Bussines Cards

I've went about getting some business cards printed, ready for major networking events like the end of year show. (Even though I'm not massively an advocate for business cards as a concept anymore, I feel they are a waste of paper). I've kept my design simple, and let the quality of the print finish and stock do the talking.

Creative Networks Networking

Through winning the Creative Networks brief earlier this year, massive networking potentials have opened up. I've been lucky enough not only to meet a very wide range of creative professionals on the event nights, but also be in a position to let them know that the work supplied for the night was my own. I've certainly not been shy about speaking to people, even if they've been the guest speaker; I've made it my mission to introduce myself and arrange a photograph with each of the speakers. Remember...

"...it's who you know, not what you know".

Here's the the photographs of the networking I arranged at the events:

Portfolio Website

I'm pleased to say I have a functioning and online website for my portfolio, which has already started bringing in some work. I've marketed myself as a creative, but labelled it as a 'Graphic Design Portfolio'. You can access the site here:

declanbell.com

I arranged a photoshoot for some self promotion that I also featured on the website, the theme behind it was based around a creative innuendo concept I came up with. It's been generally well received, I've seen facebook not as an avenue to promote work, but as an outlet to promote my website, which in turns has showed promise.

I built my website using squarespace, and was lucky enough to buy my own domain from godaddy.com, I attached my receipt in my physical submission.

My Creative CV

Here's the design for my creative curriculum vitae. The concept behind it emulates an instruction manual, one you'd find for toys, lego, or ikea. I've marketed my self as a build-able package with add-on accessories.

Hopeful Prospects

After speaking with John Watters about my dream to go to Copenhagen to live and work there for a while, he passed on the name of a creative director he knew over there. Jack Dahl from homework studio. I've taken a good look at a lot of there work, and it totally fits the kind of design I'd like to be doing in the future. The only thing to do was to get in touch then, however we all know it's not quite as simple as sending an email to get where to want to be...

1st February Crit

After our progess tutorial today, I'm much clearer not only about my options, but the options of a lot of my peers too. Which I find very valuable, I've said this before and I'm finding it exponentially more useful the further I progress, it's important to know what my friends and peers plans are. 10 years from now, we'll be the guys to know within the industry, and we've all got our uses; where I'm good at typesetting and editorial, I've got friends who specialise in illustration, photography, film, web-design etc. together we make a pretty good network of creatives.

But for me personally, today helped me go through plans that I'd made with myself and check there feasability with others, and get their opinions & advice, which is always helpful. I mostly talked about my plans for after graduation, what I'd like to be doing and where. The feedback I recieved suggested that I was definitley on the right track, and that my next step was going ahead with these plans and securing the steps to getting in touch with the places I've talked about. So I've just sent an email to Luke, the Creative Director at Voir magazine hopefully trying to secure a couple of days placement there.

Statement of Intent

At this point in the course, I feel my interests and specialisms haven't changed too much. I've gained a broader understanding of specialist fields within the graphic design sphere, yet my talent for typographic and editorial is still promininent. The plan for after graduation has somewhat evolved from the start of this acedemic year, from leading my own studio to gaining some experience in the field first. And that ambition is driving me towards living and working in Europe. I'd be happy to remain in the UK, yet I've got a thirst to experience life abroad. I have a small roster of places that fit the criteria of a city that's buzzing as an up and coming creative hub. Of the four of these places, I've been lucky enough to visit three of them, and know that they would be idealic places for me to go too. The plan is hopefully to gain some experience as a junior designer either at a creative studio or a magazine.

Copenhagen

I visited in 2011 and fell in love with the city straight away. I know there's a buzzing creative atmosphere and would be a great place to work, however it is my understanding that it can be difficult securing housing and work there if you're a foreigner. I have however been trying my best to stay informed with the processes of the logistics of how this would work, there's an excellent channel on youtube that posts videos with the specific intention of moving to and living in Copenhagen. It's certainly cleared up a lot, and gave me a much clearer idea of how to go about moving there, the channel is called Københavns Kommune, and some of there videos are exceptionally useful:

Amsterdam

I've been to Amsterdam twice, and I'm very fond of the city. The friendly and energetic style of life fits my lifestyle quite well. There are a few studios I like over there including:

http://www.experimentaljetset.nl/misc/contact-new

http://www.uxus.com/

http://dutchydesign.com/

http://www.ok200.nl/

I'm especially a fan of experimental jetset, and have been for a while. I was recommended to look at their work in my first year, and was surprised to find that I could see a lot of the styles I strived for in my own within theirs. Their minimalist and type-heavy approach is something I'm very fond o

 

 

There's also a place I stumbled across last May by chance, me and six friends were looking at hostels for a short holiday, and we came across:

http://www.wow-amsterdam.nl/ 

It's a hostel doubled up as an 'artist in residence' space, where graduates can come to further their practice and look for work within the city, which sounds brilliant!

  Berlin

The one place on my list that I've not visited, yet have heard great things about is Berlin. I've planned a trip there in early March, with the intention of turning up with a portfolio (hopefully digital & physical) and checking out some studios. I like the work hort studio is turning out at the momet, they're a big name in Graphics at the moment. The likes of Printed Pages have featured them in their most recent issue.

 

 

I should get the chance to visit Hort in March, among other studios.

Barcelona

I was in Barcelona in 2012. Following on from Berlin, Hort studio reminds me a lot of a studio that I visited back then called Vasava, they're a really talented bunch that have had a similar kind of clientel to Hort; the likes of Nike etc. I'd love to get in touch with them again, hopefully the fact that I've already been should stand me in good stead.

More than anything it's about giving myself options. The more I have the better. And I think if I adopt an attitude to getting my foot in the door, with the consideration that the worst a studio can say is no, I should be okay.

Once again: If you don't ask, you don't get.