Introducing the collective: 

Kate

Kate is a brand and graphic designer who also makes art. She’s a lover of colour, plants and cats who lives and works up in Manchester. When she’s not doing her day job, she’s either making artwork for prints and textiles or updating her home with random DIY projects.

Interview

Where are you based?

I’m based in the wonderful city of Manchester. I have a small studio in my home which is my sanctuary. I’d love a bigger space but it works well and I’m lucky to have a separate space in my home to work.

In a nutshell, what’s your creative experience, skill set and responsibilities?

I’m a brand and graphic designer and enjoy working across all sectors. I am a lover of simple design with a purpose together with bold shapes and colour. I aim to execute a clever idea in a simple way – my ethos is to ‘Look at usual things with unusual eyes’ (Vico Magistretti).

Having worked within in-house studios and freelanced in design agencies. I have also had the opportunity to work on product design and also room set photography, art directing on set and on location. This experience gives me additional visual skills and contributes to different aspects of my graphic design work. It has really helped me to focus on the ‘bigger picture’ for brands.

My inspirations are Dick Bruna, Alan Fletcher, Hey Studio and Rejane Dal Bello. These studios have a common approach to designing and executing projects in a bold and interesting way. Their ethos for the importance of play in their work allows for concepts with big personalities. And this is something I introduce into every project I work on.

Working across different sectors allows for research into industries I wouldn’t necessarily know about. My background is in interior products and I have also worked within the consumer fashion industry but by working with Slade Design, I have worked on branding projects for parks, council projects and even the fishing industry so I love to approach new projects without any  knowledge of the industry. The research section of a project is where the nuggets of crucial info are found which I use for my idea generation and development.

What’s one surprising source of inspo for you?

Nature. And I’m not afraid to admit that I steal from it, from colour to form nothing is safe!

Who’s your creative hero?

Alan Fletcher – I have a set of his postcards from twenty years ago which I still look at for inspiration. The simple execution of his work plus his dedication for a humorous twist makes for design that resonates.  Plus his book ‘The art of looking sideways’ is the only design book I think new designers need. There’s no content on theory, rules or principles of design, only pages full of interesting layouts, sketches and shapes that’s a huge influence.

But can I pick two heroes please? Another one is Dick Bruna who created Miffy. His dedication to colour and simple forms is incredible and I look at his book every week for inspiration. He was a big fan of Matisse who also inspires my artwork so the influences continue.

What’s your creative point of view (pov)?

I’m not focussed on the output of a design project, say the particular restrictions of digital or print, I concentrate on finding a narrative and purpose that is the thread throughout the execution of whatever I’m designing. From digital to print, I think this style of creative thinking puts ideas at the centre. Although I have been setting certain restrictions to myself when designing recently, these include – only using two colours in a project or only one typeface which has pushed my thinking to another level.

What do you love to do when you are not designing/creating?

For the last year I have been creating my own art. It started as a mindful activity as I create the elements from cut paper (inspired by the cut-out years of Matisse).

I make arrangements out of the paper shapes and translate them into prints and textiles. I’ve created a collection of homeware products which I sell on my online shop, at print fairs and I now have some stockists which I’m very proud of. What started as a mindful activity is now another business of mine which is amazing. I also like to cook, go to the gym and I’ve just discovered Padel!

What would you be if you weren’t a designer?

I would have loved to work with animals. I have two cats who keep me on my toes. One of my favourite tv programmes is The Yorkshire Vet. And I’ll be heading to Chester Zoo again this year for my birthday!

What do you love about being part of the Slade Design team?

I love that as a collective, we bring lots of different skills and experiences.

What would you say is the value of working with Slade Design to a business owner who’s still deciding?

The value is that we are in different locations and all have different interests outside of the collective so this brings huge value and life experience that contributes to our ideas.