From: gav@jam-factory.com
Subject: Re: Hey
Date: 2 June 2010 08:12:54 BST
To: hello@robcopestudio.com
Hey there Rob,
Sorry about the delay in replying my friend, I've been a bit behind on the ol' emails!
Thank you very very much for the super kind words, that's very nice of you to say :)
I can indeed answer your questions mate, i'd be honoured!
in a few words could you give an outline of who you are and what you do?
My name is Gavin Strange and I'm a 27-year-old man-child originally from Leicester and now living in beautiful Bristol here in the South West. By day i work as Senior Designer for the Digital department of the illustrious Aardman Animations and by night I go under the alias of JamFactory, working on plethora of projects!
How did you start out as a designer / illustrator, what difficulty's did you have starting out and what would you suggest to an developing designer trying to get a foot into the industry?
I studied Graphic Design at a college in Leicester before earning a junior position at a local agency (I didnt fancy going to uni) - I got taught the ways of the web there, becoming a web designer and learning an awful lot! After 4 years I left to persue a career in freelance web / graphic design, moving to Bristol in the process! 3 years of freelance went very quickly until one day a magical email entitled "hello from Aardman" dropped in my inbox, and the rest is history!
Id say the difficulties are getting your work out there, but now with the internet, aslong as you've got a solid & confident grasp over your online representation, everyone has as much muscle as everyone else, which I love. It's much fairer now, so i would really advise making the most of the 'net and getting your work out there! Use things like Flickr, twitter, facebook etc to your advantage!
You've got a sick range of work high profile work, but what advice would you give some one to help them brake into the design market and get there work out there?
I guess using the above advice really, getting stuck into social media and using those tools to get your work seen! I made sure I always had an updated website and flickr, and was always sure to get my web address out there wherever I could, even the simplest things like a nice email signature, it'll get people clicking that link!
Making friends too, thats always a good one - I always make sure to email and compliment people whenever I see great work, that's a great way of complimenting your peers and also making friends, you never know where things may lead!
Basically, don't be shy, show your beautiful work to the world!
Your design and artwork are used across a range of different formats, but which format do you most enjoy working with and why? do you think it is a good idea for up and coming illustrators to widen the range and versatility and work in these different formats?
Oh man yeah totally, diversity within formats and medium, i think, is crucial. Just knowledge of other methods & techniques can only strengthen you and make you a better creative. Even if you stick to just one style or medium, dont be scared to have a play with the unknown!
having a style and producing the quantity of work you have, how do you keep new designs fresh and different to your other projects?
Ermmm, hard work haha! it comes and goes really - like at the moment, I am feeling absolutely burnt out! At work I'm working on a tight-deadline project which required 4 completely different styles of website designing, which has meant I'm burnt out on projects in my own time.
I guess it comes with wanting to change up styles and experiment with things I don't know how to do. With every project I want to try something new and go in a different direction if I can, but sometimes i'm happy with designing in a familiar style, like smooth crisp vectors for example. It really depends on the project!
Is there a specific context you prefer designing within e.g skate products, fashion, homewear etc?
Nah not really, i try to keep it as open as possible really, Being open minded about inspirations and influences can only help to stumble across something new i think! I like to take on each project with fresh eyes, to create something right for the brief!
What percentage of your work is made up of your self directed design work, against the client lead briefs?
Well my Aardman job is 9.30 - 6pm and I come home, eat, do house things then do my own thing from about 8pm - 11pm so just a small percentage really, which is a shame as it's hard to fit everything I want to do in my own personal time but it's a battle I have to face!
is there specific things that clients like about your work and just ask you to do something similar to piece in your portfolio?
There isn't really, well there used to be, but now my 'official' work is at Aardman, which is based on the strength of the studio as a whole, rather than my own personal work, that sort of stuff doesn't come up anymore and the stuff in my own time, is really self-initiated projects as I dont like to do freelance work for other clients in my own time (really can't dedicate enough of myself!)
if you could apply your designs to anything what would it be? and what design would you make for it?
It'd have to be a shoe! A Vans shoe i think, i do like my sneakers and a shoe would be the ultimate! I'd keep it a lowkey affair, black with a little hint of colour with some nice embossed graphic or textured identity somewhere i think! Could go to town on the innersole though!
Fingers crossed one day I could do that!
any final words?
Save often, cry less.
thanks alot for your time.
I hope these answers are all ok dude, sorry they've taken so flippin' long!!
~ Gav
Gavin Strange
JamFactory
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