Lauren Ahm is a talented recent design graduate with a degree in visual communication from Arts University Bournemouth. Selected by a panel of industry expert judges as one of the Squarespace digital ‘Ones to Watch’ for the D&AD New Blood festival 2020 via the Dots, her brilliant portfolio is filled with a wide range of work from branding and editorial design to motion graphics and illustration. Whilst studying she completed an internship with Blacklist Creative, which led to freelance work after graduating and is currently doing another stint as a ‘lockdown intern’ at Elmwood in London.
As with many young creatives who graduated last year, Lauren has successfully focused her energies on online learning, social media promotion and virtual networking. She believes this has helped her grow more confident when stepping outside of her comfort zone. She completed her internship at Elmwood in January, whilst working from home and during the current UK lockdown. Getting to know the team, attending online socials and sharing her work all through Zoom, she describes as both a challenging and very rewarding experience.
Lauren has recently found herself particularly drawn to visual identities and branding. She enjoys the strategic, problem-solving side of design and understands the importance of having a solid idea as the foundation for a successful creative outcome. Strong conceptual thinking skills are demonstrated in her Danish Typeseat project, which combines Lauren’s Danish heritage with an interest in typography and editorial design. After analysing the design of iconic Danish furniture, Lauren transformed their shapes and basic forms into display typefaces, drawing an interesting parallel between the complexities that lie behind the design of both the chair and the letterform. She created an impressive four typefaces with accompanying specimen book. As Lauren tells us, “through my research I have come to understand the chair is one of the hardest objects to design and why chairs are so important to Danish culture.”
Lauren cites her university course leader, Sally Hope, as being an important role model who as she tells us is, “very inspiring and someone who everyone on the course admired and looked up to… Sally instilled an excitement for the course and the creative industry that helped to motivate me through any challenges I came across.” She believes that one of the ways gender inequality in the design industry can be addressed is by, “showcasing positive role models for women and drawing attention to successful female creative directors” and that, “more awareness needs to be raised around why so few women are Creative Directors and CEOs.”
We caught up with Lauren to find out more about her creative journey, where she finds inspiration and how her passion for music and dance influences her design work and love of motion graphics.
What made you want to become a designer?
Over time, I have discovered that being a designer doesn’t just mean making visually eye-catching work, it’s about problem solving and creating impactful work driven by strong ideas. The main reason I decided to become a designer is that through creativity, designers can make a difference, capture an audience and inspire people. Communicating through design is like a superpower that reaches out to people and can truly grab their attention.
Where did you study and what do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started your design course?
I have just finished studying visual communication at Arts University Bournemouth. The course really suited me because I began university not knowing which creative career pathway to follow. Studying visual communication allowed me to experiment with different kinds of creative mediums from editorial, book and poster design to branding, motion graphics and illustration. Throughout my degree I developed skills across all these areas and have recently been drawn to graphics and branding. The course also allowed me to develop my skills as a ‘thinker’ and encouraged me to start a project with an idea before creating the visuals. This aspect of the course has really helped me grow as a designer. I would encourage future students to take every opportunity at university to experiment with different design techniques to help you realise what your strengths are.
The Danish Typeseat uses typography as a way of showcasing Danish chair design. Chairs are often overlooked as being a standard piece of furniture in every household. However, through my research I have come to understand the chair is one of the hardest objects to design and realised why chairs are so important to Danish culture. Combining elements from my Danish heritage and my passion for design led me to create four typefaces and a type specimen book entitled Danish Typeseat. The book contains designs using the typefaces along with illustrations and features a back pocket with a fold up poster.
Can you tell us a bit about how you’ve grown over time and developed throughout your career so far?
I have been creative from a young age and throughout school I was definitely more drawn to creative subjects. Art and Design A-level helped me discover my love for painting and drawing and my work at that time was mainly centred around creating portraiture in oils. I knew that after leaving sixth form I wanted to learn how to use my creativity in the real world and I discovered visual communication through a foundation course at the University for the Creative Arts.
I think it’s always important to reflect on your work, consider how to improve it and ask opinions from others. Being encouraged to do this throughout my uni course really helped me to grow as a designer. Being part of the VisCom ‘print club’, started out as a fun extra curricula group activity, which led to a trip to Porto in Portugal to be part of the Post Digital Letterpress Conference. We displayed some of our prints and talked about our work and heard talks by industry professionals in the field, this experience furthered my interest in traditional methods of printing.
Another important part of my career development was my experience as an intern for Blacklist Creative. I was lucky enough to spend a month working alongside some brilliant and inspiring creatives and got a taste of working in the industry. I helped create concept designs for pitches to clients, spent time understanding how the business works and learnt how projects are created in a professional environment. I loved working with and getting to know the team and by the end of my time there I didn’t want to leave. This experience showed me how fun and exciting the next stage of my career could be and definitely spurred me on during my final year and since graduating in 2020, I’ve gained remote freelance work with them which has been amazing.
What top tips would you give to current design students or women considering a career in the design industry?
I would strongly advise future students to explore intern opportunities in the summer holidays to gain professional experience which can potentially kick start a career after university. It’s worth chatting about your passion for design with everyone you meet because you never know who you might come across at a family gathering or formal event that might have useful contacts in the industry.
Another tip that we were always reminded of at university, was to keep in touch with your friends from your course. All of my year group are talented designers just entering industry and it’s always useful to have friends that might have an opportunity for you at some point in the future.
I’ve also found getting advice on my work through portfolio reviews has been really helpful, especially when graduating under such difficult circumstances. Having your portfolio reviewed over zoom by industry professionals (organised through university or through promotion of your work) is an excellent way of practising how to present your work, whilst also getting useful feedback on areas for improvement. The idea of it is daunting at first, but it’s definitely worth stepping out of your comfort zone!
Recently, there has been lots of discussion in the design industry around the gender pay gap and how few women progress into senior positions. As a young creative do you have any thoughts on how we can counteract this imbalance?
I believe that all graduates should be prepared with the skills required to succeed in industry which includes, communication, assertiveness, confidence and self-promotion skills. If these skills were taught and embedded into school and university curriculums, it would instil more confidence in female graduates for when they enter the industry.
Showcasing role models and drawing attention to successful female creative directors will show women that they have the abilities to achieve senior roles. Promoting impactful work created in the industry by strong, driven women on social media will inspire up-and-coming young creative women.
Additionally, I think more awareness needs to be raised around gender bias and how few female Creative Directors and CEOs exist the industry.
Has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your career and how have you managed this?
Our annual graduation show was a virtual one and the D&AD New Blood festival was launched via The Dots, which was a bit disappointing. It meant we didn’t get the enjoyment of seeing our work presented in a physical show or the opportunity to meet with potential employers. We also missed out on printing our final projects and celebrating our graduation, which has now been postponed until July 2021!
Managing this hasn’t been easy and completing a final major project during lockdown was certainly less than ideal. However, I’ve had some great opportunities during this time and making contact with industry professionals online is something that has been very beneficial. Everyone that I have talked to has been so helpful and understanding of the pressure recent graduates face and are doing their best to support us.
I have had time during lockdown to ensure my online portfolio is up to scratch and have created an account to showcase my work on Instagram and The Dots and was acknowledged as one of the ‘Ones to Watch’ at this year’s D&AD festival. Although the pandemic has meant that I’ve missed out on a few opportunities, the use of current technologies and social media has definitely helped to me to promote my work.
Since the beginning of January, I’ve been doing an internship at Elmwood, London, which is incredible. It was strange at first, adapting to working from home and meeting the team through Zoom calls, but they’ve managed to give me the best experience possible as a ‘lockdown intern’ by organising getting to know the team chats, giving me opportunities to be part of socials and also share my work with colleagues. The designers I work with are very inspiring in the way they work and how they approach creative projects.
Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you approach a new project?
I find inspiration in different places, depending on the project brief. I am often inspired by the world around me and my hobbies and interests. A huge inspiration of mine has always been dance. I‘ve been dancing from a very young age and for years trained in ballet, tap, modern and jazz. After deciding that dance was not the right career path for me, I continued with it as a hobby at university and for the past two years I’ve been teaching and choreographing for the Bournemouth University Dance Society. Being such a big passion in my life means it often influences my creative work. I’ve approached D&AD briefs by using my knowledge of music and movement as inspiration when creating motion graphics – this is partly where my love of animation comes from. I have also been inspired by places I’ve visited or cultural influences as evident in my final major project which uses typography to showcase Danish chair design, a cultural object I have been surrounded by during my life.
Do you have any female role models or mentors who have shaped your career?
Although my creative career is just beginning, there have been a few women who have inspired me throughout my education so far. Sally Hope the course leader of visual communication at Arts University Bournemouth, was very inspiring as a female course leader and someone whom everyone on the course looked up to and admired. From the first introduction talk at the open day to our final leaving speech, Sally has instilled an excitement for the course and for the creative industry that helped to motivate me through any challenges I came across throughout my studies. She has a way of captivating a group of people when she talks and inspires students with her words.
I think my female friends on my course also shaped me as a designer. Working closely with other clever and talented creative women helped me improve my work, taught me different design techniques and approaches and created an environment where I felt confident presenting my work.
Who are your top female creative crushes currently working in the industry?
- Eva and Marta, co-founders of Yarza Twins, are two women who I find very inspiring. I just love how they bring a vibrant and quirky feel to their work and are really supportive of women in industry.
- Pip Jamieson is another incredible woman. She is the founder and CEO of The Dots and is very successful. Not only has the Dots been described as the “next LinkedIn for creatives”, but Pip also promotes social responsibility and diversity for women.
- Paula Scher, partner at Pentagram’s New York Office, is another of my all-time favourite female designers. Her use of dynamic, impactful typography is something that’s made her really successful in the creative industry. As the first female principal at Pentagram she is a huge inspiration to me.
- There was an exhibition of Morag Myerscough’s work at my university this year. I only got to see her work briefly before the university was shut for lockdown, but it was so cool to see Myerscough’s work in reality. She is one of my favourite female designers and I love how her work brings colour and life to public spaces and her own iconic vibrant graphic style.