My Travels

I have just spent 3 hours sifting through all of my photos, in 3 weeks and across 9 countries I have 690 photos i look forward to blogging some of my favourites :)

Home

I am finally home from much traveling and pictures are to come but here is a link to the vidio music award promo that I worked on in the art department this summer in New York, it was awesome and is great to see all our set building and work in the final vidio, enjoy :)
Also here is a link to the D&AD lecture Claire Bronwyn, Chloe and I will be talking at as part of our "transatlantic design project"

WST #3

for Michael Aberman

I realise I am a day late for the submission of this piece but the reason for this is because I have been travelling. I have been thinking about what I could submit for this project for a while and as I am travelling right now and have no access to any design programs so really it seems that writing all my thoughts would be the best way to express myself in a completely undesigned form, as that is another thing travelling gives you is time to think and a nice reason to go back to the basics, so here I go.

For me a year ago travelling was something that never even seemed to enter my mind, I thought I was very happy with where I was. Then I applied for the MCAD exchange programe I am still not sure why I did, it was very out of character for me, it would mean I had to step completely outside of my comfort zone. I think I applied because I didnt think that I would get it, however I did and it was the best decision I have ever made. Minneapolis and the people I met along the way have helped me become who I am today, and I hate all the cliches about how travelling develops you and people 'find themselves' but it's very true in many ways. I think the problem comes when people decide to travel for that reason - as it will not solve your problems. In life I feel like you need to take the opportunities that arise for you and see where they take you and you should have no expectations. For ages when I came back from my travels in Minneapolis I was filled with mixed emotions, I was so much happier as a person and enjoying life alot more however it also meant I was longing for life back at MCAD again and therefore not often giving my all to the present. This bothered me for ages and I even went back to Minneapolis to visit the people I longed for so much, but still the feeling was the same. Then after spending a further five weeks in New York and then backpacking around europe and speaking to a good friend I have realised that what travelling gives you is a realsiation that your life and your happiess are down to you. People and places always come and go and should never be underestimated as those people and places can hold such strong emotions and memories and although at times it can be hard to let them go, we cannot live our lives wishing we were back in the past, you develop because of the situation you put yourself in not because of the place- if you continue to put yourself in situations like that, that will challenge you, then you will always develop. Travelling is a really great thing, it makes you appreciate what you have and see what you may like in the future, you just have to enjoy it as it comes. It can be hard to leave people and it can make making decisions about your future harder as you have seen more and you have a broader perspective but simply enjoy the experiences and people travelling brings to you and never hold back, it is your choices that shape you no matter where you are or who your with therefore the most exciting thing is that you never know what might happen next.

:)

fun fun fun

Leaving and Home

Nothing beats pulling up to your family home, sleeping in your own bed and homemade cupcakes made by your mum. it really does feel good to be home and you can think and think about leaving somewhere and returning home over and over, its emotional and therefore at times logic can go out the window. I wrote about these things to a good friend but I also want to share them.... You become emotionally attached to a place and people as you live your life as if its how it will always be, you form friendships and relationships with people that maybe would never happen if you weren't in that situation and thats the fun of life and its how things should be, however then when it all has to end then sadness is inevitable but i still feel like i would rather give my all to people and an experience and feel that sadness and often longing after rather then playing it safe and not allowing myself to get attached or live in fear of missing. To miss people is a great feeling, it means you care for them and that they had an impact on you, they made you smile maybe just for a few seconds or maybe for longer. maybe too many people play it safe or play life to logically as much as we want to plan life is about us and therefore emotions and often just a gut instinct, therefore although i was sad to leave i have no regrets, i will miss many people and there will be tears and at times i will long to be back here among the people and places i care about. But also I have to at times stop and realise how lucky I am, the past year has been a blast for me and I am just so happy, and no one can live wishing they were in the past and maybe we are all guilty at times of not letting go of things as they had such great and positive impacts on us but yesterday someone gave me some great advice that went like this.... " people and places can hold so many emotions and memories and at times it can be hard to let them go, but we cannot live our lives wishing we were back in the past, you developed because of the situation you put yourself in not because of the place- if you continue to put yourself in situations like that that will challenge you, then you will always develop" It is amazing how having someone say things to you seems to make so much more sense. Maybe this sounds really silly and people may laugh but Life is what you make of it and really any of us can get what we want if were willing to work for it. So look back and smile but enjoy the now and be excited for the unknown.

Last few Days in New York

I think my favourite memory from New York was one of my last nights there - a crazy van ride to Rockaway Beach with my great friends, it took a good 45mins to get there with 5 illegal immigrants in the back and then when we got stuck at a toll booth we all had to hide under a blanket in the back so the police didn't see us! i was so scared but we eventually got there and had an amazing time swimming in our underwear in the warm ocean for hours and playing soccer on the beach. It was a night to remember and im still finding sand on weird places now - well worth it. Also went exploring in central park and found a beautiful tower and just sat and watched the world go by. Ghost Busters film in the park, and watched the sunset then a party on a boat. A soccer tournament in the heat followed by sitting on a stoop of a shop all evening just talking with friends then an amazing chocolate fudge crepe. An amazing curry with friends after watching a beautiful storm. There was shopping and wandering around Bleecker and Williamsburg, a few more interviews with great designers including Milton Gaser. A trip to Magnolia bakery for a yummy cake and a visit to the beautiful public library. The last few days of interning were great - i drove a forklift truck and one last shoot with MTV in the transit museum when noone else was there, and then a lovely last dinner in a lovely french restaurant in manhatten. I have truly had the most amazing experience over the last 5 weeks, i am constantly reminded how much there is out there in the world for us to see and people for us to meet, i will never stop learning and i cannot wait to learn even more.

'Music Inspired Art'

Beck’s takes its ongoing collaboration with cutting edge artists to a new level this year as Ladyhawke and Hard-Fi are invited to redesign the iconic Beck’s label.Taking inspiration from their music and album art work that have garnered them a signature sound as well as look, each band will be aiming to create an inspiring and thought-provoking concept that will be attached to the iconic Beck’s bottle which works as an accessible canvas for the masses. To find out more look at their website here.

Welcome to Legs

Georgie G at legs was amazing showing us around this beautiful studio and also talking for us. This is a fairly new studio and its main area is film, its a unique place where they have everything they need on site therefore the design ideas do not need to be diluted as they can do it all, its really inspirational to see how that can be a reality. She was so passionate and was also able to try many areas and work with amazing people. The studio has aspirations to break international boundaries and I wish them good luck and thank you.

Pablo A. Medina






















Pablo grew up between Washington and New Jersey and is the founder of Cubanica, he is an exceptionally talented designer and typographer you can check out some of his typefaces here. He had just got off a 10 hour flight from Buenos Aries and Claire and I were literally waiting outside his door before we had even got there, he had sort of forgotten but was so pleased that fate or something had meant we were there waiting for him the moment he arrived home, he let us in his house and within minutes had changed and got ready and took us for the most amazing hot chocolate and Coffee either of us had ever had, the decoration on top was beautiful and as designers led us all off onto a tangent for a while. He expressed how his role as a lecturer at Pratt and also at an affiliate school gave him a great insight into design and that further his visit to Buenos Aries had all given him a fresh outlook on our project. He seemed to feel like students in the US worked really hard but they also expected a lot from their lecturers, then his experience in Buenos Aries was more of a street scene it was more free and in a way exciting. Really it is down to the individual to succeed and a great student will be great anywhere as long as they have the drive to do well. He had a fine art background and expressed how that has definitely had a huge imact on the way he works and that he will always fight for students to have a more "hands on approach" how can you learn anything unless you can do it by hand? This is exactly what Milton Glaser had said and its a very valuable point - by seeing something you simply see it but by drawing it you analyse and learn to appreciate it. Computers and the hand need to be used together and neither one or the other can replace each-other. Although he must have felt exhausted Pablo never slowed down, his enthusiasm for our project was great to hear and he even then came to lunch with us with Ian Wright and Ritta Ikonen. I cant wait to transcribe this interview and reveal more - so look out, Thank you Pablo and good luck in your travels.

Hunter Tura (2x4)
and Yoonjai Choi

































Hunter Tura recieved a degree in Architecture from Havard and now is the managing director at 2x4 which is a multidisciplinary studio focusing on design for art, architecture, fashion and cultural clients worldwide. He had a really interesting slant for our project where by he sees many portfolios from a number of different areas and places wanting jobs or interns at 2x4 and therefore has a certain idea of design inside and outside the US. He was extremely welcoming, he had his little girl at work and always had one eye on her checking she was ok it was lovely, yet he still had all his attention for us. Conversation seemed so easy yet so interesting, he expressed how his education in architecture led him to have a different sort of education however he has no regrets as there are skills he has learnt that he may only have got from his education. Also 2x4 is a multidisciplinary studio and therefore needs people with a variety of skills and maybe by having a broader design education it will enable us to have a better perspective of design, and maybe using design inspiration for a piece of design is not the best way to do it? He opened up a number of questions for us so thank you. He also then introduced us to Yoonjai Choi who was newer in 2x4, she too had had an unusual education, she had grown up outside of the US and had strong attachments to England where she had spent some years growing up, after she completed her degree she wanted more education and it was either the RCA or Pratt and it eventually was Pratt and she said shes so glad it worked out that way as more then anything its the peer group you learn around that enhances who you are and she had an amazing graduate class and has no doubt that it was them that has helped her get to where she is today. Both had really great insights and are at a brilliant studio so thank you and good luck to you both.

Milton Glaser






















Everyone in the design world and many people not even in that field will have heard of the name "Milton Glaser" he is among the most celebrated graphic designer in the united states. "The founder of Push Pin design in 1954 was his first big step in the design world, their design was well received internationally. He then in 1968 along with Felker they founded the New York Magazine, then in 1983 Milton was part of WBMG a publication design firm and now its Milton inc. This man seems unstoppable, he still had such enthusiasm for the design field which could have easily been lost in todays day and age of the computer "making everyone a designer". He expressed how a computer is like a microwave to cooking" and also that Talent was only going to go as far as you were willing to push it. He was very wise and I feel we all felt very nervous when we first went to talk to him, however we sat around in a smallish room full of beautiful artifacts and pieces of his design, it felt homely yet inspiring. He sat down and just began listening carefully and then answering concisely our questions. One of the most memorable things he said was that it is important to listen to others but really his opinion was only really relevant to him and therefore people need to learn their own views and opinions - if you were to live your life in agreement with someone else you would really just be living their life. It was very interesting to here from such an influential man but important to remember. Thank you.

Work

A small little project done with Claire, in 10 hours we designed 8 travel posters and 1 book cover to be used in an old train station. It was fun and a good experience and some of the type looks pretty sweet.