The Year Ahead.

Theo Hersey
Graphic and Media Design
 
 
With the current world so technology-driven and the world of graphic design seeming to become ever increasingly driven by design for screens, I was worried as I was unsure how easily I would be able to find work within print and type, the area I am most interested in.
I had become aware of my interest in print before I started at LCC and initially found the BA course very screen based in first year, but once in second year I realised that, with some better time management, I could develop my print work.
 
During the final unit in second year I discovered a big interest in Letterpress, which Is a whole world away from the screen. Looking at the popularity of Letterpress through the 20th century into the 21st, there is a stark decrease in its use and commercial viability as a practise.  The prospect of being able to get work, let alone paid work, in this field looks constantly slim and was something I was aware of even before I started assembling my portfolio.
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Postcard printed in the Letterpress Workshop to send to potential employers.

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I initially shied away from creating my portfolio and kept prolonging it, but eventually booked a few days off my café job to sit down and crack on with it. Once my portfolio was finished I immediately started to send out emails to the studios and artists which I had been interested in applying to for a while, including a few in Europe, as working abroad is something I would love to do this year. I emailed several designers who work within print, particularly letterpress and only received one response, from Thomas Mayo & Co.
 
Thomas Mayo runs his own studio in the Cotswolds, and still works with Letterpress alongside a more contemporary use of laser-cutting and foil blocking. He has offered me an internship for a few months, which I will be starting within the next few weeks – meaning I’ll be moving out of London. I’m excited to start work within my practise and also for a change of scenery from the city.
 
Looking back on my DPS proposal I can see how the direction I am now looking to follow on this year has changed, initially I was interested in working for larger studios or agencies but now I have realised my interest in print and type I am looking for placements in smaller enterprises. However, some aspects are the same such as an aspiration to attend Fraser Muggeridge’s Typography Summer School and hopefully going to work outside of the UK.
 
After a while of worrying about finding a suitable placement, it seems i have managed to and i look forward to the year ahead, it will be interesting to see where i end up before final year begins.