Ok, so you don’t particularly need to meet me as such, I’ve been blogging here for a few months now. But I haven’t really spoken about who I am, what I do and how I consider myself as a designer.

So lets start at the very beguinning. My name as you know is Lauren, as of writing this I’m 21, Welsh, currently studying in south west London (Third year and terrified) and I’m obviously female.

I’ve lived in London for almost three years now, and had the incredible luck to work with some fairly well known companies (I’m currently working on a brief set by design studio G.H.B. which is both terrifying and amazing.) But personally I find that larger design companies lack the relationship that smaller ones have with their clients, it’s sometimes difficult to understand the clients needs when you’re not directly working with them, but rather with a company liaison. United Design is to date the friendliest company I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and would love it if they gave me a job. Hint.

As a designer I’m very process led, I’m happiest when up to my elbows in sludge trying to work out ‘What happens if I do this?’

(For the record, never mix P.V.A. and washing powder, it creates something I like to call Dino-snot.)

I enjoy working with materials, not just necessarily computers. and I find sometimes that designers often forget that the computer is only a tool, a medium, and not always the most useful device. Good ideas create interesting design, good software doesn’t necessarily generate good ideas.

So, I guess I should show you some of my university work?

For this project I worked with artist Owen Thackeray and blacksmith Gavin Fraser

This project was a collaboration between designers Anette Valle (model) ,Kasia Sniegocka, Pegah Redjai Sani and myself.

And my personal work?

My personal work revolves mostly around gift giving, I enjoy making things that other people love, I do this for weddings mainly. But I also make beautiful things on commission…

Paper wedding cake wreath made as gift for bride.

Paper Wreath made for commission.

I like to keep myself busy, tending to work on several projects at once As well as working for university, various competitions and submitting to galleries I also write for this blog, keep up with twitter, have my own Tumblr and I am writing a thesis on ethics in Graphic Design (titled ‘With Great Design comes Great Responsibility’. Thank you Spiderman.)

Phew, no wonder I haven’t had time to bake recently…

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Third track from work experience Mal.. Acoustic Thug! Click here to download.

Second tune from Malik….. Flute! Click Here

Tune made by Malik on work experience! Garageband strong! Click here to download

Hi my names Maik, I’m here working with the boys from UGD for my work placement for work experience. I’m intrested in taking my enthusiasm for design to the next level and experience the work place. My intrest is music, I am mainly in to hip-hop and dubstep.

Bet you didn’t know presents from Japan was a two-parter!

After promising UGD that I’d post their kitkats to them I decided that I had to do more! I couldn’t just send them a boring little package with a few kitkats in it!… So I sent a few other knicknacks. I’m so glad I did because the photo’s (in particular the reaction shots) are PRICELESS!

Obviously some of the Japanese sweets weren’t quite to Ant and Petes’ taste…

To quote Ant:

Those sweets were dead fish coated in pot pouri, they were beyond foul, I gagged. what they were exactly were slugs rolled in wet grass tasted like, they caused illness.

I think that they’re rice based? I’m so glad I gave them to you…Although I have more here. I may have to eat one and update you on my findings.

Follow Lauren on Twitter

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Now whilst twitter is king and UGD is a close second, there are other very, very good websites out in the internet ether.

“NO” I hear you cry “It can’t be true!”

But my dear reader it is so. And today I introduce you to a website so superiour, so perfect that images, not words are needed to express its awesomness:

Available to buy Here.

The website of which I speak is of course Etsy. WHAT? you mean you don’t know what Etsy is? For shame gentle reader, for shame. Etsy is, at it’s most basic Ebay for crafters, artists, designers and all round makers of beautiful/funny/incredible things. Where else, I ask you, could you buy a replica of Jayne Cobb (from firefly) ’s hat?

Here

That not your style? What about an antique Victorian French embroidered dress applique?

Because you can find one Here

Am I still not tickling your fancy? Well, you could always go for  a Roman inspired helmet?

Found Here

Yeah, I think I’d go with the helmet too…

Follow Lauren on Twitter