The future for students as I see it

Graphic Design. The Course you choose.

When you chose to investigate and practice a career in Graphic design, did you
know what it was, and actually meant?

Now, what do you feel about the choice you made?

Confused? Excited?

The journey has begun and is changing almost daily, but realistically, year on year.

The changes in technology can throw up more and more questions.New methods of communicating visually with a wider, moor global audience ( and all from a central source, is now possible).

All these new technologies, digital, viral, dimensional and constructional, all are added 'tools' that are new and exciting mediums we can add to our 'toolbox'.

The future will add more and more 'tools' that we can (but not must) utilize in our
practice. This can be demonstrated by the expansion of the film industries, films like Avatar, Lord of the Rings,The Incredibles and others. These all threw up certain 'wants' by the communicators, that were not actually available 'off the shelf' and had to be engineered and created to supply the outcome. The want becomes a need and followers could then create communication that could use this new tool.

This, to quote Disney, 'Imagineering' has expanded our creative envelope and if we
can consider all manner of mediums. From dipping our hands in animal blood and making images on a cave wall, we now communicate in the third and 4th dimensions. Image and sound, sense of smell and more so the sense of touch make the interaction between the communicator and those to be communicated with a more integrated experience.

You may say that this is not the 'heart' of Graphic Design or it's fundamentals?

Maybe not, but that depends on the kind of communication you are considering
and to whom? Being a Graphic Designer does not mean we should solely concentrate our practice on marks on paper, but, if we doe wish to concentrate our practice to printed matter…so be it. That I see as specialism.

To be aware of the other mediums is a bonus, and we can communicate to clients the alternatives to a 'poster' or an item of print, if the alternative medium will communicate more effectively. The times I have had a client ask for a 'leaflet' without actually thinking through the actual outcome required. Then being pleasantly surprised when I have suggested another solution that would communicate the required outcome in a more effective way.

With all of this in mind, I am not suggesting that we must all gain total expertise in all fields of communication, but that we should not only be aware of other mediums (tools) and that we see the uses that they can have in our practice and as we look around and see the world and it's content on which we build our 'cerebral database' to fuel our professional practice.


Being aware of this, we can, ourselves, concentrate our personal choice of practice
and position ourselves as professionals in that area. From there we follow the practice
of fellow professionals that we consider interesting and exciting. These are the
practices that we should communicate with and to consider working with.

That is the identification of your career path and that is the point we in identifying
the methods that we can communicate with our peers in the profession and in which tone to integrate ourselves within our chosen sphere.

Although I hate the expression 'outside the box', this is what can make one creative
different from another, combined with professional expertise to see the bigger and wider picture on behalf of those who employ that expertise to achieve a specific
outcome, either commercially or artistically.


You may, by all means beg to differ. If so good.

The angel within the stone

The negative space in a logo that makes the design work.

The magic of Graphic Design.

New inspiration

It's so good to see simple ideas that convey a message that creates interest.

Creativity has a purpose for us all.

New Year New Hope

Another year goes by and we all look forward to a better one.

The Christmas anxieties and shopping frenzy subsides for another Season...

...do we really need to cling to the Carousel like this? What is life about anyway?

Family, friends and colleagues...people we share things with on a daily basis.

Personal development takes time and effort, time to see the realities of what we need and

not simply what we want. Simplistic? Tolerance is not just a word, but an attitude that we

lose daily. Politics, race, religions, are all part of our lives, but when coupled with the

values of tolerance, it can bring colour and balance to our days.

Time. A few extra moments to consider the effect of our actions, to see the trees and not get caught up in the media frenzy and follow the mele, take the time to see what is marvelous

about our existence and feel the Sun on our faces.

In a world spinning with ever changing technology,instant internet communication, we risk

seeing the world as we want it, as it really is...a part of our daily existence.

Take time out to see for yourself, touch the world we live in. When we realise the things we

really need, we can then consider those things that we might want...and then know the difference between the two.

Let's not lose contact with reality, slow the process and maybe, just maybe we can achieve a

harmony with one another, tolerance and not simply an aggressive stance based on a speedy

decision made as a reaction to a half understanding.

We are all the planet's family, if we can play together, we can all win this game of life.