LECTURE: Russell Hancock

All images : http://www.russellhancock.com/index.html

Russell Hancock came in yesterday and what a delight! A young, enthusiastic and inspirational designer who has worked on various large and small companies including, The Gadget Shop and Mentos.

After graduating in 2006 from Falmouth, he has worked both Free-lance and Self employed and his lecture was to give us an insight to how you should approach and work with clients, and the difficulties you may endure in doing so.

He has had non paid experience and well paid experience so it was great to hear the reality of a design graduate and all that we have to look forward to! Just some of his main advice was:

-Really listen to good clients, what they are saying will get you business.
-Show your mum (every opinion counts)
-Make yourself in-disposable
-Get your money and a signature upfront
-Getting people to pay for design is not easy!
-Be aware of when to step in with your opinion
-Asses free work carefully
-Remember people / Be remembered
-Become organised

-Get out and Socialise!

I liked his attitude - he was a down to earth character who new the business and how difficult it really is. What I admire about him and Craig Oldham alike is their pure honesty. There's no bullshit - they say it like it is. And personally I want to hear it like this. It is all good and well having fantastic Lecturers in but as we are so close to finishing we need to hear the reality of the Industry.

His work was also as enthusiastic and creative as his personality. He had some really nice work to show, my main favourite was The Gadget Shop as it was really interactive and original. (See images above).
I also liked his attitude to working with small/local business and it was good to hear another creative say that London really isn't the answer to inspiring creative's. The work he has done for the local cinema was also a favourite of mine, using his own initiative he successfully filed his own campaign to improving the building - although being rejected he continued to push and get to a stage he was happy with. Resulting in now working with the new owners to designing and branding the new concept and development.

"Have a life outside of design" was his last point he raised and I hope that after we graduate I can also begin to get my life back and start to enjoy the little things again...