We are Seventeen

Studio Visit: We Are Seventeen
01/03/10

On Monday last week we went to see design company 'We are Seventeen' in London. Before visiting their studio I had taken a look on their website and liked the work in their portfolio.

After taking us through to their studio they got started straight away. Initially they started talking about their work and how they go about working on a project. The visit didn't feel too formal and they encouraged us to get involved in conversations about their work, which was great. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the studio which allowed us to feel comfortable, however you could tell that they were extremely passionate and professional about their work.

As we are creating Channel Idents at the moment, the work that they were showing us was very relevant and the visit couldn't have come at a better time! They showed us initial designs, presentation boards which they presented to their clients and the actual final outcomes. It was great to see the way that they go about working on a project from start to finish and how the way that their work has parallels to the approach that we take to our work.

It was mesmerising to see the amount of detail that they had to go into on one of their current Ident projects. Working with an AD Agency they had to create a set of guidelines in the format of a book, which would enable the clients to use the work that they had created in the correct and legal ways. Sometimes I think it's easy to forget about the minute details, so too see this being used in relation to their work was refreshing to see. I think that from looking at this it's definitely encouraged me to break my own ideas down even more, (even if this is just in my sketchbook breaking down my own ideas for my benefit).

It was also interesting to see that they were using the same programs that we use. The way that I enjoy working and the way that I think I would like to continue working, is using a mix of both 2.5D and 3D in my work. A lot of the work that they were showing us was 3D work taken into a 2.5D environment, or primarily 2.5D work. This type of work is definitely the way I see myself within the industry.

I think that this visit to London was great for us as 2nd years as we were able to visit the studio and galleries. Although we didn't have portfolio visits we were able to talk to the 3rd years about theirs. Not having the pressure of the visits ourselves made looking at industry not seem as daunting and actually the prospect of showing someone else my work a little more accessible.

Going to see 'We are Seventeen' made me feel excited to get into the world of work, however scary that may be! I emailed them later on last week just to say thanks for a great visit and was surprised when I received such a quick email response from George at 'We are Seventeen'. In the email he said to keep in touch and send over work at any time. So later on in the year/ course I think I will definitely take them up on that!