Work Experiences and Influences

As I have stated in my reflective statement, my influences are very important to me and my development as a designer and often filters into the work I produce. Throughout the year I have made note of these influences in my blog and also spread the word to colleagues and friends. Without constantly taking influence from all areas of design and popular culture it would be hard for us as designers to produce work that relates to modern society and the desired target audience.

In addition to influences is work experience. My time a Clarks both over the Easter period of the second year and the following summer provided such quality experience and developed my Photoshop skills tenfold. What also became apparent was that being in a working environment with designer who have had years of experience gives a real impression of what it takes. Just watching them work for an hour shows their commitment, enthusiasm and expertise that can only be envied by us students so early on in our careers. You start to understand why these companies want you to have previous experience on your CV, it hones design skills, makes them habitual, defines your working method and makes for a more efficient designer overall.

Not only do I take influences in day-to-day findings on the internet, but I am happily subscribed to Creative Review, one of the best decisions I ever made as it provides fantastic up-to-date articles and case studies of the latest and greatest developments in the design world. In particular they always have an amazing page on typography with the best new typefaces and uses of type in the commercial world. Most of the time they are expensive to buy, but most importantly just being aware of them keeps my mind on the latest trends in the world of typography.

I can’t stress enough how important my influences are to me, I keep all the Creative Review issues in storage and always look out for new books for ‘the shelf’. Design is not just a profession, it’s a hobby, a passion and a life that I live and breathe. I am interested in every aspect and I ca’t see that changing any time soon.