Interviewing your heroes

What is an interview?

Exchange of information as a question and answer session to extract information that we see as important in the development of our practice as a creative.

Interview is more planned unlike a conversation which is more spontaneous.

Preparation is key, arrange the interview and the interviewees will need contacting in advance. You will usually have to give an indication of how long the interview will take, the purpose etc. Ensure you have information to hand. How and where will it take place? This needs considering prior to your approaching of potential interviewees.

An interview is better 'face to face' but in some cases that may be impossible, such as distance and time. Consider if this can be done in another way. But never take the easy route, Skype of FaceTime are available as alternatives.

Before you contact anyone, have a valid reason to want to find out things about them. Ask a series of relevant questions.

An interview requires good planning, proper preparation and a sensitivity to the questions.

Be attentive

Empathy 

Prompts 

Probes (clarification)

Checking

Be friendly 

Written notes

Audio recordings

Online record 

The first question is significant, it should put the interviewee at ease. It should be something that they will be able to answer easily. Keep checking your notes
Remember to thank the interviewee for giving up their time.

Transcribing- this always takes a long time, so be mindful of this when you consider interview length.

Interview examples:

Jessica Walsh Interview

Sandara Choi Interview

Paula Scher Interview

Networking

Putting yourself out-there

Methods of communication:
Email
Telephone
Facebook
Linkedin
Snapchat
Instagram
Dribble
Behance
Mail

By making these ‘acquaintances/friends’ they are more likely to keep in contact and you with them if you keep up the contact. 

Check Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram and see who is talking about an event, if not start one and see what returns? These social/professional networks are more instant than say Linkedin, so can be beneficial. If a specialist event, you can be more assured that you are potentially ‘like minds’ already.

NETWORKING WITH OTHER CREATIVES IS IMPORTANT !!!

Keep up the contact, even if it is a site or something you feel to be synergetic, you can share or an interest that informs your current practice. 

Write an article or a post on something you are interested in and passionate about and simply ‘put it out there’ link it toTwitter Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook and see what comes back and from who? 

Linkedin Profile

Manifesto

During my first year studying this course I really struggled to like and enjoy the briefs I was working on, I really did doubt my place on the course and as a graphic designer because by not enjoying the content within the briefs it filled my mind with doubt to whether I was really in the right place or not. It was only until the very end of the course and after numerous talks with tutors about my work stance, did it really sink in that I was on this course for a reason and I was in fact good enough to be at this university and to believe in myself a whole lot more. Only now do I fully have the confidence to work in my own style and really tailor the brief to suit me, I have never been the typical mainstream, modern, stylised graphic designer but its important to understand that not everyone works in the same style and to be that bit different is so much better than just being like everyone else. During this year, I really want to work on developing my own style of work and learning new skills to execute this.

Creating lots of print based work has always been a great interest in mine, but its no good just looking online or in shops/ galleries etc and admiring this kind of work, I need to work on going out of my way to learn these skills and having the confidence to ask people for help. This is another thing I really want to work on this year, its not being afraid to ask a tutor or another peer for help when I may be struggling on a piece of work or have an idea but am unsure how to create it- this will only benefit me in the future or even within the next couple of months when I come to put together a portfolio or start to approach businesses for internships and work experience. Even though I can 100% see how much my all round confidence in both outside and inside of the university environment has significantly increased, I think its important to keep on working at that in order to be the best version of myself I can be.

My hopes for this year is to further develop pieces of work I am proud of and would be excited to put into my portfolio and show to potential clients or people I may work with and I think this can be really achieved if I just believe in myself that bit more.

Professionalism

AMATEUR:

A person who engages in a pursuit, usually in sport,
on an unpaid basis. 

SEMI-PROFESSIONAL:

Receiving payment for an activity but not relying entirely on it
for a living. 

PROFESSIONAL:

Relating to work that needs specialist training and education

In the ‘early’ days of the Creative Industries it was simply known as ‘Commercial Art’
Our work is often used to sell, promote, explain, narrate and inform.

‘Commercial artists’ are typically employed by advertising agencies, newspapers, magazines, graphic design firms, television studios and similar businesses. 

We are now seen as professionals in our own right, Graphic Design was only named in 1922.

SO WHAT DO WE NEED?

CLIENTS??

This simply means creating work for someone else but throws up more problems (to be solved) in so much as creativity is subjective and is open to likes and dislikes.

PERSONAL TASTE....

Colour preference
Committee thinking
Trend
Cultural and ethnic acceptance 
Personality clashes

You could be your own client?

What could you hope to achieve....
Your work recognised
You being recognised as creative
Seeing your name in lights
Respect for your approach
Fame
Money

But the downsides to this...
Not being able to get work
Getting only poor quality clients
Clients who don't listen to good advice
Communication problems/breakdowns
Poor and negotiated outcomes
Not getting paid for work

So what can help this?
Getting a system/practice in place
Manifesto
Mission Statement
This will show how you work and conduct business from the outset

MISSON STATEMENT: 

A mission statement is a short paragraph used by business to explain in simple and concise terms its purpose for being. 

MANIFESTO

A published verbal declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer. 

Reflecting on your summer

• What was the most influential experience and why?
• Did you make any contacts that you feel are beneficial and may be useful for this year and why?
• How did you meet and how did you contact them?
• If you didn't for whatever reasons was there anything that you experienced that made you think about your career?

Over the summer, I didn't do anything major or really amazing, there were no abroad holidays involved and I didn't really see anything that life changing. However, I did take advantage of being back home and being so close to Manchester and Liverpool, I certainly used my railcard to go on days out. Visiting the True Faith exhibition in Manchester was probably a key memory for my summer, the exhibition was about Joy Division and New Order. It featured work from Peter Saville, one of my favourite artists, I always seem to look to his work for inspiration so to see his work in the flesh was quite special. 

Despite not gaining any work experience or completing much work related to graphic design, I had plenty of days out and took lots of photographs of what I did and what I saw that would inspire me in my work. In June I went to see my favourite band The Maccabees play their final shows, although this is unrelated completely to any design work it really did inspire me and give me ideas with what I want to do in the future. Their farewell programme is full to the brim of photographs and album artwork rough sketches and ideas that they had designed over their 10 years of being together. 

I think the biggest thing that happened over this summer was my close friend finishing his cancer treatment, this meant more to me than any other thing happening over summer and it has definitely put me in a much more positive mindset for starting Level 5 compared to how it made me feel last year being away from home with all of this happening. Having something like this happen to a close friend at only 20 years old really does put life into perspective and makes you appreciate everyone and everything around you. It has been a massive life adjustment and has definitely forced me to mature even further and really love and care for everything.