OUGD602 - NEST Issue 12 Launch

Once the physical printed magazine had been delivered to the university, planning for launch event was undertaken. Previous launches for past issues have included exhibitions of curated work and screenings of films, however for the launch of issue 12 it was felt by both peers and union staff that a more casual event would be more accessible to a greater number of students.

The most appropriate venue for this was Outlaws Yacht Club, situated on New York Street at the bottom of the city. This venue would provide a large enough space to accommodate the expected number of attending students, as well as including a bar and seating area to allow attendees to purchase drinks rather than pick them up for free at the expense of the NEST budget. A seating area in the venue would also encourage a more informal atmosphere where students could relax and network.

In order to showcase a wider selection of work that could not be included in print, a slideshow of work was curated and projected into the space. Limited edition issue packs were also made to create a sense of exclusivity to the event. These packs included a copy of the magazine and a limited edition A3 Risograph print of one of the featured works (seen below).

Memory Potifa, a photography student from the university who has worked with NEST on numerous occasions, was hired to photograph the event.

NEST magazine provides me with invaluable opportunities to explore design for publishing further external to the course. Managing submissions and the students allows me to hone my communication skills in order to be efficient and clear when giving instructions or asking for advice. Communicating with Pressision has allowed me to gain extra insight into publishing and designing for print, and the roles and expectations of the client vs the printer. Managing the budget, ordering and invoicing provides me with important financial knowledge that can applied to both a freelance business or a large studio. The role of Editor provides me with wealth of unique skills that I can continue to apply to my practice as a whole to push my capabilities further.

OUGD602 - Craig Oldham Studio Visit

After corresponding with Craig Oldham I had the opportunity to visit his studio in Manchester. His studio comprises primarily of him, with a handful of additional designers that work on a project-by-project basis.

Craig had asked to see a selection of my work, and I was able to show him my three previous copied of NEST magazine, two issues of Shy Bairns, and a handful of personal projects. He was interested in the variety of publications that I had worked on, and was particularly interested in Shy Bairns. He had prior knowledge of the collective and stated that our publications were the kind of work he hoped to publish more of through his own publishing house, Common Practices.

We discussed his recent projects, including In Loving Memory of Work, and his influence for this, and we explored some of his personal archive of publications. We then discussed the possibility of an internship and we agreed that two days a week at his studio in Manchester with paid expenses would be a suitable arrangement.

OUGD602 - NEST Issue 12 Printed Magazine

Printed Magazine

OUGD602 - D&AD Portfolio Surgery

I was chosen to attend a portfolio surgery led by D&AD in Manchester. This gave me an opportunity to get feedback on my portfolio and discuss my work with professional designers. I presented a range of publications, including About Honey, NEST issue 10-12, and Shy Bairns volume 1 and 2.

The workshop allowed me to meet other young creatives and view their portfolios, and many productive discussions were had about project progress and opportunities post-graduation. However, almost all of the professional creatives worked within the creative advertising field, and many claimed they did not have a full enough knowledge of publication design to give constructive feedback. Despite this, the event was a positive experience and gave me confidence to present my work and discuss my ideas. It was also allow me to more easily access future D&AD events, which will enhance my portfolio further.

OUGD602 - Craig Oldham Follow-Up

A short time after sending the poster to Craig's studio, I followed up with an email, as suggested in my letter:

Craig responded:

I replied:

He responded:

After a short correspondence I arranged for a visit to his studio so that we could discuss my work.

OUGD602 - NEST Issue 12 Communication with Printers

As with all previous issues, issue 12 was to be printed by Pressision Creative Print and Finishing, located just outside of Leeds. As NEST has a long-standing relationship with the company, negotiations for quotes and printing were quick. A quote for the issue is below:

Communication with Pressision resulted in the agreement of a 32pp offset printed booklet, saddle-stitched with a foil on the front cover, to be delivered by 23/11/17. Artwork for printing was require by 12/11/17 and issue 12 was sent to Pressision on the date stated.

OUGD602 - NEST Issue 12 Design

After the work had been sorted and the best pieces selected, the spreads for the magazine were put together. Continuing with the full-bleed spreads used in the previous issue allowed the selected to be showcased fully while providing an immersive editorial experience for readers. Moving away from the additional belly band used in the previous two issues, a red foiled logo was introduced directly on the front cover.

The typeface GT America was selected to be used across the magazine. Its open character forms are highly legible and will create a fresh, modern identity for the new issue.

OUGD602 - Contacting Craig Oldham

A PPP session run by Alec Dudson to encourage us to contact industry professionals working in the same fields that we aspire to work in. We we first encouraged to make a list of potential studios.

After collating a list of studios I chose to contact Craig Oldham, a Manchester-based designer working within editorial a type design. He founded and runs the publishing house Common Practices. His most recent projects include a book entitled In Loving Memory of Work, exploring the effect of the 1980's miners strike on the immediate community; and the postcard collection Me & EU, which gathered the views on Brexit from creatives across the country.

Much of his work has a strong focus on Northern identity and communities, which draws many parallels with my own practice. Also, his knowledge of the publishing industry would be invaluable to my practice. The instinctive method for contacting Craig would be to send an email, but creating something physical to send to his studio would provide a more personal form of communication.

Initially I had the idea to create a postcard designed around my views on Brexit, to replicate his ME & EU project. The original project documented a creative view of the EU referendum as it was happening, and my postcard could reflect the aftermath and the post-brexit state of university education. However researching this project revealed his role was primarily creating the publication in which the postcards were housed.

Researching further into the In Loving Memory of Work publication, it became clear that the subject matter was something that Craig was very passionate about. This was also something that I had explored briefly during my work with Shy Bairns, and therefore would be something that we could both relate to. 

Producing a poster would be the most appropriate physical option as it would allow me to keep the design and message simple, and would also keep production costs low. The book itself features a bespoke typeface created by Craig, and drawing influence from this would create a parallel between this specific project and my reason for contacting him.

Mimicking the slogans that became so synonymous with this miners strike, and the phrases repeated in the book, I created a design for the poster. Using bold colours that replicated the style of the book and a typeface similar to the original allowed an instant connection to be made to the original project. However the poster still retained unique differences that allowed my own style of design to also be present.

The phrase 'solidarity with designers!' was created as a way for me to voice my support of the project and his passion for creating the platform that allows the history of these events to be told. Another option for a slogan was 'lesbians and gays support designers!', in response to the Lesbians and Gay Support the Miners (L.G.S.M) group that was active during this time. However it was felt that the first slogan created a stronger message.

The first edition of the book included a range of stickers on the front cover that were used during the strikes. Creating a sticker for my own poster would allow me to draw further inspiration from Craig's project, and allow me to communicate a secondary message.

The poster was printed A2, matte, on kodatrace stock. It was then posted to Craig with the following letter:

Hello Craig!

My name is Erin, I’m a graphic designer and I really like your work!

I made this poster as a response to your project In Loving Memory of Work, playing off the iconic phrase ‘solidarity with the miners’, and the important role that design has played in documenting this part of our history. Now I’m using it as a way to tell you how much I’m inspired by what you do! A lot of my own work focuses on Northern communities and your book really resonated with me. The design is gorgeous and the coal dust screenprint is such a beautiful detail! It’s so exciting to see projects like this that represent these people and their stories, and this is the kind of work that inspires me to do more with my design.

I thought I would also use this oppurtunity to ask if you have any internships available, or even if I could just visit your studio and talk to you about your work. I’d love to learn more about your process! My contact details are at the bottom, and I’ll follow this up with an email and my CV.

Thank you for your time!

Erin Blamire

OUGD602 - 12 Studios

In order to expand our professional networks we were encouraged to gather a list of 12 studios or designers relevant to our practive that we could connect with:


Craig Oldham

Based in Manchester, Craig Oldham primarily works within publishing and type design. He has a strong focus on Northern identity and communities.

Trapped in Suburbia

A design trio from the Netherlands who specialise in creating unique experiences for the audience.

Dark Igloo

A New York design team most notable for their work with GIF's and moving image

Unit Editions

Book designers and publishers formed by Spin Studio and Adrian Shaughnessy

Daniel Barkle (found of Dank Type)

London based graphic design and founder of Dank Type, specialising in bespoke typefaces

Greta Thorkels

An Icelandic graphic designer based in Berlin, currently working within editorial and type specialisms

Fabien Fohrer

A graphic and type designer currently based in Amsterdam

HATO

London based HATO is comprised of two halves: HATO design studio and HATO press, the largest risograph print studio in the UK. HATO's most recent design projects include the branding for Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2017 and the D&AD Festival 2018.

Caterina Bianchini Design

An award winning London design studio working across graphic design and art direction, creating considered, charismatic and beautiful work.

Osheyi Adebayo

London based graphic designer focusing primarily on editorial design, brand identity and experimental art.

The Bakery

Design studio from Moscow working within art direction, strategy, wayfinding and packaging

Perry Rowe

A London-based graphic designer with a focus in branding