..:: IAMRAV ::..

TODAY WE HAD NICK JEEVES FROM PUBLIC GRAPHIC DESIGN GIVE US A LECTURE AT UNI, THIS WAS THIS ONE OF THE BEST LECTURES EVER...HE HAD A SENSE OF HUMOUR, REALISM AND HONESTY - NO BULLSHIT! HE TOLD US THE KEY SECRET WAS TO JUST PUT IN THE WORK - HOW I SEE IT, YOUR OWN HARD WORK WILL BE YOUR OWN REWARD...TAKE HEED.

1) DESIGN FOR EVERYONE - IF IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO YOUR OLD FOLKS OR TO THE PEOPLE WHO WILL HAVE MOST DIFFICULTY TO UNDERSTAND IT, IT DOESN'T WORK!!!

2) FORGET ABOUT TALENT - 1/1000 HAVE TALENT...YOU THINK EVERYONE IN DESIGN HAS TALENT? THINK AGAIN, GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND DEDICATE YOURSELF TO PRODUCING WORK. STUDIES HAVE SHOWED THE HARDER YOU WORK THE LUCKIER YOU ARE. PICASSO PUT IN 10,000 HOURS OF WORK BEFORE HE WAS 9 YEARS OLD!!! HE HAD ART SWAGGER THAT WAS INCOMPARABLE.

3) GET ORGANISED - GET A DAMN DIARY...IF YOUR LIKE ME AND FORGET STUFF ALL THE TIME, WRITE IT SOMEWHERE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO STORE IT IN YOUR INCAPABLE HEAD! SEEK AND EXPLOIT YOUR TUTORS FEEDBACK BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE TO HELP GET YOU ORGANISED.

4) LEARN TO MANAGE CRITICISM - THE CLIENT ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT, AND YOUR TUTORS AREN'T ALWAYS RIGHT BUT THE KEY WORD IS MANAGE. EXTRACT CRITICISM THAT IS HELPFUL AND TRUE.

5) EXPLOIT YOUR COLLEGE - ERRR YOU PAID YOUR FEES SO USE THEIR CAMERAS, PRINTING FACILITIES, ETC!!!

6) ARCHIVE EVERYTHING - (THIS IS THE REASON I STARTED THIS BLOG)...PHOTOGRAPH EVERYTHING, ARCHIVE IT ON A BLOG OR ON A WEBSITE AND GET YOURSELF OUT THERE SO PEOPLE NOTICE YOU

7) WHO DO YOU LOVE? - CAN YOU NAME 5 FAMOUS DESIGNERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, PAINTERS, ETC FROM YOUR ART DISCIPLINE, OFF TOP OF YOUR HEAD? IF NOT YOUR IN THE WRONG DISCIPLINE...AND ONLY GO TO AN ART EXHIBITION IF YOUR GOING TO REALLY BE INTERESTED AND INVOLVED IN WHAT'S BEING DISPLAYED

8) MAKE FRIENDS - ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS...GET IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE WHOSE WORK YOU ADMIRE, A POLITE PERSONAL EMAIL WILL DO AND INFORM THEM OF YOUR BLOG OR WEBSITE AND ASK FOR THEIR OPINION.

9) START COMPETING NOW - PEOPLE ARE WATCHING EVERYTHING IN THE INDUSTRY, D&AD, YCN, RSA - GET INVOLVED!!!

10) BLOG, BLOG, BLOG - GREAT FOR LOOKING AT WHAT'S ALREADY OUT IN THE WORLD OF DESIGN AND FOR IDEAS.

11) LEARN YOUR VALUE - BORING YES BUT LEARN HOW TO INVOICE AND GET AN ACCOUNTANT IF NEED BE. THE LONGER A PIECE OF WORK TAKES YOU, THE LESS YOUR DESIGN WORTH IS...IF A £1000 DESIGN JOB TAKES MR.JOE 2 DAYS AND TAKES MR.BLOGGS 10 DAYS, WHO IS WORTH MORE? DO THE MATHS...

12) EXTEND YOUR REACH - GET YOURSELF AS MUCH COVERAGE AS POSSIBLE - THROUGH PUBLISHING AND ON THE NET AND ALWAYS TRY TO PUSH HOW MANY PEOPLE GET TO SEE YOUR WORK.