by Ian West | Mar 27, 2017 | Uncategorized
by Ian West | Jan 13, 2017 | Design education
It was a wet Wednesday afternoon in January; Kevin and I were finishing our second pint in Yates’s Wine Lodge. Across from us sat Pete and Martin. We made up a very competitive group who had thrown ourselves into graphic design in the final year and stood somewhat...
by Ian West | Aug 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
Last minute frenzy Pete was less lucky when it came to time. Nobody had seen him for weeks, but that was common. He would work at home in a nervous frenzy and then turn up at the last moment with a stunning and totally original solution to each project. We were both...
by Ian West | Jul 17, 2012 | Design education
To say students spent little time in college may be rather misleading. We did go in to make use of the facilities. As final year students we had priority to such functions as the photographic studio, type room and the print room. I made good use of the photography...
by Ian West | Jul 3, 2012 | Typography
The first whiffs of new technology were blowing through the world of typographic design. Display fonts were the typefaces that were available in large sizes to create headlines in designs and advertisements – such faces as Grotesque No.9, Gill Sans Ultra or...
by Ian West | Jul 2, 2012 | Working designer
Student life cannot go on for ever and work experience seemed a logical stepping stone. I had played around local folk clubs and found that people from the Manchester advertising scene were very well represented in that particular community. I approached a few people,...
by Ian West | May 4, 2012 | Design education
Most of the course was based around project work. By the final year, the number of formal projects had been reduced; our results would be based upon a combination of course work, our final project, the ‘dip show’ – a mini exhibition of our best work, and a...
by Ian West | Apr 28, 2012 | Working designer
Cut and paste – there was a time when it meant just that. Artwork for print was assembled by physically cutting out pieces of typeset text, photographs, illustrations and other graphic elements, and carefully sticking them on pieces of art board. The cutting...
by Ian West | Apr 20, 2012 | Working designer
A first taste of the real world of work can be a a bit of a reality check for the aspiring creative. One of my hobbies throughout college, and one that had also supplemented my student income, was music. I had played around local folk clubs, both solo and in various...
by Ian West | Apr 10, 2012 | Design education
1960’s design and the realisation that swinging London may be the doorway of opportunity. In the middle of our course a trip was organised by some of the fine art lecturers to visit the Bonnard exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. However, as well as this...
