Level 6 Creative Reports Discussion

This morning, a group of 4 Level 6 students came into the studio to talk about how they approached their creative reports last year. I found this extremely useful as I got an insight on what works and what doesn't in their experience, as well as learning the different ways of approaching my chosen designers.

Wills creative report:

• Chosen to meet his chosen designers in person
• Thoroughly research into the artists before going to meet them, this will help to come up with conversation topics and find out what you want to know about them
• Think about what I actually want to know about them and their work
• Make sure you know a lot about them, this will also impress them
• Talk/ask about certain projects of theirs that particularly interest me

5 Top Tips:

• Email in the morning 8-9am
• Email off your personal account not student gmail
• Memorise certain questions! The 4 or 5 main ones so you're not always looking back at notes and struggling for conversation
• In wills opinion, he suggests not to take photos or voice record, write the notes in your page after the chat
• If you go for drinks, buy them the first round

Niamhs report:

• She already had connections through her brother so it was a lot easier for her to contact them
• She did it just through email conversations
• Benjamin Craven- she contacted him through email, she titled the email 'Jazzy socks' after his recent, catching his eye instantly!
• Keep emailing them, don't just stop after getting your answers, keep the connection!
• Don't say 'I need this' or 'Could you' instead be more chatty, friendly and casual about it

Third student:

• First messaged through Instagram DMs and then moved to email
• Thank the designer 
• Don't be scared to talk to them
• He put in the DM 'I can email you some quick questions' 
• The aesthetic should relate to the actual designer
• Be as professional as you can with the designers, but be enthusiastic!

Emmas report:

• She named it 'insight' as it is an insight to the artist
• She first thought about what she wants to do within her Graphic design practice after Uni, step by step, helped her establish what she wants to know
• She spoke to 3 different people
• She attached the questions to the first email and said that its up to them which questions they want to answer
• Research where they like to go- e.g. do they prefer a cafe/coffee or drinks/pub? stalk their insta to find out
• Compliment them!

It was useful seeing how Will chose to meet up with his chosen designers compared to the other 3 that did it purely by email. I would quite like to meet up with my designers in person as it feels a lot more personal and fun, I feel like you definitely find out more about a person face to face. However, email is the easier option and a lot more formal in the way you ask/word the questions. 

When first contacting my designers, at the end of the email/message I will put something like 'I would really appreciate it if you could answer a few questions for me? I can send them over to you over email or we can go for a drink sometime if you'd prefer that?' It is useful to give them options as it takes them and their schedule into consideration.

Furthermore, I will continue to base my creative report off 3 different designers that I love the work of. Firstly because I think the more I talk to the better as I will find out loads, also because a lot of designers/studios may not reply.