Hope House: Endless studio's visit and questions

When the tour had ended and i'd been in awe at screenprint art on the walls and all the studio plants, I wanted to ask questions I genuinley wonder about as an emerging designer. As Endless City create work that has similar taste to mine and which i like, which involves working with music and charity, this was a great opportunity to get valuable responses.



What do you do when you are struggling with a design?
Look at references, reference art works and compositions
Don't drive myself in to a wall-stay patient, come back to it as I want it to be 100%

Typefaces- how do you decide/where do you get them from?
Swiss typefaces, grilli type, commercial type and then thing like fontshop, klim- typekit is okay but i look elsewhere for the type i like to work with


Do you follow any design rules- grids, golden ratio, etc...?
Grids are definetley useful, remember to use them if you are ever struggling with composition! I have used the golden ratio only for layouts really...

Do you ever feel completely content with your designs even if others are praising them?
It's good to get positive recognition for what you do, but constructive criticism always enhances your work. it's never 100% when you have seen it so much- and you are developing so much as an artist you start to criticise little things some times,but keeping busy with the next project is part of the fun.

Concept or visual first, now you are not in education?
Draw a few sketches, concepts are crucial first before jumping straight on to designing a final piece. You construct so many different ideas when just doing rough ones before deciding on one final one working digitally- it gives you the freedom to explore concepts from research.

Design rules you disagree with?
Hmmmmm there’s so many and they all have some basis but don’t all apply to design over all. I kind of live by the rules of design should be functional first but I’ve always been torn on form and function but I think it’s what distinguishes design from art
What do you learn when you get your own studio, following from your degree?
you really have to be driven and want to be doing this- there's so many projects and opportunities out there, so as well as management, pride in your studio and a lot of hard work

Do you approach clients at the beginning and then they come to you, or do you always approach?
a lot of if comes through contacts and existing connections, like here where our studio is based we are working closely with the MAP charity and Cosmic Slop events. we enjoy working within our community

What keeps you from getting in creative funk?
Music definetley is an inspiration within our work- doing dj events on the side and being closely linked to cosmic slop means you are constantly being inspired by creatives and sometimes music can lead the project!

Endless Studio response to my invite

I'm very happy to have had a response from my sent off concertinas! I will be visiting their studio next Friday and want to prepare questions, and try and either ask for a placement there or tips/links to where I could get a placement for this year. Taking examples of projects I am working on will also allow me to have professional feedback on the projects themselves and different perspectives. Out of the 3 studios I sent these to, Endless City have a very exciting style that I enjoy working in so am excited to speak to them all and see how they make their work!

They also have links to charities and work with a lot of events which will be beneficial to learn about.

Making a website task

I chose to use Persona as my starting template and platform to create my website for the task. Amazing layout options, really unique and exciting.

After some issues with saving, I added links added my details and my work in a larger than life form which is appropriate for my design style and exciting to do with this template.

I get to saving my Persona and see I have to upgrade and pay to make it public. I know this is important as professional visibility to potential employers.

I have my behance/instagram/linkedin all started up and in the future when I have many established large polished projects to add and a name for myself, I would definetley revisit my Persona and begin to pay for it.

In the future when I see myself as a polished professional with money to spare I definetly will!

Submitted website: https://hannah-rottger.squarespace.com/

Exhibition piece

After signing up to the Girl Gang Leeds mailing list, determined to make it in to an exhibition, they straight away sent out call for submissions for their exhibition 'Reclaiming Pink at Wharf Chambers'.

The Brief:

GIRLS MAKE ART 2: RECLAIM PINK

AN ALL-PINK ART EXHIBITION CELEBRATING IDENTITY

Being feminine is nothing to be ashamed of.

We want to challenge gender roles and stereotypes surrounding the idea of “feminine” - why feminine traits can seem silly and dismissive or somehow less valuable than stereotypically male traits. Why should women adopt masculine characteristics in order to be respected? Who decided what characteristics are masculine and feminine anyway?!

Our exhibition is not only a celebration of the feminine, but a celebration of being exactly who you want to be.

It was amazing to be part of such a feminist exhibition which cover a lot of underlying issues with being a female still. The exhibition was very much my kind of style and it felt great for the team to know and enjoy my work. It was a confidence boost to keep pushing my own personal illustration work and keep my passion for design and development in illustration/idea skills.

Career Track Tuesdays: Creatives Recruitment

Career Track Tuesdays: Linking up on LinkedIn

Say- skills, qualifications, interests, links
clients/live briefs, awards, exhibitions, references

Look for alumni, companies/groups, what I'm interested in to keep updated on jobs

PPP Talk 13/10 Notes

Youve Got Mail Task- sent items! ANNOTATE

You've Got Mail Task

The List

Out of these amazing studios/places for potential placements, instead of one I chose 3 as I was intrigued to learn more about the local studios. Ones unticked/not contacted are ones that are out of range for me to visit.

The Archipelago

The Archipelagos illustrative take on design is really fun and something I see myself investing in more and more. I wanted to visit studios that aren't all completely branding and digital based as for me as a designer this could get quite boring. A studio like this has an imaginative and vibrant identity which I would enjoy to experience.

Split Studios


What caught my eye with Split studios was their portfolio which included working on vinyl sleeves, their print designs, and variety of clients in which they represent through various mediums of design work, not all digital based which I am interested to learn from.

Endless City Studios

Have actually met one of the trio, Aaron, through networking and I really admire their mix of music/charity works and their experimentation with projections at events. They do a lot of really experimental poster designs which I love doing! I am intrigued to see what their studio is like and interested to learn more about their journey in to becoming graphic designers and how they have found work that is so fun and yet meaningful.

EP Artwork task UPDATE

A music artist named Okkoto in Leeds who wants to release an upcoming EP of b-sides asked me to create a cover for this based on this image but drawn up in my own style, based on artwork I have posted online.

'I wanted to incorporate the feeling of/notions of spirituality and distance from day to day life when making music, and thought that having some kind of mystical thought provoking cover would encapsulate that well' - Okkoto

I was determined to adjust to the graphics tablet more this year as it saves a lot of time, instead of scanning in a drawing and going over.

Creating online portfolio

As well as continuously adding all my artwork to my design Instagram, I realise this year for placement and internship opportunities, even live briefs, I need to create a professional Behance portfolio and a Linkedin.

A huge part of my PPP this year will be adding new projects and professionally photographing, but also previous projects that I can see now need to be improved and reprinted. This includes my 'Get Lit' neon book from last year which I was gutted about in the end production result. Also, my first year zine which showcased my favourite female Instagram illustrators (which I see the interest in female zines came about). The interview posters from last years PPP need to be printed again, and other various projects such as my children's colour piece from first year and help and advice pieces.

Getting as much work up on these that I see something in, adding in order to show my development as a designer over the three years is an exciting prospect for my future and this year I really want to create a professional presence online.

I plan to reprint older projects within the next month and book a photography studio, and then continue this throughout the year. Behance was started today- exciting!

Art inspiration in Barcelona FINISH