Blog
13.11.20
Lockdown Q&A: Josh Epstein-Richards on Secret 7", Furlough, and a Leap Into Freelance
As we bundle our way into *hopefully* the final act of national lockdown, we’re back with another candidate Q&A. It’s safe to say things do feel a little different this time – in a good way – but we’re still here to celebrate the amazing talent on our books, and offer some communal insight into a pretty turbulent year.
As always, this series hopes to take a candid peek behind the curtain at the realities of creative’s working lives, and offer a platform to chat through their practice.
Our first candidate of lockdown pt.2 is Josh Epstein-Richards, a 2015 graduate from the University of Brighton; a course with a rich reputation of producing some of the best. He joined culture-focused design agency UTILE in 2015, after a successful internship stint the year before, and has pretty much been there ever since, until unfortunate redundancy earlier in the year.
Over the course of 5 years at UTILE, he progressed from a squeaky-clean graduate to a senior hand, working across multiple disciplines, sectors, and clients, crafting beautiful work along the way, for the likes of Second Home, Waterworks Festival & fashion sales agency Polly King & Co.
On top of that he’s a serial side-hustler too (not that kind). Regularly contributing to Secret 7”, including this year's final exhibition, as well as co-founding 12b, a side-studio venture with long-term collaborator William Lyall.
Below Josh chats us through where it all started, from typography sketches in secondary school to his new-found life as a freelancer.
—
Tell us about yourself, your working experience, and your creative practice...
Graphic design was something I knew about and aspired to do from an early age, as I grew up around a very design-orientated family. I was told off at school once for drawing type rather than painting a still-life in the style of Monet, which says it all!
I’ve spent the last 5 years as a designer at UTILE, working with a wide range of clients across art, music and contemporary culture on a broad range of projects including books, motion, record sleeves, exhibitions, packaging, posters, pitch decks, websites and brand identities.
My creative practice has evolved over time — having access to processes like screen-printing, letterpress and book-binding was invaluable at university, but now I mainly create work using a computer. I also have a Risograph printer that I bought with my friend Will, which we’ve used to self-publish books and prints, and now regularly use as a tool to add a layer of tangibility to my design work through printing and scanning to generate texture that can’t be replicated via vectors.
I try to get off the computer whenever I can, whether it be taking a photograph for a project or sketching up ideas — I always have a notebook and have a big collection of books that I always refer to for inspiration.
How have you found 2020, and how has the working climate affected you?
Of course it’s been a very strange year and I certainly didn’t expect to be in the position I’m in now. I was put on furlough at the beginning of April and unfortunately made redundant at the end of July, so a quick change to freelance life begun and since then I’ve been working with friends (old and new) on some exciting projects; including Our Place’s rebrand to All Purpose and designing the new look and feel for New Look with ODD London.
For my entire working career I’ve worked full-time with a rigid day to day structure. Furlough was tough because that structure and creative output was taken away so once redundant I tried my best to jump straight back in to be as busy as possible, though I’ve learnt that as a freelancer some days can be quiet.
Have you got a daily routine in place? How have you been keeping motivated?
I think it’s important to stick to routine — my daily alarm has stayed the same throughout the year. I get up and follow my morning routine regardless of whether I have work booked for that day or not, which also allows me to be on the ball when I do have work to do. I’ll be up in front of the computer checking emails by 9am and playing music through the speakers by 9:30.
Music has always been a big motivator for me, every Friday I collate a list of new albums that I think I’ll enjoy listening to regardless of genre and share it with a few close friends so they can listen too and then we chat the following week about stand out tracks, albums we weren’t into, artwork we love etc.
Any side-projects/hobbies you’ve picked, or intend to? Ways of keeping sane?
During furlough I followed the trend of baking and got really into it — many banana breads, lemon drizzles and chocolate brownies. To balance out all the sweet treats I’ve got into running which helps clear my head — something that I’ve found really important during this year.
As for side-projects, I took part in this years Secret 7” exhibition creating artwork for the Aretha Franklin song ‘One Step Ahead’, using a photograph I took in Tokyo last year. I’m also looking at ways to share my weekly new music lists to a wider audience and create a bigger conversation — watch this space!
Looking forward, In an ideal world, what would next year look like for you, creatively?
Next year will be the busiest I’ve had and by the end of the year I’d hope to look back and reflect on some really amazing projects that have been well received by both the client and the wider design community. I want to continue pushing my craft and gain more experience working with new people in new places… Roll on 2021.
—
Too right. Thanks a lot Josh!
You can view Josh' website here:
jepsteinrichards.co.uk
His Instagram account here:
instagram.com/jepsteinrichards/
More on 12b here:
12b.co.uk
As well as his Secret 7" entry here:
secret-7.com/gallery/2020
Words: Joe Cooper
02.11.20
Dr Luke Hale Shortlisted for Designs of the Year
“I am a London based designer with a very diverse background - please see CV attached”, are the first words in Dr Luke Hale’s email to us at Represent in October 2019. And he’s not lying.
Luke (Dr Hale, to you) is unlike anyone on our books; starting a career as a motion designer, whilst studying at medical school in 2011. Since then, in a strange balance, he’s mainly juggled two professions; freelancing both as an animator and an A&E doctor (I know!). Now he’s adding another line to his ever-expanding CV, after being shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Beazley Designs of the Year 2020’!
The entry itself is the Biomimetic Collar, a product which utilises 3D scanning, as well as 3D printing, to create personalised support braces. The end result is not only produced in a fraction of the time typically taken by traditional casting methods, but mimics the structure of bone too.
“The new workflow uses 3D scanning to create a design that is specific and personalised to each patient. Algorithms are then used to make the device more comfortable and to generate a structure that is porous and light, but also strong where it needs to be", explains Luke in an interview with UCL.
In one particular study, the Biomimetic Collar aided a woman suffering from a neurological disorder, and a history of unsuccessful neck supports, to not only improve her posture, but breathing and comfort too.
“The study hopefully demonstrates how technologies can be combined to make a tangible difference to a patient’s life, but also how nature can be used to inspire unique and innovative solutions to clinical problems”, says Dr Hale.
The entry itself is shortlisted in the 'product' category. Winners of both individual categories, as well as one overall winner, will be announced on November 26th, and The Beazley Designs of the Year 2020 is on display at the Design Museum until March 28th, 2021.
And for anyone wondering, unsurprisingly, Luke’s CV is about to change once again. “So, I’m actually going back into surgical training in a couple of weeks, unfortunately I will have very little time for motion graphics for a while. I will obviously be in touch if anything changes.”
Good luck Luke, you're a credit to the NHS, and stay safe!
You can read more on Luke's entry in his UCL press release here:
ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/oct/3d-printed-neck-collar-shortlisted-design-year
You can vote for his entry here:
designmuseum.org/exhibitions/beazley-designs-of-the-year/product-2020
As well as seeing some of his motion work here:
lukehale.com
Image Credits: Matthew Town & David Bishop
Words: Joe Cooper
22.10.20
Fuse: A Chat On Inclusivity With Founder Jaheed Hussain
It's been a huge topic this year. How can we make our industry more inclusive, and why has it taken so long?
At the forefront of that change is Fuse, a platform dedicated to championing under-represented talent in the creative industry, launched 18 months ago by Manchester-based designer Jaheed Hussain. Earlier this week we spoke to Jaheed as they launch their first FREE digital magazine, based on theme of 'New'.
“Fuse started in the graphic design studio at the University of Salford! It was my final major project at the time, and launched in the middle of my last semester there”, says Jaheed, founder of Fuse and host of Fuse Manchester. “It’s purpose at the beginning was to delve into Manchester’s creative scene, find as many BIPOC creatives based in, or from Greater Manchester, and portray their creative practice. The lack of racial representation was clear".
Since Fuse launched in April of 2019, it’s developed into not only a social platform, but a resource, a directory, and even a digital magazine. "The magazine had always been something in my plans”, Jaheed explains. “The theme of the first issue is ‘New’, celebrating a new way to showcase the best in creativity. Encouraging new experiences. Discovering something new to love”.
The magazine itself is a jam-packed celebration of an often overlooked segment of the creative sector, from thought pieces on race to creative tips for graduates, across 56 pages. Included in the list of 25 contributors are the likes of Illustrator and animator Emily Redfearn, copywriter Luke Crompton, graphic designer Klara Blazek, and cover-illustrator Wendy Wong. "Everyone involved comes from all walks of life and various countries, so it’s been a privilege to work alongside them all", says Jaheed.
A huge positive to come from this year (spoiler: there hasn't been many!) is the start of a long-overdue change in perspective to diversity in our industry and beyond. "I think it’s been eye-opening for the industry itself! I’ve always thought it’s been an apathetic response to conversations about diversity and inclusion, ever since stepping into it and seeing it through the eyes of a student", Jaheed explains. "The heightened talk of BLM and various other social issues, have made people realise how important it is to have these talks."
And will we get there? "I do believe it will get truly diverse one day, but likely not straight away..."
In the space of 18 months Fuse has expanded globally to not only represent Manchester's creative scene, but 11 other "Chapter" cities, including Barcelona, London & Chicago (!). "All the other chapters are run by hosts on a voluntary basis, with total creative freedom to dictate how it looks and the content it provides".
So what can we expect in the coming months? "That’s a tough question!", says Jaheed. "You can expect more of the same in terms of content, whether it’s showcasing creatives, to highlighting creative work in the magazine, to talking about petitions and BLM resources".
At the moment, there are no plans for a second issue, but we're hoping to see one in the near future. In the meantime, Jaheed would love to hear from anyone interested to be a part of Fuse. "There’s no limitations to who and what people can contribute as it has contributors from all races and projects of all types… but I encourage as many POC to get in touch".
For anyone who wants to get involved, slide into their DM's on either Instagram or Twitter. Links below!
You can see more about Fuse here:
www.fusemcr.com
Download their free magazine here:
www.fusemcr.com/magazine
Follow them on Instagam here:
instagram.com/fusemanchester
And on Twitter here:
twitter.com/fusemanchester
Words: Joe Cooper
02.10.20
FAQs & Updates on COVID-19
Updated: Friday 2nd October
As things slowly continue to stabilise, I think we can all empathise with a slight feeling of limbo as further restrictions are placed upon the UK.
Although there's still quite a lot of uncertainty in the industry at the moment, we've come a long way since March/April. As a business all of our consultants have now returned from furlough(!), and the number of briefs coming into the company has increased, week-by-week.
It's perhaps too early to say we're close to a "full recovery", but we're very optimistic, and doing all we can to connect candidates to clients.
On a practical note, as consultants we're still working remotely, so any meetings will be done online for the time being, but we're still as keen as ever to meet new talent!
So you know who we all are, and who might be best to contact, see the below:
https://represent.uk.com/about/
Over the last few months we’ve been keeping close tabs on the overall mood of the industry, as well as answering a lot of questions too, so to help we’ve pulled together a quick selection of FAQ’s!
We’ll continue to update this over the coming months…
How’s the market looking right now?
Improving week-by-week, and a whole lot better than we found ourselves during lockdown!
Conversations with clients are far more productive, there's a healthy amount of briefs coming into the business, and frequent placements being made.
It's important to say freelance has perhaps returned quicker than full-time briefs, but permanent roles are starting to trickle in also!
How can I be best set-up to take on new freelance bookings?
Right now, anyone who is set-up to work-from-home will most likely be at an advantage. If you’re in the process of looking for work as a freelancer, it’s worth checking in on any old clients where trust has already been built, to see if they need any assistance. Candidate’s who have trust to trade on are perhaps more likely to be offered work-from-home placements.
As ever, at Represent we’ll be doing all we can to re-ignite any old conversations, and run any new suitable briefs by you. Keep us posted on your movements too and if anything changes.
If I’ve already invoiced Represent, will I still be paid?
If you’ve invoiced us a Limited company or via an umbrella agency, then we will 100% continue to pay candidates regardless of clients cash flow at the other end.
If you’re one of the few Sole Traders invoicing a client directly, then speak to us and we’ll do all we can to help.
Is there any financial support for freelancers now without work?
There is, but it's a complex process that's constantly changing, and will depend on how you're set-up/how long you've been freelancing for.
For any specific questions reach out to Joe on joe@represent.uk.com.
Postponement of IR35 legislation:
In a statement on Tuesday 17th by Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Steve Barclay, any implementations of IR35 will be now delayed until at least 2021, which is great news.
—
Contact:
As always we’re here to assist, support and nurture the creative industry, so if anyone has any further questions then don’t hesitate to get in touch with your consultant(s) or at info@represent.uk.com.
To everyone; stay safe, keep in touch, and more updates to follow…
15.09.20
Event: New Agency, A Publication Launch & Instagram Conference
Thursday (17th) see's the launch of New Agency, a one-day online conference and publication launch, presented by current students from the Diploma of Professional Studies course at London College of Communications.
The event, part of this years London Design Festival, see's them tackle all-things 2020 and beyond. From the practical realities now facing a changing world, to how we can improve ethically as an industry, and more. All presented through an optimistic lens, and spearheaded by the next generation of creative talent.
Instagram is where it's at, starting at 10am (BST), with a mixture of live streams, published content and a packed schedule to follow throughout the day. Expect interviews with the likes of poster print-maker heavyweights Anthony Burrill and Alan Kitching, as well as Elephant Magazine editor-at-large Emily Gosling and Elephant Room co-founder Shanice Mears. Conversations with Tom Tapper, CEO of design agency Nice & Serious, and insights from the likes of Intern Magazine founder Alex Dudson, and social designer Sandy Kaltenborn from Berlin. There's even a bit of poetry by Jack Rice and a film screening from Katie Scott, thrown in for good measure too, plus loads more.
Prior to the event on Thursday keep your eyes locked to their Instagam account, as they share bags of build up content, plus introductions to each participating student!
You can register on their Eventbrite here:
eventbrite.co.uk/e/wow-ways-of-working-new-agency
Follow their Instagram account and watch the event here:
instagram.com/wow_new_agency/
See more about their LCC course here:
arts.ac.uk/colleges/diploma-professional-studies
And more on this years LDF here:
londondesignfestival.com/
Words: Joe Cooper
10.09.20
Lockdown Q&A: from history at Cambridge to design at Monzo with Natalie Price
Okay, so it's fair to say we're no longer in quite the lockdown we were before, but I feel a little attached to the series title, so we're sticking with it. You're welcome! Plus, the essence remains the same; we're all pretty much still working from home (ish), and there's bags of talent on our books left to shout about.
Everything else remains the same. As before, this series hopes to take a candid peek behind the curtain at the realities of creative’s working lives, see how they’re coping in a tough time for the industry, and offer a platform to chat through their practice.
This week we're chatting to history graduate, turned self-taught graphic designer, Natalie Price. Sometimes, those without a typical art school education can be the most interesting to work with, and Natalie fits into that category. After graduating from Cambridge in 2016, her first job was in fincrime customer operations at Monzo, before slowly sweet-talking the design team into taking her on. For two years she worked as a junior visual designer, quickly picking up her trade, and working across all mediums from branding to web, to packaging. Plus the odd side project too.
After deciding it was time to move on, she's now looking to find her next home, ideally a branding-focussed agency where she can continue to grow and apply her craft. A rough diamond, for sure.
Below, Natalie chats about her unconventional route into the industry, what's been keeping her motivated in the last few months, and ideally what's next!
—
Talk to us about your practice and working year so far, before lockdown...
It’s been an interesting year, to say the least! I came to design relatively late – I started teaching myself while I was doing an MPhil in History – and got my first full-time design job via an internal career move while I was working at Monzo. By the beginning of 2020, I’d decided that it was time to move on from Monzo. Being a self-taught designer, my priority has always been to learn and to develop my craft, and I was keen to pivot away from in-house work and into a studio or agency environment. So, by around February, I was primarily working on my portfolio, in preparation for that pivot, and picking up the occasional freelance project.
What’s been your experience of work/the design industry since then?
It’s definitely been hard in a lot of respects. I took a leap of faith in leaving my job at the time that I did; I was nervous, but so excited. And then practically as soon as I had finished working on my portfolio, we went into lockdown, and I watched the job market shut down in real time. It was really destabilising. But it’s also been an exercise in patience, and resilience. I’ve been lucky enough to have had enough freelance work to carry me through, and in putting my work online I’ve felt – somewhat paradoxically – more connected to and in tune with the design community than ever before.
There’s very little that has happened to my career in 2020 that I could have possibly predicted a year ago. There’s something weirdly humbling about that!
Have you got a daily routine in place? How have you been keeping motivated?
Lockdown has really taught me that I love to have a daily routine, but also that I usually get restless and have to switch up the routine after a couple of weeks! It will often look something like this in the mornings: wake up, make coffee, read for a bit between 8 and 9am, and then start work. I’ll often go for a run in the park or do yoga around lunchtime – sometimes instead I’ll go for a walk and listen to a podcast.
I’ve been very conscious about trying to work on something design-related every day, even if I’m in between freelance contracts. I’ve also made sure I have a delineated place in the flat for work only (something I started doing during the year I was working remotely for Monzo in Copenhagen), which helps psychologically to separate work from the rest of my life.
Any side-projects/hobbies you’ve picked up, or still intend to?
To my surprise, during lockdown I managed to reconnect with a lot of things I got out of the habit of doing – I’ve been reading a lot of novels and playing my instruments (clarinet and saxophone) again. Like a lot of people, I've also been baking relentlessly. Side-projects-wise, I’ve been working on some pencil illustrations, with the intention of making an inventory of some of the weird or funny things I bought during lockdown. I’ve also started the (slow!) process of trying to learn how to use an analogue camera.
In an ideal world, what would the rest of the year look like for you, creatively?
I’ve felt like I’ve gone through a lot of upheaval over the past few years, in large part due to my trying really hard to carve a path for myself into design. This year, trying to make that move away from in-house, feels like a particularly pivotal moment. In a dream world, I’d be taking my next step into a role where I’m challenged, where I’m surrounded by lovely people, and where I’m always learning how to become a better designer.
Thanks a lot Natalie!
You can see more on his website here:
www.natalie-price.co.uk
Words: Joe Cooper
05.08.20
Visuelle 3.0: A Chat With David Bennett
We're now at a stage in society when even websites can, at some point, make you feel a bit old. Visuelle's newly updated "3.0" version of the site, founded by creative director David Bennett, is now on that list.
If I squint hard enough, I can just about picture the first iteration of Visuelle. Like most design-focussed blogs launched around 2007, the site was simple; fitting two or three images on screen at a time, with little flourishes. But it worked. And we loved it. “I was in-between moving studios when I realised I had so many interesting bookmarks of creatives, designers, makers and photographers”, says David, describing the initial set-up. “I shared the links with designers I knew and it seemed to gain traction. I was hand-coding the site in Adobe GoLive, myself. Soon after, Dan (from OPX Studio) built a CMS, and for the 2.0 version, Sev made the site responsive".
Since then, like most of the internet, things have changed a little bit. New design mediums have emerged and searching through disciplines has become more important than ever. Not to mention the various social channels that gather their own audiences and require a specific tone-of-voice and attention.
So how do you distill that into a new version of a traditional website? And what becomes important to put in place? David explains, “I wanted to add filtering to the site, which I hope will help readers when they want to see just motion, for example... the C4D approach to branding and how we interact with brands has been the biggest shift, and for me, the most interesting and exciting. Documenting these projects and behaviours on the site will become an interesting visual archive."
One thing that hasn’t changed though, is the need for thoughtful and informed curation. David has spent well over a decade deciding which projects do or don’t make the cut. To this day, Visuelle is still a go-to resource for graphic designers, and what might seem like a distraction on the outside, becomes important to his overall outlook. "Creating a feature or post only takes 5 mins, so it doesn’t really have an impact on the everyday OPX Studio work. In fact, I think it helps the creative output as I’m aware of what is out there, and what looks too close to other studios' work".
Not only does the 3.0 version of the site showcase designers' work better than ever before, but it's also a considered bit of design itself. "One part of the new site that makes me happy is the pre-loader. I worked with a great illustrator, Ryan Gillett, who created our little [leg rotating] loading man. I’ve never seen an animated pre-loader like this so thought, let’s be the first".
For previous versions of the site there's also been a printed version available to purchase, and it sounds as though something similar could also be in planning this time too. So watch this space.
Most importantly, congratulations to David for a great site, and thanks for chatting to us. I can only hope I'm still in my 30's when version 4.0 drops.
You can see the Visuelle 3.0 here:
visuelle.co.uk
Their Instagram account here:
instagram.com/visuelle.co.uk/
Their Twitter account here:
twitter.com/Visuelleuk
As well as OPX Studio here:
opx.studio/
And Illustrator Ryan Gillett here:
instagram.com/ryanpetergillett/
Words: Joe Cooper
30.07.20
'Wish You Were Here 2020' by Camberwell College of Arts
For most, lock-down has been an exercise in patience and caution — perhaps sometimes a sort of “make-do” mentality, going against the grain of typical values within the creative sector. But there have been some special projects born out of an adapting industry. Camberwell College of Arts' online graduation show ‘Wish You Were Here 2020’ is one of them.
“A month ago, we would’ve been together in our graphic design studio on Peckham Road”, says Chloe Tabarie, a recent graduate, and one of many involved in the project. “The pandemic prevents us from coming together physically, therefore we wanted to create a space in which we could come together virtually”.
The core concept is based around the nostalgic, and pretty forgotten, postcard. The long-drawn-out cliche of “wish you were here”, becomes not only a revitalised language to base the visuals on, but a romantic sentiment too. “Suddenly scattered around the world because of the pandemic, stuck in our own spaces of confinement, we thought that the postcard was symbolic of our desire to all stay in touch”.
The website itself re-creates that, with a digital carousel of students work framed within a postcard holder, as well as Instagram filters, a Spotify playlist, and an AR experience too. “Tiger Yang came up with the brilliant idea of exhibiting the projects inside a letterbox. The AR view allows you to enter the letterbox for a 360 degrees experience of the work”, says Chloe.
The core team was composed of Chloe, Matty Palmer and Justina Ciacyte, who were in charge of the art direction. Tiger Yang, who was in charge of the AR, Max Kohler, who coded the website, and Aimee Merola on social content. Like most, adapting to Zoom calls for collaboration isn’t ideal, but works. Chloe explains, “our group chat was full of messages and photographs. Our weekly video calls were intense, between sharing our illustrator files, AR experiments, and trying not to talk over one another”.
Alongside the selection of graduates work, is also a schedule of events, from workshops to screenings. “The participants can therefore know more about our projects in an engaging and creative way” says Chloe. “Our screening aims to bring together memories of our time spent at Camberwell, followed by showreels of graduates’ publications and films”. You can see their schedule of events on the link below.
Most importantly, it's a wonderful selection of students work, and we wish them all the best. As the headline of their website says, “Wish You Were Here 2020 is an unprecedented exhibition for unprecedented times, made by unprecedented graduates”.
You can see all the graduating students' work, plus event schedule here:
wishyouwereherecamberwell.com
Their Instagram account here:
instragram.com/camberwellgraphicdesign
And their Spotify playlist here:
[Link]
Words: Joe Cooper
12.07.20
Lockdown Q&A: Tomasz Bartosz on Porridge Routines & Log Cabins
A while ago we started a series of lockdown candidate Q&A’s to celebrate some of the amazing talent on our books. With it, we’re hoping take a candid peek behind the curtain at the realities of creative’s working lives, see how they’re coping in a tough time for the industry, and offer a platform to chat through their practice.
This week we're chatting to freelance digital designer Tomasz Bartosz. He's a long-serving, go-to candidate we've built a close relationship with over the years, since moving from his home country of Poland. His portfolio is packed-full of beautiful craft-based digital products, for big and small clients, including Dixon Baxi, Pentagram & Wednesday, to name a few.
Below, Tomasz chats about fake bike commutes "to work", bouldering, and designing a log cabin for the countryside...
—
Talk to us about your practice and working year so far, before lockdown…
It started off really smooth. Busy as always. I worked with DesignStudio, another two projects with venturethree and, finishing 2 projects with Pentagram, which started last year. I'm now working independently on 2 artists portfolio websites, as well as an e-commerce platform for a beauty brand, and a couple more projects starting soon. Almost all include content-creation and build, so I'm working more like a studio with a network of developers. This might be the plan going forwards...
What’s your experience of work/the design industry since then?
I am still doing some bits, as we are launching 3 websites in the next few weeks, and I finally have time to work on my portfolio website. I know everything is on pause but I'm trying to stay positive. Also WFH is nothing new for me. I always had a home studio set-up, so if anyone has a project they'd like to discuss, just give me a shout!
Have you got a daily routine in place? How have you been keeping motivated?
Everything is in place. Starting with porridge while watching the news, or catching some sun in the garden on nice mornings. Then my "going-to-work" simulation (heh) kicks in: a half hour bike ride to get my system going. I then start working at 9:30am, with a cup of coffee and Charlie Bones' morning show on NTS. It makes my mornings better.
Any side-projects/hobbies you’ve picked up, or intend to?
A few: a portfolio website for my friend, the design of a log cabin in the mountain countryside, and few other projects. A new hobby from few months before lockdown is bouldering. I love it. Great exercise and feels like meditation to me. Sadly, I cannot continue during the lockdown but trying to do home exercises to be ready when we are through to the otherside. It's hopefully happening soon now!
What’s the first thing you’re looking forward to, once lockdown ends?
Definitely go climbing to the Yonder Walthamstow. Really nice place. And have a proper holiday. I deserve that!
In an ideal world, what would the rest of the year look like for you, creatively?
Work on nice projects with nice people. Start having not so tight deadlines, as this affects the quality. But perhaps that one is tricky to achieve... :)
Thanks a lot Tomasz!
You can see more on his website here:
www.tomaszbartosz.com
Words: Joe Cooper
16.06.20
Online Event: Studio Emmi launches Creative Ecosystem
Studio Emmi celebrates 15 years as a studio by launching Creative Ecosystem, a series of free online talks and workshops, with a focus on creative input and wellbeing, starting Thursday 25th June.
The London-based agency, with clients such as BBC, Somerset House & The Tate, was founded in 2005 by creative director & lecturer Emmi Salonen, but was temporarily paused in 2018 for a sabbatical after feeling deflated with the creative industries. “I had the opportunity to embark on a journey [of travel]… and in the process re-discovered my creative spark again through recognising and honouring my vital sources of input”, says Emmi.
Connected by the power of Zoom, each event tackles the need to reflect on the environment around you, and takes an honest look at how important wellbeing is to the creative process. “I now think my creativity as an ecosystem that must be balanced in order to keep producing creative work sustainably”, Emmi explains. "Seek support, find joy, take time to pause, take time to move, nourish the soul and gather inspiration."
First up is Emmi herself in conversation with Ella Reynolds, founder of thosethatrise.com, on the importance of creative balance, on Thursday 25th June at 1pm via Zoom. Questions prior, and during, the talk are very much welcomed. You can reserve your place here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zlEczKwyROe6cyrPj00B6A
Then on Sunday 28th comes their first workshop, as Emmi invites career and life coach Anne Anttonen, offering attendee’s the opportunity of self-reflection and a set of learning tools you can "reuse again and again". On the day, you will need a large sheet of paper (A3 is fine), pen and colouring pens.
Also signed up is Sarah Boris, Vault49 and Emily Forgot, to name but a few. Dates and times on those to be confirmed.
Places for each event are completely free, but limited, so head over to Studio Emmi's instagram to see more of the schedule and book your place!
You can find Studio Emmi's instagram here:
instagram.com/studioemmi
And the studio's own website here:
emmi.co.uk
Words: Joe Cooper
04.06.20
Black Lives Matter: Links & Resources
Well over a week since the death of George Floyd at the hands of police and following several straight days of unrest in America, we’ve been quietly listening – perhaps too silently at times – at the events unfolding, the sheer discomfort and pain felt across society, and the need to do more.
As we all know, not being racist is not enough. At Represent, we see first hand how undiverse our particular corner of the design world – graphic design, branding & art direction – can be. We know as an industry, and as an organisation, we aren’t doing enough to challenge that. The ideals Represent swears by and continues to commit to, is to be a positive influence not only in the creative industry, but society as a whole. But we still have a long way to go, and a lot to learn.
In 2019 we commissioned a series of case studies and interviews titled Designing Diversity, a stark look into the realities of inequality in the creative sector, as well as what positive steps still need to be made. For those interested, you can take a look at that here:
represent.uk.com/projects/designing-diversity
On top of that, we’ve pulled together some of our most notable links/resources our team has found and wanted to share, and we’ll continue to update over the coming weeks and months.
—
A long list of practical ways to support BLM causes from the UK:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x65xLdIUDWMUl4_nkuD-EeP98UuJ2nuknUDsqUm7R9s/htmlview
—
A series of lectures from Harvard University addressing the institutional barriers for black people in the creative industry:
https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/event/black-in-design-2017/
—
Hato Press are offering a free printing service this Friday for those of us attending upcoming protests this weekend!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBAT3WvDEpU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
—
Unable to afford a donation? Zoe Amira’s YouTube project enables anyone to contribute via advertisement revenue. As a tip: don’t skip any of the adverts, and refresh as many times as you can!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCgLa25fDHM
—
In a celebration of black communities in London, a local guide to restaurants, radio stations, creative platforms and more, owned by black people:
https://trippin.world/guide/black-owned-businesses-in-london
—
If anyone has any suggestions or comments about how we can improve as an industry, or as an organisation, we’d love to hear from you. You can reach our MD Mike at mike@represent.uk.com.
28.05.20
Kind Studio launch Outset, a remote mentorship scheme for graduates
Kind Studio has launched a wonderful new initiative called Outset, a scheme set-up to lend a helping hand to this years crop of creative graduates – those facing an unusually anxious moment to enter the industry. Kind’s response is to offer a remote mentorship program, born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Below we had a quick chat about the current climate, advice for students, and the scheme itself.
“We decided to offer personal mentoring to a small handful of students, helping them navigate the current situation by giving advice, chats, crits and ongoing, casual conversations and guidance“, says James & Sean, studio co-founders and designers. “We [already] work with several universities, lecturing, tutoring and talking with many students”. So idea of mentorship certainly isn’t new to them, with experience of lecturing at Shillington, Nottingham Trent University and London College of Fashion, and D&AD New Blood Academy.
The Brixton-based design duo, who both studied at Nottingham Trent University, set-up Kind Studio in 2015 and have since worked across a multitude of disciplines and sectors; from the rebrand of “hipster” football club Dulwich Hamlet FC, to packaging for Elephant Magazine, and art direction for Polydor Records.
The criteria to enter the scheme is straight-forward. Any graphic design and communication graduate from 2020, with a PDF portfolio under 10mb, entered before the deadline on the 5th of June. And what are they looking for in applications? James explains “we’re looking for imaginative and exciting work with strong concepts and great execution”. “We understand that you might not have had the chance to finish off all your work, particularly physical outcomes. WIP work is encouraged as well as finished projects.”
Of course, one thing on everyones mind is when might the industry start to recover, and in what form does that take. After speaking to James, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. “Lockdown has been a little strange for us. The first couple of weeks many of our projects were either pulled or cancelled - things started to look quite bleak. But over the last four weeks we’ve had a real uptake in the amount of work coming in, whether that’s from existing clients or new ones”.
“One thing we’ve said to a few students is - if you don’t feel like it’s the right time to enter the industry, then use the lockdown productively. Improve and build on your portfolio, set yourself some personal briefs, learn new skills or programs, research agencies and build a contact list, but most importantly - don’t stop creating!”.
The deadline for submissions is the 5th of June (link below), at which point the studio will pick three students to mentor over the coming months.
Good luck to everyone who applies, and huge admiration for both James & Sean for their efforts!
You can see more about Kind Studio here:
kindstudio.co.uk
And apply for the scheme here:
kindstudio.co.uk/outset
Words: Joe Cooper