Semi Great!

Louise Kellerman from Design Assembly shares her highlights and favorites from this year's design symposium Semi-Permanent NZ. Use the comment box below to share yours!

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I arrived at Semi-Permanent New Zealand 2010 around 8.30am on the Friday already buzzing from a week of design having attended the launch on Wednesday night and the yMedia awards dinner on the Thursday.

I had plenty of time to register, get my goodie bag, mill around, meet up with some people and sample the coffee on offer. And I was not to be disappointed! The goodie bag was the best yet, featuring two mags, a bag of coffee beans, choc and sugar for later on and of course the beautiful SP2010 book.

The atmosphere was building even before entering the auditorium and this year centered around the lower foyer, with Mag Nation, digitally printed T’s from Closet and excellent coffee from Atomic (such good coffee, nice work!).

But to the main event.

With Te Rader back for a second year as the MC, it promised to be an entertaining two days. I’ll cut to my highlights among the speaker lineup and talk in detail about my two favorites.

Highlights: Jessica Hische, Duncan Speakman and Pixar from day one and Adrian Shaughnessy and Storm Thorgerson from day two.

Favorites: Jessica Hische and Duncan Speakman.

Firstly, Jessica had a sparkle in her eyes that came across showing love and commitment to her work. She primarily calls herself a letterer, but combines typography and illustration in her work – what was there not to fall in love with.

A piece I really liked was ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ (1/12 above), it was her own project and she sent it out to over 250 Art Directors in an effort to find work with her freelance illustration. She received only one reply, from Louise Fili who offered her a job in New York. In this job she spent nearly two and a half years learning a great deal and producing some beautiful work.

My second favorite speaker was Duncan Speakman. I think this was because he spoke about something I don’t know much about, sound design. I found his talk greatly interesting and thought provoking. This again proving to me that as a graphic designer myself, its everything in the world except other graphic designers work that excites, stimulates and motivates me the most.

Duncan’s work references the past and this gives it a feeling of permanence. This is something that I feel is somewhat lacking at present, as designers we have become obsessed with the present and the future in our pursuit for now and next, next, next. I certainly came away from his talk with plenty to research and learn about.

At Semi-P’s in the past, I have usually found that an overall theme begins to emerge throughout the speakers talks over the two days quite by accident it seems and this year was no exception. I heard words and phrases that spoke of the theme of idea/narrative/character being core to people’s best work. Through the speakers themselves there was a theme of genuine people who have a passion and a love for what they do.

So, the best yet? I think so.

I had a great time over the two days and aside from the main conversations, as someone once said to me, it’s the conversations that you have in the seats and foyers that are the best thing about Semi-Permanent.

So thank-you to Anna Cameron and The Church and I’ll see you there in 2011!

Share your highlights: Who were your fav speakers? Why? and who else would you like to see next year or what else? What theme did you notice?