Gordonated

Learning from the Gurus

Just came back from the Kancil Awards 2007 & the MMVB (Malaysia’s Most Valuable Brands) appreciation dinner. It was held in Aliyaa at Damansara. We were served with authentic Sri Lankan Tapas.

Among those attended are people who have contributed much to the growth of the advertising industry. People who are CEO’s, Managers and Directors of all the huge multi-national advertising agencies you heard of. And of course, me, the little designer with less than two years working experience who happens to be working for the 4As. Surrounded by all these people really shows you how little you have actually achieved. These are people who have successfully staged world class events, inspired many, and contributed much to the wealth of the industry.

Also, over the past two years, I have heard some of my heroes speak; Andy Altman, Nick Bell, Neville Brody, Kyle Cooper, etc. Had the ‘one chance in a lifetime’ to have dinner with Stefan Sagmeister, sat down and had a short chat with Harry Pearce, etc. Pretty lucky for a designer!

Speaking and hearing from these people truly inspires and educates. They do have a lot to share and tell about. By just spending a few minutes with Micheal Johnson, he will be willing to share with you about his working days with Wally Olins and also give you an envelope full of his aerogram designs. Sitting down with John Walters, I was actually told how editorials are compiled and edited for the Eye magazine.

All these people are those who have had years of experience, been through the dealings of various parties, faced rejection in work life, fell down and stood up again and work really hard to make it to where they are today.

As the year comes to an end, I want to include this post as an inspiration to others including myself.

It is essential for a designer to stop looking at design monographs, online portfolios and learn from the gurus. Speak to them, write to them* or ring them up**. Be nice and don’t try to hard to impress or be a groupie. You got to have a little guts which always works for me.

* I do write to some designers sometimes.
** I used to call Kay up last time to ask him about typography and fonts when I was a student.