Featuring the work of six New Designers alumni, the graphics for New Designers 2016 emphasises the exhibiting designers as the most fundamental components of the show. Just like the show itself, the work of these six designers’ spans across the creative disciplines from textiles to typography. In the lead up to this year’s show, we interviewed these six designers as part of a series to share the stories behind their work and the unique journeys their thriving design careers have taken since exhibiting at New Designers.
In our next feature of the series we spoke to Jack Lennie, a product design graduate from Edinburgh Napier University. Jack won the ‘Business Design Centre New Designer of the Year 2015’ at last year’s show for his project Tinker, a motorbike whose aim is to fight unnecessary waste in the vehicle industry. Returning to New Designers 2016 as a to exhibit in One Year On in Part 2, Jack talks to us about what New Designers means to him, what is like starting your own studio and his job as a SFX Designer for Warner Brothers.
What has winning BDC New Designer of the Year Award 2015 done for your postgraduate career?
Winning the award has jump started my career, fast tracked me into the dream job and allowed me to set up my own company doing what I love. I didn’t even realise my job as a SFX designers for Warner Brothers Films existed, let alone that it would be the dream job. It was New Designers that gave me the opportunity to meet who is my now supervisor as he was a visitor at the show.
How have you found setting up Jack Lennie Design LTD? Any highlights? Obstacles?
Business finance, tax and VAT are all a minefield of obstacles to clamber over when you have your own studio. Luckily, as part of my BDC New Designers of the Year Award I was given accounting a taxation advice from Rhodes & Rhodes (creative industry accountancy experts). Their help has been very much used and has allowed me to set up the studio with minimal stress.
You co-organised Creative Meadows in Edinburgh. Do you foresee yourself organising anymore pop-up exhibitions in the near future?
Yes, I would love too. Finding the time to do so between so many other projects seems to be the difficult thing at the minute. Who knows maybe a New Designers Scotland? *Hint Cough Hint*
What is the design scene like in Edinburgh for a recent graduate?
It is definitely growing. I feel it has a long way to go but I am investing a lot of time into some of my own home-grown projects with the view of helping the scene grow. What Edinburgh does seem to have is a lot of are small designer makers. I would recommend you check out Make Works to see some of Scotland’s talent.
What can you tell us about your job at Warner Brothers? Has this experience influenced your own practice?
Due to the nature of what I do and the titles that I am working on, there really isn’t much I can tell you. If you get back to me in June 2017 the first movie I worked on will be released and I can tell you more! What I can tell you is that it’s pretty incredible what we do. We build the most jaw dropping rigs and vehicles and blow a lot of things up.
My job here has definitely influences my own practice as well as teaching me about a whole new world in a very intense high paced environment. Seeing what a crack team of fabricators, welders and sticky people can do in a matter of weeks is quite incredible.
How are you preparing for exhibiting in One Year On?
I am squeezing in as much time between a number of other projects so that I can develop Tinker to be the best it can. The main frame parts came back from Waterjet (a cutting service) on Friday so as of 6:15 this evening, when I clock off from my job, I will be working flat out in the hopes of getting the main bones of it all together and rolling by next Friday. I am also getting together new business cards as well as my stand ideation. Luckily we have a fantastic curator, Rheanna Lingham, who is always updating Pinterest with stand and layout ideas.
What are you up to now in your design career? Do you have any exciting plans or projects you’d like to tell us about?
I have a number of projects going on at the same time, both for Warner Brothers and for myself and some private clients. I am hoping to release a line of belts and other leather accessories all CNC Laser cut and engraved by august. As well as helping my partner Kate Caven on her range of kids’ furniture, Kids Creative, I have a few smaller private jobs I can’t share much about. I am looking to buy a classic pick up and build that as a bit of a side project. Of course, this is all whilst working on the dream end goal of having Tinker on the market and available for download.
Make sure to follow Jack Lennie’s work over on his website and his Instagram.