Corporate Vision Issue 9

24 CORPORATE VISION / Issue 9 2018 , David James is an art director and interactive web developer with over twelve years’ experience in the industry. Through his company, David James Graphic Design, he has helped create innovative campaigns and products that fully realise his client’s vision. In August, David was recognised in Corporate Visionmagazine’s 2018 Corporate Excellence Awards with the title of Best Independent Digital Graphic Designer in Bristol. We caught up with David on the back of his win to see howhe approaches his work and finds his creative flair. David James Graphic Design was built, simply, on the back of good quality work, and a dedication to a seamless, collaborative process with the client. Through his holistic approach to design, David considers the end-goal of his work, what it needs to achieve, and the suitability of the product to create the best possible result. This personalised, and diligent approach is clear to see when looking at David’s portfolio; the quality of the work stands as testament to his finely-honed talent in graphic design. To start, David gives some background on his work, “I run a small design studio, helping companies integrate branding with digital communication at all stages of the design process from concepting, user experience, technical specifications through to design and build.” “I have a process that’s been refined and modified over the decade and a half I’ve been working in the industry. At the start of any project we define what will make the project successful, and how (if possible) we can measure that, that determines our focus. As the project develops we adapt and learn as we go along.” David’s work is evocative and striking, communicating a clear message alongside the full integration of a brand’s image and iconography. This is a strength of David’s work, and, more importantly, it is a quality that larger, more established firms often fail to capture. “Ultimately, I like to think my aim is always aligned with my clients - to create something useful, not something self- serving or with an eye on latest trends.” David emphasises that the key difference between his work and that of larger agencies is that he is flexible, working to the client’s deadlines and requirements. His process is defined by cooperation, and the sharing of ideas to create something greater than what the client originally imagined. However, the graphic design sector is changing. For small businesses, this presents both a potential problem and a blessing; they are able to pivot to the latest trends, but, cannot always adopt the latest technologies. David shares his thoughts, “the industry feels in constant flux - design agencies today look very different to how they did five years ago, and I think they’ll look different again in another 5 years. The main influence is the technology and software we use to consume media, it’s like an arms race for our attention.” Nonetheless, David knows that the key to success lies in a proactive approach – to never stop learning, “it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information out there and all the opinions about where the market is headed. I keep learning and focus on what interests me.” “Adaptation is central to design, every new project has challenges unique to environment and technology. I can’t see the technology slowing down - we’re on the verge of interesting 1809CV07 developments in both voice and AI technologies that will help shape how we consume and communicate.” When it comes to the future of David James Graphic Design, David wants to capitalise on the hard work he has done over the last few months, “I’ve been working a lot recently, but I’ve not been very good at communicating what I’ve been doing. I plan on building on what I’ve done over the past year and finding ways to best tell those stories.” The ‘Corporate Excellence Awards’ were launched to recognise businesses who are achieving extraordinary things in their sector, regardless of business size, location or prominence. David James embodies the very spirit of these awards – an entrepreneur with a talent, and the will to deliver the very best results for his clients. By any metric, he is a worthy inclusion in the programme, and a deserving winner for the title of Best Independent Digital Graphic Designer. Achieving Excellent Standards in Graphic Design