Only Studio

 A Studio Based in Manchester

Some clients include:
- Goldsmith's University 
- Sony Music
- Lost Village 
- Mercedes 


Things we hear
I'm not very technical 

Design for Screen 

- It's exciting, fast-paced. It is important, a primary means of consuming a brand, experimental and interactive 

- It creates character 

- Using animation and motion to create a better experience for the user 

- Brings brands to life 


Inspiration 
siteinspire.com

Only Studio Design Process

Research 
COMPETITORS
AUDIENCES 
PERSONAS 
PRINCIPLES

Wireframing 
IDEATION 
TEST ASSUMPTIONS 
CLIENT BUY-IN 

Design

Thoughts on digital longevity?
Digital more lasting than print, on average digital design's, can last 5-10 years. But as brands and technology evolve this will ultimately result in continuous changes throughout a digital product or design's lifespan.  

Is experimentation limited?
Not necessarily but accessibility considerations are important.

How do you find working with a developer?
Working as a small team more effective and being only designers the business models/designs not affected by developers.

How do logistics work by getting clients and maintaining them?
The majority of work comes through referrals and word of mouth after completing a few good jobs to a high standard. 

Ways of Contact with Designers

Ashley Spencer

Elaine Biss

http://elainebiss.blogspot.com

https://www.instagram.com/elaine.biss

https://twitter.com/elainebiss

https://www.skillshare.com/user/elainebiss

Melissa Brunet

https://melissabrunet.com/blog/

https://twitter.com/iMelissaBrunet

Jenn Lawrence

http://jennlawrence.ca/about

jennjlawrence - tumblr

Tips for getting in contact with designers

Tips:

• Research is the key to a good interview
• It'll make you aware how accessible or not your subject is
• Get in contact soon to ensure that you have time to wait for them to respond 
• Check out social feeds to tip you off on their working habits
• You only get one chance to make a good first impression. Make it personal and sincere.
• Let research inform how you make contact. Insta, Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium?
• One platform engaged with in an unfiltered manner
• Identify that and reach out in a manner that's consistent with their tone of voice
• Move the conversation to a face-to-face meeting or email thread as soon as possible.
• Email between 7-9am
• Use grammarly
• Type out email in Microsoft Word
• When sending an email get to the point and have a clear ask
• In a face to face or call ask permission to record the conversation
• Share the finished report - be appreciative, say thank you 
• Add them on social media and LinkedIn
• Be creative in the format of the report 
• Your finished outcome should clearly relate to the designer and area of focus
• Can concept be connected to physical form
• Get hold of quality images - or create imagery 
• Creative ways to elevate imagery - not all has to be posed 

Hunting them down

How do you search for people's email addresses?

Website, social media bio, LinkedIn, Google. 

Use LinkedIn, Google and Hunter
Pick up the phone where possible
If all else fails back to social media - DM's 

Methods of Interview - Where possible meet face-to-face
- Video call
- Phone call 
- Face to face 
- Email 

Creative Report Discussion

Write email attaching questions suggest, a phone call or best method appropriate to them for a response.

Possible approaches
Relationship between illustrators and designers - roles they take on

Communication and design 

How different freelancers work

Interdisciplinary practice - terminology around making you refer to yourself as a designer 

Terminology 
How designers can refine their practice across a range of disciplines to explore a particular topic/focus area? (Fashion)

Strategic questions 

What helps inform my own practice 

Talking to a range

Job roles 
Typical day 
Passion
What did they enjoy at uni
Who’s in charge 
Editorial 

Graphic design within the fashion industry

Include existing interviews around the topic

Creative report informing the practice of graphic design within the fashion industry 

Interview questions 
What are the typical roles within your job?

How were you initially inspired to focus your practice into fashion?

Did you ever consider editorial design?

What do you enjoy most within your practice?

What is your biggest design disaster?

Research : Designers of interest

https://www.zilliondesigns.com/blog/graphic-designers-specializing-in-fashion-and-recreation/

Caroline Hanson 
Hanson is 25 year old British freelance graphic designer based in London. She is also a full-time mother of an adorable daughter Chloe. Her fashion and beauty blog Sparkly Vodka that initiated as a fun pastime was nominated by the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards as the best established beauty blog in 2011. The talented designer also specialises in typography and layout for publication design. 

Elaine Biss
A Puerto Rican fashion illustrator, graphic designer, and photo blogger, now living in Pennsylvania; Elaine Biss started her journey of graphic design in the New York City where she attended Parsons New School of Design. Aside from her graphic design background, she now specialises in fashion illustrations in which she creates boutique scenes, characters, and accessory illustrations. This new direction in her work gave her a chance to work with Christian Dior, New York & Company, as well as many small businesses who wanted her as their featured illustrator in corporate events.

Jenn Lawrence 
Jen Lawrence is a marketing professional who is also known as Jael Custom Designs; a brand she literally lives in every sense of the word. She is an entrepreneur, blogger, and graphic designer who is in love with food, fashion, and traveling. She is an ambitious lady who can teach you loads about health and beauty.

Fernanda Cohen
Cohen keeps shuttling between Buenos Aires, where she was born, and New York, where she moved more than a decade ago. Fashion advertising and editorial illustration are her forte and you can enjoy the out of the box thinking and finesse of her work in her website’s fashion gallery. She is also a teacher and a columnist who has worked closely with clients such as Harvard Business Review, American Express, The Gap, Beaux Arts France, Baltimore Magazine, etc.

Melissa Brunet
Melissa Brunet is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Paris, France. Her work focuses on fashion, lifestyle and art de vivre. Glamorous design and illustration are the basis of her work. She now manages a design studio and works with big brands creating strong identities for them with the help of fashion, fine art, and graphic design.

Manifesto

A design manifesto highlights creative concerns and ambitions. 

What is a manifesto?
- declaration of intentions
- opinions
- objectives 
- motives 

A manifesto is issued by a government, sovereign or organisation.

Examples of existing manifesto's 
- The Bauhaus manifesto
- First Things First - Ken Garland 
- Anthony Burill 
- 10 Rules for Students & Teachers - John Cage 

Thinking about why designer's are interested in a manifesto?

https://www.aiga.org/manifesto-mania

Looking into www.manifestoproject.it 

I considered the following:

What resonates with you?
Milton Glaser's manifesto is relatable to my life and considerations within my own creative practice.
What do you agree or disagree with?
'Obsessions make life worse and my work better.'
'Some people are toxic, avoid them.'
'Doubt is better than certainty.'

Do they inform your own manifesto?
Shorter to the point manifesto's are more engaging to me. 

The examples I selected can include:

Stefan Sagmeister - Obsessions 
'Obsessions make life worse and my work better.'

Milton Glaser - Ten things I have learned 
'You can only work with people you like.' 
'Some people are toxic, avoid them.'
'How you live changes your brain.'
'Doubt is better than certainty.'

This reflected thought into how a manifesto could relate to me as a designer:
- Consider how the manifesto could be personal?
- Could the manifesto be a reference?
- What could the manifesto relate to?
- How could the manifesto relate to my creative practice or Graphic Design?

Standard manifesto is a list of about 10 things (Set of rules or guidelines for life)

My own Manifesto
- Don't sit stressed do something about it.
- Walk slowly, take in your surroundings 
- Learn what you can from others
- Look at positives in life and how they outweigh the negatives
- Life becomes better not listening to people who tell you you're not good enough. 
- Don't give up no matter what.
- Ask stupid questions.
- Do what makes you happy.
- Own your self confidence 
- Know your worth. 

Collaboratively working on a Studio Manifesto:
- Respect all students and staff
- No idea is a bad 
- Everyone is entitled to their own opinions
- Be considerate of other people's belongings
- Value each other we are a community
- Tidy up after yourself 
- Be constructive no offensive 
- Be considerate of facilities within a shared studio space 
- Leave the studio how you'd want to find it 
- Feedback should be constructive not offensive 
- Utilise each other's opinion & expertise

Idea presented 

'Feedback should be constructive not offensive.'

Opinions 
There should be a certain level or boundary of criticality. Although point was agreed upon this could be a way to evolve the point made. 

Get To The Point Workshop

Initially we worked individually to consider own own anxieties relating to our own practice and further development. This first activity gave us a way to confidently express these fears in a studio environment. The next activity was helpful to our development due to other people in our team offering possible solutions and their own solutions to the problem. Then our team scored each person's idea the idea with the highest score became the idea we began to develop. 

As a group the problem we selected was 'What happens if I decide I want to have a baby how do I keep up my creative practice?' We were then tasked with working towards a solution and came to realise there were other issues surrounding this problem such as the gender pay gap. 

Your solution should take the form of product, event, platform or service.

We began to think towards how we could create a solution in the form of a product platform or service. Our solution was to create a creative online space for parents, where relevant information and advice is available. A space is available for parents to submit their work for critique feedback. A events calendar is also available with B.Y.O.B (bring your own baby/child) events. This online space also has an optional sign up newsletter where parents can receive weekly or monthly mailings and catch ups via email.

To present our idea we came up with a tweet to summarise our idea and an emoji sentence to visualise this.