK on Monday for 3 months and then will be working for Time Out Magazine in June for a month. I'm trying to also find a placement with an advertising company but am finding it difficult as a lot of my work is editorial & print based. Does anyone have any tips?

Last week I went to the London Transport Museum with my client team as part of the Sorrell Foundation. It was a a great experience, despite my height and being smaller than some of the students they were calling me Miss which I think is quite funny as I am not that much older than them! The trip was great I think the client team understood what we the design team were trying to get across about having a strong identity & navigation system for the school. In the afternoon we made mood boards with the client team to build a visual database so that we can start designing! Our mentor is Ed from Mother, he is great, he has really been aiding myself & my team members, Kate, Selvi & Jamie to help move the project forward.

Hope everyone is learning loads!
x

THE PARTENERS talk at LCC tonight

Tickets are £5 (£3 for UAL students and staff with valid ID cards) cash only on the door – tickets include a beer after the lecture.

6.30-8.30pm
Main Lecture Theatre
London College of Communication

The Partners is one of the UK’s most consistently awarded agencies over the last 25 years, with a fast-growing creative reputation in the US. So far they have won coveted Gold Awards at D&AD, New York Art Directors Club, New York Festivals and Cannes Lions. This company of 50 people have offices in both London and New York.

Jack Renwick, Creative Director, has recently celebrated 10 years with The Partners where she now leads one of the design teams. She is currently working with the BBC on the rebrand of TV Licensing; with European law firm, Wolf Theiss, on a bold repositioning programme and with eBay on a brand refresh. She has also recently worked with Penguin to design the cover of the new James Bond book.

Jack’s other clients have included Vertu, University College London and PowerPlate as well as working with Gucci to launch the Stella McCartney brand. Jack will be presenting on behalf of The Partners.


SEE YOU THERE.x

yyyyyyiiiiiiiipppppppppiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey there,
The book lars and i have designed has finally gone to print!!!!! Absolutely amazing, one of the best experiences of my life. So excited to get it back from printers in 2 weeks. It was quite a daunting prospect designing a 300 page book from concept to production, but the experience was incredible and iv learnt a huge amount. Just wanted to say thanks so much to Jeremy Leslie who's been such a great guy to work for and whos taught me a great deal.
Im currently writing this from my desk back at This is Real Art. The guys have asked me back so thats great, happy to be back, more design, tea and football.
Designing a lookbook at the moment for a fashion designer and now on the look out for barcelona placements.
Hope everyones good.

x

Need a Roof Over Your Head?

Anyone need a room to rent in London for a few months from the start of April?

My room will be going empty whilst I am in Berlin...

A good sized double room, near Denmark Hill station. £85 per week - sharing with three lovely girls (two Camberwell graphic design final year students, and one working in the city). Two kitchens, two bathrooms, and a lounge - plenty of space!

Good transport links - only 4 minutes by train to Elephant & Castle, 12 minutes to London Bridge or Victoria. Short walk into Camberwell.

Available start of April.

If anyone's interested, or knows of someone who might be, give me a shout!

nicola@nicolaryan.co.uk
07708 212399

So last week I met Ed Warren from mother london. The studio is great with a massive skate boarding ramp going through the space. It is definately not your typical studio!
More about Ed though, he is really great and offered loads of great advice about presentations and how to form a good relationship with clients.

We told him about the project we are doing for the Sorrell Foundation. We showed him the brief that we had put together from our pupil client team at Brampton Manor School and told us we need to really test and stress the brief in order to be able to summarise what exactly the client wants in a sentence rather than a full a4 page which is what we had! We need to present back to the client team our findings and interpretation of the brief.

The client team addressed a lot of problems in their school, this included lack of signage, colour, small canteen, awful toilets, a logo they don't understand.

It seems from the brief though, that the issue that myself and the other students in my group can address is the identity of the school.

How does this sound for summarising a brief:

'we are going to design you an identity formula, a system of visual language for the school which can be implemented in the new building which will communicate Bramton Manor's creative, diverse and enthusiastic reputation to the Newham community'

This week we are taking our client team to the London Transport Museum for a visit as it is a very good example of identity and will hopefully help them understand what they want and what we are hopefully going to help them with!!

Am looking forward to it! x

My Goings On

Hello! 

Just thought that I haven't written an update in a while so......

I'm doing an internship at Jonathan Barnbrook's studio. Really enjoying my time there and learning lots (about design, and about the world - researching for the book has really opened my eyes). Everyone's lovely there; very welcoming, and so knowledgeable. Got to go along on the studio trip the other week. All so fine and dandy!

Alongside that, I'm finishing off some freelance work, and trying to go as many exhibitions as possible - there are so many ones i want to go to just starting! (Rodchenko at the Tate Modern is well worth a look).

Also trying to make plans for Berlin (which I fly off to in 6 weeks time for my Erasmus exchange). The thought of a crit in German somewhat terrifies me - and is what is propelling me to abandon music and listen non-stop to German podcasts!

After the summer term studying there....then who knows! I am contemplating travel/work in India, and going to the Kyoorius conference. But perhaps I shall stay longer in Berlin, or perhaps I will go to New York, or perhaps I will chase up some of the internship offers I've had in London and do one of those. Too many things I want to do and not enough time!!

Hope things are going well for everyone else!

UPDATE

Just to update, being working hard...still...on my dissertation. Also had loadsa of freeance work come in, I have been writing CSS coding for a clothing lines blog and myspace page as well as designing them for him. Also had another person approach me for a flyer design for an event in the West End, so all extra money in the pot!

While having time off a strict 9-6 mon-fri placement I have felt almost out of the brainstorming loop, so-to-speak, so I have arranged to meet up with two girls separately to have a brainstorming sess on some random briefs. One girl is from Bath, and the other is from London and they both are graduates, so will be good to hear of their experiences etc.

Went to the You Tube workshop at Google headquarters, was good to get the heads up on Brand Channels on YouTube.

Also debating taking up an offer for work in LA for 3 months......

SCRATCH 'N' SEE

Scratch 'n' See cinema sensory soiree 17-02-09

UK's first ever Scratch n Sniff screening, at the launch of jotta's pop-up craft fair last Saturday. That and gold foil dipped hot dogs, flavour tripping pills which saw punters sucking whole lemons and tasting sherbert, plus the range of aroma's concocted to compliment Peter Greenaway's The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover.

Updates updates updates

www.ahintofmarksimmonds.co.uk

Hello all!

some update about what I'm up to:

so.. I spent some time learning some programming (Actionscript 3.0) to rebuild my website entirely in Flash. I'm not there yet but I'm hoping to be finished soon with this. 

Apart from this, I got a 2-month internship at Lightmaker (web & interactive design studio) in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. I'm really glad about this as it was my 1st choice and I think I'll learn lots of new skills there. And it'll be another view of England for me who after all, doesn't know much about the UK except for London!

I also had an interview at Mook/Nitro Group in London and there are some possibilities for me to work there the next two weeks and/or in May-June. To be confirmed..

Hello dpeepers,

hope everyone is doing well.

My book for jeremy leslie is in its last 5 days so its pretty crazy here, actually left the studio at 11.45 last night, nearly missed the last train which i guess would have meant sleeping on the studio floor. (memo - take sleeping bag to work in future). Its looking great tho, am so pleased with it and everything iv learnt so far, so exciting!!!, had a bit of a boo hoo today tho cos we arent getting the paper stock we originally wanted but hey ho.

Like Danielle i also had an interview at Grafik the other week but havent heard anything back yet. Luckily tho 'This is Real Art' have asked me to come back and i start the day after i finish here so that's really great. Still planning my summer in Barcelona at the moment and am also doing some freelance designing a look book for a fashion designers new womenswear collection.

PS DID ANYONE GO TO THE WIM CROUWEL LECTURE AT LCC??? what a legend, thats a portfolio!!!

x

Talking of exhibitions...

Information

Designs of the Year

It seems last night was an evening of private views! I went to the private view of 'Designs of the Year' at the Design Museum. There were some intriguing pieces; including 'Cloud' by Troika, and 'Green Felt Protest Suit' by Tony Mullin. Worth a look if you're passing by; but to be honest I enjoyed the Hussein Chalayan exhibition downstairs more - so see both if you go! 

Hello girls and boys...

I hope you all enjoyed the snow last week. Travelling into London was impossible so I enjoyed myself building a snowman and sitting in front of the fire! 

Just a quick update on 2009 so far...

I have been asked to stay at Anikst Design until the end of April to try and finish several books I have been working on. I've got to say, anyone stuck for a placement should definitely come here - I have learnt so much.

I had an interview with Grafik 2 weeks ago, though still haven't heard either way whether there is a placement opportunity for me. 

Yesterday I had a fantastic day. I received a phone call from a mother and baby magazine (the company Bauer also owns Heat, GQ, More etc) after sending a pdf of recent work to them the night before following Sarahs email, and they asked me to start as soon as I finish at my current placement - without an interview! Then, later that afternoon, I received an email from Creative Review asking for me to come in for a chat on thursday! 

Sooo... wish me luck guys!

love Danielle

x

Peter Coffin

Kathryn and I were lucky enough to go to the private view of Peter Coffin's exhibition in the Barbican last night. I would recommend a look if you are in the area. There are some wonderful objects which when juxtaposed against the video wall creates a really interesting sensorial experience. There are also directional speakers which provide sound but unfortunately it was a little loud last night to really appreciate. More photos here, here.

the new year so far...

Hi all,

I have secured my next two placements. I had that interview that I attended to early lol. I start in March, its at DK :) its for 3 months and then I go straight to Time Out for a month.

Other than that I have been working a little on my dissertation and have rediscovered my passion for history, there are a couple of exhibitions that I want to visit, Byzantium at the Royal Academy & Tsars at the V & A.

Anyone been to these exhibtions yet? Or have been to one that I definately should not miss?

Oh and for the Young design program I will soon be meeting my mentor, his name is Ed Warren he works for Mother London. Have a look at their website, its really interesting!

www.motherlondon.com/

will be giving an update soon I am sure. x

Hey, just filling you all in.....I have made a good start on my dissertation, not dreading it too much now, and definitely aim to have it done in the next month.  Been visiting the tate modern and st brides and white cube on a regular, especially tates book shop. Book that everyone wanting to do advertising NEEDS.....

ADVERTISING CONCEPTS by Pete Barry

Such an easy read and very useful.....has taught me the basics which everyone should no who is approaching an ad agency and hasnt got taught it on the degree.  

Jade and I are just re-doing out portfolio with big brands via skype and being mentored by Dom+Jon at The Parteners.  They are lovely....and very honest and realistic which is good!

TIP OF THE WEEK (given to me):

"be a sponge"

My classmates

This is what ive been doing for the last week.....I have been mentored by Mr Snowman himself.....and been taught the skill of symmetrical face shaping while keeping warmth in hands!

Slush

Snow

A Jarvis Cocker look-a-like.



More photos here.

Snowed Under

Feels like Christmas again!...

London just can't handle it. No tubes...no buses... The City was dead for a day (or two, for some). They knew it was coming, why didn't they take action? Hmm... I'm not complaining though, it was so fun! What did you all get upto?

Click here to see more Snow pics!

Secret Heart Private View

The private view for the Secret Heart exhibition at The Old Sweet Shop will be taking place this Thursday (5th) from 6pm-8pm.

Tons have people have been kind enough to submit work so please come along, have a beer and chat with creative minds from far and wide!

Visit the Website for more details.