What I love about design is the changing nature between projects, with each brief bringing a new challenge, as well as the ability to transfer skills learnt in one form of design through to another. Getting to this point has been quite a journey for me, starting with a love of art and woodworking through school, to Furniture Making and Graphic Design courses at college, an online Interior Design course, and finally on to Leeds to complete Graphic Design and Communication. Add to this my experience at clothing brand TOG24 for my year in industry and various freelance projects, my design experience is constantly evolving. The diversity of my learning has boosted confidence in my own skills and allowed me to see which areas really suit me as a designer.
Within my own style I like to employ the use of white space and simplicity through typography and shape, to really let the designed elements breathe and speak for themselves. This simplicity, and particularly a focus on shapes, is reflected in my search for inspiration through design styles and art movements; Art deco, Bauhaus, Minimalist illustrations etc. I have also recently become more influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement because of the focus on quality of work, materials and connection to nature, so am experimenting with more detailed visuals.
Growing up in the countryside I have always had a love for all aspects of nature and concern for the impact we have on our environment. Undertaking various sustainability and green design modules through the years I strive to implement this knowledge through all design outcomes going forward as I believe, as designers, we are in a prime position to implement positive environmental change.
In the future I aim to set up my own small business as an accumulation of all my learning. By reclaiming and reupholstering furniture, designing my own fabrics to do so, I can implement design skills that I really enjoy whilst at all times taking into account my impact on nature.
LinkedIn: Mary Stansfield
Instagram: stansfield.design
