First and foremost do research - work out what I'm interested in, who it's about and what I want to talk about. Research will help you in figuring out what you want to do etc. In addition, it'll also make you aware of how accessible (or not) for my subject. Particularly, when the artists may have a large following or is quite a prominent designer/artists who may not be able to get to you. Therefore, knowing who you really want to research and getting in contact with them as soon as possible. In addition, looking at the social feeds like twitter and Instagram will help to inform the tone and methods of interviewing the artists (fundamental things), therefore, If you understand the subject/artists, you've got a better chance of getting more information with the artists.
How to initiate contact?
Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn? For example, Insta stories are far more personal and raw which can be a good are to look at and approach from. Also, try to reach out to people on platforms that they use regularly and personally. In addition, also reach out in a manner that's consistent with the tone of the artist's voice. If possible, move the conversation, face-to-face meeting or email thread as soon as possible.
What if the artists are hard to pin down?
Entry level : Website
Next Level : 'Hunting Season' -> LinkedIn, Google and Hunter
Hunter: allows you to add a URL and will find any associated emails, website fro that URL.
Google : Tools -> Verbatim (use for confirming email address etc.)
*If you have multiple guesses in emails, use BBC feature to put all the email guesses which helps you to get a quick process of elimination.
On Google Chrome*ViewPageSource
How to Proceed?
After the initial interaction, it's important to keep the conversation going. Keep the email short and simple and get straight to the point as well as easy for them to reply.
Follow up with a calendar invite. -> links up events, extra info, time, date can be linked. If the invite is accepted the event will be synced to their calendar.
Where possible conduct the interview in person or over a voice or video call. Having, the interview in person will be much quicker therefore it would be more convenient for the artists as well. Therefore, if you have the interview in face to face, carefully consider the questions that you ask (don't ask them questions that they'e bene asked before); it can also be adaptable as you can keep the flow of the conversation going while keeping it on track.
*Recording - put close to speaker if video call / put recorder on smooth cloth to avoid unnecessary noises.
Always, follow up with a thank you message - reassures them that the time they've spent was well spent. In addition, also share them the finished Creative Report. It's good to keep up with them and add them on social and LinkedIn to give you foundations and connections and it'll also be easier for you to contact them in the future if possible.
The finished outcome should clearly relate to the subject and their practice. It's also important to think about each design decision you make keeping it related to the concept and context as well as the artist that you're talking about,
*Get hold of photographs or create. It would be good to collaborate with photographers or Illustrators in order to get high quality photos and illustrations. Maybe take on an art direction role i order get the exact image that you'd like - always communicate; create mood boards etc, encourage sending drafts. In addition, it's also good to get a good feel of how you can collaborate with other designers and artists in other disciplines.
Thoughts & Reflections:
This lecture was really helpful to me as I just received a response from the artist that I want to interview and the tips that Alec gave to us would e really handy in how I'd approach them and communicate with them. I'm also quite worried about how I can keep the communication going and the tone of voice I'll need to have while emailing the artist. There's also really helpful extensions I've learnt today, like Boomerang on Gmail - I though this extension would be quite beneficial for me as I may need to set the times I need to send emails, as the artist I'm in contact with is based in Korea. Overall, I thought the lecture was great and really informative, although I wish I could've gotten an Intern magazine copy though, too see all the information and how editorial design can be set out.
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