A placement with Pentagram!

Whilst setting up the Designers Society I made contact with designers from around the world. One of these was Luke Hayman, a Partner at Pentagram in New York. With regular contact throughout the year, when he visited the UK on holiday in August (having family in Devon) we agreed to meet and catch up.

This was not only a great opportunity to discuss the society and its achievements but also to learn further about Luke, his work and also experiences designing in New York. With such a prominent designer in front of me, I could not miss the chance to bring my portfolio along, receiving really useful feedback. This resulted in a placement being offered at Pentagram in New York, now finalised as a month through February.

Luke is most recognised for his editorial work, such as ‘New York’ and ‘Time’ magazine. 

He joined Pentagram in 2006 and also designs identities, books and exhibitions. Although with a shared passion for print, he is also exploring the digital realm too, as shown by his recent interactive identity for SECCA. 

One thing I found particularly inspiring was his vast design knowledge, particularly of past, current and future trends. An example of this can be found in an interview with him on trends in magazine design.

I am really looking forward to working and learning alongside Luke and his team in February.

Bideford, where we met, is also a really exciting place to explore should you get the chance. Luke introduced me to a fantastic antique bookshop, however my main focus of interest was the large number of abandoned and decaying boats in the river, half sunk in the mud and each with their own unknown story.

Music + Design =

Muse are one of the few bands with an appreciation for design (even if they do go a bit over the top at times) and realise just how important it can be for the fan experience, utilising elaborate light shows and intricate sets. They have even gone as far as suspending acrobats from balloons! One of the highlights are the visuals that play on the back screen to accompany the music featuring everything from illustrations of marching robots to war film footage, even disintegrating type.

This understanding flows across all contact points from website through to promotional items. In addition, they are also one of the first bands to use an interactive print concert guide, where you can access additional online content such as interviews or rehearsal footage using a webcam to take a picture of certain elements on a page. A long and probably annoying process but even so, they are challenging what a program can become, combining both print and digital benefits. 

Why stop there…

Why do university projects have to stop at being just that? Having spent 6 weeks and more on each, do they not have the potential to go further?

In July I followed up two recent projects with relevant companies to establish just how much commercial value they may have to offer. 

The ‘Experimental Happenings’ project was developed in response to a competition brief set by the charity ‘Youth Music’ With a branch in Plymouth, ‘The Plymouth Music Zone’, this was the perfect opportunity to present back my work.

I received some really valuable feedback, such as how to alter it for different markets. They felt it to be a really interesting visual route of displaying music and there is currently a discussion taking place on the possibility of incorporating the project into their current scheme, adding a more visual approach to learning music.

I also visited both the Plymouth and London office for RNID (Royal National Institute for the Deaf), presenting back my final university project (soon to be added to my website). They too, were impressed by what I had produced and whilst currently undergoing a rebrand, plan to review the work in the new year with the hope to incorporate my visuals into their centenary productions. 

I have a follow up meeting to present the work to further RNID representatives towards the end of December.

“Dear Mr. ‘I'm too good to call or write my fans’... it’s been 3 months and still no word...”

Similar to what the Eminem lyrics tell, I have been slightly negligble of updates. 

It can only mean I have been busy so there should be plenty of updates for you!

Seven placements completed since the start of September and two more organised for the new year, plus a freelance project gone live. 

Updates are coming...