Mike Rigby Lecture

On 26th November Mike Rigby came into my college to give a lecture. I really did enjoy this lecture, as it was completely different to other lectures we had had. Mike studied at Preston for 4 years on a Graphic Design course, he had a one year placement between the 2nd and last year and finally graduated in 2002. Since graduating he has worked for Imagination London, Chase Manchester, Landor Sydney, Moon Design Sydney, Pentagram, Mark Studio and True North.

I was extremely interested to hear about Mike's experiences whilst working aboard. He advised us that taking a break is really important and he did this and it resulted in him finding work abroad. Mike had put together some of his pictures he had taken whilst on his travels, I was amazed. Travelling is always something I have wanted to do, him showing us these seemed unreal as we are used to seeing all the work designers have done - which he did do- but he shown us all the places he had been and told us stories about his experiences. It just goes to show that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Mike talked to us about the positives and negatives of working in the design world. It is nice to hear both sides. A lot of which we had heard before, it is interesting and challenging working within the design industry, you meet and collaborate with different people and are forever learning. You experience new things like photo shoots, award ceremonies and as he explained even working abroad. As with everything there is always some negatives, as we are always told graphic design is a very competitive industry, with long hours with unpaid overtime, there is a lot of pressure, client interference and sometimes the pay isn't great. Though if you are passionate about the job and are willing to put the effort in you will succeed. This last comment is one that should always be thought about. No matter how difficult something may be.

Placements are essential to help in finding a job after graduation, placements increase your pace of working and you get the experience of working on live briefs with real deadlines. You begin to contact others designer which could lead to more placements or even the possibilities of job opportunities. Having a strong portfolio which contains great ideas that are equally well executed helps you to become notices and get the chance of a placement. Having a positive attitude to your work is essential, being negative about your work will just bring your confidence down. One thing that Mike said, which I found to be a great but of advice was "rejection is a part of design, it doesn't mean that your not good enough."

I really took on board the advice that Mike gave us. He was soon moving back over to Australia to work, which I think is great for him. It just proves how quickly things can change.