Introduction
Editor’s Letter
Nostalgia
As the penultimate issue of Sevn, the process of looking back over our time at university was inevitable. This process of reflection led to our chosen theme – nostalgia. We found ourselves faced with questions about why we had chosen this road, and realised things from as far back as early childhood hinted this is what we were going to do.
After thinking about our own creative journeys, finding out about how successful creatives felt at this stage was something we wished to explore, leading to this issue’s questions for the designers. As much as we are looking backwards, we are also looking forwards into what, for most, is an unknown future, so reading the memories of designers is encouraging – it helps us to realise that even the best have been in this position! To boost positive thinking as we prepare to enter the real world, we’ve also included a brilliant showcase of not only student’s work, but also work from collectives that are developing amongst the year, one of the most exciting developments of our final months here.
CONTENTS PAGE /////// N - Intro/Editors letter
O - Contributor’s
S - Designers Response
An introduction to this Issue of SEVN magazine and a little bit more about our decision for the theme Nostalgia.
A small section that displays the contributers to this issue of SEVN magazine.
Designers reponses to a bunch of questions we asked them about Nostalgia.
T - Personal Responses. A - Photograms
L - Exhibitions
The contributers personal responses to the theme Nostalgia.
Photogram images we created using the letters from the theme and personal objects that were nostalgic to us.
Exhibitions we have all been too in the past few months.
G - Design Symposium
I - Featured Work
A - Campus Nostalgia
Talk’s from a range of Work from the rest of the designers at the Manchester year that relates to the Design Symposium. theme that we felt would be nice to feature in this issue.
Images from areas and objects around the All Saints Campus that will be nostalgic to us when we leave.
Contributors
top, left to right: / Clare Merrick. / Lucy Shepherd. / Matt Soar. / Nick Handley. / Bekki Guyatt. / James Davies. / Faye Leadbeater.
Designers Responses
Craig Oldham
What piece of art or design
is most memorable to you, from everything you have consumed throughout your life? (If you have time, telling us why would be great too) There isn’t one thing that holds tight in my memory. I remember Milton Glaser’s Dylan poster cropping up many times in my education from an early age when I was finding out what Graphic Design actually was. The Our Price logo was another one… that I can’t explain. Do you remember any specific moments in your childhood which looking back indicated you were destined for a career in design? There isn’t one thing, and I don’t think there ever is. It’s a series of events that combine throughout your time and experience that lead you to where you find yourself at every present. I was lucky in that I had a teacher at high-school who called what we were doing ‘Graphic Design’, so I was exposed early, but looking back we were doing packaging, so go figure…
What is the most vivid or inspiring memory you have of your education? (anything from Primary School to Degree level) I was called a Filing Cabinet by a teacher. As derogatory as that sounds, it was actually a comment on my weird ability of being able to visually remember and recollect things. I was brilliant at recollecting imagery for some reason. What do you know now that you wish you had known when starting your career? That anyone can be a Designer, because everyone already is.
Designers Responses.
Ian Anderson
What piece of art or design is most memorable to you, from everything you have consumed throughout your life? (If you have time, telling us why would be great too)
Its not a piece of work but three events / moments / epiphanies... Robert Hughes Shock of The New’s TV series adaptation in the 70s / Warhol’s A-B and Back Again / McLuhan’s Medium Is The Massage... each of them opened my eyes to the possibility and the power of visual communication Do you remember any specific moments in your childhood which looking back indicated you were destined for a career in design? My aunt gave me an unwanted book club copy of a Warhol retrospective book in the late 60s early 70s. Art began there. But i had no intention of being a designer as a career until 3-4 years into TDR™, I’m still not convinced its what I am now...
What is the most vivid or inspiring memory you have of your education? (anything from Primary School to Degree level) My geography teacher would never tell someone they were wrong. When a classmate’s answer to the question ‘What is the capital of France’ was Berlin, Mr Sherwood’s response was ‘well, there’s some truth in that...’ you can work out the impact of that on a proto-creative mind for yourself! What do you know now that you wish you had known when starting your career? That it was going to be a career
Designers Responses.
Christina Föllmer
Do you remember any specific moments in your childhood which looking back indicated you were destined for a career in design?
When we were on holiday the whole family used to go through all museums in that area we were staying – because of my mother who is specialised in art history. In that age I wasn’t really interested in museum especially on holiday, in a different country, near the sea ... I think everybody can imagine. However, I think I got a lot of input and feeling for art, which still helps me a lot. Later I had two Swedish friends who had learned sewing in their elementary school in Sweden. They showed me how to do it and we spend several hours’ together sewing while sharing one sewing machine. There lays the source of my attachment* for fabrics and materials. * is attachment the right word? What is the most vivid or inspiring memory you have of your education? (Anything from Primary School to Degree level) I was never really interested in the school subject history – as probably most children aren’t. Learning facts and numbers without having a connection to it was not my thing.
But one year we had a teacher who seemed to be as unmotivated as the subject itself. I remember that the topic was the First World War and the teacher “only” discussed with us the situation of the people, the feelings and motivations they had and why. For the first time I realised what history meant; that it was not only dry facts and figures but situations caused and lived by people like you and me. I learned with big interest, without “hard work” and had a really good result in the next test. What do you know now that you wish you had known when starting your career? I did two interships before I started my study. One was in a very small design office and one in a factory where they did bathing clothes and underwear. Both of them showed me the normal, unexciting business and I knew that I definitely don’t want to work that way. Even though I knew that I “need” to do a creative job. With the experiences of my internships I knew that I need to find my own way of approach in graphic design, of my career and in handling a office.
Designers Responses.
Morag Myerscough
Do you remember any specific moments in your childhood which looking back indicated you were destined for a career in design?
I was much more of a natural at sewing and embroidery and could make clothes from a very early age. But my mum was a textile artist and so I did not want to do the same. So was in my blood very early. What piece of art or design is most memorable to you, from everything you have consumed throughout your life? (If you have time, telling us why would be great too) Difficult one. Different things at different times. An exhibition Hockney Paints the Stage at the Hayward Gallery — was very important to me when I was at the RCA. What is the most vivid or inspiring memory you have of your education? (anything from Primary School to Degree level) My tutor Geoff Fowle in my 3rd year at St Martin’s. He made everything possible.
What do you know now that you wish you had known when starting your career? Not entirely sure I would have chosen Graphics as my discipline, I was sort of pushed in that direction by the Foundation tutors. But maybe in the end that was not a bad thing?
Designers Responses.
Gill Patchett
Do you remember any specific
What is the most vivid or inspiring memory you have of your education? (anything from Primary School to Degree level)
I don’t recall there being a specific ‘lightening bolt moment’ as such but I was always good at Art so knew I would end up doing something creative....I naughtily used to sneak out of most other lessons and go and sit in the art block! And looking back I think my love of paper must of have been instilled in me from driving past the G F Smith factory in Hull as a kid and being weirdly fascinated by it, not actually knowing what it was... Spooky.
My art teacher at school was great, Mr.Rhymer, he was a true inspiration and very encouraging....I distinctly remember the day he asked me if I could teach my ‘older’ sister, who was also good at art, how to draw facial features...I used that one to taunt her for years!! Though I think my most inspiring, yet also very humbling memory, was going back once we had graduated to pick up my portfolio, Mr.Rhymer had left that year also so there was a new teacher in his place. I told her I was there to pick up my portfolio and my name...she then proceeded to screech “Class class THIS is Gillian Patchett” to which they all started applauding...and I went bright red. Apparently she had been using my work to inspire her classes. I don’t think at the time this very flattering show of praise resonated with me.
moments in your childhood which looking back indicated you were destined for a career in design?
What piece of art or design is most memorable to you, from everything you have consumed throughout your life? (If you have time, telling us why would be great too) My dad was a big music fan and I remember being fascinated with his album collection, I could sit for hours looking at them all cover to cover. Two of my favourites were Love - ‘Forever Changes’ and Cream ‘Disraeli Gears’....which probably lead to my love of psychedelic and photo montage graphics..... and my strange taste in music!!
Personal Res
esponses
Nick Handley
Clare Merrick
Faye Leadbeater
James Davies
JOHN WALSH GIL SANS REGULAR
O
HITCH OCR A STD REGULAR
Bekki Guyatt
Matt Soar
Lucy Shepherd
Photograms
Exhibitions
Matthew Comer’s Private View: Matthew Comer had an exhibition at 2202 NQ, it was a private
view so you had to be on guest list to attend. Many people turned up for the event and everyone really enjoyed themselves. We were there from around 6pm to about 12am. There was many other things happening at the event, for example lots of press including the BBC etc, Jamie Oliver’s Italian provided food for the event, which was really tasty to say the least, DJ’s played throughout the night with a performance of Jacksun Fear at the end of it. There was one free drink too but then the rest you had to pay for. There were quite a few people I knew there and my friend who is a videographer Ellis Thomas was filming the event for Matthew, so it was really entertaining. The exhibition name was called WALLIN’ which came from a made up term that Matthew uses to describe shots that he has taken of models using many different walls (backgrounds) in the shots. His exhibition was mainly black and white and large-scale images that were very good quality. Over all the event was a success and it made me want to have one of my own like that, that wasn’t really to do with university, and just maybe my work and a few others. I could even use my photography I take in America for a theme for a private view in Manchester, at least its something to think about whilst I am there.
Exhibitions
Terence Conran Exhibition:
So this is what was being exhibited whilst I was at the Design Museum which isn’t technically
relevant to my practice, however there was glimpses of editorial design and examples of photography I picked out of viewing his work. I enjoyed the Conran design team and the work for Habitat. I enjoyed his work but felt I had seen it before somewhere and didn’t find it that exciting, compared to the designs of the year, which was more relevant to my studying and career. Here were a few quotes I found inspiring and that I agreed with from the exhibition. “Education is of fundamental importance; not just to the economic survival of Britain, but also in terms of improving the quality of everyday life.” -I agree with this quote, I feel it is really important, and I have learnt so much from this course and I felt I have grown up as a designer whilst studying, I feel I would have been unprepared and too naive to have tried to go into the design industry without studying first. I think it helps you find out who you really want to be. “My taste in interior design is a reaction to the clutter my generation grew up with. I was lucky, as a child my mother decided what the house should look like; her taste was for Ambrose Heal’s furniture. She achieved great simplicity.” Maybe this inspired him as a child, I cant really relate to this as my mother and father are not artistic however it runs in my biological father’s
“My philosophy is best summed up by the phrase, ‘plain, simple and useful’. Such things may not win many design prizes, but neither do they go out of fashion.” -This relates to my practice really as many good ideas that have been presented throughout the three years on this course have been sometimes really straightforward and simple! So I think there is something in that. “I wanted to learn how restaurants work, so I went to Paris and worked as a washer up. It taught me that in those days the chefs were thieves.” -Also again this relates, understanding the environment your designing for is important and can give you a new perspective on the whole thing.
Designs of the year 2012:
Above are images of the “Designs Of The Year” I enjoyed the most. ‘Shade’ by Simon
Heijdens was defiantly my favourite piece of design in the whole exhibition. It was amazing to view and I could stand there for ages just trying to figure out how it was created. It was really was a beautiful piece of design, I loved the way it moved. The aspect that I think effected me the most out of all the works was the scale of the work. I would love to create pieces at a much larger scale for exhibition as I just feel they have more presence especially if you have the space to display them in.
Tate Modern : Yoyoi Kasuma Exhibition:
So this exhibition was absolutely unbelievable! I was mind blown with how
much this left an imprint on me. I loved seeing such a range of her work; her room installation full of small bulb lights effected me the most. I have been inspired by her use of colour, space and materials. I was really inspired by light throughout all the work I had viewed that day. I feel light can really create an emotional reaction and mood when viewing a piece of design. Over all Kusama is a widely talented artist with an extremely interesting and varied life, I would recommend anyone to go and view her work as I feel her work has something visually exicting for everyone.
Open Exhibition at Islington Mill
OPEN Exhibition was a show by a group of Sculptors from the Manchester School of Art.
It was a Private view from 5pm until late and had entertainment into the early hours with Selective Hearing, Zutekh and Dipstik Dj’s . It had a summer party atmosphere to it, with a bouncy castle as someone’s piece outside, bright colours and fruit in plant pots. It displayed work from: Sakara Dawson-Marsh Keir Mucklestone-Barnett Sam Darlington Helen Rossdale Andi Sheppard Heather Kensett Calum Crawford Guy Broadhurst Poppy Lee Matilda Lee Georgie King Joe Fletcher Orr Deborah Barrett Maddie Timmis Michael James Thorpe Graham Rimmer Overall it was a really great exhibition, lots of great company and many people attended, the atmosphere was great throughout the night and I was impressed by the sculpture pieces and the ideas behind them. I would defiantly recommend attending one of their exhibitions in the future.
Bound Collective:
Bekki attended this zine fair as a member of Bound Collective,
selling their Manchester zine. She follows on to mention: “It was only the second zine fair I’d attended, so I’m not that experienced, but I think it stood out from the crowd! The setting was brilliant – all the stalls were set up around the balcony overlooking one of the old pools. The space downstairs housed the Future Everything event, the UK’s leading event showcasing and driving emerging trends in new media, so not only were the baths heaving, but there was a really mixed bag of people in attendance. The atmosphere was great, and the buzz of conversation filled the air (as well as the smell of the fab food they were selling!). From a stallholders point of view, the fair gave us a unique opportunity to show our work to a really wide array of people, and we found the day to be very successful. For punters, the work on show was incredibly varied, from photographic concertina books and hand drawn illustrations, to screen printed posters and tiny postcards. There was something for everyone! The stall holders were all really informative too, eager to get into a conversation about what they had created and why, so you could leave with a beautiful piece of work which you knew the story of.
Design Sym
mposium
Jason Smith/fontsmith:
He has designed many typefaces such as the channel 4 typeface, film4, bbc one, itv 1 etc, they all followed from creating the channel 4 logo and doing so well with it. He said that once you get your foot in the door, more clients come along out of the woodwork. He has had 10 years in type. He said its important to sketch, to be able to analyse the type properly and notice characteristics that could be changed. There are three main steps for Jason smith. Ideas (message), then the Craft (shaping the type), and then the technique (kerning etc). He mentioned he created a typeface called Ingrid based on his ex wife with harsh qualities etc. that was quite funny. I thought he gave an ok presentation, it wasn’t overly exciting, and not really my cup of tea, but over all he’s done some nice work. www.10yearsintype.com www.fontsmith.com
Morag Myerscough Studio Myerscough:
I will start with saying I love Morag’s work!! It was one
of the main reasons I attended today. She mentioned many things, like she doesn’t work to make big sums of money. She’s always done work to make good work, that has always been her drive. Successful hits with “great tits, nice box”. She admired college rockabilly’s to sticking what to what they love, and she said she feels in the last 10 years she has really done what she has believed in and had a great time doing it. She’s made work in San Francisco, so really she’s an international artist, which I love about her! She also mentioned she made a ton more money over there! She said it was good to transform her talents. She said when insisting LA watts towers is a must, which I will have to do this summer. She has used song lyrics within her work. Sometimes she says its not about the design, it ends up being about the person who runs the place, she creates spaces, for other people to be able to work in and use. “I like making places for people to run and use themselves.” This is a very important part of the way she works. Which is quite interesting really, even though her work is graphic design, it also seems like it can be transformed in environmental graphics, interior design and so on. She has always worked for the British council. She likes seeing people sitting and using the spaces she has created, it’s about bringing a community together, where once the space wasn’t being used. She loves making which you can see from her work. Her work is wide, diverse, she’s a jackof-all-trades and she says she’s never stopped working really. Work has been her life, and this is why she has lasted the test of time.
She said in all her career this has been the most exciting time for her, you can wear what you want to an interview you don’t have to conform to society. She talked about her work for the Westminster academy that holds 69 speaking languages there, with children that are from poor background. They wanted the students to feel welcome there, so they created a huge environmental graphic project there that turned out to be very successful. She mentions, “You shouldn’t over organise peoples lives” so when she creates her work its never to organise with signage, its to create something fun. If your work stands the test of time, like some of Morag’s pieces it shows that it is good work. She enjoys the fact she makes spaces that people feel much better being in. she has worked with many different schools through out her career, at the moment she has 35 current projects on. She also mentioned she has worked with architects for over 20 years. Which is an interesting idea of collaboration. You can tell its her work when you look at it, as she has a unique style, however she likes creating new work every time, and its always a personal response to that place. She recently looked at a lot of Bauhaus work and realised that all of her work/life has been based around that era. She’s been totally self sufficient and independent through out her career, she insists it’s important to be like this and be confident. She says you can’t depend on anyone else. She’s also collaborated with poets on a swimming pool project in Holloway. Which I loved the neon signage she had created for it and great use of typography too! She used their words and her creative flare, and it worked great. Overall I loved her presentation, I think it would be impossible to be to not pay attention when she speaks, She’s so inspiring especially as a she’s a woman too, and its great to see women designers who have made it. I would love to one day be in a position like Morag, doing big projects with my own studio and travelling. Her life sounds perfect. Apart from that she’s funny and she seems like she’s having a great time.
Manchester Design Symposium
Will Hudson/It’s Nice That:
Will talked about how he started it in London. He started with the question
“What is the economic value of design?”. He is 28 years old, been out of university for four years. He mentioned how INT works is a publishing platform for print, magazines etc. they have ¼ million people, in the last 6 months they have taken on an online editor, and the company is progressing very well. The editor is great for them as it gives a structure to the online content. He showed us a lovely example of some work on their site, called “Guacamole by PES” it was really fun. Will mentioned with the work that is on the site, “ It’s often not the best thing I have seen, its nice, its aesthetic, the tone is exactly right.” He likes their company has he mentioned the ego has been removed. They have worked with big brands like ASOS and Selfridges. He has a desire to create great work. Anything is possible. They don’t get too caught up on themselves being a certain type of agency.
They have worked with Nike. “Its nice that” started as a third year design project and expanded it into a business project, but its never been about the ego, its always been about creating something good. There are talks about re-designing the site, and putting more advertising in there, as viewers expect advertising and that’s where they will make more money, that will therefore make it possible to do more with the agency, e.g. hire a new type of designer, writer, editor etc. He mentioned a quote from Steve jobs that “the audience don’t always know what they want” you have to sell something to them, convince them they want something they may have never wanted before. He mentioned, “ we must think in a different way to solve different problems” and that ideas will get us out of the recession. Overall it was great to see such a young man strand up there and talk confidently, and he was inspiring to watch, to show that it I possible to start something great. So I enjoyed watching him speak, and I want to buy an issue of “Its nice that” now.
Vera-Maria Glahn/Field:
A digital art and design company based in Darlston. She started with a quote
Culture is “the things that our lives interesting.” Also “Some people say (they are wrong) that designers are here to solve problems. Yes they are but so are dentists.” Which I enjoyed greatly. Also that we should be classed as cultural inventors. I enjoyed her talk and she seemed like a nice woman with her head screwed on. She spoke quite softly so it was hard to hear sometimes, but It was a pleasant presentation overall.
Manchester Design Symposium
Adrian Shaughnessy/Shaughnessy works & Unit editions:
Yet another designer I have heard speak
before. Adrian mentioned that it’s a wonderful time to be a creative designer. He preached to be pro active, he started off talking about the endless possibilties of differet design work there is when you’re a designer, as shown in the photographic example above.
Adrian: As designers we are always judged on taste “We like it we don’t like it. For example I chose blue because I feel it really represents the brand s personality and relates to calm etc… no I chose it because I like it. “ Mc Saatchi – “ Clients are prepared to pay more for things they know less about.”
He wanted to talk about three things in related to his term Someone mentioned Morag is the design idol of today. “Post graphic design.” Many comments about piracy were brought up and Jason smith has previously mentioned if someone 1.The economy – he mentions something has uses his typeface without asking then its stealing and fundamentally changed, he is being offered now £400 following this, a question to Jason smith was asked. for jobs that he could have been charged £4000 as “Is there a letter you find hard to design, and always now people have to be more resourceful, its not about struggle with.? – Jason responded yes the letter S but I spending big money. We have to learn different ways usually draw it up rough and get someone else to design of surviving this industry. The economic nature of the it.” then Malcolm responded “Well is that then your western world has changed dramatically. “Also the property or theirs?! “Which everyone laughed at! government doesn’t get it” which I found an interesting point. The government always say “we need the best My question got mentioned but not answered as scientists, we need the best doctors etc, but what the answer could have taken up a lot of time. about the best creative’s? Creative design could be the It was to Morag “What do you feel has been the solution to getting us out of the recession and we are biggest turning point within your design work? never taken seriously, because they just don’t get it. 2..Social environment. We need to restore Britain; it’s all about having good communication now. 3. Internalisation. He picked up on a few things that are started to immerge on the Internet like 99 designs and crowd spring, companies that you can upload briefs to and thousands of people respond with a creative idea. This will there for get rid of design business. Overall I enjoyed hearing Adrian speak, he brought up a lot of interesting subjects that are currently on a lot of peoples minds, and he was interesting to listen too.
Overall it was a great day, with great designers, I enjoyed the question time at the end, as it has been a long day I think everyone was getting slightly giddy and started to relax a bit. Overall a very interesting talk and I would love to go to a design conference like that a again.
Question time: I love question time, it was really funny, seeing the designers lined up like school children on the stage. Many comments were made, such as “ the government needs to realise that the creative industry is good business” we need to create more sophisticated arguments to be heard. Do things to help change, enter competition briefs, respond to big issues graphically with campaigns etc. Vera’s comments were that “We need to work together more, and that we should be enthusiastic and confident about each others work and not so cold and professional.” Also a few names were dropped when mentioning we need a design spokesman, for example Brian Cox, Matt Pike, John Thacker etc.
Manchester Design Symposium
Featur
red Work
Arijuna Burns
Arijuna based her work on the NATO bombing
of former Yugoslavia in 1999. She was living in Serbia at the time with her mother and her parents wanted her to stay with her father in England in order to be safe, so she moved. Her piece represents her families and her own memories and feelings from the 1999 bombing.
Tess Hulme
Tess Hulme set herself
the brief of re creating childhood memories. To do this she used the topic of sweets. She created a series of posters with packaging, which would be sold in shops such as urban outfitters and magma book store.The idea of just using the title of “remember when� and bold images would hopefully revoke a personal memory from the viewers childhood.
Adam Griffiths
A publication based on the deterioration of an old, treasured videotape. A visual representation of the decline of analog technology as a whole. VCR videotapes are something that is nostalgic to us from our childhood and teenage years, as a collective. So we felt this would be a relevant piece of design work to feature in this issue.
University Nostalgia