The Sh!Awards 2010

The moment when you know that you’ve truly arrived in society, is when you get asked to join boards of trustees and be panelists on competitions (or that’s what I’ve always reckoned looking at other people’s CV’s) So imagine what a fraud I felt when the guys at Brahm asked me to be part of their illustrious panel for this 8th Sh!Awards…did they not know I know very little, about most things? Anyway I’m generally a gal who can’t say no (cakes, booze, opinion offering…) so I leapt at the opportunity, and then spent a good Sunday evening fretting about the responsibilty of looking through  the porfolios of a very talented bunch of graduate design students  and narrowing it down to just one winner…Then I remembered that there were about 10 judges who really knew their onions and what harm could I do?

The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony, this Thursday (24th June) at Temple Works. Comedian Steve Royle, who has performed alongside Steve Coogan & Peter Kay and featured in Channel 4’s “Max & Paddy’s Road To Nowhere” will lead proceedings throughout the evening. The evening is strictly rsvp only…why not contact us if you are desparate to get on the guest list and we will see what we can do for you.

For those of you not already in the know, the Sh!Awards were set up in memory of Stuart Hocknell a talented designer at Brahm who tragically died of meningitis aged just 28 years old. Stuart was a great supporter of young designers and was always keen to promote links with colleges and universities – providing talented newcomers with a leg-up into the industry. Creating an annual student award scheme seemed the perfect way to remember him.

The overall winner of the Sh!Awards wins a paid six month work placement at Brahm, which sets them well on their way, in fact some never leave! We spoke to three previous winners Nicola Owen, Chris Kemm & Dan Lancaster about their experiences of winning and working

Tell us a little about the your involvement in this years Sh! Awards
NO: I’m involved as a judge at this year’s Sh! Awards which involves being on a panel where students show and explain their work to us. We then score the students on certain criteria and the marks are combined to decide a winner. It’s a really interesting experience to see what the different students are creating.
CK: This year I’ve been creating the website and social media pages for Sh!.
DL: My task this year was to create a fresh and engaging approach to the visual identity of the awards and design all the collateral that supports the event.

What advice would you give young designers about to graduate now?
NO: The best advice is to try and get yourself noticed. There are so many people graduating and so few jobs – as the cliché goes you need to stand out from the crowd!
CK: My advice to any young designer about to graduate or just graduating is to get yourself out there. Brand yourself, set up a website, even if you’re not a digital designer they are plenty of services that can build you a portfolio and share your work for example: http://www.krop.com/creativedatabase/ or http://www.behance.net/ Show your work but only your best work, and be proud of your designs.

Casting your minds back to when you entered the competition, what did you enter, and how did you rate your chances?
NO: I entered the Sh! Awards 2 years go and I won the digital category. The work I entered was my final year project called ‘feel click connect’, a data visualisation project, which maps real time emotions on blogs, to gauge a sense of happiness across the UK. I didn’t really rate my chances of winning, as there was lots of other great work that had been short listed.
CK: I entered my final year piece Status 2.0 an art installation. The piece attempts to portray the emotional state of the internet at any one time by taking a social network feed and translating the digital signal into an analogue output. Motors control the intensity of coloured bulbs within each box, using the RGB colour format to create colours and communicate emotions. I was very happy with my project but had no idea what my chances were as my installation was very different to any one else’s work.
DL: When entering the Sh! Awards in 2006, I had just completed my degree at Leeds Metropolitan and submitted a selection of work from my final year. This included a screenprinted map, brand identity concept for an art gallery, a typeface design, a graduate show publication and some ad concepts for a children’s charity. To be honest I didn’t really think that I would even be shortlisted, there were so many talented graduates in Leeds alone never mind Yorkshire. After the shortlist interview I remember thinking even if I didn’t win anything, the contacts made through the experience were rewarding enough.

What have been the most brutal truths about working in industry, do you think college/uni can prepare you for it better?
NO: You have to take criticism well; creative directors can be quite harsh! You will build up a thick skin to it, as in the long run it makes you better at your job. Also the main difference between uni/college and work is the time you have on projects, in industry there is always tight deadlines.
CK: The most brutal truth is being told your work is wrong. You may make a great design but the client might not agree.
DL: In my opinion the pace at which the industry works is the biggest change for a graduate. Lost pitches and unsuccessful tenders are a blow to the ego but you learn to move on to the next job. I think the best way a university can prepare you is to open your mind and explore your place within the creative industry. The work you create at this time forges the path to your career.

How many years do you think you have aged since you have been working?
NO: 2 years nearly 3!
CK: I think I’ve aged a lot! It certainty feels longer then a year since I won Sh! Awards. I’ve learnt loads its been a challenge but I’ve loved it.
DL: Physically and mentally about 6, but in my mind I will always be 18. (I have been working for about 4 years)

Do you get let out for good behaviour? Do you still have time to pursue other creative interests?
NO: We have quite an active social life – we often go out for drinks after work or meet in the garden for lunch on a sunny day. You need to have some rest time to make you better and more focused on your job.
CK: I do freelance projects outside of work. Learning doesn’t stop when you leave university, I like to keep updated with the latest web trends and technologies so I enjoy developing / building websites in my free time. I also enjoy photography, I love a day out with my SLR and I’m a massive foodie.

What exciting stuff have you been involved in, and feel most proud of?
NO: I’ve been involved in loads of interesting projects, not just finished pieces, sometimes the most interesting bit is the development work. I can’t name one that I am most proud of as I put my best into everything.
DL: I have worked on many great things in the last four years, from large scale branding projects, to small pieces of cultural literature. One of my favourite projects to date was a campaign for the Roses Design Awards in 2009. This project gave me the opportunity not only to shoot bespoke photography for the collateral, but write the copy, design the print materials and also art direct a video for the event.

Whose work do you really rate right now and why?
NO: I have a wide range of interest from data visualisation to info graphics to abstract painting to graphic design. It’s good to keep up to date with the latest design trends and latest technology news.
CK: I admire a lot of work and spend lots of time on design networks such as behance, site inspire and Ffffound. I recently went to small web conference and listened to a great talk by Andy Clarke , he has a great philosophy of building websites top down and using the latest technologies, he also really nice guy.
DL: There is a wealth of great design being produced at the moment and it is hard to single out individual companies, off the top of my head these spring to mind:
• Graphic Thought Facility – Strong graphic sensibilities, refreshingly devoid of house style.
• Lehni-Trueb – Lovely experimental print work, with strong typography to boot.
• Hort – Constantly interesting and diverse body of work.
• Folch Studio – Clear considered and eloquent modern design.

Anything you would like to plug?
The Sh! Awards website of course – www.sh-awards.com

But also our own personal portfolios:

CK: www.whatcreative.co.uk I’d love someone to pay me to create (another) great installation 😉

DL: www.daniellancaster.co.uk In my spare time I also run a bi-annual, not for profit arts based magazine called Feral. The magazine celebrates rising talent in the creative industry allowing them platform to showcase their work. the next issue will be based around the theme of childhood, to find out more visit the site here www.feralcollective.blogspot.com/