Baylis & Harding
October 28, 2009
I have been lucky enough to get a work placement at Bayliss & Harding in Redditch for a couple of weeks. 
Thanks must go to Fran O’Hara at Scarlett Design International Ltd for the heads up.
http://www.scarletdesign.com/
Week One
Have so far been photographing and editing products for the latest trend report. Fab place!
Hello September!
September 4, 2009
Where did August go! Have had a nice summer break. Been to the seaside, managed the bar at the cricket club for end of the season and have been learning to drive. I have also been doing a little freelance design work over the summer break but now the job hunt begins.
Thing a week
August 2, 2009
I have just started adding photos to the thing a week group on flikr. This weeks theme was In Somebody’s Shoes. Here was my effort for the week.
In Somebody's Shoes
I wouldn’t want to be in Tyler’s shoes right now. He is currently in Afghanistan with 4th Battalion, The Rifles. Along with all his friends, I have been helping to tidy his room while he is away. Found his army boots and a lot of stuff from his time in Iraq so have used these for this photo.
In the Birmingham Mail this week it gave some unfortunate news. Tyler’s mum and many other parents, family and friends are collecting goodies to send out to the troops while they risk their lives in the war against terrorism. However this week his mum’s car got broken into and all the parcels on route to the post office were stolen. So this week we are all making an effort to collect as much as we can as in Tyler’s words “its like xmas every time the parcels come in.”
Photo taken using a Nokia 6210 Classic
…….
Unfortunately this photo is even more poignant now. Only a few weeks after I posted this photo Tyler was seriously injured in Afghanistan. He has lost both his legs and badly injured his arm. He is in selly oak getting the care he needs but will be a long hard road ahead. His friends here in Birmingham will continue to support the troops out in afghanistan but most importantly those injured and back home to support their recovery and rehabilitation.
A Big Hello
June 25, 2009
If you would like to see some of my design work please click on the work link on right hand side. The about section also on the right hand side provides a little more about me and my current CV.
Enjoy reading.
Rach xx
These are a few of my favourite things
June 25, 2009
Just been looking at the new website for KeaneBrands in Birmingham where i was lucky enough to get some work experience at Christmas 2008. To introduce the team they have slideshows of their 50 favourite things. What a great idea for a blog post for people to find out more about me. It will be useful to me as I move from student to junior designer (fingers crossed) to see in a years time if any of these favourites have changed. Reflection was something we were required to do throughout university – whether it be going back to work with fresh eyes or on our heroes in design. This blog has provided me with a useful place to reflect but also somewhere I can come to see my achievements and continue positivity.
The 50 favs for now!
1. My bed!
2. Shoes
3. Julian Opie
4. Amaretto & Coke
5. Camping
6. Slippers
7. The 60s
8. Circles/Dots
9. Sausages
10.Cooking
11. Bed Covers
12. Clean sheets
13. Picnics
14. Swimming
15. Family Parties
16. Turquoise
17. My Ipod Mini (the original)
18. 24
19. Malted Milks
20. Cricket!
21. Research
22. Live Music (gigs/festivals)
23. Converse
24. Baz Lurhmann films
25. Come dine with me
26. Oreo Cookies
27. Aberporth
28. My lucky number
29. Howies (hoodies)
30. Walking
31. Volunteering
32. Rice Pudding
33. Curry
34. Cuppa Tea
35. My blanket – i still suck my thumb!!
36. The Apprentice
37. Spooning
38. Jools Holland
39. Meeting new people
40. My Piano
41. Band of Brothers (War Films)
42. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
43. Home & Away
44. Cheese on toast (yes in the microwave although i am yet to try in a halogen oven!!)
45. Thunderbirds
46. Captain Scarlett
47. Stingray
48. My Apple Macbook
49. Twitter
50. News freak!
Glastonbury
June 25, 2009
As i was going through photos from the last 3 years at uni my favourite happens to be from trip to Glastonbury 2007. As its this weekend and not there thought i’d share
Hopefully make it there next year.
Glastonbury 2007 Sarah, Me & Jess
Exhibition and end of uni
June 23, 2009
Final Year Exhibition 2009
Packing up 4 years in Cardiff to move back to the midlands.I have had a great time and sure i’ll be back but now to explore birmingham as a graduate and to find work.
The Big Idea
May 17, 2009
For the final project of my degree (this is scary!) we have had to choose one word from an allocated 5. The five words chosen for me were: Democracy, Fundamentalism, Freedom, Foreign and Exile. After looking into each word and their meanings I decided to focus on the word freedom.
Here is the final outcome.
Uni Projects
March 25, 2009
As I near the completion of my studies I need to start thinking about self promotion. An online portfolio/website will be produced in the upcoming weeks to showcase my work and skills. So while this is under construction here are some examples of work I have completed while on the course
Font Design - Year 2
Print Studio Website - Year 2
YCN Competition 2008 - Wagamama
YCN Competition 2008 - Wagamama - Business Card
YCN Competition 2008 - Wagamama - Promote Wagamama's new eat out service.
CAFOD UK Volunteer Pack - The 'Give 5' Campaign - Year 2
CAFOD UK Volunteer Pack - The 'Give 5' Campaign - Year 2
CAFOD UK Volunteer Pack - The 'Give 5' Campaign - Raise awareness and persuade 16 - 25 school/college/uni leavers to support CAFOD in the UK - Year 2
National Museum Wales - Branding - Year 3
National Museum Wales - Branding - Year 3
National Museum Wales - Branding - Year 3
National Museum Wales - Create a sub brand for a series of music events to be held in the museum, targeting 14-18 year olds but also considering the museums existing clientele. - Year 3
D&AD Competition 2009 - Crisis
D&AD Competition 2009 - Crisis
D&AD Competition 2009 - Crisis - Direct Mail Campaign to persuade 'cash rich,time poor' to continue support for the homeless and raise awareness of the charity Crisis.
Design Heroes
March 8, 2009
In a recent talk from David Worthington, one of our external examiners he reminded third year students to think about their heroes. Either companies we like who we may approach for work experience or people in design who have really inspired us.
I have been adding links to my blog to keep a record of these for a while. Personally I have found this to be a useful tool allowing talking points when on work experience.
Inspiration
I have been following the work of Julian Opie for a number of years. It has been interesting to see all the different placements of his work. Whether exhibited inside a gallery or placed outside, a bigger audience has been able to view and comment on his work.
‘Opie manipulates computer animations, sound and LED screens to convey his striking artwork. A broad spectrum of inspirational sources, such as classic portraiture and sculpture and Japanese Manga comics, are used, which compliment a similarly broad spectrum of media and technology.’
However it has been his move from portraits like those shown on the Blur album cover to moving images on LED screens that has interested me. Not only have these been placed on buildings or on streets but they have been incorporated into the theatre.
On Saturday 22nd November 2008 BBC2 broadcast the Royal Ballet World Premiere of choreographer Wayne McGregor’s new piece – Infra. He wanted a full scale video installation to join the dancers on stage created by the artist Julian Opie.
As Martha Kearney describes in the program, Opie’s approach is reduced to its most essential and characteristic elements of what he sees in the real world.
Julian Opie spends quite a lot of time looking at people, how they move etc and at street scenery as if it were choreographed. He likes the idea that “nature and natural things out there, if you focus yourself you become in a certain sense a passive choreographer. You can listen to birds singing and think this is actually a symphony. Then you hear a car horn or a church bell and put all those things together in your mind. So your mind is kind of actively creating music out of these things and you can to do the same looking at people in the street. Looking at a queue or someone with a suitcase and then seeing Wayne who is capable of playing with that and making something focused and beautiful is very exciting.”
Max Richter the composer describes Infra as an “interesting collision of approaches”.
I really liked the effectiveness of Opie’s animation above the dancers. It is like a bridge from one side of the stage to the other where the ballet is performed underneath. The lighting is very clever and its all these things put together that make this exploratory piece so captivating.
Opie thought working within a ballet would be madness but it actually works.
Other links
