ENTERPRISE TASK IV//WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE- HOW GOOD ARE THEY?

ENTERPRISE TASK IV//WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE- HOW GOOD ARE THEY?

TASK 


THREE PRACTITIONERS TO EVALUATE:

(I feel a bit bad ~tearing~ these person's practices apart, but they are in fact huge inspirations and designers I particularly aspire to work like when I graduate)


* MR YEN (http://www.shop.mr-yen.com/)
* ANTHONY ZINONOS (http://www.anthonyzinonos.com/)
* MIKE LEWIS (AKA STUDIO MIKMIK) (http://www.studiomikmik.co.uk/index.html)



STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES:

* MR YEN

STRENGTHS

- Freelance (accesibility to move around where work is needed, organise own work schedule in terms of comissions, crafts, etc).
- Unique, handmade crafts- skilled craftsmanship, unique items.
- Reasonably unique craft- not easy to learn (how to do it well), therefore unique to the market.
- Design practice crosses a multitude of design outcomes and events.
- Lives in city center- accessibility to transport and travel for meetings, commissions, instillation, etc.


WEAKNESSES

- Handcraft practice is time consuming- high cost, low stock- not as commercially viable as it could be.
- Lives in Leeds, whilst easy to network and access transport links- not as commercial as living in perhaps London, Manchester or other major cities may be.
- A great deal of designers live in Leeds (due to cultural history, opportunity and the print industry)- perhaps a crowded market?


* ANTHONY ZINONOS

STRENGTHS

- Unique degree and education (printmaking and photomedia) which results in unique design outcomes- unusual in the market, sought after collage- design style.
- Member of WAFA (We are Fucking Awesome) global arts collective- ensures that his work can be seen globally by a range of clients (has been evidenced with clients such as Vogue girl, Korea, Alfa Romeo, Italy, etc).
- Recycled, eco collage style very appealing to environmentally aware, contemporary audiences.
- A distinctive, geometric print style- bold, unique and instantly recognisable with Anthony's work.
- Freelance ensures that he can travel where work needs him, plan working day, commissions, etc.



WEAKNESSES

 - Freelance, whilst having it's benefits can result in financial unstability- unsure of "where the next paycheck is coming from", etc- potentially financially insecure design practice.
- Based in Norwich- admittedly, good access to larger cities, but not necessarily as large a market as major cities would provide.
- Very personal and abstract style, very distinctive and bold- not necessarily everyone's "cup of tea".



* MIKE LEWIS (AKA STUDIO MIKMIK)


STRENGTHS

-  Environmental and ethically conscious- appealing to a contemporary globally-aware target audience.
- Specialises in Illustration, though convers a wide range of design outcomes and disciplines.


WEAKNESSES

- Based in Saltaire, Leeds- not in CBD (central business district) where work opportunities would be at their highest level, and could provide more commissions. Admittedly, more expensive rent space for studios, etc, but financially rewarding in design commission returns.
- "One man band" studio- financially challenging, a collaborative/multiple freelance studio could reduce rent costs/the ability to move to a more centralised city studio with costs saved.

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250 WORD SUMMARY TASK//WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE- HOW GOOD ARE THEY?

(Okay... I went a little over... 335 words...)

The design marketplace, is, unquestionably, an over-crowded marketplace.

With news stories of the multitude of design graduates going without industrial placements, or several months with unemployment, it is more important that ever to make oneself stand out from the crowd- whether it be a USP, particular ethos or value statement, all will ensure a far easier transaction from education into the work place.

Aspiring to work as a freelance designer (specialising in Illustration), I have evaluated the work of three practitioners with a practice and ethos similar to my own:

-       Mr Yen (Jonathan Chapman, Leeds College of Art BA (Hons) Graphic Design graudate)

-       Anthony Zinonos (Norwich School of Art and Design, BA (Hons) Printmaking and Photomedia)

-       Studio MikMik (Mike Lewis, Leeds College of Art and Design graduate)

Each practioner, having worked for several years have a well-established practice with regular commissions, online sales and agent representatives. However, with these benefits and strengths there are also a multitude of weaknesses.

Each of the practitioners I have chosen have distinctive design styles- whether it be hand crafted paper cuts, collage and print or vector illustration and type. Whilst this, of course, adds a distinctive visual to the designers portfolio, it also creates potential difficulties when clients are visualising their design outcomes. Having a portfolio too specific or “styled” can close doors, as well as opening them.

Within my own design practice, I aspire to remain as flexible as possible- focusing on the client and the clients needs as opposed to distinguishing a particular style or design niche. 

Both Mr Yen and Anthony Zinonos work as freelance designers from their own home studios, whereas Studio MikMik is an established rent space of Mike Lewis is Saltaire, Leeds. Although both provide financial benefits, I feel that the compromise of personal space and independence of studio collaboration, and shared rent space will provide both a financial and social opportunity and benefit- as well as an essential networking benefit- the more voices, the more opportunities to be heard.

Perhaps most importantly, the financial benefit will also ensure the accesibility to live in a central business district- therefore attracting high traffic in terms of audience, and the accesibility for clients to work closely with the practice/studio, thus creating a strong and efficient working relationship. 

The most important factor in business, in my view, is to evaluate the work of others- to learn from them, be inspired, and educated- to learn from both the strengths, and weaknesses, and establish your own practice accordingly for the most effective outcome.