True North Design

True North is a Manchester design agency that helps transform organizations, create and re-invigorate brands and make things better. This is where they aim to channel their business energy in the future in what Martin Carr, the managing director of True North considers to be difficult times in the design industry.

Indeed I have found this to be a common factor throughout the companies I have visited during these economically testing times of austerity in the present.

This has been the most senior person I have met at portfolio visit and Martin warmly received me as he explained that he was interested in my change of career and he wanted to discuss this with me in person. Which is very positive to hear of course. We discussed the changes within the design and printing industries in the previous 20 years and the importance of the idea in recent years rather than the medium used to deliver them.

This was a very insightful and constructive discussion due to the changes that have evolved in technology over this time period and the environmental and cost issues that are increasingly squeezing profit margins especially within the printing industry.

This was one of the most influential reasons that a chose to pursue a career in design.

Martin is more involved in the commercial side of the business and leaves the creative side to Alan Heron whom he invited in to our discussion to peruse my portfolio. Alan joined my visit Martin asking him about his opinion on what Martin and I had discussed about change and business trends.

Alan explained that five years ago print was between 60% and 70% of True North's business. That figure he now put at an astonishing 30%, and that innovation had become an increasingly more important trend adding the creative consultancy and innovation has become ever more import.

Moving on to my portfolio it was well received by Alan for presentation and layout. He did not go into great detail as we had been in conversation for one hour by this time. He liked the variety of different disciplines, which I had involved through design, illustration and photography. However he suggested that more graphic design should be incorporated into my portfolio.

He suggested that the Orion book covers were strong and interesting but he would have liked to see them at a bigger size and more of them. This is a good point as everything looks good small, it would be much better to include the covers at a larger size this I will consider good advice.

Alan also suggested that he wasn't quite sure why I had put the two interruption posters together as in his opinion they where not a pair.

The Three's a Crowd project was applauded as a self-initiative brief but I needed to include a little less of it. This advice I have took on board as I have reduced the Three's a Crowd project and included other projects since as I have tried to get a more diverse portfolio together.

Overall this was a very positive and interesting visit that was not formal in anyway a very relaxed chatty and refreshing experience! I hope I get more like this.

On the strength of my portfolio Martin offered me a placement visit and also discussed if I would be interested in project management due to the experience I have acquired. This of course I would be interested in. Another bridge built as I begin to see the importance of these visits they are a vital link to industry. More importantly I feel although finding employment will be tough that I have began to get my face known to a few agencies which could proved extremely useful after graduation.