Freelancing it.

I recently got contacted by a florists based in Manchester, Verdure Floral Design, asking me if I could help them out with some design work they needed doing. I have to admit, we initially began our communications while drunk on a night out, but the less said about that the better; I was just very lucky to be in the right place (a bar) at the right time (about 2 in the morning). After this encounter with Adi - the director of the company - I wasn't completely sure if I would hear from them again, but fortunately a few days later he contacted me and was really positive about wanting to work with me.

The brief was quite short notice; to re-design their business cards and produce a flyer to be situated against their floral display at  the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show that was being held this week. A fairly simple task, but I really enjoyed communicating with Adi and Kai (the managing director) in order to fulfill what they wanted. What's even better is that they were so happy with how I responded to their requirements, that they've asked me to continue working on more projects with them. There's a lot they want me to do, and I'm chuffed to be able to continue working freelance while I hunt for more permanent jobs. Keep your eyes out for more from me and Verdure! Below are some images of what I have already done.

Visit Verdure Floral Design's site (soon to be updated by myself) to check out what they do: www.verdure.co.uk

Getting myself noticed...

Well after all the excitement of my degree show, things have certainly died down a little, but now is the time to do something to get myself noticed. I'm proud to say I'll be graduating with a First Class Honours degree on the 22nd July - which I am over the moon about - but now it's time for me to crack down to the difficult and daunting task of finding work.

It's safe to say, that given the time of year, agencies and studios across the country will be inundated with design graduates trying to do exactly the same as me; gain experience with them - or even better a paid job,  but how can you guarantee you'll be noticed? The answer is, you can't, but you can definitely make it easier for yourself by approaching them in the right way. I discovered this helpful site, that gives a brilliant checklist of actions to take when applying for work - http://yoo-hoo.org/  - definitely things to be considered for sure!

The approach I've taken is to produce a document, that will not only contain my CV, but will act as a mini portfolio too. I wanted to make sure it won't be missed, so I've bound it with varying Dayglo card covers, which although slightly blinding, look pretty darn striking, I must say. Here are some images; I'll be sending these off to varying well-researched agencies / studios that I would love to meet, let alone gain some experience with. If anything, they will help spread my name around my local design companies, and will hopefully help direct me to something exciting. Watch this space.