OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Here London 2015: Mike Alderson

Manvsmachine has been one of my favourite studios over the past few years, mainly because of their overall graphic style and immensely detailed motion work. Today, I came across Mike Alderson's (head of Manvsmachine) Talk at Here London 2015.



The most surprising aspect of this talk was about how Mike went from doing an apprenticeship in a glass factory at 18 years old to studying graphic design and then completing a moving image design degree. The fact that he did not even know about graphic design when he was 18 highlights how anything is possible with dedication and drive, career wise. As a kid, Mike explains that he used to skateboard wearing a Liverpool kit. People often said 'you can't skateboard wearing your Liverpool kit... you just cant - football and skateboarding are different. You're either a footballer or a skateboarder'. Later in the talk, he used this point to highlight how you don't have to be restricted to a certain design area - it is best to challenge yourself and try and be strong in all areas, rather than just one. This really connects with how I feel at the minute with the course.

Whilst the course is pushing me to go down a specific route, I want to continue to experiment in all areas possible, so that I can have a hugely wide range of skills when taking on briefs out of university. Despite being nowhere near as competent as those working at Manvsmachine, it is no reason for me to not try 3D work and push myself to eventually get to that level. This ethos of working hard, experimenting and not being tied down to one pathway is one that I will continue to follow throughout the course. I will push my skills to ensure that I come out of the degree with a diverse knowledge of print, branding, advertising, 3D work, motion graphics and other areas of interest - it clearly pays off when looking at the work Manvsmachine produce.

Another point that Mike makes is that you should 'Target the clients who understand you, whatever your ethos is, just target them.' As I haven't got a wide client base yet, it is still an important point to remember as more and more commercial/live briefs will be encountered over the next 2 years. This point is mainly highlighting that it is very positive and rewarding to build strong relationships with clients - especially ones where they fully understand your practice. One aspect that I want to achieve this year and over the coming summer is to get in contact with some design studios and start working with more clients, so that I gain some more contacts before graduating. This will be considered when rebranding myself.