The Beautiful Meme Talk

The Beautiful Meme is a creative agency with a core focus on branding. Copy is seen as one of the most important aspects of design and the following are their reasons why. It made me realise that content is extremely important in putting across an idea - there is no use simply inputting placeholder text into a publication, for example, without knowing what the content may be. The content may affect your design decisions and vice versa.

Generation Press Talk

General notes

• Email Anand for advice
• Start building relationships
• Self promotion is not all about advertising
• Try everything
• Brush up on other skills
• If you get opportunities, it is up to us to make the most out of it
• It doesn't stop at finished artwork
• A design is just a flat image on a screen
• Be methodical with your artwork
• Be engaged with whoever you're working with
• The skill of the designer is to get the entire process correct, including printing.
• Have a vision!

Robbie Porter Talk

Really interesting talk by Robbie Porter, an illustrator and designer from Ediburgh who is in the stage between a student and becoming a professional. He has a keen interest and passion for sketching and 'doodling' and encourages everyone to do the same.

His interests include photography, illustration, graphic design, printmaking, typography, sewing, animation, sculpture and many more - he is always trying something different.

Notes

- For 6 months, he had no briefs and no crits and all of his work was self-initiated
- Look at the Ira Glass podcast
   - Do a high volume of work
   - Work will soon be as good as your ambition
   - It will take a long time
- Doesn't use sketchbooks as he believes a mistake will simply ruin the book
- "Lets make better mistakes tomorrow"
- DO an internship as you learn new things, meet new people, build your confidence and gain opportunities
- Networking is all about collaboration and sharing ideas
- Freelance can be daunting

Things/Artists he likes/that inspire him

All of these artists have a distinct, individual style

'Calvin & Hobbes' - Bill Watterson
- Philosophical

TMNT
- Line drawings

Magnite
- Surrealist artist who trained as a graphic artist

- Robbie did his dissertation on surrealism
Brendan Monroe

- Rich, earthy tones
Jason Munn

- Simple, smart illustrations
Anthony Gormley

- Bodies occupying space inspires his work

Work & Process

- Go back to your old work and redo to see how your style has evolved
- Focuses on storytelling, writing and history
- Collaborates often

'Paperwork'
- Relationship between work/play and adulthood/childhood
-  Nostalgia

'Rebuild Poster'
- Published online
- Generated donation money to Japanese tsunami relief fund

- Make the most of what you've got as the best resource if yourself
- Even with client work, generate fun and 'different' ideas - get used to client rejection

Process

• Research into concept/idea
• Look at existing illustrators/designers work in order to be original
• Research into company itself to gain insight into their products/services
• Create as many ideas as possible 
• Choose several strong concepts
• Collect reference photographs
• Draw initial concept sketches
• Experiment with layout & composition
• Add colour and create different variations

"You have to try something properly to see if it will be successful"

- Trial & error until happy

"If you cant solve a problem, its because you're playing by the rules"


How to get work

"The secret? Do good work, then put it where people can see." - Austin Kleon
- Make, make, make
- Invite people to see your work
- Get a website up and running (www.robbieporter.co.uk)
- Contact blogs, newspapers, magazines, publishers, shops, agencies etc and showcase your work
- Exhibit/sell your work at market/craft stalls
- Send out christmas cards with your designs

Some websites to look at

Adobe Kuler
TED
Getty Images
Newspaper club
Art Quest