Do what you love…
𝘋𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰. We have all heard these phrases time and time again, but still it seems easier said than done, right? In fact, very few people do just that. We think it is easier to find people who dislike what they do, and have no problem sharing why. Cue the introduction to Dthree’s creative, who at just 25 years old, is one of those lucky souls that can actually say “I love my job!”.
Jaudon Blue Prescott, shares some surprising insights into being a creative, as well as tips on how to pursue a career in doing what you love!
Tell us about yourself…
I am the Creative for Dthree Studio. This means I touch almost every project Dthree have worked on in one way or another, whether its designing their workplace proposal pack or integrating their brand into their new space in the form of a wall graphic or a meeting room manifestation.
I’d say in the year that I’ve been in the role it’s evolved massively. Firstly, I’m no longer a Junior, I now play a big part in Dthree’s identity and their brand equity. Secondly, I now have more responsibility on how we can take things forward when it comes to our use of resources and conceptual ideas.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆?
I’ve been interested in all things creative since I was just a toddler. I drew all the time, on everything I could get my hands on. At a very young age I announced that I wanted to be an Automotive Designer. I know what you’re thinking, how many kids do you know today that would say that’s what they want to be when they grow up? But I was fascinated by it. The idea of designing cars, trucks , bikes etc. was my dream job. However, as I got older, I became less interested in the field and decided to explore different creative paths.
Through school and college I was studying fine art and graphic design. At the end of my last year of college I was gifted a book Called Logo Design Love written by David Airey, who is a freelance graphic designer who’s written tons of publications angled at helping students and aspiring designers navigate their way through the very complex industry that is graphic design. This book showed me the value of brand identity and the impact this has on every business, small or large. Through Airey’s own website there were a few processes that were shared (most notably ITV’s rebrand) that inspired me to focus solely on a career in Brand Identity. From this I delved further into other designers’ concepts and practices to really understand the craft and how I could use fine art to influence my work.
How did you prepare yourself for a career in the creative field?
I went to the University of Hertfordshire and studied two topics. The first being an FdA in Creative Enterprise and the second being a BA in Graphic Design. Like most people, I struggled picking the right course for where I saw myself in ten years’ time. The reason behind doing both, was so I didn’t just have all the knowledge and history of design with no clue about how to apply these when working alongside the likes of Account Managers and Directors. The FdA is what I credit to getting me where I am today, just knowing how the industry works, how important it is to back up what you know and the importance of a portfolio, was a huge benefit.
The BA was more theory based and helped shape the reason why as designers we follow certain “design laws”. This course helped me understand the process of creating a concept and how to execute the production of it. It also taught me how to cope with late nights – as there were plenty.
Describe your role at Dthree
Whenever people ask me what my job title is and I say Creative, they think I’m being too vague and switch off. When in reality, being a Creative in this instance is as broad as it sounds. I do everything a creative could do from developing the brand, creating marketing collateral for our clients, planning photoshoots, printing and binding, making business cards, designing templates, designing apparel/stationery, organizing meetings with potential suppliers and fabricators, photo editing, designing brand and art installations, wall graphics, the list goes on. I am a strong believer that the best way to learn something, is to do it. So if I am challenged with a new task, I am the first to accept it.
Anything you have learnt from being in this role?
The first thing I learnt in this role is how to recover from mistakes. When I first joined I thought I knew all there is to know when it comes to being a creative designer. I found out quickly that I was wrong and made plenty of mistakes. Some of them being costly to the company. It is easy to let your mistakes define you, and make you believe you aren’t good enough, especially in the creative industry. I will always remember when I almost let myself fall into this trap, and one of my colleagues took me to one side and told me that the only way to learn is to make mistakes. So instead of letting them get the better of me, I let them better me. I make sure I learn from all my shortcomings and will continue to do so for any future mistakes, because after all, I am not perfect but that’s okay.
Off the back this, I’ve learnt how to turn my weaknesses into strengths by working through them. Everyone has weaknesses, and everyone has bad days. But knowing when not to give up is what makes you work through these. Perseverance in this industry is key.
Finally, I’ve learned how to conceptualize my ideas so that I can best present them to someone who isn’t in the creative industry and help them to visualise what I have in mind. My degree taught me a lot with regards to this, but there is still a big difference from designing for your tutors and classmates, to designing for your clients.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I think very few people can say they enjoy everything about their job. Despite common disbelief, I am one of those people. I can honestly say this is the career for me, and even the more mundane tasks are enjoyable. Having the freedom to express myself creatively through every project I’m involved in, having the responsibility of elevating brands and really just enjoying who I work with is what makes me get up in the morning. I don’t doubt that the fact I actually believe in what I am doing and why I am doing it helps. I also know the fact that our office is anything but average plays a strong part in this.
What advice would you give anyone looking to pursue a career in the creative industry?
To anyone who wants to be a creative I’d say “specialize before you generalize”. I started off doing art and design, then went into graphic design, now I do art, design, photography, graphic design and even fashion design at a push. Never be afraid to go all out with your ideas, learn how to think laterally. Explore all avenues before making any concrete decisions and always try to step out of your comfort zone.
Finally, being a creative – in my opinion- is about finding something new in everything you do. It’s like taking a rucksack with you every time you leave your house and no matter where you go you have to put something into it. At the end of each day, you then have to make something of whatever it is you have collected. You will be surprised at what your mind can come up with.
Find out more about our team here!