GENERAL DESIGN QUESTIONS

We receive 5 – 7 CV’s a day, so we are generally inundated with prospective new staff!

Graphic, logo and website design

Creativity, originality, dependability, coupled with attention to the details.

Billboards, magazines, newspaper and website design. We do excel at design for print.

All work is overseen by the Managing Director, creative teams or individuals are supervised, given free reign, reigned in and provide support to each other as and when required – we’re really quite a close bunch.

Word of mouth and internet advertising.

Yes, through an established college scheme run by several universities in the UK, alternatively, if you can get your tutor to contact us direct, we may consider taking you on.

Clients are never presented with a final designed solution, as they are involved with the project from the outset – they commission it, and are usually provided witth several initial creative directions to consider, with consultation a creative direction is chosen and evolved. It is very rare for all concepts to be knocked back – but has happened. In that instance we would offer to put forward new alternate designs (normally in exchange for a round of revisions – if the client is adamant that we will never meet their requirements, we call it quits and bill for time spent.

Read, walk or pace! Depends on how much time is available – if a solution is not immediately apparent, it can be good to give your mind something else to do, letting the problem mull over in the background – think ‘sleep on it!’. If a solution is required immediately, we will normally brainstorm a list of solutions and run with the best of these.

This is dependent on the client and the target market. Design is frequently an industry in which you create designs for a customer that is not directly yours, rather those of the client themselves, but get paid by your client as they have a requirement to these customers. Innovation can pay huge rewards, but also carries more risk, tried and tested can be very creative too, its generally about finding the right approach and pushing that as far as possible.

I did my work experience in an agency at 16 and loved it. Then did a degree in Architectural Engineering as my Dad reckoned that was a good path for someone with a strong combination of Art and Maths skills. He was right, and it was good to listen to his opinion, but it just wasn’t for me. It was interesting, but was not exciting enough… I then got a lucky break in an agency in West London and have never looked back.

Pace, a lot… Discuss with the team, Sketch some more!

Problem solving in a graphic or artistic fashion.

Relaxed, busy, modern, stressful, fun – it feels like home.

Yes, but by prior appointment only – happy to chat if we can though.

Research, brainstorming, initial concepts, feedback, revision, solution.

The target market, The brief, The client (not necessarily in that order).

No – we do check out the competition to ensure that we create design solutions that are original, rather than inadvertently emulate, but they are not used for inspiration, more to see the pit falls or learn from their approach before committing to a specific path.

Yes, fully. It is the best way to deliver accurate results, ensure that the call to action and relevant message is balanced with a creative solution – and just as importantly to get paid at the end of the job.

Clarify anything we are unsure of is most important! Following that, brainstorm – as no idea is invalid… sketch, scribble, make notes, procrastinate… a bit like making any other life changing decision really!

Patience, exceptionally good at listening and acting on client feedback, taking creative criticism as a form of improving a creative solution.

Always start with a sketch book, before moving onto the Mac to produce the worked up concepts.

The brief, Client feedback, Experience, Environment

Talent, Innovative, Confidence, Enthusiasm, Receptive, Awareness, Attention to detail.

We don’t try and keep up… Trends move very fast… We do keep our eyes open however! We are subjected to the same influences as any other consumer, its just that we may absorb influences that others overlook..

Discuss client requirements, aims and message or ‘call to action’. Produce initial design solutions and present to client. Revise until client is happy that brief is met or deadline arrives. Set up for print, get printed, deliver on time.

As a student you have loads of potential, too much time and not enough money. As a professional designer you have loads of potential, not enough time and not enough money. Seriously, this is a very competitive industry, but once involved, if you have a passion for it you can earn a very enjoyable living and meet some great people along the way.

No – but we are very influenced by what we see around us, in both urban and natural environments.

Always music, we have diverse musical tastes, but believe there is always a tune to fit the mood.

Depends on the application its to be used in! I am into working with neutral, earthy tones at the moment. I wear a lot of dark blue if that helps!

Too many – I probably do around 60 hrs/week at the moment.

Michael started on around £10k – but that was in 1995!

Each of us has a different story, for Michael Mursell (MD): I had friends who worked in an agency – but I had no skills. Fortunately the owner thought it was better to have a ‘team player’ than an off the peg graduate designer and I got a job as artworker before moving onto image library manager, before finally being allowed to play with actual client designs…