The key thing is to believe in yourself and your work, and not too lose hope. Most of all, network, network, network!
Describe your work in one sentence.
It's usually quite clean, fun and colourful.
What's the most important thing you've learnt in your line of work?
Learn from your mistakes, never give up and enjoy being outside of your comfort zone. Unless you're incredibly lucky, there will be times where you end up working on a brief that may not be something you're immediately attracted to, and it's easy enough to be negative about.
But I think it's vital to be just as passionate about these types of projects as you are about ones you could do in your sleep. At the end of the day, they'll make you better at your job, and it makes the final outcome so much more rewarding. Being comfortable is too easy!
What attracted you to your chosen field?
It was the chance to draw upon one of the only things I'm good at, and to put it to exciting use. I mean, I was never very academic, I always wanted to do something creative, so my sights were set on graphic design and advertising as a career path. I suppose it's also the appeal of being able to reach an audience through a variety of mediums, and to evoke some form of a reaction in something that I've played a part in creating.
Tell us about your best project to date.
It's a struggle to narrow this down, as more often than not the most recent project I've worked on is my favourite, or best. I recently did some t-shirt designs for a band from Canada, called Les Jupes. The brief was to come up with "something playful and a little dark" which I can't say I was immediately drawn to. However, it ended up being a lot of fun, and I think one of my most striking pieces of work.
What sets you apart from your competitors?
It's really hard to answer this without sounding cliche, or like every other graphic design creative. But I genuinely believe that you'll be hard pushed to find many people who have the creative passion and drive for their job that I do. I'm in this industry to do amazing things, because I enjoy doing them, and for no other reason.
If it came down to my experience and background, then I've proven myself to be consistent and diverse. From apparel designs, to branding campaigns, to magazine layout and design, I've been pretty fortunate to have worked on a variety of great projects, and I'm only looking forward to working on more. Oh, and I've got a pretty good beard.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
The first piece of music I ever bought was a 7"; vinyl single called Slam Jam by the WWF All Stars, featuring Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, The British Bulldog and Macho Man Randy Savage. I don't regret it.
If you could work on any project for any company/organisation, what would it be and who would it be for?
Hmmm, given the chance, it's a close call between Wieden + Kennedy and The Glue Society. But due to the fact W+K have got amazing premises in London, I'd go for that. I'd be over the moon to work on any of their projects, but the stand out ones would be Honda and Nike. They just do such amazing creative led campaigns, it would be amazing.
What's your favourite bit of kit?
Right now it's probably my screen printing equipment. I've set aside a corner of my room where I'm doing every really DIY and lo-fi, but it's great fun. Other than that, I'd be pretty lost without my MacBook and a copy of Illustrator.
What frustrates you the most about your job?
Well trying to get noticed and actually getting the right job is more frustrating than anything. I mean, there's just so much competition, especially in London, it can take sometime to get the job you've always dreamed of landing.
What pearl of wisdom can you offer to someone thinking about starting out in your industry?
When it comes to finding a job, be persistent and patient, because it will probably take you longer than you think to even get an interview.
The key thing is to believe in yourself and your work, and not too lose hope. Most of all, network, network, network! It doesn't matter how you do it, as long as it's legal, just get yourself out there in some form.
If you could have ONE super power, what would it be?
Only one? From someone who did their dissertation on Hellboy, it's a struggle for me to suppress my inner geek, but I'd have to say the ability to fly.
What do you like about Creativepool?
It's a great platform to showcase work, and it just makes looking and applying for relevant industry jobs really easy. Plus the new Freelance Directory is also a great new addition to the site.
What's your favourite song of all time?
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. It's the most perfect song ever written.
And finally, what can a prospective customer expect from you?
They'll get a friendly, hard working and experienced service, from a creative, idea driven graphic designer who loves what he does, and does it well.
Follow Mark:
Dribble: /secretlySwedish
LinkedIn: /secretlyswedish
Visit Mark's Website.
If you want to be in the spotlight, email us with examples of your work or a link to your Creativepool profile.
