Thoughtful

In comparison to Fake I.D's lecture, in January, Thoughtful, a design agency based in Manchester who worked resently on the 'Biennial Liverpool exhibitions' came to talk to us about pitching. The main purpose was to highlight the downfalls of having to pay to pitch when you start out as a design firm with every intention of getting known, and how easily that investment could be lost. As a fairly new company themselves, they still have to weigh up whether or not their ideas are good enough to impress the client and if they should invest in pitching.

They went on to point out how important it was that when you're pitching to a client, you must always look smart, have confidence, and continue presenting no matter what happens. They said one time they were presenting the three clients had absolutely no expressions throughout the entire presentation, even when they were showing what they considered to be their best ideas. However they continued to finish in exactly the same way they had begun and to their surprise two clients liked some of their work. The work involved were ideas to promote the 'Cream Fields' summer festival. Some of their ideas included poster's, ambient campaigns, mobile phone links via text message and merchandise. Another aspect of pitching that they strongly advised was that whatever you're presenting in whatever form must be shown in different situations, e.g. a poster must be shown on billboards, bus shelters, in shop windows etc.

I found the talk incredibly insightful and quite inspiring to one day be able to pitch my own ideas in front of clients that may really take an interest in my work.

After seeing both presentations, one main contrast is clear. Thoughtful stick to the normal, everyday methods of showing work via a PowerPoint presentation and discussing their work, which is how we have come to expect a lecture to be. Its simple, clear, ordered and makes sense.

On the other hand it was Fake IDs' intention to confuse us with their lecture and make us aware of other senses besides sight. We really had to listen hard to understand it. The images they did use were explained via voice overs very abstractly. Towards the end of their presentation they explain to us that they don't enjoy showing and talking about their work. They said if anyone wanted to look at it then visit their website. The content of the presentation were topics that currently interest them and work that they've collected for a while, assembled in an experimental and challenging way.

I think that I'd like to apply aspects of both presentation methods to my own practice. Allowing people (in particular clients) to see what interests me outside of my work, as Fake I.D. did, will demonstrate that I have a strong knowledge and keen interest in the industry, as well as creating a certain bond, on such a level to be able to perhaps have something in common with a client...
To follow up from presenting research and personal interests, I would then go onto pitch/present my work, as Thoughtful did,