Questions and Answers

Here are the questions that I asked a few companies and designers such as Seb Lester, Dewynters, Elmwood, Spot NYC, Propaganda, All good design, and Lollipop creative. I also sent them a PDF of my portfolio which I asked for feedback on.


1. What makes you as a designer?


2. What is your main inspiration or inspirations that influences your design work?


3. I specialise in design for Advertising and Promotion what would be the best way to get myself into the industry?


4. What advice can you give to make myself stand out against other designers out there who are graduating?


5. I am coming out of university in June what is the best advice you can give me for a starting point that I can furthur?

Work Experience

A very random meeting but when I was out one night I got chatting to a bloke called Drew who works for Don't Panic we exchanged contact details and he said that he could put me in contact with a few people to organise some work experience so we have been emailing each other a few times to see if I could get any work experience.


Me

Hi, Its Lauren I met you at Faversham on Thursday night, not sure if you remember but we we're talking about Graphic Design etc and I was saying that I was looking for a placement.

Do you know if you could put me in contact with anyone or if you have any going at where you work?

Hope you had a good night!

Regards

Lauren.

Drew

Hi Lauren,

It would probably be best if you sent me some of your portfolio. I could certainly pass on some of your stuff to some people.

I know there are placements about at the moment, if you are willing to put in the working hours without a burning need to get paid initially.

Send me some stuff and il see what I can do.

Thursday was messy!! ha.

Drew

Me

Hi

Thanks for getting back to me. At the moment I'm currently working on some work that I'm wanting to include in my portfolio, I'm currently still finishing it so if I get back to you in a week or so with it and send it to you then is that alright?

Yes I'm willing to put all the hours in and I didn't expect to get paid anyway. I'm just grateful for the experience!

Regards

Lauren

Drew

No worries, Just when ever you can get it to me and I will forward it on to some people.

Drew

Elmwood Leeds

Elmwood reply from Adam

Hello Lauren

Hope you are well. Apologies for the late reply. Work has been a nightmare at the minute with workload. Been off for a day or two to try and recover.

So I’ve had a look through your portfolio, it was like going back a few years there after seeing briefs that I worked on such as ‘shelter’. Take me back.

First things I would say would be just watch the descriptions on the pages as I think one of them doesn’t match the work, Kleenex I think...
Quite like the shelter work you did... There is a lot of varied work here which shows your flexibility, I would just make sure now that ideas like this are crafted to their fully potential. Just so they look as good as possible.

The Student time management work... Was that a document of how poorly students manage their time or is it a way of showing them how to manage their time?

Me

Thank you for looking over my portfolio really appreciate it.

The Student management work was to show first year students how to manage their time and also giving them an example of how not to manage their time at university so one side of the diary was to show them the poor time management of a student and then turning over the diary onto the opposite side was their own diary for them to use to encourage good time management.

I agree I am flexible in my work and like a challenge to push my skills and give the best that I can, this year I have become really interested in Advertising and Promotional Design and I am wanting to make this my main focus for my final year working on a selection of briefs.

I see Elmwood has a brief up on the D&AD website that I was thinking of doing another thing is it still possible to come and visit for a day or two?

Thank you again,

Lauren.

Elmwood Leeds

From the email I sent the other day which I posted up on here, I got a reply from Adam at Elmwood today.

Elmwood

I would ether they recommend they contact me direct about coming. Just so I can get an idea of what there work is like. Also do you have a PDF of you work. I can have a look through it. I will confirm a day soon. Its a little mental here at the minute very busy.

Adam

Elmwood Leeds Visit

Me

Hi my name is Lauren O'Neill and I'm currently in my final year at Leeds College of Art studying Graphic Design.

I have been in contact with Michael Smith and Alex Gillot from the studio based in London, and hopefully I will be able to go and visit their studio for the day. I was just wondering because I am in Leeds for the year would it be possible to come and take a look a round the studio, it would be very much appreciated if I could get the opportunity as I have been studying your work over the past few months and the work that you produce is something that I would really like to get into and do myself.

Look forward to hearing from you

Regards

Lauren.

Elmwood Reply from Ben

Hi Lauren

If you contact Adam Rickett who I will cc on this email, I’m sure he can give you the lowdown on elmwood Leeds and arrange a chat.

Ben

Elmwood Reply from Adam

Hi Lauren

Glad to here you have been keeping up to date with our work. If you can give me an idea of when you are free I would be happy to give you a tour and maybe bring in some of your work. Thanks for getting in touch.

Adam

Me

Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me, Im free any days apart from wednesday and thursday as those are the days im in at university, one of my friends off my course is interested in coming to have a look around to would it be possible if she came and looked around to?

Regards

Lauren.

London Train

So I was going home for the weekend....and who did I start talking to the art director from Elmwood Micheal Smith he works in Elmwood in Soho. It was a very unexpected meeting, I got talking to him about the course that I was doing and what area of design I focus in and what I wanted to do after university.
He gave me his contact details and told me to send me my portfolio across to him.

Me

Hi Michael,

Its Lauren who you met over the weekend on the train to London.

Was really nice to meet you, I really appreciated your help and the advice that you gave me. 

Hopefully, with your help, I will find some work experience either at Elmwood or in the London area.

I've attached my Portfolio, if you could take a look at it and let me know what you think and maybe send it on to

colleagues, friends and opposition! 

Look forward to hearing from you

Regards and thanks again,

Lauren.

Elmwood

Hia Lauren

Thanks for sending your details through, it was great to meet you also.
I have checked with the guys here in the London office and we will not be taking in placements over the next couple of months but this might well change. Probably worth you sending me an email in a couple of months as a reminder.


In the meantime I will circulate your details around Elmwood to the other Design Directors and on to some other agencies. My advice would be to try and send your CV and work samples to as many agencies as you can now, as it gets busy with new graduates looking for work in the summer.


As for the way you are presenting your work, my advice would be to have less on a page and concentrate on showing just the strongest part of each project. I would also try and show even more ideas based design as most agencies look for the big ideas in portfolios.


Hope this helps in some way.
Wishing you all the very best in your search.




Cheers
Mike

Me

Thank you for getting back to me, I have taken your advice and made a few changes to my portfolio in the way of layout.


Attached is the improved portfolio if you get a chance would you be able to briefly look over it for me? Also if I sent you a few pieces of my work from briefs that I'll be working on in the next few weeks and in the future would I be able to get some feedback from you? because this would be very helpful to hear your point of view but I do know that your very busy.


I have a few agencies in mind around the London area that I am going to send my CV and portfolio to, and to see if I get any success from that.
If the opportunity is still there I would still like to come and visit your studios in London over the summer if this was possible.


Thanks again for your help.


Lauren.

Me

Hi,


I'm going to be back in Cambridge next month and I was just wondering if it was possible to come to the studio in London to visit for a day or two?
If you could let me know that would be great.


Thankyou


Regards
Lauren.

Elmwood

Hi Lauren

Popping in to have a look around and meet the guys should be fine. Unfortunately we can’t offer any work placements at the moment. Alex Gillott who is a fellow designer here will be in touch to arrange something. He’ll show you around and answer any questions you may have. And of course if I have time on the day, I’ll make time for a chat.

Mike