Craig Oldham DesignbyMusic

Craig Oldham came in today to give a talk and I was generally excited by the work that Music had done previously and recently for the Brit Awards. He was a speaker whom had a real grounded view of graphic design which I had not seen before. I took a lot away from what he said and also managed to get my portfolio looked at in the workshop later on.

Main points

From the talk
- Content + form = communication (such a simple formula but one that makes absolute sense)
- You have to be interested in the content to be a better designer
- Don't be pretentious. Ideas are slags
- Say it or Show it. Don't do both (if you've got an image which communicates effectively dont spell it out it type, and vice versa) people aren't stupid
- For feedback ask direct questions and encourage criticism, and always show interest in an agency's work (if they are showing interest in your work, you should in theirs)



From the workshop (portfolio)
- Need to be objective when laying out my imagery
- Tell the story (think of it as a plot line with a strong start and a strong end and a narrative in between)
- Hierarchy - be more selective on shots (if you show a close up, do it for a reason - spot varnish, embossing, etc)
- What do I want to tell them I am good at and where my interests lie?
- Have both shots of work and samples if possible
- Show as much work in context as possible (don't show work for the sake of it)
- When contacting agencies saying you are looking for experience, not a placement (you must like the studios work or else whats the point)