Holmes Wood

Over Christmas I spent a week at Holmes Wood consultancy. I had previously spent 2 weeks there over summer and been working on a way finding project for Roehampton University Library. Since then they had made the presentation to Roehampton and waiting to hear back about which direction to go with. I had a look at the presentation that they had given the client and it was really good to see that a lot of the ideas/concepts that I had come up with and been working on over the two weeks had been included in what they had developed. Seeing some of my ideas within the presentation was really great and gave me a bit more confidence in my work.

The stuff I was working on this time was a bit different. Since previously I had been asked to come up with concepts and initial ideas, whereas this time they had already come up with some design directions/concepts and they asked me to develop one of the routes they were considering. I was asked to develop the pictogram route for this particular project which I spent a couple of days doing. Initially I was thinking of obvious picto's and icons for each of the 'words' but it was then suggested that I think of more abstract/lateral solutions. So I started trying to develop more obscure designs. We then had a team meeting and the design direction I'd developed wasn't to be taken any further because they thought it might not be as accessible as other routes.

After this, I spent some time helping out with audits and putting presentations together and contextual research for another brief. I much preferred working there this time because I felt more comfortable initially and also there was more contact with the other designers. It felt more like a collaborative way of working and I really like the chance to discuss the designs with the designers and listen to how they bounce ideas off each other. While I was there I also got the chance to discuss some of the topics for my dissertation and managed to get a couple of contacts which might be useful to talk to.