What do you expect to see in a portfolio?
Something we’ve never seen before presented in a way that’ll make us excited!
What are you looking for in potential collaborators?
People that scare us, people that excite us, people that are more intelligent than us.
How do you recommend young designers get noticed?
Make good work, be active, get up in peoples faces, don’t be scared, be brave, inspire others, work harder than you worked yesterday.
Is there anything you think students don’t learn at uni which is important at industry?
That getting marks DOES NOT MATTER, make great work, that’s what matters, marks in university are probably like money once you get into the ‘real world’ because money DOES NOT MATTER, if you try too hard to get a good grade (or to get money afterwards) for the sake of getting a good grade then you will just come out with uninspiring work, try and make work that is personal to you, fuck the brief, do something amazing that in an interview/client meeting/whatever when showing people a project it will be fucking evident that you are excited by what you do.
What stands out to you when you receive an email or cv?
Manners cost nothing, the thing with email is there is zero tone so you have to be careful that you don’t come across as cheeky/arrogant because this is a total turn off. Also don’t send blanket emails to shit loads of people, if someone really wants to work at DR.ME then they need to be pretty committed to us, we don’t want someones cast offs, we expect only the best.
Realistically how long do you look at a students portfolio when there sent in?
Good question….it depends, it’s normally pretty clear if the work is of interest to us straight away but we do go through everyones stuff because sometimes there’ll be just one piece that’ll really blow us away.
What’s the best way to contact an agency when looking for a job, or placement?
(Ie. phone call? Followed by an email) and at what point do you class it as harassment
Probably the best way is to send a beautiful physical portfolio really, if you can’t afford this then make a pdf portfolio with maybe between 5-10 pieces in, always post something though, you want to connect with the people you want to work for, make sure that they remember you, do something interesting!
What blogs do they follow? What should we be following?
You mean do you follow right? right. Ok so we blog for http://www.weoccupy.co.uk/blog/ we keep an eye on It’s Nice That and Creative Review and Swiss Miss has great product design but I’d say try not to take too much notice of them, have an interest but don’t take their word as gospel, the press is fickle, don’t go there for inspiration, go for a walk.
How do you make your contacts? Do you cold call?
Best way to get clients is to get out and meet people, I assume that you didn’t make it to the exhibition opening of 7 last night? You need to be getting to these kind of things, meeting people, telling people what you do, don’t be a wall flower.
Are there many opportunities to progress quickly? And is this a good way to do it or is it a slow process getting to the ‘top’?
Don’t concentrate on speed, concentrate on you, your practice that’s what’s important, if you are good then good things will happen for you and you will ‘progress’.
How did you start to develop your style & do you look for clients that match that or take what work is offered?
By having fun with what we do and always pushing each other to do better, surrounding ourselves with people who influence and inspire us on a daily basis, client wise, we’re interested in anyone who is brave and honest, if they want us to bastardise someone elses work then we will quickly fire them, all of our current clients are amazing people who excite us and we think that this reflects in the work that we produce for them.
Is there much scope to make briefs fit way you want to take them at first? Or do you need to just get in and get the job done exactly as the client wants them when you first start?
Try not to think of doing work for a client but as a collaboration, the client will always be more interested in the work if you have a good working dialogue with them so that they can see progression, bring them into your world, excite them, inspire them to want to work with you again!
check out
http://www.dr-me.com/
for their work and dont miss the exhibition they have organised at North Tea Power
