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Kristyna Baczynski Kristyna Baczynski is an illustrator, comic book artist and designer from the Pennines in Yorkshire. Her illustration has earned her a Northern Design Award and her comics were twice nominated for the British Comic Awards. Her more recent comic ‘Hand me Down’ was nominated for best short at the 2016 Eisner Awards.

Her style is characterful and full of life and colour, it brings a smile through her use of current western culture combining with fairytales, legends and fantasy. She said in an interview with offlife “I love finding exciting combinations of colour, but I use it sparingly. I don’t use many colours at once, as I can get lost if there’s too much choice. I have to simplify to work more confidently. It came about from the colour limitations of my favourite print processes – spot colours, screenprinting and risograph, and I use that approach even if it’s a full colour illustration or comic. Similarly, I like to investigate what angles and shapes can combine to represent a character or scene, and if they can be simplified to make it more unusual or entertaining to draw.”

#kristyna baczynski #illustration #comic book #design #creativefutures

Dick Powell Designing Innovation

Dick Powell is CEO of the design consultancy SeymourPowell and currently chairman of D&AD. he made the point that design is about making life better for people during his keynote address at the creative futures event. His company puts the person first when designing; neatly put ‘anthropology comes before technology. Their products are about making life easier for people; for example the cordless kettle, and pocket mobile phone; they also address current dilemmas such as sustainable transport and water filtration. Part of making life better for people is about improving the environment in which we live.

#seymourpowell #dickpowell #design #d&ad #creativefutures

Kathleen Hale is a writer and illustrator known for her stories about Orlando, the Marmalade Cat. Post war Britain, where her career began was delighted by her colourful illustrations and the themes of optimism in her stories. She described her success as being a talent for being in the right place at the right time. Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar books and the lack of other children’s literature that suited her outlook inspired her to create Orlando. By using a four colour printing process she was able to create dazzling colour, Hale always recognized and valued to her printers, WS Cowell. Kathleen Hale’s style evokes a sense of personality, we see her through her works.

#kathleen hale #orlando #hh

David Hughes creates illustrations that exude an honesty and detachment to reality. He became a freelance illustrator after studying at Twickenham College of Technology, working for the postal service, road sweeping and working with TV Graphics. His work is dark and explores the abstract, sometimes appearing brutally grotesque in the truth he is highlighting through the image. His place in the community consisting of illustrators merges onto Fine Art with the strong use of concept and detail giving him a unique edge. His ink drawings have a grittiness that is appealing in the way that it is not often that this dirtiness is celebrated.

#david hughes #hh

John Lawrence is an English illustrator and printmaker. Having illustrated over 200 books for audiences young and older than 21 he has established his name in the world of illustration. He creates woodblock prints and vinyl engraved prints, sometimes adding hand finishes this is an ancient form of printing that he has made his specialty. Illustrators like Lawrence have an artisan quality to them, appearing rarely. Within his career he has achieved wide recognition, twice winning The Francis Williams Award for Illustration. His work is exhibited in many public collections including but not limited to the Victoria & Albert Museum.

#john lawrence #hh

Jonathan Barnbrook is a British Graphic Designer, Filmmaker and typographer. His works feature the theme of rebellion, which he calls “an inner anger which is a response to all the unfairness in the world”. His approach is bold and he speaks the truth through his designs. A major billboard he designed, exhibited in Las Vegas during an American design conference, it read, “Designers, stay away from corporations that want you to lie for them”. Barnbrook also designed many well-recognized typefaces and designs album covers for artists such as David Bowie. He is a designer who is bold and unafraid of negative response holding true to what he believes is right.

#jonathan barnbrook #semiotics #hh

Design Heroes and Heroines

Researching the practitioners on this blog has broadened my knowledge of the work individuals can produce. The variety has both inspired me broadened my view of the creative industry. The project deepened my knowledge of existing work in the are areas of the design industry and lead me to look at work that I may not have explored otherwise, such as film and motion based works particularly by Michel Gondry. I had never heard of Gondry before this project but the ideas he has interest me as well as state to me that communication through design works in various media. The affect of having a wider knowledge is settling in that now I can express an educated opinion on this topic. Keeping this blog serves as a reminder of what good work is according to me. I can now say my top 5 designers/design companies are; Saul Bass, Why Not Associates, Daniel Brown, The Chase and Pentagram. However there are many illustrators I feel an attachment to, my top 3 being; Jonny Hannah, Shirley Hughes and Lauren Child. There are various aesthetics that appeal to me.

#hh

Sarah Bowker - Jones Creative futures talk What shape is your practice?

Who the heck am I? Sarah Bowker Jones began her talk with this question. And answered by explaining how she became the artist she is today, this showed that she had to do plenty of problem solving balancing work, parenting, moving house. She worked where she could, which is an important factor with self motivated work or any employment. Some important topics she discussed included; • Collaborate and Try new things • Take opportunities and be cheeky • Do residences • Try out ideas in unusual places • Exhibit in all kinds of spaces • Say yes to most things • Make the most of any opportunity-no matter how small • Keep pushing your ideas

This was a useful lecture that outlined the necessary decisions a person needs to make in order to work successfully reflecting upon your life any what can be done now. I feel that this information is beneficial for a student to hear. It was really about being driven to fulfil what you want to do while taking into consideration what you are able to do.

#sarah bowker-jones #creativefutures #glyndwr #2016

Creative Futures Glyndwr University 2016

The Future Starts Now by Professor Alec Shepley

Alec Shepley, Head of the School of Media, Arts and Design at Glyndwr University was the first keynote speaker. His lecture was founded on the basis of the future, the future of the art school and our own futures after we graduate. Introducing that he emphasised a focus on employability as the true aim of the Art school. His own practice he works alongside people in different fields of work, saying that connections with people throughout the art disciplines are important. His lecture was dynamically illustrated by Fran O’hara a visual communications specialist, providing a visual aid.

He introduced what creative futures means saying “This week we’re aiming to provide insight into realities of working in the creative industry, help improve employability, and provide opportunities to meet people in the industry so students can network beyond the university and into what people call ‘the real world’.” It was motivational, and demonstrating that it is possible to achieve success.

#creativefutures #2016 #glyndwr

Shirley Hughes

As the author of the “Alfie” books the illustrator Shirley Hughes’s work conjures nostalgia of childhood. She is highly respected having written over seventy books. Her first book was ‘Lucy and Tom’s Day’ published in 1960 and she still continues to enchant her audiences today. Shirley Hughes’ own experiences during the war prompted her to create the picture book The Lion and the Unicorn about a child evacuated to a grand Tudor mansion. She was able to draw from her own memories of the time period and the child’s ability to see excitement and bewilderment. Her ability to capture the essence of everyday life is highly detailed giving the reader a clear view into the minds of her characters.

#shirley hughes #hh

Phil Carter

Phil Carter of Carter Wong Design was the speaker who inspired me the most. He continues to work creatively on paper and despite not being a user or design software he produces outstanding and unique work from life. It is this organic process that I admire and wholeheartedly will try to incorporate in my own creative process. During his lecture he gave ten tips, 1. Open your eyes 2. Read, tell a story 3. Creative impulse and understanding 4. Be curious 5. Work on paper before moving to digital work 6. Seize opportunities 7. Be connected keep in contact 8. Just do it! 9. Make a list 10. Be original

This was very helpful, and I plan to keep these tips close by. The importance of turning off the Mac struck me the most, to ease a creative block by trying something new and not feel limited by only one method is a valuable skill.

#phil carter #carter wong #4designers

Bruno Maag

Bruno Maag of Dalton Maag is a Swiss typesetter with a hatred of helvetica. He learned the trade on paper, drawing freehand lines, achieving an acute attention to detail. Although the title “typesetter” means little in these days of mac-based work, it makes this background a rarity and it benefits Maags career well. In his lecture he talked about his expansion of knowledge in relation to type, how many aspects of human life is connected culturally and physically to understanding letterforms. It was exiting to know that because of his becoming interested through his wife’s work in neuroscience that he began to focus on the science behind the way people see and recognise words. His work also led to looking into the many different writing systems used around the world and their unique forms. His lecture was vibrant and engaging, I felt afterwards that a career in the design industry would involve limitless learning.

#bruno maag #typography #4designers #2015

Dave Palmer of LOVE

Dave Palmer is the Executive Creative Director of LOVE, an agency led by designers who believe that telling a story is the key to the success of a brand. During his talk at the 4 Designers conference he gave an overview of what getting into the design industry is like. He mentioned positives like the need for desire, a “play mode” mentality, no need for suits and the opportunities he has had to travel. And he talked of how difficult it is realistically to start from the bottom on wages of 6K per anum, how hard work and talent are both needed to achieve. He talked about the importance of good etiquette when working in an office environment. His talk made me think critically about the industry and informed me about the necessity of being hungry for the industry in order to work within it. It also introduced me to the work of the agency LOVE, which is aesthetically inspiring to me.

#dave palmer #LOVE #4designers #2015

Alan Dye

Alan Dye played a major role in establishing NB Studio in 1997, now a large-scale branding and communication studio. He is a varied practitioner who appreciates the coming together of different skills. This reflects itself in the way he works collaborate with other designers and the work he produces being of two assimilated images. Listening to Alan Dye speak showed to me the breadth of the different disciplines a designer can become involved with. He has done work for various well known brands and businesses, including the D&AD’s campaign for New Blood which featured numerous high ranking members of the creative community appearing to be taking their lives making way for new blood. I really liked this piece of work, in a darkly comedic way it addresses the difficulty new comers have in the design industry.

The work of NB Studio in my opinion gets to the heart of the brief, effectively illustrating the purpose and heart of a brand or issue. It was a pleasure to attend Alan Dye's lecture, seeing what a varied career a person can have was inspiring.

#alan dye #4designers #nbstudio