Kate Dawkins

Design for Good

Sibos 2018 Opening plenary

2012 Olympic Ceremonies

Kate Dawkins Studio is a BAFTA winning creative practice which specialises in designing, creating, producing and delivering bespoke digital content for live performances, shows and brand experiences.

They’ve created distinctive visual content for some of the largest global brands that have included giant 360° ‘audience pixels’ for the London 2012 Olympic Ceremonies, to shows and events for lifestyle brands such as Nike, MTV, Heineken, and large-scale vehicle launches for Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, and Toyota.

With the global pandemic putting a halt on live events, the studio has still been busy designing new creative work for events with a difference.

Creative Director, Kate Dawkins shares her creative process.

What are some of the most challenging and inspiring elements of your projects?

No project is ever the same and I’m always surprised and delighted when you get that call or email as to how ‘bonkers’ some projects are. I love it. But I also enjoy the collaboration; working with some amazing people and teams to make something truly spectacular, beautiful…and of course relevant. The challenges are mostly down to making each project stand-out, working with new technologies on different canvases within challenging timeframes.

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on your work during 2020?

Well all our work is around live events, so it’s a difficult time. That said, we have been busy all the way through up to around October, creating content for broadcast, a pre-recorded ‘live’ event, and a virtual event. In particular, one project was a commission for the beautiful and poignant VJ DAY 75: The

Passchendaele Centenary

Nation’s Tribute. The event took place in July during the lockdown in London. It was one of our biggest projects to date, with the largest team in the shortest timeline. We created all the show’s projection content, with the Horse Guards parade’s buildings, as our HUGE canvas. So it has been an interesting time.

What is your creative process from inception to creation?

Research is everything. I don’t make decorative backdrops, my work is grounded in knowledge of the subject and beautiful, emotional, storytelling. Even if that is sometimes quite abstract. Once I’ve achieved a good understanding of the subject I move into a phase of exploring creative concepts, and aesthetics. Then, when we’re all satisfied I think there is a definite responsibility and need to consider ‘design for good’. It feels like we all need to help each other and the planet now.

(myself and the client) with a correct route, I’ll start designing the contents so they work - not just for a certain sequence but within the context of a show or moment. The light and shade, highs and lows that a show or event needs, in order to take people on a spectacular journey.

Are there any rules or habits that help you do your job more efficiently?

I have a ritual of tidying my desk and getting into a good headspace in a quiet place and just sitting and thinking, opening my mind. It’s about setting good creative foundations at the start of a project. After that everything goes out of the window and it’s a wonderful, messy creative haven.

Festival of Remembrance 2018

What responsibilities and opportunities do you feel members of the design industry have today?

I think there is a definite responsibility and need to consider ‘design for good’. It feels like we all need to help each other and the planet now. Regarding opportunities, the interaction of art, design and future tech is very exciting, opening up new possibilities for engaging, entertaining and educating audiences and changing the landscapes and platforms for storytelling.

How does the future look to you post-COVID?

I don’t know to be truthful, but I am trying to remain positive and optimistic. At the end of the day, I design and direct (motion) graphic content, so we can be flexible with where that is played out, as mentioned. That said, I am very much looking forward to the live event space opening back up when the virus is more under control. There’s something very magical regarding the connection between an audience and the performance.

What books, blogs and online resources do you use for creative inspiration?

I get inspiration from everywhere. We live in quite a culturally vibrant part of London (Hackney) and I love walking around absorbing life in motion. But I also admire artists such as Sol LeWitt, Anni Albers and Karl Gerstner, so I have some beautiful books in my studio. I also subscribe to blogs such as Creative Review, Design Week, It’s Nice That, Wallpaper, Dezeen, CreativeApplications.Net and Ars Electronica. I think it’s necessary to be aware of what’s going on in other creative areas, for example - fashion, architecture and technology, as well as design.

Location London

Website

katedawkinsstudio.com

Instagram

@studiodawkins