Disembark: Photography Auction

After being asked to design the Disembark catalogue for the final year BA Photography students, I was also in charge of designing all of the marketing/advertising material for their Disembark auction. The auction took place at Shortwave Cafe near Bermondsey in Central London, in order to raise funds for the production of the 700+ catalogue run.

The original paper stock for the catalogue cover, as chosen by the photographers with my support, was to be GF Smith's Gmund Action in Electric Blood. The paper is an intensely vibrant pink-toned red, with light reflecting particles - but I later found out that it's GF Smiths most expensive paper, as it's made of crystals. Due to the possibility that this paper stock could be out of budget (subject to the fundraiser), I had to think of an alternative.

For the auction, I decided to keep a level of consistency across the catalogue design and the advertising for the catalogue auction. As the Electric Blood shade seemed to be the core of the Disembark design, I decided to emulate the shade as close as possible, using CMYK (we did not have a budget for the flyers/posters/invites so I had to improvise on keeping the design as cheap as possible).

The typography used for the designs include Bureau Grotesque [for the headers], Avenir Book [for the main body], and Avenir Bold [for creating a hierarchy within the body text]. These all worked well together for readability, compatibility and also aesthetics. Avenir was perfect for the smaller pt size used for the invites, but also the large pt size for the A2 posters while being contemporary and smooth.

As we were printing the background, rather than using coloured paper stock, I was able to add pops of white to really add a contrast to the design and make fundamental information advance from the prints.

Sprint Finish: Technofen

When I was a child during the summer I would play in the garden, giving my nan a heart attack as I zoomed down the slide and performed cartwheels, and would make my face bright red from balancing on my head for far too long. In the evenings I attended dance class and during the weekends I would be at my horse riding lessons, so I was a physically active child (and actually a pretty busy). Now and then, I would play on my PlayStation 1, often with my mum, and play the old skull games like Pandemonium, Abes Odessey and Croc - just to name a few. 

Moderation in everything is necessary - chocolate needs to be consumed in moderation; even water needs to be consumed in moderation. Technology isn’t any different. However, it’s now 2018 and we currently live in an Age where the evolution rate of technology is rapid, and the digital world is fascinating, convenient and fun. However, it can also be dangerous. 

From first-hand experience with my 3-year-old brother, I know the convenience and simpleness of handing an infant/child an iPhone with YouTube Kids pre-loaded (who knew that watching play-doh could be so addictive?!). It's an easy way to calm any oncoming tantrums, encourage them to eat their dinner, or to distract them while out in public - just to avoid a scene. Kids love it. This world of having what you want at your fingertips and loaded in an instant is everyone’s dream, and children in 2018 are living that dream - however, some psychological issues can evolve if the technology isn’t consumed like everything should be - in moderation. 

This convenience and ease of technology is replacing physical activities including playing over the park, joining a sports team/class and even interacting with physical objects other than a screen. This lack of physical communication, touch and play, changes neurological pathways in children as it creates new ones. This rewiring of the brain affects concentration, self-esteem and the ability to form deep personal relationships. The lack of hands-on activities affects the development of sensorimotor and visual-motor skills while the ‘addiction’ to technology fails to teach children empathy, moderation, impulse control or how to challenge themselves. Necessary communication skills are at risk and social anxiety, diabetes, obesity (resulting in early stroke and heart attack) could potentially form. 

As a response to this idea, I have created a dystopian future, where future generations are allowing their children to be consumed by the evolving world of technology and are artificially supplying their children with the skills in which over-consumption of technology causes them to lack - through medication. By designing a tongue-in-cheek medicinal packaging (called Technofen) that spoofs the idea of medicating children, rather than limiting their exposure to technology and encouraging physical play I am exposing the dangers that technology can have on children. 

The typeface that I have utilised for the Technofen packaging is Frutiger, a humanist sans-serif typeface. The reason for this font selection is that I wanted to emulate the aesthetics of NHS branding - to some extent, while also having a contemporary feel. Using existing medicine packaging as an inspiration, I included all of the essential information, such as age/dosage, expiry date, batch number and other fine details. By paying attention to crucial but over-looked details I was able to create a clear design that communicates pharmaceuticals. The colour scheme was kept minimal, with black text against white, for a contrasting and contemporary/minimalist feel (as I am designing for the future) with each product having one assigned colour. These colours are pastel shades as I am branding these products for children, but marketing them at adults; thus I wanted to use colours that are associated with babies (such as baby pink, blue, yellow) but giving them a mature twist. The packaging has been displayed in clinical, light up display boxes in order to echo the detached and cold medicinal/technological world. Using human figures 1:25 scale gives the packaging some context of being large objects in an exhibition space (I did try to physically build life-size versions, but ability, budget and deadlines rendered this to be close to impossible). 

To accompany the packaging, I have produced large prints of the packaging to be displayed as a series, so that spectators can get a feel of the scale (if they had been produced as full-size versions) and so they read the information easily and not in a smaller pt size, as the copy an important aspect of the design. Additional information documents have been printed that follow the Technofen branding but from the opposite spectrum, where it is more clear that technology is inputting some skills and also subtracting some. I have communicated this through the use of HTML code as the body copy of the design, using <del> </del> and <ins> </ins> to communicate the alteration of basic skills (in addition, 404 error not found). By using computer vernacular, it aims this product at the correct audience - those who are entirely consumed by the computer/technological world and should be aware of the dangers of overuse in children. 

The overall message of the project is to make spectators aware of the neurological effects of technology and that children should just go out and physically play, as regularly as they engage with computers in order to ensure that basic skills are developed.

Images to follow. 

Products of Our Influences

Following the uproar of the Brexit amendment of bringing EU legislation into UK law, I wanted to respond to the issue that the vote did not pass, that the UK recognises that animals are sentient beings. On the 2nd December, a demonstration in support of all animals who do feel pain took place at Trafalgar Square, walking down to the Houses of Parliament. 

Utilising this opportunity, I took direct inspiration from campaign designs and also textiles - in particular, The Pussy Hat Project, which I discovered during my visit to the Design Museum’s ‘Beazley Designs of the Year 2017’ exhibition. 

I had never attended a protest before, nor created designs/art to be used in a live protest/crowd. I wanted to participate to gain experience and inspiration, while also advocating for a cause that I believe in (animal rights). In addition to this, as I was heavily inspired by The Pussy Hat Project, I decided that I wanted to incorporate textiles and fabric within my outcome, as this is something that I hadn’t dabbled into, and wanted to experience. 

I decided to produce a collection of bandanas, which could be worn by humans and also animals, as I consider humans to be part of the animal kingdom. I wanted to unite us, and our emotions, to communicate that animals can feel emotions and pain just as we do, as we are not that different. This is symbolised not only in the act of wearing the same bandana as your pet but also in the artwork, as I have used a paw print and a human print to signify our unity. The on black on yellow is quite striking, and so I think this works well for being used during a protest, as it’s bold and eye-catching.

The last time I used a sewing machine was back in 2011, so it was challenging to remember how to operate a sewing machine, and also to create my pattern pieces from scratch - something which I had never done before. I decided to dye my fabric as opposed to purchasing yellow rolls as this is something that I had no prior knowledge or experience with, and so I wanted to challenge myself with these pieces thoroughly. 

Ideally, I would have liked to have screen printed the artwork that I created so that it had a more permanent and durable finish. However I was conscious of the mistakes that arise with screen printing (due to my limited experience); thus I didn’t want to risk ruining my limited batch of bandanas (as hand dying, cutting and stitching

 these myself, was very time consuming and resulted in a limited number of pieces of different sizes for different pets). Instead, I opted for transfer paper which was finicky and quite awkward. 

In addition to the bandanas, I printed stickers, ordered a vinyl banner to accommodate our protesting, and also a series of limited risograph prints. This includes the original artwork, as well as using the paw/handprints as a recurring tile pattern. I wanted to use the risograph during this project as I wanted to put myself as far out of my comfort zone and usual practices as possible. Following from this, I collaborated with a classmate, to illustrate UK animals that would be in danger, if the animal sentient law did not pass; this includes foxes and badgers due to hunting. These illustrations were then designed so that they would animate, and imitate your facial expressions and movement when you look at the screen (with the use of a webcam). This further emphasises our similarities, as the animal reflects your own human emotion. 

My process has been documented photographically in a collection of polaroids, screenshots and Instagram posts that have been collated within an A5 photo album. This gives it quite a human, and personal touch, as I consider this project to be a reflection of my own beliefs and issues, I believe to be of importance. 

Container Principle

I live in a walking proximity to the Thames as I am based just outside of London, and the university campus is situated along the edge of the Gallions Point Marina. Usually, when thinking of the River Thames, the words disgusting, diseased and polluted come to mind (along with an image of very foul, dirty sewage water). However, to my surprise, after a little research, I discovered that the estuary is no longer biologically dead and actually contains species that are only present in non-polluted waters. The Thames is also the cleanest river that runs through a major city. 

This information fascinated me, and I furthered my research by exploring sea life that is present in the water. I was even more shocked to discover that aquatic mammals such as seals, dolphins and porpoises have been spotted throughout London. After acquiring this information, I asked a large number of people (who are local to the city) if they knew of any life present, and also their thoughts on the Thames. All of those who I asked assumed that no life other than eels and ‘undesirable’ fish roamed the stream, thus when they were then told about the surprisingly diverse discoveries in the Thames, they were shocked, and some in utter disbelief. 

I found it surprising that as locals, we know so little about our own city and surroundings, and as a result of this lack of knowledge, the area can often be abused with littering and fly tipping.

In response to this, I have proposed the design that a shipping container (which has negative impacts on the environment) can be reused and repurposed to actually give back to the situation. I have proposed that the container is shocked with an electrical current, so that limestone crystalises on the surface, making it suitable to be eventually submerged within the river and used as an artificial algae reef, to increase the biodiversity within the estuary. However before it reaches that point, the container will be utilised as an informative gallery space, to exhibit infographics, film, art etc. that educates visitors on the life within our river. 

I have designed the container in two stages. Stage one being above water, alongside the Docklands, to be used as the education gallery and stage two being submerged in water as the artificial algae reef. This increase in primary producers will increase the primary consumers such as bottom feeders and crustaceans, which will, in turn, increase the population of small fish and then aquatic mammals. To visualise this space, I have designed the container within Unity and hope for people to be able to experience this proposal through the use of an oculus rift. This was my first time using a 3D programme, and I enjoyed the challenge of experiencing something new and learning more skills along the way.

States of Europe

I aimed for the publication to have emotion and context, even without the final images or text to communicate the language, and so I used abstract expressionist artists such as Franz Kline as a seed for inspiration. I created hand rendered, as opposed to digitally rendered (for an organic and more personal effect), aggressive brush strokes, scribbles and splatters to communicate the anger that I feel towards the current politics. I originally designed the publication with a minimalist aesthetic in mind, so that the design could be visually appealing, uncluttered and ultimately, contemporary and current, as these issues surrounding Europe are very much in the present day. However I felt that this clean and sleek design was far too pristine for such a dark and negative subject matter, which is ultimately destroying and affecting lives. To juxtapose this perfectly organised document that had been created entirely on InDesign (making the publication entirely digital and quite separate from humanity), I ripped characters from newspaper headers and created a variety of hand made collages to make up the title ‘States of Europe’. After scanning these, I made the informed decision to whack up the contrast and transform the language of the type by applying the threshold effect. This gave the type some grittiness and a rawness that resembled that of stamped type or letterpress. These bold and organic characters helped the design to feel more anarchist, especially when I overlaid red characters on top of the black. 

The use of red and black helps the design to communicate the political narrative throughout the publication without being too colourful and overpowering. I settled on a limited colour palette as I knew the photographs and text would be the main focus, and so I didn’t want to clash with any colours that may also be present within the photographs. 

There are place holder images and text at the present, but the design can accommodate for more or less images, if and when the selected and final elements are provided. Images can be repeated by enlarging certain points of focus within the image, as well as displaying the full, credited photograph. Alternatively, there is also the option to remove images so that there is more negative space, which is also suitable as there is a minimalist hint within the design. 

The use of courier gives the publication a sense of immediacy which could suggest guerrilla marketing and positive social anarchism while also being modern and current. The use of columns enables the audience to digest the information in more bitesized portions as opposed to large blocks of text that could turn people off, while the exaggerated margins help to bring some space and breathing room to the design, to help it feel less dense and overwhelming. For the headers, I opted for Bureau Grotesque as I wanted something quite heavy to compliment the minimalist style juxtaposed with the bold, emotive strokes. The collaged characters hold similarities to that of the use of letterpress and so I wanted to use a font that was intended for print, to further enforce this. 

From an audience perspective I think the information has been divided into considerable sections without being overwhelming or off-putting. The design has enough flexibility to adapt to the clients suggestions and opinions and so I am happy with the current outcome. I think the design is successful in communicate the subject matter, even without the narrative photographs or written language, and so I consider it to be successful from a design prospected.

As a response to designing a newspaper publication that will incorporate photographic essays, I decided to use the subject matter as my inspiration: States of Europe, and as such, the current geopolitical, cultural, economic and socio-political state of Europe. 

A Statement to LIVE and WORK by | Final

Who am I as a designer? During my presentation I acknowledged and expressed how my own personal works tend to have lots of depth and meaning, as I like to use my skills as a visual communication designer to provoke thought and expose social issues. I have identified my own personal reasons to why I have a passionate approach towards social equality (as identified in my previous post, click here to read) so that I can better understand where this drive comes from and why am I this way as a designer as well as a human. I also feel that as a millennial, we are the future generation and we have the power and voices to be heard if we want ideologies to be altered. Expanding on this, I feel as though my generation are more exposed to issues than previous, due to the internet playing a dominating role within our age. We are able to speak anonymously (or not) and freely, to reach an intercontinental audience with information and opinions, which is a unique aspect compared to previous generations.


For this project I began with basic, standard manifestos - a set of rules that I will aim and aspire to follow throughout the remainder of my time at university as well as my life. However I felt that these manifestos/rules were too standard and didn't say anything about me personally, as a unique and individual designer or what I stand for. Thus recapping on my presentation where I identified that social issues tend to drive most of my more passionate works, I realised that this project and any project from here on shouldn't be any different.

Letting my social activist side take over, I began to write a list of rules that have been set in place due to my gender, class and race, that I feel I am forever trying to break. I always feel the pressure of intersectionality, as every aspect of my identity overlaps with a minority class, such as my gender and ethnicity. These invisible rules that no one talks about but we feel subconsciously pressured to follow have been clearly listed within my piece.

I wanted to spotlight these invisible rules so that they could be reviewed and made visible, so that we can consciously be aware of the perimeters set by those who do not feel the constraints of a minority identity and a society that wants to keep 'us' within our lower position.

I was inspired by the Guerrilla Girls and their use of witty copy to expose issues within the Art community, so as millennial, who's childhood was shaped by the rise of technology, I opted for a list of Terms and Conditions as I am targeting my piece towards a likewise generation who have the power to promote change within our future, and this is a common colloquial that we speak. Utilising this vernacular I then outlined the rules of our oppression that I wanted to expose. Terms and Conditions are a formality that everyone tends to ignore. We scroll straight to the bottom and click "I confirm" just so we can hit next. No one reviews them, and no one questions them; just like our assigned place within society.

A sans-serif typeface is often used when outlining Terms and Conditions, so I adopted this visual language to echo that, as well as to make my work as legible as possible, modern and also aesthetically 'stripped'. I want people to stop and read, not just glance and move on. The concept and subject matter of the information and the copy is stronger and more important than a pretty picture or an interpretation. I want to be as clear as possible and have no visual 'waffle'. By photocopying and printing this poster on standard copier paper in greyscale to redistribute around London, I am emitting a street-art, protest language to prove that power, money and/or status is not required to make a change and to expose issues.

I didn't want this to be a hate piece against those who may enforce these rules upon the lower members of society, so I refer to the force enforcing these rules as 'LIFE' and 'SOCIETY', even though our only rule set by life is to reproduce, evolve and die. Thus by 'LIFE' I do not mean in the biological natural sense, I mean life as in existing as a human within our current conditions.

The thought behind this piece is that when we are born we are instantly categorised and our identities set due to conditions beyond our control such as our sex, where our parents were born, where we are born, how much money our family earns etc. By being assigned a category before we are even born, 'SOCIETY' already assigns these sets of rules despite our wishes; thus my piece exposes not only the rules, but how we play no part in agreeing or disagreeing with our conditions or role within society.

My aim is to break these rules and encourage others to do the same. I want to amend the terms and conditions of 'LIFE' that was agreed to, not by me, but 'SOCIETY' due to conditions that were beyond anyones control. I aspire to be outspoken, bold, loud, fearless. I want to shake the hierarchy and turn it on its side. We are all humans. There is no biological food chain amongst us. Naturally we are all equal in terms of prey and predator, so I want to expose this unnatural hierarchy that humans have self-enforced. My manifesto is that I want to deface the rules (terms and conditions) imposed on me due to my position within this hierarchy and I hope to encourage others to do the same.

A Statement to Live and Work by | WIP

I live by many manifestos; we all do even if you don't notice it or are consciously aware. It's a subconscious ideology that can be found within your depths, thus when you look internally you can begin to understand and analyse why you do some of the things that you do.

I originate from a working class background, I am a female, I am mixed race and I assist with the care of a disabled member within my family. I am the complete opposition of white supremacy, neo-Nazism and obviously 'male privilege' - whatever that is.

Being the underdog voiced in many 'ideal' ideologies, I often felt these pressures, especially whilst at school, as children can be pretty mean and have no filter, voicing their confusion for something that they don't understand, doesn't appear to be the 'norm' or they just want to question. This made me question myself. I questioned my ethnicity, my hair colour, my features, my 'abnormalities'. I disregarded 50% of my ethnicity and replaced it with a more socially acceptable alternative - my Swiss/Italian decent. I became ashamed of being considered a 'paki' due to having a parent from India  and I also became fed up of being a female and all of the things that came with it.

Guys would disrespect me by sexually objectifying me and I went through a period of feeling no self-worth. I've always felt like I had something to prove. I had to prove that I was more than a 'paki', more than a sexual object, more than a 7/10 or whatever they wanted to label me that day and additionally I was fed up of being poor and being subtracted from many activities. This anger, turned into my feisty and fierce ambition to constantly improve myself, learn and grow so that I can validate my worth with my brain and my skills beyond my external features.

Analysing this honesty, I can now pin point why I feel strongly towards social activism and why I am a strong advocate of equal rights. We are not our skin colour, our gender, our class, our physical abilities. We are intelligent humans and there shouldn't be a hierarchy amongst us, we are already at the top of the food chain, so why are we making a food chain within ourselves? Categorising some humans as prey and some as predator. We are all the same, our only differences being environmental variables.

My manifestos are that I will not do what this ridiculous hierarchy expects me to do, as essentially, like many others I am at the bottom of the pecking order. I will acknowledge issues. I will voice my opinions. I will be loud and bold. I will make my own identity. I will be fearless. I will be ambitious. I will take risks. I will cross boundaries and borders.

Driving - Krazee Ft. Maze | (Official Music Video)

Watch Krazee's new video for "Driving".
The new EP #4 is Available Now on Spotify http://spoti.fi/2hQN2Ho.

Music video by © 2017 Sophia Sargeant

Personal Projects

If you read my previous post, you would know that I had some issues between creating art because I love it, and creating art because I was paid to do so. You can get very seduced by the world of design and your clients (not literally of course), and so you end up saying yes to every project, and wearing yourself and your creative spark, out. The issue with working is that you very much spend your day creating what other people want you to create, and you forget what it is that YOU want to create. My summer was packed with assignments which I am entirely grateful for, but I had little time to do my own thing. Luckily, I'm a fast worker, and I have a good relationship with one of the agencies that I work for, and so when I had completed what needed to be done and I had some free time, I picked up the nearest tools around me - a biro pen and some paper - and I began drawing.


I don't think I have ever drawn seriously with a pen before. I have only ever done quick sketches and 'scribble' drawings (my lazy, faster version of cross hatching). So I discovered a new skill that I didn't know I had, and I just drew things that I admire and enjoy. I used to create a lot of fashion illustrations when I was younger, but until now it's probably been around 3 years since I last created anything within my personal work related to fashion.

I'm not going to lie, I love these drawings. They reflect my personal aesthetic which is often high contrast black and white and quite sleek. They match perfectly with my own space now they have been framed, and they are designers and iconic pieces that I personal love and feel inspired/motivated by.

I did also pick up a pencil when I got home, and I created a 'mini' drawing, which is possibly around the size of an A6 card, but not the exact dimensions. I definitely want to do more of these, as they didn't take too long to do and they were quite therapeutic for me mentally and creatively.

I've missed drawing. I've missed loving fashion. And I've missed just sitting down with music blasting and letting my brain spill on a piece of paper with no deadline or second party to please. I 100% vow to do more work for myself in order to keep me sane and to ground me & my creative works back to who I am.

If you're interested in purchasing one of my drawings, I have set up a page where you can do so: http://sophiasargeant.bigcartel.com

It's been a while!

As the title suggests, it has been a hot minute since my last post. I have been enjoying the summer and just focussing on my work and personal projects without putting additional pressure on myself to turn it into something more. Sometimes I forget to create art for me, and I forget why I love it so much; but I'm glad to say I'm back with a fresh mind, the urge to create and the fire.

So lets do a quick recap/run down over the summer :

1. I saw my works on 5th Avenue in New York City - INSANE! I'm pretty sure the employee's in the store thought I was absolutely nuts!
More images and information can be found here: http://sophiasargeant.co.uk/karen-millen-ss17

2. I artwork the window designs for Selfridges on Oxford street which I am still in total shock about! These even featured in TimeOut - of course my name is no where in sight but that's not the point!
More images and information can be found here: 
http://sophiasargeant.co.uk/selfridges

3. I worked at a creative agency in Piccadilly Circus called Red Consultancy. I worked on a long list of clients and thoroughly enjoyed my time there as well as the location. The clients I worked on include:
Activision, Adobe, Aldi, Boots, Caterpillar inc., McDonalds, Robinsons, Slim Fast, Yodel and more.
More images and information can be found here:
http://sophiasargeant.co.uk/red-consultancy