Baseline Shift welcomed James Dunford from Applied Information Group, a studio specialising in wayfinding and information design. James is a graduate from the University of Reading (both and UG and PG level) and has been at Applied for over 16 years. In his talk, he took us through his journey since being a graduate, the projects that have shaped his career as well as the realities in a wayfinding job.

 

What is wayfinding?

James began the talk by explaining that way finding is much more more than designing signs. Wayfinding is described as considering how people read, understand and navigate a space, using strong sensory and visual cues to make the user’s journey as clear as possible. For the audience, he broke this idea down into three crucial questions: Where am I? Where do I need to go? What happens next? The aim for a successful way finding system is for these questions to be answered without excessive thought from the user, making the most complex spaces easier to navigate.

 

Designing wayfinding systems?

At Applied Information Group, they engage in a wide range of projects spanning museums, airports, parks, universities and public spaces internationally. Their work travels far beyond singular signs and maps – they prioritise how one information system includes many different elements working together. All of these projects James and his team have created have succeeded from understanding how people use and move through different spaces.

One of the most interesting parts of James’ work is the scale and time it can take to complete these projects, with many projects often taking years. This being the case, all design work needs to be accessible beyond all current trends and remain clear and understandable over time. At the centre of James’s work lie many problems needing to be solved, revolving around key questions like: “where is the initial struggle in an environment?” and “how can we find the clearest way to guide people through it?”.

 

Understanding human behaviour 

James explained that before designing anything, the studio considers how people move through environments and where confusion occurs. The  team have to consider where these points occur and recur, as well as factors such as language, accessibility mobility and even how someone feels within this situation. Gathering this key information starts from observing how people naturally move through a space and where hesitation is present.

One method that was mentioned by James was mental mapping. This is technique that gets people to physically draw an environment from memory so it can raise any specific landmarks that are naturally prominent in peoples mind but also, this can showcase any areas that are harder to remember. This initial research stage its crucial to directly informing the design decisions that follow.

 

Designing for accessibility and clarity

Within wayfinding systems, accessibility and inclusivity one of the two most important factors. How efficiently people can understand information stems from colour, contrast, hierarchy and placement. A clear example James gave was ‘why are tigers orange?’.  He explained that although the colour orange is bright to humans, it is not as visible to tigers’ prey, therefore in the tigers can take advantage of their adversaries’ accessibility issues . James’s message related to colour perception and how it can vary with different users, reinforcing the importance of testing the designs for different accessibility factors such as colour blindness or visibility.

 

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

One of the main case studies James shared was the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Overtime the museum had expanded for new buildings, extensions and entrances making the environment very difficult to navigate. Applied Information Group were asked to rethink how visitors moved through both interior and exterior spaces, taking into consideration arrival points, floor maps and exterior signage.

A key part of this design process was the amount of testing that occurred with having the designs perform in the actual environment. The aim was to see what feedback visitors and staff were willing to give on the in person designs and what still needed improving. Interestingly, this led visitors to discover areas of the museum they hadn’t previously known existed.

 

Reflections and advice

Evolving technology is known to scare upcoming young designers, so James wanted to reflect on changes within the industry and the importance of maintaining strong core design skills. ‘A good idea with a bad explanation can still fail’ is a message James wanted students to grasp when we come to presentations and communicating our design choices.

James’s talk showed that thoughtful design can improve everyday experiences in both subtle and significant ways. From museums to hospitals, wayfinding design can enhance the way people to interact with the world around them, without even realising it.

 

Advice for young designers

• Stay curious and keep learning.
• Focus on solving the problem.
• Be open to feedback.
• Design with accessibility in mind.
• Be patient with the process.

 

– Written by Matthew Banks

– Edited by Sam Buxton

This week we welcomed back four Reading, Graphic Communication alumni to share their experiences of life after university, offering students insight into the many different pathways a creative career can take. From freelance branding and theatre campaigns to international consultancy work, the talks highlighted the importance of adaptability and trusting your own creative direction.

 

Emily Collard: 

Balancing roles

Our first speaker, Emily Collard, spoke about balancing her full-time role at Whistlejacket Studio alongside running her own freelance business, Collard Design Studio. Emily explained that her freelance career began almost accidentally after posting work online during her first year at Reading as a way to improve her Adobe skills and document her progress. This eventually led to freelance clients, brand collaborations and creative partnerships. It was an excellent reminder to pursue your interests and put yourself out there alongside your studies.

 

Agency role

After graduating, Emily decided that in addition to continuing with her freelance journey, she also wanted the stability of agency life. Emily explained that through her role at Whistlejacket Studio, she’s able to work within a team, enjoying the collaboration and connection that comes with this. With agency work comes larger clients and companies, which can often feel more serious and corporate. Emily shared a few of her recent projects, one of which was The Wild Summit UK, an event encouraging conversation around the importance of wildlife conservation and preservation.

 

Freelance role

Through the freelance side of her career, Emily explained that smaller businesses often come to her for design work that allows her to experiment more creatively. With freelancing also comes the back-end side of design, including client communication and creating design briefs. Freelancing has also allowed Emily to explore areas of design less present in her agency role, such as packaging design, which she worked on while rebranding Glofre Skin’s identity and product packaging.

 

Matt Perks

Freelance opportunities

Next, we welcomed Matt Perks, who shared his journey from university projects and freelance work into the world of theatre and entertainment campaigns. Matt made the most of his time at Reading by taking on freelance work alongside his studies, eventually attracting American clients and balancing university work during the day with freelance projects in the evenings.

 

Enjoying the process

After applying for Sky Creative’s year-long graduate scheme, Matt began to expect rejection due to the lengthy process and huge number of applicants. However, by relaxing into the experience and enjoying the process, he ultimately secured the role out of more than 400 applicants. Working across several teams, Matt spent much of his time creating campaign concepts for crime documentaries, developing and pitching ideas to Directors and Marketing teams before deciding he wanted to pursue a more creatively demanding environment.

 

Shifting paths

Inspired by the theatre posters he regularly saw across the Underground, Matt pursued an opportunity at Feast Creative, where he now works on campaigns for theatre and live entertainment. Walking students through projects such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Matt explained the journey from initial sketch to final artwork, highlighting how much he enjoys being deeply involved in the creative process and constantly learning new skills. It was refreshing for students to hear that when Matt expressed a skill gap in sketching, Feast supported him by funding a concept sketching short course.

 

Claire Hodgson

Exploring roles

Our third speaker, Claire Hodgson, shared insights into working across both in-house and agency branding roles before becoming Senior Brand Designer and Consultant at Brand Potential. After graduating from Reading, Claire believed she would move into editorial design. However, after completing an internship in this area, she quickly realised this was not the path for her. Instead, she landed a role as a junior designer at Bounce Foods, working across packaging, events and campaigns. Claire valued her time there, learning “how to communicate on a magnitude of levels, not just visually”. After progressing into an in-house midweight designer role at Bewley’s Tea & Coffee, where she worked across packaging and environmental design, Claire eventually moved into her current position at Brand Potential. Here, she not only designs for brands but also supports them through strategy consultation and identity building.

 

In-house vs. agency

Claire compared in-house and agency roles, explaining that neither is ‘better’ than the other, but simply different. In-house roles often see designers become “brand guardians”, working deeply within a single brand and understanding how its departments, touchpoints and audiences operate together. Agency work, on the other hand, involves becoming familiar with a wide variety of industries, setting brand rules and systems while handing over some of the wider responsibilities that may fall to in-house teams.

 

Branding both clients and yourself

Students were also shown several projects Claire has worked on during her time at Brand Potential, including developing a sub-brand for OGX and creating a new range of hair care products. Alongside speaking about branding for clients, Claire also encouraged students to think about branding themselves by learning how to position themselves professionally, understanding “why you design”, and recognising the value of their own skills and creative identity.

 

Hanorah Murphy

Graduate scheme

Finally, we were joined by Hanorah Murphy, who spoke about her experience within Sky’s Creative graduate scheme and the transition from university into the professional world. Similarly to Matt, Hanorah secured a place on Sky’s graduate scheme during her final year at Reading. However, her pathway evolved over time, moving from the graduate scheme into a six-month contract as an eCommerce Designer within NOW, where she worked on redesigning the platform, before progressing into her current role as a Digital Designer within NOW customer service. Hanorah reassured students that careers are rarely linear, sharing that she applied for more than 100 roles at various stages of her journey so far.

 

Beyond the role

Hanorah also shared advice on securing graduate roles, encouraging students to prepare their CVs and portfolios early, make use of networking opportunities, and explore platforms such as Creative Access. During her time at Sky, she was able to rotate across departments by actively reaching out and exploring areas that interested her most. Students were also shown examples of her work redesigning elements of NOW’s streaming platform, where she discussed designing at scale and how the structure of Figma files can directly impact the final user interface. Hanorah rounded off her talk by reflecting on the work culture at Sky, highlighting the importance of the people you work alongside and the experiences you gain beyond the design work itself.

 

Advice for young designers

• Passion projects are valuable. Self-initiated work can help you develop your creative style, experiment freely, and even shape your future career direction.
• Agency and freelance work offer very different experiences, and balancing both can help you grow creatively and professionally.
• Don’t be afraid to enjoy the process. Matt explained that letting go of the pressure during interviews actually helped him perform better and be himself.
• Creative careers rarely follow a straight path, and staying open to opportunities can lead to unexpected and rewarding roles.
• Neither agency nor in-house roles are “better”, both offer different experiences and valuable opportunities for growth.
• Learn how to position yourself professionally by understanding your strengths, your values, and importantly, “why you design”.
• Start earlier than you think! Especially when it comes to grad schemes. A lot of them close before you’ve even finished university.
• Progress isn’t always linear. A contract or a sideways move can actually be a bridge, not a setback. Don’t feel like you can’t apply for a role just because you don’t tick every box

 

Written and edited by Tommy Molnar

This week’s Baseline Shift session welcomed type designer and Commercial Type co-founder Paul Barnes back to the University of Reading, more than three decades after graduating from the course himself. Paul reflected on his path from studying hand lettering and letterpress printing at Reading to becoming one of the most influential contemporary type designers working today, creating typeface identities for major clients including The Guardian, Givenchy, The National Trust, Rapha and the V&A.

 

Early influences

Paul’s love for typography stemmed from physically constructing layouts and lettering by hand back before digital workflows became standard. Studying at Reading, much of the course consisted of letterpress printing and creating artwork manually which Paul describes as being something he enjoyed thoroughly, explaining how there is real precision involved in these production techniques that can feel quite lost within workflows today. Lectures by Michael Twyman on the history of typography and trips to study the classical inscriptions in Rome were just a handful of memories Paul reflects on that continue to shape his work today.

 

Typographic systems

As a graduate, Paul started in the editorial and magazine design sector at a company called Spin that he later became the art director of. The constant cycle of experimentation with text, layout, image every month was an exciting environment for him to be in. However, within magazine design, the typographic systems were the main area that interested him rather than the overall art direction. Experimentation with software such as Fontographer, allowed him to create personalised headlines and adapt existing typefaces, developing an interest in consistency and structure within typography.

 

Creation of Commercial Type

One of Paul’s earliest defining moments was his work on The Guardian redesign in the early 2000s. Working with Christian Schwartz, together they developed the typeface Guardian Egyptian, a custom slab serif family created during the newspaper’s transition to the Berliner format. The typeface gave a distinctive visual identity that showcases the move from fine serif styles and bold headline typography that remains so recognisable today.

Upon completing the project, both Paul and Christian knew that ownership of the typeface would return to them after the Guardian’s exclusivity period ended. So instead of keeping it as a one-off commission, they decided to treat this as a starting point for creating Commercial Type. The aim in creating their own company was to balance both commissioned projects with a growing retail library of typefaces, allowing the pair to work across commercial branding systems and more experimental typographic projects.

 

Historical typography

Throughout the talk, Paul kept coming back to the fascination of nineteenth-century typography that included old playbills, specimen books and printing archives which was the first moment where typography started to become expressive with weights and size as the printing techniques evolved. Commercial Classics was an element Paul spoke about, a section that focused on reviving the forgotten nineteenth-century typefaces that disappeared over time. Paul’s intention with these forgotten typefaces is not to reproduce the historical forms, but to create a balance between research and interpretation, starting from incomplete alphabets or collections found in archives like the St Bride Library in London.

 

Variable fonts and The V&A

During the pandemic, Paul was asked to lead the redevelopment of the V&A’s typographic identity, prompting him to explore variable fonts and how they could create consistency across the museum’s network of locations. The typeface Spiller was created as a system featuring variations of the same typographic structure to represent each venue. Designed with variable widths and contrast options, Spiller was able to adapt across applications such as signage, advertising, and gallery interpretation while maintaining a consistent identity. Paul’s aim was to combine contemporary digital technology with historical references, creating a nineteenth-century typeface while keeping the form appropriate for readability in exhibition spaces.

 

Designing for cycling culture

Another branding project Paul worked on was for Rapha, the high-fashion cycling brand. He was initially brought in to simplify the typography across the company’s visual identity. Due to licensing issues with existing typefaces, a new custom typeface called Frame was developed. Based on historical Caslon features, Frame incorporated a larger x-height and sharper detailing to improve readability across the brand’s platforms. Paul explained how even small typographic adjustments can significantly affect how a typeface performs across digital layouts.

The project later expanded into a wider promotional campaign, with large-scale signage used to promote the new typefaces around major cycling races across Europe. Reflecting on the campaign, Paul joked that “you need to promote the promotion”, highlighting how typography within branding systems must also function effectively in public spaces.

 

Jan Tschichold exhibition

Towards the end of the session, Paul described how, while studying at Reading, he became fascinated by Jan Tschichold’s approach to lettering, layout, and clarity. Over time, he built up an extensive personal collection of Tschichold’s publications. This interest later developed into an exhibition created with fellow Reading graduate Fraser Muggeridge, showcasing Tschichold’s typography and archival material. For the project, they digitised historical lettering and recreated posters using traditional letterpress techniques. Many of Tschichold’s unfinished designs and typographic experiments had never been fully developed, so Paul used this opportunity to extend and reinterpret the work using contemporary technology.

 

Advice for young designers

• Continue to explore different areas of design rather than specialising too early
• Build relationships and stay connected with people throughout your career as opportunities often develop over time
• Focus on consistency and attention to detail
• Be open to different ways of working and continue adapting as technology and design industries evolve

 

– Written by Sam Buxton

– Edited by Tommy Molnar

Sharing his journey this week was the incredible Sammy Rudkin, Graphic Designer for the internationally successful content creation group, Sidemen. Sammy delivered an inspiring talk on his impressive career journey so far, speaking honestly about what to expect from the industry, being transparent about income at every stage of his career, and offering valuable advice on how to stand out as a designer.

 

An early start

Sammy’s interest in design began at an early age. From as young as ten years old, he developed many of his practical skills through YouTube tutorials, perhaps why he now believes that “YouTube is the best website in the world.” Experimenting with small VFX and motion graphics for YouTube intros helped Sammy continually refine his software skills. At 15, he offered to create a graphic for a colleague at his part-time job in a local pub, who later went on to establish an esports team. That opportunity snowballed into Sammy becoming involved in much of the early design work for competitive esports organisation Endpoint. Sammy used this stage of his journey to remind students to “just make stuff all the time,” explaining that you never know where personal projects and experimentation may lead.

 

Side hustles

Alongside his graphic design work for Endpoint, Sammy also advocated for taking on side hustles. His side project of choice was launching his own clothing brand, which he sold within his personal circle and generated impressive revenue from at just 16 years old. A few years later, Sammy began studying Graphic Communication and Illustration at Loughborough University. When Covid forced teaching online during the first two years of his degree, Sammy found himself completing coursework ahead of deadlines, leaving him with valuable free time to further develop his software skills. During this period, his focus shifted towards 3D software, beginning with Cinema 4D. Reflecting on this time, Sammy reminded students that “Uni is the only time where you’ll have three years to just learn stuff, so make the most of that time.”

 

Having something to show

By building an Adobe Portfolio featuring work created during his time at Loughborough alongside projects completed for Endpoint, Sammy was able to begin applying for placement opportunities. After sending more than 50 emails, he secured a placement year position at gaming-focused marketing agency Kairos Group (now NewGen). During his time there, Sammy worked with several globally recognised brands, significantly strengthening both his CV and portfolio. Projects included designing wallpapers for Coca-Cola and creating social media templates for Mercedes. Looking back, Sammy reflected on how the esports experience that began from creating a small motion graphic “for fun” ultimately helped him secure his placement year, and later kickstart his design career.

 

Make your work work for you

Sammy encouraged students to make the most of final-year coursework by creating projects that would strengthen their portfolios and push them creatively, rather than simply designing for grades. He followed this philosophy himself, producing visually striking final-year projects with a strong emphasis on motion design, helping his portfolio stand out amongst the competition. Alongside university work, Sammy also entered competitions such as D&AD, where he won a Yellow Pencil for his motion work on the IMAX brief. He later submitted his final-year branding project, Atrix, to the Adobe Digital Edge Awards, winning a cash prize for the project’s impressive visuals. These achievements eventually led to him being invited to speak at Adobe MAX while still studying at university, an incredible feat.

 

Sidemen

Following graduation, Sammy began searching for career opportunities. Inspired by the journey of a Loughborough alumnus, he reached out to ask about his career path and whether any opportunities might be available. Although no immediate role emerged, the connection remembered Sammy’s work and later contacted him to join the Sidemen project. Sammy emphasised that the best way to build opportunities is to “make yourself known to people.” His early work with Sidemen involved creating social assets and card designs for collaborations such as Sidemen x Topps, alongside graphics for podcast intros and transitions.

 

Owning projects

Despite only graduating a few years prior, Sammy has progressed at incredible pace, taking on more responsibility within his role. He gained full ownership of the 2025 Charity football match for Sidemen, which is something that he feels only comes with working inhouse, suggesting that a designer is unlikely to gain full ownership within an agency (and to keep this in mind when looking at what career path you want to pursue). For this project, Sammy designed with fan engagement in mind as the Charity match’s aim was to push social media reach as much as possible across several platforms. He more recently had the opportunity to take similar authority over Netflix’s hugely successful Sidemen series, ‘Inside’. Sammy elevated the visuals in this project to another level, proving that continuously honing your craft, saying yes to opportunities, and getting involved in ambitious projects will always be reflected in the quality of your work.

 

AI’s role in design

Sammy spoke openly about AI’s place within the creative industry, encouraging students to view AI as a tool rather than a replacement for designers. Using examples from his recent work on Inside, he demonstrated how AI-integrated software such as Beeble could assist his workflow by analysing green screen footage and estimating object contours and camera proximity through bump and depth maps. Rather than feeling threatened by AI, Sammy encouraged students to stay informed about emerging technologies and learn how to integrate them into their workflows. While AI can support efficiency, the industry still values human creativity, originality, and practical design skills.

 

Advice for young designers

• Constantly create, starting with personal projects because your portfolio is crucial
• Uni is the last time you have this much spare time so use it to learn as many disciplines and pieces of software as possible
• Be sure to prioritise a work life balance
• Make yourself valuable by finding out what skills the industry is asking for in your field – gain those skills
• Don’t work for free… unless:
  • It’s a personal project
  • For a friend/in exchange for something
  • It’s short and too good to turn down

 

– Written and edited by Tommy Molnar

This week’s Baseline Shift session welcomed editorial designer Kieron Lewis, who shared an honest journey through design, failure, and finding purpose. Rather than focusing only on polished outcomes, he spoke openly about setbacks and uncertainty, offering a more realistic perspective on building a creative career. Kieron also reflected on growing up in Brixton, explaining how its strong sense of community and cultural diversity continues to influence his work.

 

Finding the right path

Kieron began by reflecting on his early creative journey. Initially studying video game design, animation, and life drawing, he quickly realised that this path wasn’t right for him. This moment of realisation, although difficult, became a defining step in his career. It led him to pivot towards graphic design at the University of Winchester, where he began to explore branding and editorial design more seriously.

During his time at university, he co-founded Plog Magazine, a publication focused on documenting student experiences and creative work. What began as a small, self-initiated project grew significantly, eventually receiving university funding to produce further issues. This experience demonstrated the value of taking initiative and building something independently, rather than waiting for opportunities to appear.

The magazine also allowed Kieron to explore print as a medium for storytelling, understanding how editorial design can capture voices and document experiences, while also creating a sense of community. It set the foundation for the type of work he would go on to pursue later in his career.

 

TEDx Euston

After graduating, Kieron started his career in advertising but quickly realised it wasn’t the right fit, and after several months, he was let go. This prompted a shift towards voluntary work, joining TEDx Euston as a designer. Working on an event centred around African leadership and global conversations, he was surrounded by creatives who shared similar values and motivations. The work felt meaningful, and the collaborative environment helped rebuild his confidence and creative energy.

His time working with TEDx Euston became a key turning point, both creatively and personally. Alongside developing his confidence and collaboration skills, he worked on a range of outputs, including Legacy, a publication that brought together years of speakers, ideas, and conversations from the event. The project acted as a reflection of the community behind it, while also marking an important step in shaping his direction as an editorial designer.

 

Freelance and meaningful work

After building up his portfolio and stepping away from volunteer work, Kieron secured his first role in editorial design. This position gave him valuable experience working on publications and leading client meetings. However, after being made redundant, he was pushed to reassess his direction once again.

Moving to freelance meant he could focus on projects more closely aligned with his values and interests. This change allowed him to take on more meaningful and self-directed work. One of his most impactful projects, Still Breathing, was a 300-page publication created in response to the murder of George Floyd. The book features contributions from 100 individuals, each sharing personal experiences, reflections, and responses to racism in their chosen field

What made the project particularly powerful was its approach to design. Each contributor was given space to express their voice individually, resulting in a wide range of visual styles and perspectives. At the same time, the overall design maintained a sense of unity, using typography to express different emotional tones.

The book extended beyond its physical form, with exhibitions across London, displaying selected spreads. These exhibitions invited public interaction and encouraged conversation around difficult and often uncomfortable topics. The project showed how editorial design can be more than just something visual, creating space for conversation and deeper engagement.

 

Creative opportunities

Kieron also spoke about his work with Adobe Live, which began when Adobe reached out to him to take part in a three-hour livestream. Initially unsure if the message was even real, he later found himself designing live on stream, sharing his process with an online audience in real time.

After the success of the session, Adobe invited him back in a hosting role. This shifted the experience from designing under pressure to leading conversations with other creatives, and over time became a consistent part of his practice. Alongside online sessions, he expanded his collaboration into in-person events, including work with organisations like D&AD.

Alongside building his reputation through projects like this, Kieron was approached by HarperCollins to design a book cover for Craig David. This project offered a contrasting perspective on design, highlighting the realities of client work. Producing 40–50 design variations, with only a small number being shortlisted, demonstrated the level of iteration required in professional practice.

It also reinforced the importance of understanding the client’s perspective. While designers may have personal preferences, the outcome ultimately depends on the client’s vision and learning to navigate that balance is key to building strong working relationships.

 

Collaboration, scale, and craft

One of Kieron’s most recent projects, Lagos Biennial, represents editorial design at a much larger and more ambitious scale. The project took the form of a 456-page hardback publication, enclosed within a 7kg concrete sculptural case, immediately positioning it as more than just a book. At 336 × 494mm in size, the physical presence of the piece reinforces the idea of “large-scale” design, both conceptually and materially, bringing together the work of 161 contemporary Nigerian artists into a single, carefully crafted outcome.

The project took over two years to complete and involved close collaboration across an international team. Managing such a large volume of content required strong design judgement, alongside a clear and consistent approach to organising and handling material throughout the process.

The project also extended beyond the design process itself. Kieron was flown out to Lagos for the book launch, where the publication was presented within the same cultural context it documents. Seeing the work exist physically, both as a publication and as a sculptural object, marked a full-circle moment in the project. It reinforced the idea that editorial design is not just about creating pages, but about shaping how work is experienced, shared, and remembered. Lagos Biennial stands out for giving artists visibility while capturing a unique cultural moment.

 

Advice for young designers

• Start small, think big
• If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
• Document and organise everything, capture ideas, sketches, and process; keep files clear and easy to navigate.
• Take risks and embrace failure, learn from setbacks, and grow through experience.
• Work with purpose and collaborate, choose projects that matter and build your network through teamwork.
• Explore beyond the screen, seeing things physically, visit inspiring spaces, and engage with the world of design

 

– Written by Matthew Banks

– Edited by Tommy Molnar

For our penultimate Baseline Shift session of the year, we were joined by the talented Gavin Strange, Director and Designer for Bristol’s Aardman, and “a passion project pursuer under the alias, JamFactory”.

 

Creative journey

Gavin began by emphasising how important moving to Bristol 20 years ago was in his journey as a young creative, explaining how rich in art and culture the city is. Alongside Bristol being a pertinent source of inspiration, Gavin also highlighted how important his children are for keeping him motivated and creatively-engaged. Producing fantastically vibrant invites for their birthday parties and even creating them their own Duplo pinball machine, Gavin stresses that “the more you do, the easier it is to stay creative” even if it’s “for the sake of it”.

 

Aardman

Aardman is a Bristol-based, stop-frame animation specialist studio that most notably animates productions such as Shaun the Sheep, Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run. Gavin first joined the studio as a Senior Digital Designer while continuing to make passion project films and motion graphics under the alias, JamFactory. Eventually, Gavin’s love for filmmaking bled into his work at Aardman, leading to him officially becoming Director and Designer for the studio. Gavin resonates with the human-natured ethos of Aardman, finding value in working with other humans, opting for “human intelligence” as opposed to “the two letters” (referring to AI).

 

Gavin articulated how much he enjoys the variety that comes with working for Aardman, for example, in one project he might be making a “stop-frame, live-action, motion-graphic, rap video, title sequence” for the OFFF Festival in Barcelona, and in another, he’s working with “real-life slime and magnetically-puppeteered eyeballs” to produce programme transition cards for BBC Two. The dual role Gavin has at Aardman means that when he’s not directing, he’s designing, for instance, making motion graphics animation scenes featuring Wallce and Gromit’s smart gnome character ‘Norbot’ for their 2024 Christmas special, hiding jokes and gags in segments of the scenes. This way of working is great for Gavin as it allows him to contribute to both creative outlets.

 

Working at Aardman also means the scale of the brief can be large, specifically as large as Battersea Power Station, where Gavin and his team projected animations of Wallace and Gromit for a project titled ‘Wallace and Gromit, shot on iPhone‘ onto the front of the building. The animation was entirely shot on an iPhone 16 Pro Max and was in collaboration with Apple. The projection was a whopping 101 metres tall and was shown every night of December 2024. Gavin related all of these projects back to his philosophy of “never knowing where things will take you” and “keeping your tools sharp”, stating that while we all have responsibilities during the day, as creatives, we should allow these responsibilities to spawn seeds of ideas to expand upon at night – which is precisely what Gavin has done for the past 25 years with JamFactory.

 

Passion projects

Outside of animating and designing, Gavin also has a vibrant passion for combining MIDI audio signals from his retro gaming gear into real-time visuals. Most recently, Gavin created a title-sequence for his friend in Dusseldorf, Germany and performed a “silly musical interlude” live at the event. Gavin mentioned that before pushing himself to expose his passion projects to an audience, he “was so preoccupied with worrying about what others were thinking, [he] was stopping [him]self from pushing forward”. Gavin has even written a motivational book ‘Do Fly‘ – something his English teacher would ‘never ever deem as being part of the plan’. This anecdote of believing in your own ability and pushing yourself to do the unexpected, is something that resonated with many of the students listening.

 

Creating your own space

Gavin emphasised the importance of carving out and creating your own space as a creative to make things happen both physically and digitally. He offered students the valuable advice; “you won’t stand out unless you’ve told someone what you’re capable of”, and while it is important to display your primary skills (those that you’re most capable at), it is equally important to showcase your secondary and tertiary skills. Gavin highlighted his maximalist outlook of presenting work; advising that we choose a method of presenting that represents us as designers. Students were left with one last piece of advice; “if I find my voice, then my audience will find me”.

 

Key takeaways

• Don’t wait to be asked.
• Seek creative satisfaction wherever you can get it.
• Less thinkering, more tinkering.
• Be productive, not precious.
• Make portfolio full of work you want to be hired for.
• Always keep your tools sharp.

 

– Written by Oscar Dudley