Guest Speaker - Studio Build

Studio Build - Michael Place

References for him are particularly important in being able to gain an insight into how someone creates their work or drives them. Music was a key influence for him both in his early work and growing up.The typography and album covers of bands such as Iron Maiden and Motorhead opened up the world of raw graphic design to him. He sees no distinction between art and design, only seeing both as a form of art. 

Early in his education he was interested in technical drawing as he wasn't as good at traditional art. Items such as the Rotring pen and Letraset allowed him to better understand graphic design. Letraset brought anyone into design with its DIY approach, meaning that it was not just for professionals.

He studied a Foundation at Scarborough and a OND in Graphic Design at York. He then studied at Newcastle but wanted to do record sleeve design so dropped out.

Taking an interest in the history of Graphic Design is particularly important as it provides a range of sources that inspiration can be taken from, but it is important to not just focus on the past e.g. the Swiss Style. Mashing less pure graphic design together can create interesting and fresh results.

Rod Clark was the creator of the underground magazine which used the Swiss style but gave it a punk edge which was rule breaking at the time.

Vaughan Olivers work for 4AD records was not mainstream graphic design, with collage being particularly important in his process.

For him it is not all about being a cool graphic designer. 

Passions are needed outside of graphic design and it is important to look around and be aware of the world to seek inspiration. Architectural forms are also an inspiration for him. 

In his current work the use of florescent graphics and custom typefaces are key features in many projects. The Studio do not specialise in one area and instead have done a range of projects for exhibition design, record sleeves, catalogues etc.

He often falls out of love with graphic design and has had burnout because of the pressures of the job, however having time away from it can aide creativity.

He suggests it is important to just specialise in Graphic Design then work with specialists in other fields to complete projects. 

He enjoys working with forced rules that are self imposed . In design he believes it is important to go full on or minimal not anything in-between.

When working with smaller clients there is a more tangible development when compared with larger companies as the effects on the business can be seen more. Working with both small and large firms have different benefits.

He made reference to a number of other designers such as Neville Brody, Trevor Jackson, Ian Anderson, Generation Press and Jason Tosa.

Q and A 

For him the business side is the hardest. He suggested that working for somebody first is best so that you can make mistakes there. Design is only a small part of the process and getting paid is very important.

In terms of time scales he said it was important to say upfront whether the project can be done in the time set, consideration has to be taken when outsourcing other specialists.

In the studio there are four designers but they often get in freelancers and other specialists for larger projects or when they don't have all the skills necessary to complete a job.

By keeping it small it means he is able to still be hands on in the design aspects, whereas with a larger studio he would have to delegate more.

He tries not to differentiate between between clients and spends an equal amount of time on each of his projects.

He says that if you feel you are being restricted by a client then push boundaries, they may think they want it one way but actually it might work in another when you show it to them.

The studio try to put a bit of themselves into each project and he believes it is important to have a point of view and do things differently each time.

'Educate the client' 

There is some hand-holding in some projects as the client wants to know what you think more. In others there is little discussion, however this changes on a client by client basis.

In the industry people expect you to be creative all the time which can be difficult.

Do you find it hard to justify expressive design?

No. Alot of the decisions are done upfront so there are not many surprises at the end of a project. It can be hard when people say 'just do what you do' without specifying what part they actually like or want.