From the Christmas party I attended just before christmas I met a few different designers in different fields, I handed out some of my work, the typefaces that I developed, and they seemed to like what they saw.
I got in touch the other week with Dan lancaster who works at marketing agency brass and asked if I could come down to have a look, he replied and asked to bring my portfolio with me too. Although I still feel my work is in a bit of a state at the moment I took the opportunity and met at the agency in Headingley yesterday.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, a small office maybe with separate rooms with designers hanging about in each one. The space ended up being huge and the building itself was split into 2 part the old and the enormous extension that was on the side. The place inside the extension seemed to be the place where most of the design actually went on. The digital part of the agency which looked at online marketing design, the print based & identity design side (where I was and there was only me Dan and Mike) as well as the account holders and such.
I asked plenty of questions about the business about how they operate and how the work comes down to them, the clients themselves and how they negotiate ideas in particular in pushing their ideas forward as both dan and mike seemed to have a particular interest in high production design and polished visuals. Whether it be through type, layout, photography, use of fine printing costa and ultimately pushing for a high spec idea. We also discussed the industry in general and how everyone seems to know everyone, mark howe in-fact used to work at the agency. what I also learnt was that recently andy lodge the previous head of their department had left and there was a desk space free, I asked about work experience and such and tried my upmost to make it clear that I was available and looking for placement and internships now and next year.
In terms of reviewing my portfolio I feel that the kind of work I want to do isnt truly reflected in the work I presented. I put my work down a lot and although I have done some live work because of the negotionation I made I didn't end up carrying on strong concepts. We discussed my identity and discussed how although i wanted to give a simple impression the use of type didn't push anything enough to stand out. I was on the right lines of just using a simple typeface but I should consider using something different, dan agreed that being too bold can be off-putting but not standing out can leave me in the dark.
Overall I had a really good talk and to be honest brass is the kind of place I would like to work. I'm going to be keeping in touch, I think dan wants to know a little bit more about the craft fairs that I get involved with. I think this could be the start of something important.
