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Voices: Designs on the Big Apple

by Guest • May 29, 2012 • tweet this

In the latest post in our Voices series, Leeds College of Art student Poppy Maxfield, a surface pattern designer and illustrator, guest blogs about her recent trip to New York City, where she exhibited her work as one of the winners of the Surtex designext international student competition.

When I found out I was going to be travelling over 3,000 miles across the sea to New York, my reaction was more than just excited!

I had been given a golden opportunity to represent myself and my college.  I was off to the international trade fair, Surtex – a platform for showcasing surface pattern design and original art work. I must say I was overwhelmed, yet also very excited to see what New York had to offer in terms of design and collaboration.

I had initially entered the Surtex designext international student competition back in January after completing our first project of the year. The competition asked entrants to design surface pattern designs and an overall concept that related to the theme of outdoor celebrations, projected at future trends. My project focused on the concept of preserving nature on our walls and creating whimsical illustrations and patterns based on the study of birds and nature as a whole.

I was named one of four winners, so come May, I was off to the US! I arrived in New York on Friday, May 18th, alone and a little scared but pleased I was breaking through my normally very timid personality and taking the challenge on! I instantly made friends with the other winners, all three of whom came from schools in the USA.  It was great to hear how their courses were run and the sorts of projects and styles they produced within their world of design. The show lasted for three days in total and opened up a whole new world and impression of design to me.

Although unsure at first, I soon felt right at home in this environment, making friends with passersby to my stand, discussing my work with confidence and being able to show my passion for art and design to others in the industry. It was so nice to hear everyone’s positive feedback and to see how other designers who had been in the business a long time presented themselves and how welcoming they were to offer their thoughts and advice to us young, new designers just starting out.

I was mesmerized by the sheer size of New York. Coming from a small Lincolnshire village, this was very new to me, but I was constantly made to feel welcome in the city. Travelling all that way on my own to a somewhat unknown environment and a much unknown country, I have realized I can now do anything. I feel proud of myself for doing something that three years ago I would have never even dreamt of.

Studying at Leeds College of Art has opened up so many new opportunities to me. We are encouraged to take part in placements throughout the UK and abroad, and our course promotes competitions like this to us, realizing their potential for kick-starting a career in design. Louise Tiler, a past student, was also lucky enough to win the competition last year, and I have seen her career in design progress very quickly. As part of our course, we also exhibit work at the international fashion trade fair Indigo in Paris, and students are invited to visit and take part in the experience, taking in the design world from an international point of view.

This international collaboration within the design world has shown me that there is a whole lot more out there to see, do and be part of, and that however scared you are, you should take the leap and make the most of everything that comes your way!

Visit Poppy’s website or follow her on Tumblr to see more of her work. Are you a British student who has had a meaningful visit to the US, or an American who has spent time in the UK? Let us know if you would like to guest blog about your experience.

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Guest posts on British Council Voices USA are written by individuals with whom we collaborate externally. We publish them to stimulate discussion and debate by exploring ideas. The opinions expressed in them do not necessarily reflect the official position or views of the British Council.