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Tag Archives: IPPR
2016, a reflection
It has to be said, 2016 has been a turbulent year.
On a personal level, I feel that my life as I would have liked to have lived it has been altered forever by 17 million Brexiteers, I feel that my dreams and hopes have been dashed by Trump supporters, and more personally I feel like my compass point has been lost. It is this last point that I struggle to deal with the most - I am no longer wanted or required, I have been replaced, but as with all of the above, it is something I have to accept however bitter the pill. On a professional level, this year has also been a journey. I have finished in a very different place than I started both in terms of work style and location. All my previous freelance work had been carried out in my home office, working directly with clients of their projects, however, having noted a slow down of work coming through, I decided to take a full time contract with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). This proved a fun experience, I gained some colleagues, office banter and socialising events - plus I got the chance to work on projects that could really shape the UK. However, the plan was always to move to London at some point in 2016 in order to pursue a more creative direction of work for my design portfolio, to work with experienced designers and to learn and develop as a graphic designer. Luckily for me the transition has been made a lot easier and smoother due to my contract with the IPPR who have offices both in Manchester where I started, and London where I am now based. I will be working with the IPPR until the end of January 2017, but after that, the world (well London) will be my oyster! I have started on the job/freelance hunt - so wish me luck!I feel privileged to have worked with my clients
As I am sure many a freelancer feels, I feel a sense of pride in the fact that out of all the graphic designers in the world, people have chosen to work with me. Just as I reflect on 2016, I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with the likes of the IPPR, Equality and Human Rights Commission, JustLife, Leica Geosystems and the Cordant group to name but a few. I genuinely enjoy bringing projects to life and presenting something beyond the expectations of my clients, and although I have relocated this is something I aim to continue and build on.To all my clients, friends and colleagues, I hope you have had a peaceful Christmas and wish you all the best for 2017 whatever it may bring.
Tags: 2016, Brexit, creative, freelance graphic design, graphic designer, IPPR, London
From the outset was enthusiastic about the project
Justlife, a leading organisation working with vulnerable people living in temporary accommodation in Brighton and Manchester has been working with the IPPR for the last 3 years. The final package, 'The Journey Home' contains not only a research report, but a handbook and a wall chart which visualises the journey of a person working through the temporary accommodation system, detailing the psychological impact of that journey.
The iceberg was a visual concept conceived by the Justlife team who were keen to produce a visualisation of their findings, having interviewed 45 homeless people and found similarities across all of their stories.
Charlotte Snelling, IPPR's lead researcher on this report, managed and co-ordinated the process between myself and Justlife, and here's what she had to say:
I worked with Elizabeth to develop a wallchart, to present the findings from a three-year research project examining the experience of individuals’ journeys into and out of unsupported temporary accommodation. At IPPR, we are always looking for new and innovative ways of presenting our research, to be able to engage with a wide and diverse audience and enjoy prolonged impact, exploring creative outputs which go beyond a traditional report structure. The wallchart designed by Elizabeth used the metaphor of an iceberg to demonstrate the different stages in one individual’s unsupported temporary accommodation journey. It was important for us to ensure the all our research participants were included – to reflect their contribution to the research and the variation in their experiences – and Elizabeth was able to manage to include this large amount of information in a way that was clear, visually appealing, and something organisations and agencies would want to put on their walls! It was great working with Elizabeth who from the outset was enthusiastic about the project and able to bring numerous ideas to the table, while also being responsive to the ideas from the research team.
Having seen the visuals that Justlife were inspired by, I couldn't help but think this project would turn out successfully! I'm glad that the outcome went down well with both the IPPR and Justlife teams.
Tags: freelance graphic designer, IPPR, Justlife, London
A creative crossroads
Back in May I was at somewhat of a creative crossroads on the freelance design front. I was thoroughly enjoying working with my clients (they are all and continue to be lovely people) however, I was finding the solitary nature of my working life a bit lonely - I was in need of colleagues, water cooler chat and office banter.
Luckily for me, my latest role turned up somewhat out of the blue as I was lazing around a hotel pool in Croatia. Upon casually checking my phone, I realised I had two missed calls, an answer phone message, a linked in message, text message and email from a recruiter with the perfect role for me. Long story short, I got the contract and have been working at the IPPR since July. Since then I have rediscovered the good, the bad and the ugly side of commuting, the office banter and the enjoyment of being part of a team with folks to bounce ideas with. It's been proven that I am a high level tea drinker, yet creative thinker and have worked on a whole range of projects from research publications to e-newsletters to Nicola Sturgeon lectern stands to branding to website maintenance and magazines. It has indeed been a busy couple of months!
Tags: freelance graphic design, IPPR, manchester