Interview with Jane

How do your personal ethics effect your design?
Personal ethics play’s a huge roll in the type of clients and projects I choose to work on. For me, the most desirable projects are the projects which have a positive social impact on individuals, communities and the environment on a local or global scale.



Do you find it hard to balance projects in which you would like to take on with a smaller income, compared to that of larger projects in which you need to sustain the business?
The projects I work on tend to have a small to medium budget. For me there’s not really conflict when it comes to budget, the project has to feel right. However of course you can’t do too much low-paid work because 1. it’s bad for business nor just personally but as an industry and 2. you need to be eat.



How do you feel about design within the north?
I am very proud to be working and living in the north. I think the idea that nothing happens outside of London is outdated. There’s a fantastic design community and spirit here in Manchester. As Ian Brown said, "Manchester's got everything except a beach”.



Throughout your career what project has stood out to you the most, and that you have enjoyed doing?
It’s difficult to pick a project. I genuinely get enjoyment out of nearly all the projects I work on — I just love coming up with answers to a problem. The best projects for me are when the client knows they want a new brand or they need a new campaign and they just say ’show me what you’ve got’ and then we work together to come up with a solution they are happy with and I am happy with. I enjoy getting to work on all aspects of the design and creative process. So by that I mean I like to be able to work on the concept, the design, the illustration, art direction, the copywriting, the print management.


If I really had to pick project I’d say projects where I’ve collaborated with other creatives such as 24 Lever Street, Women in Print and my work for Hope Mill Theatre.




What artists do you take the most inspiration from?


I am a huge fan of mid-century modernist graphic design so I have to say Paul Rand, Lester Beall and Alan Fletcher — the golden oldies. What I enjoy most about their work is it’s simplicity, it’s clarity and it’s playfulness. I also love the colourful work of Morag Myerscough. Outside of graphic design; Cindy Sherman, Annie Leibovitz, James Turrell. I’m drawn to storytelling and colour.



How do you feel as a woman within the creative industry? Do you believe your journey would have been easier if you were a male?
I feel great, thanks for asking! Just kidding. Do I feel my journey would have been easier if I were a male? Yes. But isn’t that true of most areas of our lives? We live in a world where patriarchy is not only deeply ingrained in cultures around the world but it's written into the law as a means of controlling the actions of women so when you’ve got all that going on it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where’d it be easier to be a woman than a man.


On a personal level, in my career I have encountered sexism but I’ve also had some excellent male mentors and colleagues who have championed me. I think there is still a ‘boys club’ mentality in some agencies that excludes women — its not always with conscious intention more a passive, unawareness of what discrimination might be taking place and how to do something about it.



Do you ever go through period whereby you feel like you need a break from design?


I’m yet to go through a period like that, I think I might take a different path from a traditional design agency setup but my heart if fully in graphic design and illustration and I can’t imagine doing anything else that would give me equal satisfaction and pleasure.