It’s Nice That was founded in 2007 and exists to champion creativity online, in print and through its events programme. Our main platform itsnicethat.comis an eclectic and dynamic showcase of creative work mainly focused on graphic design, illustration and photography. Online we reach around 500,000 people every month. We also have a biannual magazine Printed Pages, a monthly talks series Nicer Tuesdays and an annual summer symposium Here.

Since It’s Nice That was founded in response to a university brief (when founder Will Hudson was studying at Brighton in 2007), celebrating talented students and their work has always been a key part of our DNA. The Graduates was launched in 2009 and has grown to become one of our most recognised, and respected, annual features.

Open to all BA students coming to the end of creative courses in the UK, those selected will be profiled on the website, invited to our annual Graduates shindig and receive a 12-month mentorship from It’s Nice That including practical advice, portfolio reviews and useful industry introductions.

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Contributors

Ian Wright ........................................ Goldsmiths University (1978)Tony Brook ....................................... Somerset College of Arts (1982)Chrissie Mcdonald ......................... University of Brighton (1998)Oliver Jeffers .................................. University of Ulster (2001)Leif Podhajsky ................................ North Coast Institute of TAFE (2006)Will Hudson ...................................... University of Brighton (2007)Ryan Hopkinson .............................. Falmouth University (2008)Shaz Madani .................................... London College of Communication (2008)Oscar Bolton ................................... Green Camberwell College of Arts (2010)Tom Moloney ................................... Kingston University (2011)Sarah Maycock ............................... Kingston University (2011)Jack Haslehurst ............................. Chelsea College of Arts (2012)Luke Evans ....................................... Kingston University (2014)Francesca Jane Allen ................... London College of Communication (2014)

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Editor’s Letter

Congratulations! If you are reading this then chances are you are one of the Class of 2015 and finishing your degree is something to be celebrated. The power that two small words have at the start of emails and conversations shouldn’t be taken lightly. You are no longer “currently studying” – you are now a “recent graduate” and that phrase opens some surprising doors. Use them with pride as you introduce yourself because they don’t last as long as you’d hope. The months that follow graduation can be both terrifying and hugely exciting. You’re entering an industry with huge possibilities and as long as you have passion, a keen interest and are prepared to put in the hours, then a lot can happen. We’ve compiled this pack to try and help in these early stages and hope there are a few nuggets in here that can support and inform your decisions. As always a huge thank you to Mike Radcliffe and his team at Represent for their continued support of this annual feature. Enjoy it, good luck and we hope to be featuring your work on It’s Nice That in the near future.

Will HudsonFounder and Creative Director, It’s Nice That

03

We speak to three former It’s Nice That

Graduates about bridging the gap between

art school and the working world.

“Let me set the scene: my final show is hung, and I am sitting on the floor cross-

legged, in floods of tears, totally exhausted, malnourished, probably with early

onset rickets from a lack of exposure to sunlight.”

This is how artist and illustrator Sarah Maycock

felt as her time at university drew to a close. “If I

could have told my quivering-lipped self back on

the floor of the exhibition space that in a month’s

time, I would be making a music video for Imogen

Heap, I might have cheered up!”

After Kingston University, Sarah

went to the Royal College of Art and is now one of

the most sought-after young creatives working

today, but the future was far from clear as she got

ready to graduate.

“I was not prepared for anything

resembling success as an illustrator, I wasn’t sure what I was aiming for. I had

vague ideas of moving home, saving up and moving to London, but they were not

fully formed. I found the last few months a real struggle, I was extremely confused.

I worked really hard anyway and tried to follow my instincts about how I wanted to

draw and the kind of images I wanted to make.”

She found the It’s Nice That Graduates was useful in getting her name out

there, at a time when she wasn’t comfortable talking about herself. “I didn’t know

whether I should try to be funny or rude or nonchalant or overly polite or painfully

smart, in order to fight for attention. People found me through It’s Nice That so it

acted like my agent in a way.” Sarah thinks her Kingston tutors did help prepare

her and her contemporaries for the real world, although there were practical

things (like how to structure an

invoice) she picked up through

talking to people in the same

position.

She cautions this year’s

graduates against rushing into

anything too quickly – “Enjoy

the BBQs, the partying, the

general misadventure. There

is plenty of time for deadlines

once you’ve left.” – but thinks

once you do start working it

may take a little time to find

your feet. “It’s a balance

between saying yes to as many

things as possible, without ending up in a situation where you’re making work that

doesn’t feel true to you in some way. My perception of how long I needed to do

something totally changed.

“Also when I first started, I possibly used to work too hard and send an

array of drafts (probably to prove I was working hard) and it never worked in my

favour because 99 times out of 100, your least favourite option will be chosen. So

now I try to send maybe two or three options, with specific ideas about what might

be more successful. I also learned that if you put yourself out there, you’re visible

and easy to find, you have no idea what could be about to happen.”

Sarah Maycock

05

Photographer and fellow Kingston alumnus Luke Evans didn’t just take time

to adjust to the working world, he plunged into completely the wrong thing.

“I thought I was prepared, but I got it totally

wrong. I thought I would go and work in an agency

or a studio, but it just wasn’t for me. So I moved

back to the middle of nowhere in September,

determined to build a studio and carry on making

my own work at my own pace.” His advice for

those about to finish uni is simple – “Put yourself

first” – but it’s taken him some time to clarify that

(admirable) approach to working life. “The last few

months at uni were a big blur of masking tape and

foam board and Muji folders. I was haemorrhaging

money too. Time became such a commodity that

if there was something I could throw money at to

make it go faster, I did. There wasn’t time for emotions!”

After being featured in The Graduates he was offered three jobs and sold

some of his work so he left uni on a high, and he’s gone on to work with big-name

editorial and commercial brands aplenty. But interestingly he says one of the

things newly graduated creatives will experience is retrospective appreciation

for he past three or four years. “I took for granted the studio atmosphere, the

facilities, the science labs, and everything in between. Art education has got a lot

of bad press recently, but there really was something special at Kingston.”

Luke Evans

06

Similarly Jack Haslehurst misses the time and space that art school gave him

to explore and experiment. But he remembers that during his last few months

at the Chelsea College of Arts in 2012 he was

chomping at the bit to graduate. “It was a

strange mix of fear and excitement,” he says.

“Fear of the unknown with no job and no money

and excitement to go out and explore the big

wide world. I was definitely getting a bit of art

school cabin fever. As much as I loved it, I thought

I wanted to go out and design in the ‘real’

world with ‘real’ briefs, ‘real’ deadlines and

‘real’ clients.”

Jack now works at IDEO after stints

at several London studios (including our own

sister agency INT Works) and is a big believer

in gathering as much valuable experience as possible. “It was really interesting

to see the variety of ways they would approach a brief and structure projects;

everyone does it differently. I learnt the importance of asking for feedback from

senior designers and that being part of a studio is way more than doing good work,

you have to get involved in the culture as much as you can.”

He knows that for many coming to the end of their studies this is a

daunting time, but from his own experience he has some encouraging words of

advice. “There is a huge, broad and mostly very friendly creative industry out

there. Don’t worry about being an expert in something when you leave art school,

no one is. Shop around, meet people, try things out and experiment with what you

enjoy. It takes at least a year to find your feet and work out what you want to do,

but it’s definitely worth taking your time.

“Even after that it can take another year or two before you feel completely

comfortable. What you might lack in expert skills early on you can make up for in

enthusiasm, interest and the ability to work through a hangover.”

Jack Haslehurst

07

Words of WisdomThere are a lot of things to consider as you

graduate, but to give you a steer we asked a

host of top creatives for their advice on some

of the major things to think about…

Ryan Hopkinson

If you get stuck look at how

your favourite magazines

progress through interesting

layouts and take this into

account when designing your

own portfolio.

Francesca Jane Allen

Someone once told me to

start my portfolio with my

personal work, leading onto

commissions. It makes

sense really; why would you

present someone else

before yourself?

Tony Brook

You have to be concise and

make tough choices about

what to keep in and what to

leave out. I have had several

emailed PDFs lately that

started off well but then

went on far too long and

the standard, naturally,

dropped. We tend to judge

someone from their worst

piece of work.

What are the most important things to consider when putting together your portfolio?

Chrissie Macdonald

It’s worth considering the kind

of commissions you’d like to

be getting - as the work you

present will guide this - as

well as who you’re showing it

to as you may need to tailor

your folio for different clients.

Plan what you’d like to say

about the work, without

bombarding them with too

much detail. With a physical

folio I think it’s a good idea

to start and end on your

stronger pieces and on a

practical level, remember to

label it clearly with your

name and address as they

can go missing!

Leif Podhajsky

Be honest. Experiment. Be

bold. Be different. Please

for the love of baby Jesus

don’t include your shitty

resume - IF you do, don’t

include the time you worked

as a nanny or washed dishes

at the local cafe. At least

call it ‘Underwater Ceramic

Engineering.’ I prefer a

website link over a PDF. I’m

more inclined to click a link

than download a file and

open it. If you include school

projects make sure they look

and feel like a real job – trick

me into thinking so.

Please don’t say you are a

creative director whilst

still studying.

Tom Moloney

Can you talk confidently about

it? Does it demonstrate the

type of work you enjoy doing?

Shaz Madani

Putting together your

portfolio is a bit like curating

a mini show. You’ve got to

think about your audience,

how you want them to feel

looking at the work, and what

you want them to take away

from it. Whether it’s an online

or printed portfolio, consider

not just the work but how also

it’s presented, from the way

it’s photographed to the type

and layout. Pay attention to

all the small details.

Ian Wright

A certain flow is needed.

Don’t be afraid to edit -

notice how others respond

to what you are showing,

and take appropriate action

if you feel they have

worthwhile comments.

Oliver Jeffers

Don’t repeat yourself too

much by having lots of the

same sort of thing. It should

go without saying, but don’t

put work in you think you

could do better. Go do it

better, then put it in.

09

Do you need an agent?

Ryan Hopkinson

When you’re starting out,

seeking representation should

be the last thing on your mind.

When you are approached by

an agency the most important

thing they should offer you is

to aid your development along

with production, negotiation,

insurance, etc. It’s important

to be represented at a certain

time in your career but it’s

not entirely impossible to go

at it alone.

Chrissie Macdonald

If you’d like help promoting

your work as well as pricing

jobs and dealing with clients

and contracts, it’s important

to find the right agent for you.

I don’t think it’s something

to rush into, again, do your

research! They’re all different;

some put more emphasis

on promoting your work,

commission rates vary and

some are more transparent

than others. Ultimately you’re

entering into a relationship

so it needs to work for both

of you.

Leif Podhajsky

I think when starting out

it’s interesting to learn and

manage projects on your own,

so you know what to look for

when you do need an agent.

Oliver Jeffers

You don’t, especially today

when everyone has access

to everyone else online.

But it definitely helps with

both validation and having

someone to play bad cop.

Ian Wright

They get jobs for you that you

cannot, and negotiate prices

you wouldn’t dare ask for, and

then act as a buffer between

you and the client. I think if

it’s a mutually supportive

relationship then it can work.

Shaz Madani

Having an agent can give you

the platform to be seen and

promoted on a grander scale

than if you were to go at it

alone. And you will receive

plenty of support and expert

advice. But on the down side

commissioning illustrators

or photographers through

an agent tends to be a lot

more expensive and a little

off-putting for smaller more

creative clients.

10

Should you work for free?

Francesca Jane Allen

Decide what it means to

you. If you’re not getting

paid then it becomes a

personal project. An unpaid

commission is yours to play

with, use and abuse to your

own creative will. I find it hard

to refuse spending time doing

something I love.

Tony Brook

If you can possibly avoid it,

don’t do it. Free work is not

valued by the person who has

commissioned it, they should

be eternally grateful but never

are. Money is a sign of value

and respect, even if it is a

small amount.

Oliver Jeffers

It’s OK to do once or twice

when starting out if you feel

the exposure warrants the

lack of fee. But don’t do it

more than that. For one thing

it undermines not just your

ability, but the value of artists

and illustrators everywhere,

and for another thing, it’s

basically giving the nod of

approval to those asking that

it’s an OK thing to do. My one

exception is for charitable

work, which I will only do once

or twice a year.

Ian Wright

I would ask myself ‘What do I

get out of it?’ Is it something

I can turn to my own

advantage, to get an idea out

there than I wouldn’t be able

to with a paid job? You need to

make such a situation work in

your favour.

Shaz Madani

My immediate reaction is to

say NO WAY. No-one should be

expected to work for free, but

very occasionally there are

exceptions to the rule. If you

decide to do it, tread carefully

and put a limit on how much

free work you are willing

to do. Never under-value

your skills.Oscar Bolton Green

It completely depends on the

person and situation. I think

you have to stick to your

instinct. If it’s for something

commercial, then you should

never work for free. But if it’s

a nice project with someone

you admire and it turns out

well, chances are it will

probably pay off somehow in

the long run.

11

Freelance or in-house?

Chrissie Macdonald

Different people are suited

to different environments

but I definitely prefer to be

my own boss, deciding which

jobs I take on and which hours

to work. Being freelance

comes with responsibilities

of course; your income is

less predictable, you need

to do your own accounts

and pay for your own studio,

equipment, materials,

insurance, business rates

etc. but for me the flip side is

worth it.

Leif Podhajsky

I would pick freelance. I’ve

done both in my career and

personally I like setting my

own schedule, being directly

responsible for my ups and

downs and part of something

of my own making. Being

creative is a tricky beast and

sometimes it means working

in unique ways which in-

house just doesn’t allow for.

Although it also means never

ever being able to switch off;

you have to live what you do

all the time.

Oliver Jeffers

I’ve never worked in-house

anywhere and am too pig-

headed to have ever done so.

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How important are self-initiated and side projects as well as commissioned work?

Ryan Hopkinson

They’re the single most

important thing you can do in

your career. Just make sure

you find the right balance

between commercial work

and self-initiated projects.

My whole style was developed

out of doing side projects and

coming up with artworks that

I personally wanted to make.

For me it’s the most important

way to push boundaries and

keep things interesting.

Chrissie Macdonald

I think it’s really important to

work on self-initiated projects

as these inevitably feed into

and inform your commercial

work. It’s a good way of

guiding your commissions as

art directors will generally

hire you based on your

previous output, which after

a while can become a vicious

circle. However, it’s also

important to show that you

can work to a brief as the two

don’t always go hand in hand.

Francesca Jane Allen

I can’t express how

fundamental your personal

work is to maintaining a high

level of commissioned work.

After I graduated, there was

a period where I only worked

on commissioned projects.

I feel that each shoot I do is

in reference to the last one,

and when the last one was

a commission, and the one

before that too, you lose sight

of what you really care about.

When the only art you’re

making is under someone

else’s instruction, your

work becomes less you and

less special.

Oscar Bolton Green

For me what’s interesting

about illustration, is when

people, bit by bit, build their

own world or reality through

their drawing. Personal

projects are important for

that. But what I also like is

when you are able to make

a commissioned piece your

own and this world you create

grows even more.

Tony Brook

Many of the breakthroughs

we have made as a studio are

down to self-initiated work.

It is where you find out who

you are and what floats your

boat. They are a great way of

keeping your hand in after you

leave university too: it is easy

to kick back and rely on your

leaving portfolio, but a great

self-initiated project can lift

you to another level.

Shaz Madani

If you can afford the luxury

they’re a great way to let

off some creative steam,

experiment and have fun

without the pressures of

work. And more often than not

they inspire and feed back in

to your client work. Plus if

you do it well it will be great

self-promotion.

13

What do you wish they’d taught you at design school?

Ryan Hopkinson

Professional practice is

always a difficult subject

to grasp at university as

your true knowledge of the

industry won’t start until you

begin assisting, interning, etc.

The rapid and ever-changing

industry is difficult to teach

at a professional level as

it’s constantly evolving due

to economy, technology,

advertising, politics and the

increasing need to satisfy

the multiple channels of

social media.

Chrissie Macdonald

It might have been useful to

learn a bit more about the

business side of things and

setting up as a freelancer.

To be honest though that

might have just gone over

our heads at the time. I

think courses now might

place more emphasis on this

but ultimately if you focus

on making good work and

have a support network of

peers around you when you

graduate, you can figure it

out together.

Francesca Jane Allen

Maybe I missed the part

where everybody was taught

how to get a proper job. I

came out of university with

such a small understanding of

how to be a real person and I

still don’t feel like I am!

Leif Podhajsky

Setting up real world print

jobs. Learning about different

ink weights, paper stock and

templates for print would

have helped me a lot early on.

Oliver Jeffers

How to do my taxes and run

a small business (which is

essentially what you are doing

if you become an artist or

illustrator). My course lacked

plenty of practical lessons, so

I wasn’t really taught how to

use any materials. I figured it

all out on my own, which is ok,

but a few tips here and there

wouldn’t have gone astray.

Tom Moloney

I think more awareness

around the variety of roles in

the creative industry would

have been helpful.

Ian Wright

Keeping the faith is so

important. Sometimes

self-belief is tough to find

in difficult times when you

realise others around you

are busy and you are not, but

things come around.

Shaz Madani

So many students come

bursting out of uni full of

artistic energy and well

versed creative skills – and

that’s great, but it’s not just

about a brilliant creative

mind, you also need a sharp

business mind.

14

Distrac tion MatterPractical advice is all well and good but

sometimes you’re just after a hit of inspiration.

We got our heads together in the It’s Nice That

studio to come up with a few things we find get

our creative juices flowing…

10 books worth reading

• Edo Paulus, Luna Maurer, Jonathan Puckey &

Roel Wouters: Conditional Design Workbook

• Beryl McAlhone and David Stuart: A Smile In The

Mind: Witty Thinking In Graphic Design

• James Webb Young: Techniques For

Producing Ideas

• David Ogilvy: Confessions of an Advertising Man

• Maira Kalman: The Principles of Uncertainty

• Craig Oldham: In Loving Memory of Work

• Dieter Rams: As Little Design As Possible

• Alan Fletcher: Picturing and Poeting

• Emily King: M to M of M/M Paris

• Teal Triggs: Fanzines

10 talks worth listening to

• Giles Duley’s TED talk

• Theo Jansen’s TED talk

• Tavi Gevinson’s TED Talk

• John Cleese on Creativity

• Jeff Greenspan at OFFSET

• Steve Jobs’ Stanford Address

• Eike König on his life and work

• Milton Glaser on Design Matters

• Fraser Muggeridge’s Life In Design

• Bart de Baets at the Walker Art Centre

10 places to go online for a bit of creative inspiration

• stoppingoffplace.blogspot.co.uk

• www.nationalgeographic.com

• www.interviewmagazine.com

• www.todayandtomorrow.net

• www. butdoesitfloat.com

• www.visualmelt.com

• www.visuelle.co.uk

• www.glamcult.com

• www.haw-lin.com

• www.kottke.org

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In total 93 young creatives have been named

It’s Nice That Graduates over the six years we’ve

been running the feature. Here’s to them...

Every Gradu ate Ever

2009Ben Tousley, Indiana University

Jamie Thompson, Camberwell College of Arts

Annett Höland, Central Saint Martins

Sion Memel, Camberwell College of Arts

Louise Naunton Morgan, Central Saint Martins

William Davis, Bristol School of Art & Design

Christopher Smith, University of Brighton

Rose Blake, Kingston Univeristy

Frode Skaren, Oslo National Academy of the Arts

Joel Stillman, California College of the Arts

Chris Pell, University of Brighton

Liz Plahn, Minneapolis College of Art & Design

Alan Clarke, Falmouth University

Gareth Horner, Falmouth University

Srop Sunar, London College of Communication

Jas Bhachu, Liverpool John Moores University

Joseph Mann, Glasgow School Of Art

Tim George, Bath School of Art and Design

Rob Matthews, University of Brighton

Daniel Britt, Kingston Univeristy

Jack Featherstone, Chelsea College of Arts

Lizzy Stewart, Edinburgh College of Art

2010Jordan Chatwin, Camberwell College of Arts

Bryony Quinn, Camberwell College of Arts

Luke Archer, Bath School of Art and Design

Miles Gould, University of Brighton

Matthew Peel, Central Saint Martins

Jack Hudson, University of the West of England

Milly Freeman, University of Brighton

Anna Brooks, Kingston University

Samantha Harvey, Kingston University

William Cottam, Nottingham Trent University

Pete Dungey, University of Brighton

Anna Carolina Gomes, Nottingham Trent University

Owen Gatley, University of West of England

Tom Edwards, University of Brighton

Joe Kessler, Camberwell College of Arts

Paul Bryan, Loughborough University

Andrew Lister, Northumbria University

Andy Callahan, Leeds Metropolitan University

Romilly Winter, University of the West of England

James Laurie, Leeds College of Art

2011Hannah Blackmore, London College of Communication

Mia Porter, University of Brighton

Pat Bradbury, University of Brighton

Billie Muraben, Camberwell College of Arts

Jerome Caine Miller, University of Brighton

Scott Taylor, Kingston University

Sarah Maycock, Kingston University

Bruce Usher, University of Leeds

Krystina Naylor, Nottingham Trent University

Doug Stewart, Kingston University

Hannah Shipley, Kingston University

Michael Guppy, Camberwell College of Arts

2012Isabel Gibson, Chelsea College of Arts

Alex Walker, Nottingham Trent University

Jake Evans, University of Brighton

Ellie Andrews, Camberwell College of Arts

Lorna Scobie, Kingston University

Jack Haslehurst, Chelsea College of Arts

Andrew Duncan, University of the West of England

Grace Helmer, Camberwell College of Arts

Nick Blakeman, Kingston University

Joshua Checkley, Camberwell College of Arts

Signe Emma, Kingston University

Josh King, Kingston University

2013Charlie Patterson, Chelsea College of Arts

Luis Whiten, London College of Communication

Matthew Hill, Kingston University

Edward Monaghan, Central Saint Martins

Lottie Brzozowski, Liverpool John Moores University

Oliver Jennings, Camberwell College of Arts

Alice Tye, Camberwell College of Arts

Ollie Willis, Kingston University

Juliana Futter, London College of Communication

Callum Green, Buckinghamshire New University

Edward Cheverton, University of Brighton

2014Michael Crook, Manchester School of Art

Lauren Humphrey, Falmouth University

Charlotte Bassett, University of Brighton

Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi, University of Portsmouth

Tristan Cluett, Kingston University

Hannah Burton, London College of Communication

David Doran, Falmouth University

Joe Lillington, Falmouth University

Alice Stewart, Kingston University

Barnaby Kent, University of Brighton

Rachel Treliving, Camberwell College of Arts

Gaurab Thakali, Camberwell College of Arts

Rob Headley, Liverpool School of Art

Luke Evans, Kingston University

Francesca Jane Allen, Camberwell College of Arts

18

Represent

Represent is a London based Creative Recruitment Agency specialising in graphic

design, art direction and digital design.

Over the years, we’ve matched some of the best designers London has to offer

with some of the world’s leading brands and creative agencies. We’re all about

nurturing talent and promoting excellence within the design industry. We match

the unique skills and character of each design candidate with the specific

requirements, cultures and environments of our client studios. Represent brings

both parties together to help design businesses flourish.

Part of our work involves working with undergraduate graphic design students

at universities up and down the country. We also offer monthly portfolio

surgeries and inspirational talks on how to find your perfect position and how

to excel in interviews.

Represent are here to listen, advise and help shape portfolios. We look at the

bigger picture and discuss how to present your work clearly and how to tell a

story within your portfolio.

We’re continuously looking to meet innovative and forward-thinking designers to

represent. To be considered for this, submit your CV and PDF portfolio to info@

represent.uk.com

Represent5 Back HillEC1R 5EN

www.represent.uk.cominfo@represent.uk.com020 7278 7272

19

21, Downham Road, London N1 5AA Studio: 020 7739 5222 Website: itsnicethat.com

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