Practioner comparision Craig Oldham vs Fudge

Craig Oldham vs. Fudge

Recently at college we have had a series of lectures presented to us by graphic designers and companies. There have been a variety of different styled companies and their working styles have all been very different but interesting. Some of these lectures include design companies such as Truth, Music, Fake ID, Grant Gilbert , Tal Rosener, Glorious and Thoughtful.

Craig Oldham from music came in to give us a lecture about his life since graduating University. Craig Oldham has only been graduated from university for 3 years. He worked at The Chase for a few years, within his first 12 months of working at The Chase he decided to produce a booklet of his encounter. His booklet was mainly about the lessons that he learnt whilst working at The Chase.


Craig has a great theory he goes by when in the graphic design industry. It is that you are one of two types of designers, Bunch A or Bunch B. He went on to explain what they were:

Bunch A - logical designers that do things that have an obvious purpose in life. For example toilet signs.

Bunch B - emotional designers that use every form of communication possible, to build an emotional connection between the design and its audience.

He also asked us all in the audience to have a think about what designer we think we are. Having being asked this question, thinking about it I’m not sure what category of designer I would fall in to. I think a lot of people sat watching the lecture also felt the same as me, so I wasn't on my own. Craig also went on to talk about having different strengths and weaknesses as a designer. He talked about when you are at your first ever placement you will often say yes to anything you get asked by designer, even making endless cups of tea. He expressed that although this may be boring it is very good in the process of being accepted in the design industry. He did also say that you need to be fairly honest when accepting challenging tasks, like if you get asked to build a website and you are weak at this area, don’t just accept to impress someone. If you are unsure of your abilities then say so, this way you won't make a fool of yourself or disappoint someone. Placements are very important as you get a chance to practice your abilities and also learn at the same time, it also enables you to get your name out and there.
Craig had a few do's and don'ts of placements:

Do's
- An insight to a real graphic design agency
- Real work
- Meet new and interesting people
- Improve your tea making skills (VERY important to Craig ha)
- Build confidence
- Remind you of your abilities

Don’ts
- Loss of money
- Could be away for a long period of time and could be on your own
- Taken advantage of

Whilst at the agency Craig said to make sure:
- You are punctual
- To make sure you are always enthusiastic
-To be no one other than yourself
-Make sure you spell peoples names right!!

Another one of Craig’s useful tips was to make sure you keep in touch with people you have met along the way. Share ideas with people, don’t just hide them and not let anyone else see, everyone knows everyone in the design world. He also said to invite criticism towards your work. Don't be scared to ask people about your work, you never know it might improve your idea.


Gavin Bates from the graphic design company Fudge presented us a lecture called 'The Branding Process'. He said to researching the client is one of the first things you should do when given a new brief. This is because you will need to have a much fuller understanding of the company you are designing for. He also went on to mention that your best ideas come up from researching your client in detail and understanding what your client represents.

Fudge has its own way of dealing with briefs, when re-branding they split everything up into sections to make sure they are clear on what’s needed. The sections are:

1. Researches and Analysis
2. Naming Solution
3. Design Concepts
4. Design Development
5. Design Applications and Artwork

Gavin then went on to show us some of his work. Starting with visual rough sketches and gradually refining them and making them neat as he went on. One of Gavin’s tips was to not use ideas that have been used before, the term re-branding means a complete make over. He also said for us to think about how we are going to present the work to the client as you want to act and look professional at all times.

To compare the two lectures, I would say they were both very good, interesting and informative. I have learnt useful tips from both lectures and enjoyed listening and watching them. I think I preferred Craig Oldham’s lecture the most, but only because he is younger he thinks more on the same lines that I do and he swears a lot like me! They were both shown in the same sort of way, however Craig focused more on his life after leaving university, he also included a large section on portfolios and placements. This was extremely useful to me as at the time of the lecture I was putting together my first portfolio. The placements part was helpful to as I had lots of questions to ask about them and Craig answered them for me. Gavin focused more on his work and what the company had produced and who for. I am really grateful both lectures took place as they have helped me a lot during the course.