PPP3 // STUDIO VISIT // MAGNETIC NORTH

On the 25th of November, I visited MagneticNorth. Located in Manchester MagneticNorth is an independent design studio based in Manchester, UK. Previous clients include the BBC, Google and the City of Manchester -- creating 'digital solutions to interesting design challenges.'

Below you can see the email dialogue between me and MagneticNorth. Using the fact that I'll be progressing onto a master as a reason to hire me, conveys feelings of passion and a sincere love for the subject. The whole goal of the visit was to secure a short work placement. As I wasn't there for a studio visit, I wasn't shown around but instead, I met with the creative director Adam Todd who sat me down for an informal chat. He asked me about who I was as a designer and why I wanted to go into the field of UX. I portrayed passion and enthusiasm when I spoke about myself and my future goals and also through the work I presented. Adam explained that he currently employs a graduate from Leeds college of art 3 from the Graphic Design program (She graduated around 3 years ago) this aspect sparked his interest when I applied. Adam talked through my work asking questions about the concept and reasons for certain design decisions and so on. He also talked about the daily life of the company and their clients and what it's like working with them.

PPP3 // STUDIO VISIT // PARALLAX

On the 5th of December, I visited Parallax. Based in Leeds and London, Parallax is an award winning digital agency based in Leeds & London specialising in SEO content marketing & web development, working with national & global brands. I got in contact with Parallax through email -- you can see the email conversation below. Dario, one of the directors of the company was the guy I met with and who showed me around the studio. He introduced me to people around the company showing me where people sat and how much they encourage a relax working environment with flexible working times and with "Coffee and beer on tap".

I presented current projects that I had been working on at the time to Dario (Hungry House and Related Game). Dario was also a UX designer, so It was clear he was the right person to receive feedback from. The feedback was constructive and honest but in some areas very blunt. The constructive criticism was very welcomed and appreciated. Somethings he brought up I agreed with and some I didn't. I defended my design decision and explain my reasons to the fullest. He felt as if the 'Related Game' need to be extremely simple and obvious for the user to play. But if this is the case then the cognitive challenge and the addictive nature for the user to keep coming back is lost as the game becomes too easy.

Even though I explained to him that I'm a Graphic Design student who is only producing UI and visual designs at the moment he still viewed me as if I was already established UX designer, telling me that I should already be coding up prototypes and going through the who UX journey... which is impossible as I don't have the experience or the time effectively carry out the whole process. It was very overwhelming for me and a shock to my design ability... but maybe my ego took a bruising on some level as I normally receive feedback from people who just shake their heads up and down and say "I love it". This feedback was from a UX professional who knew how to effectively break down my work.

One of the negative aspects of my time at Parallax was when I presented my Hungry House app. Dario simply stated that I couldn't do it unless I have an iWatch to view it on; instead, focus my time improving existing products whilst keeping clear of creating innovative ideas. With another director who sits next to him arrogantly announcing that it "Looks pretty, though." Yeah, thanks for that piece of inspiration Lawrence! Dario, in a nutshell, was very uninspiring with a pompous attitude and for a student who is still exploring the industry of UX and will be progressing into an MSc within UX, it's very disheartening to witness.  As a student, I have the flexibility to experiment and to explore different innovative ideas before I enter the industry. I see myself as an innovator who one day wants to create a product to help people no matter how big or small, no matter how many people try to restrict my creative instinct.

I made sure to take all constructive criticism on board as this was still all welcomed. The whole process wasn't a complete shame as Dario sent me across the UX process the company follows. I'll give the UX process and go to see if it's something I can undertake on my own. Look for that in Extended practice! By the end of the discussion, Dario actually offered to give me a short placement, in which I am still undecided whether or not I want to spend two weeks shadowing someone who emits a pessimistic wet blanket over innovation.

PPP3 // STUDIO VISIT // REJUVENATE

On the 17th of January, I popped into Rejuvenate, a digital agency based in Harrogate, Leeds. Rejuvenate specialises in Web Design, Web Development, SEO, App Development & Video Production. Below is the email conversation between me and the Director of Rejuvenate, Richard Hayden.

As this was my fourth Studio Visit, I wanted to explore various types of digital environments from independent studios to agencies to see how they differ from each other. Apart from this, the same reason for visiting studios and agencies was to gather feedback on my portfolio and current projects; to receive feedback from professionals who work in the same industry I want to eventually progress into.

Type of digital based projects Rejuvenate produces.

Clients Rejuvenate has worked with.

When I met with Richard he took me on a quick tour of the studio, giving me a run down of who sits where and the studio environment in general. Even though the office was in sections according to the different teams Rejuvenate only employs around 20-30 people. The studio was quite small, so in essence, all the different teams were still very much integrated due to the small proximity of the studio space. Richard then began to speak about the company and how it runs. Talking about clients and the process of receiving and undertaking different projects.

After this, I began to show a number of current and finished projects to Richard. Asking for his opinion, advice and just a general discussion around the projects to get used to confidently presenting and effectively talking about the work and concept. I presented around four projects and each one seemed to impress Richard. Out of the four studios visited Richard was hands down the most inspiring and engaging and was generally interested in what I had to say about the work and my thoughts. He encouraged me to take some of the projects further, for example trying to contact Spotify and Hungry House to talk to them about the related projects. Richard also encouraged me to push myself, to seek another opportunity, such as freelancing and even discussing freelancing for the company if he ever receives work that the company is too busy to undertake.

With this in mind, I asked if he would consider giving me a 2-week placement to pop in and work on one of the projects. He agreed and the rest is history.