23 Questions!

Having only just relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, Lauren works across a few different mediums, from new media and back to finger painting and play-do. She wowed the New Media team when she came in to see Artisan and we hope that she'll wow you too being our new A-List.

What sparked your passion for design?
Finger painting. Definitely getting messy with paint and paper.

How creative were you as a youngster?
Fairly. I remember always sitting down with my dad and drawing pictures or playing with play-doh

Do you come from a creative family? Were they supportive of your desire to be a designer? Reasonably. My dad will never admit it but he has a great eye for things. he has amazing attention to detail and is always there to add his little bit of spice to any piece. both mum and dad always encouraged me to be whatever i want to be and they have always been my inspiration and motivation.

What sort of education and training have you had?
Completed a diploma in graphic design and multimedia at KvB in Sydney (I think its called raffles now)

Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
Initially i wanted to get into an advertising agency like Leo Burnett... managed to land a job in a small web development company and have been web designer ever since

Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
First project was a series of banners for a newsletter for Arrive alive in NSW.... looking at them now makes me appreciate how much i have learned since then.

What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years? Hmmm. Tough one. Probably Photoshop because you have so much control over the way you lay things out

What are the various mediums that you’ve worked with and is there any that you would like to explore? A lot really... have done a lot of web design and was lucky enough to also be able to do cool things like newspaper and magazine ads, event banners for surfing events and signage for football stadiums. have also done some print work as well. I wouldn't mind looking into more complicated animation and video editing... maybe photography too.

Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
I don't think so. There is always something special about the print experience.

Whose work do you really admire and why?
A friend of mine mix... he does some of the most amazing designs and cartoons but is so relaxed about what he does you could swear he is sleeping on his feet.

Who has been the greatest person that you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and what have they taught you? Ulf Schroeter from third eye creative. He took me under his wing and taught me a lot about design and a lot about how things work in the industry. He also taught me the value of constructive criticism.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?
Definitely my move to Melbourne. I left Sydney to find a more creative environment and happened to land in an awesome job which I'm stoked about.

How would you describe your work?
A work in progress. I'm still a newbie so I think I have heaps to learn about design.

What are your plans for the future?
Eventually travel overseas and work around Europe and then start my own studio.

What sort of company would you like to work with next?
Hmm, maybe a small studio with people who love bouncing ideas off of each other.

What is your opinion of Australian design?
I think that Australian design is still evolving and there are so many hot designers out there that it will be very interesting to see where it goes now.

What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
Best thing is the relaxed atmosphere that Australia has. I think it helps to be having fun where you are working and enjoying what you do.

In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future? I think it would have to be people not trusting in designer's abilities. Everybody thinks they are a designer these days and it is making for a lot of poor design out there.

What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Writing and painting. Anything that can express what is inside is fun.

What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
Seeing as I have only experienced a months worth of Melbourne bars I would have to go with Red Hummingbird. I love the bird cages and the faaaabulous wallpaper.

What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
www.thefwa.com
www.shuttercal.com
www.semipermanent.com
www.abc.net.au/tv/gruentransfer/
www.dafont.com

What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
Citizen Cope - every waking moment... and, yes, Citizen Cope is always good!

If I was a font, I’d be...? Myriad Pro.

Do you need an A-List Artisan like Lauren in your studio? Would you like to know more? contact Charlie NOW.