The twohundredby200 Creative Podcast

In this episode of the twohundredby200 Creative Podcast Sean talks about the UK General Election. Sean explains how if you are quick on your feet it could mean bagging some great work for your studio along with gaining some valuable experience with fast turnaround work. Sean also announces plans for a upcoming series of blog posts connected to our recent commission to research content for two upcoming books. The Edinburgh International Festival is coming soon and our studio team will be reporting from events from across the city. if you would like to be involved then please email us at info@twohundredby200.co.uk. Thee is also news of a big completion coming on to the twohundredby200 website.

In episode 42 of the twohundredby200 podcast Sean announces the great news about the future of our creative talk events. The main topic of this podcasts how to identify dodgy customers and and how to avoid working for them before it is too late.

In this episode Sean takes about all things you have to consider before you start to sell merchandise through your own website. Sean also announces a podcast only competition to win £250 of vouchers to spend in the 200 Digital shop.

In episode 40 of the twohundredby200 podcast, our Creative Director Sean Makin brings listeners up to date with the great things happening in our Fife based design studio.

After an expected break Sean is back with episode 39 the twohundredby200 creative podcast. Sean talks about the upcoming changes to the creative workshops thanks to the BREXIT effect which has put plans on hold until further notice. This does not mean that there will be major changes to the activities of our studio team in supporting the creative community and Sean explains plans to revamp a few aspects including 200 Digital.

Sean catches up with more listener’s questions in the 38th episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast. The twohundredby200 design studio is in the midst of festival madness as they pull material together for all the events the team work on and Sean talks about how it can be exhausting when working on multiple large projects at the same time. Topics this week include learning how to screen print in a low tech way, the best way to find work as a web designer and how to approach the creation and deployment of a creative portfolio when you don’t want your boss to know you are looking for a new position.

This episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast sees Sean playing catch up after missing last week's show thanks to some rush work in the design studio. This week's topics include why is political promo material so very poor. How to break in to the exhibition industry and what the best way is to drive sales of your work online.

Sean is a bit tired in the 36th episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast. It has been a busy time for the studio team as they design promotional material for the numerous events, exhibitions and festivals that we create work for. This week Sean stresses the need for creatives to get some time away from their desks as he discusses the important topic of High Blood Pressure and how his experience with it last year meant he had to make some life and work changes. Sean talks about the dangers of High Blood Pressure and what he did to improve his health and restore his blood pressure to normal and he urges listeners to go and get themselves checked and, if necessary, take action to address the situation before it proves too late. Question topics this week include old design software, business skills and securing funding for creative projects.

Join Sean Makin in the 35th episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast. Sean thanks everyone who took part in our recent survey covering the topic of regional differences in creative support from local government bodies. The results of the survey has given us a clearer idea of what we can may do to help support the creative community in future. Sean shares the news that Fabriano Boutique Covent Garden is celebrating National Stationery Week with a 'Quote of the Day' exhibition and competition. Visitors to Fabriano Boutique Covent Garden (21 Neal Street, London WC2H 9PU) are invited to create a handwritten quote using the Italian stationery store's fabulous papers and pens for an exhibition during National Stationery Week (25 April - 5 May).  UK quote creators can also enter a free Facebook competition with an opportunity to win a set of 5 vibrant EcoQua notebooks inscribed with their quote by a master calligrapher. The Facebook competition runs until the end of June, with a prize winner each month. twohundredby200 will be starting a new spin off venture soon which aims to support start-up businesses. We have been working hard behind the scenes and we are hoping to launch in May and to celebrate this we will be running a competition. More news soon. Questions this week cover justifying pricing of work, exhibition design, how we approach the design of interactive kiosks and a web designer asks if she should be assisting her clients with their email issues.

Sean is back after a short break to bring you the 34th episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast. This week Sean shares some studio news including that the Retro Print Workshop is going to be starting up again thanks to the hard work of James and his team did in securing funding and in bringing a new partner in to the mix. The RPW was a firm favourite of the studio and to see it come back is terrific news. Sean shares the news that the upcoming creative workshops for illustrators has been delayed to allow for a possible increase in funding. This increase will allow these short run workshops to be expanded both in the terms of places available and in the size of venue. More news of that soon. Questions this week cover the hidden dangers of setting up your own online shop to act as a second income stream, the 200 Digital pop up events and the importance of user testing to the web designer.

In the 33rd episode of the twohundredby200 Creative Podcast Sean is in a hurry. Sean announces the winner of the £200 voucher for the 200 Digital store which was the prize in this months newsletter competition. To be in with a chance of winning creative goodies make sure you sign up to our mailing list displayed on our website. There is news of the next run of creative workshops and Sean explains why he is in a hurry this week as festival season starts for the studio team. The questions this week cover filming a time-lapse video of a drawing, choosing a vector drawing package and what software the studio team used to create the animated version of Sean shown in the video version of our podcast.

Sean is on site this week and has snuck out to record this the 32nd edition of the twohundredby200 Creative Podcast. So it is a busy time for the studio team and Sean gives us a little insight to what has been happening with twohundredby200. The studio team have signed up for the Youtube Creators course and Sean talks about how the course is structured and the benefits it offers to this creatives taking part. Sean also talks about the studio’s plans to expand our own video channels to further promote the activities of fellow creatives. Safety is the main topic of this week and Sean talks about how some young designers have appeared on the site he woking on with little to no safety training. This presents not a risk to them but to other son the site as well. Sean suggests that designers should attend an appropriate safety course prior to working on exhibition-like builds and also highlights the importance of making sure tat you are insured when working on such projects. Questions this week cover union representation for graphic designers and how the modern methods of recruiting creatives is causing a problem for many creatives out there who learned their trade through routes other than university or college. If you have any suggestions for content that you would like to see included in 2016 then please contact us at info@twohundredby200.co.uk

Catch up with the events In this weeks edition of the twohundredby200 Creative Podcast. Sean talks about the upcoming additions to the twohundredby200 magazine section of our website. Our last podcast saw record numbers of listens, views and downloads and Sean thanks everyone for their continued support. The studio team really appreciate eventing that you are doing to support us as we transition to a online publication. The exposure section is coming over from the pdf magazine to the website. This will allow people to showcase their work to fellow creatives throughout the world. More information will be announced soon on how you can get your work featured. Questions this week cover the benefits and disadvantages of design competitions, is a testy shop a good idea or is a self hosted shop better and how the creative workshop bookings are taken and how you can make sure you secure your place.

Join Sean from twohundredby200 in the 30th episode of our creative podcast. Sean kicks off this week with a look back over the last two creative workshops aimed at helping graphic designers find employment and he announces the third workshop. The next workshop takes place on the 18th of March in the Fife town of Kirkcaldy. Details are available on our website for those interested in registering for the workshop. A series of illustration workshops start in April and Sean covers the topics which will be covered and how the format will follow the graphic design events. Sean also announces the web designer workshops coming later in the year which will be hosted by a partner agency and which will be supported by twohundredby200. The Dundee Design Festival which takes place between 25th and 28th of May, has found a home in the former home of DC Thomson. Sean talks about this exciting event and what he hopes will come out of the event in conjunction with the development of the V&A Dundee. Questions this week cover using mock-up templates in you portfolio, the problems of unwanted sales calls to your studio and the high benefits that a video channel offers the creative looking for exposure. Another packed podcast from the creative City of Dunfermline. If you have any suggestions for content that you would like to see included in 2016 then please contact us at info@twohundredby200.co.uk

In this the 29th episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast, Sean talks about the event of the past week in the studio. This week saw the early closure of our competition to win a copy of “Logo Design” and one of our 200 Digital limited edition screen prints. Sean explains what force the team to close the competition to further entries and how we are going to one forward to prevent the same from happening again. The first of our product review has hit or website and youtube channel and Sean chats about out first featured item, the Olloclip Studio case system which so far has impressed the team. We will be bringing more content like this on board soon and it will form part of the more regularly posts on our website. After an appeal for help finding a graphic designer who is fluent in Gaelic, Sean thanks the listeners who put us in touch with a number of very creative and talented people and studios from across the UK. Questions this week cover creative career choices, prop building for films and what carer Sean would chose outside of the creative industry.

Join Sean from the twohundredby200 design studio in the 28th episode of the our Creative Podcast and catch up with the week’s studio and industry news. This week Sean talks about some developments in the studio and makes appeal for a Freelance Graphic Designer or Graphic Design Studio fluent in Gaelic to work on a project taking place this coming May (4th-18th).  You can find out more on our “Work for Us” section of our website. Sean thanks everyone for their help in finding specialist illustrators for another studio project. We will be running another free workshop for Graphic Designers looking for employment in the creative industry. This time the workshop takes place in St Andrews, Fife, and there are 24 places available. Visit our website for more information. Reminder - the closing date for entries for our Logo design book and screen print is the 29th February and you can enter by visiting the win page on our website. This weeks listeners questions cover the small size of our design studio, what pens we use in our Time-lapse Thursday videos and what happened to the Retro Print Workshop who often worked alongside twohundredby200 on creative projects in the past. If you have any suggestions for content that you would like to see included in 2016 then please contact us at info@twohundredby200.co.uk

Join twohundredby200’s Sean in the 27th episode of the twohundredby200 Creative Podcast and catch up with the week’s studio and industry news. Sean kicks off the podcast by talking about the series of free creative workshops which the studio is hosting the first of which will be taking place in Dunfermline on 19 February 2016. The massive amount of interest in the workshops has lead to a retina in the number of places available. Sean talks about future plans for the workshops and how you can find out more about upcoming dates. Reminder - the closing date for entries for our Logo design book and screen print is the 29th February and you can enter by visiting the win page on our website. This weeks listeners questions cover the importance of knowing the Pantone Colour Matching System and why it is essential to keep your portfolio updated and fresh. If you have any suggestions for content that you would like to see included in 2016 then please contact us at info@twohundredby200.co.uk

Join a very weather beaten Sean in the 26th episode of the twohundredby200 Creative Podcast as Scotland is battered by yet another winter storm. Sean kicks the show off talking about the recent uproar in the YouTube community caused by the attempts by popular content creators, Fine Bros, to trademark and license the reaction genre of video. The actions take by the duo may have far reaching consequences for creatives across the world matter the field they work in. Sean highlights the various issues behind the uproar and why the copyright and trademark laws and agreements need revisited. We have a new competition running on the twohundredby200 website. New bookshop, Creative Reads, have donated a copy of “Logo Design”. The book, which is edited by Julius Wiedeman and published by Taschen, is a great addition to any studio bookshelf. In addition to the book, 200 Digital have included one of our limited edition and very popular tea themed screen prints. The closing date for entries is the 29th February and you can enter by visiting the win page on our website. This weeks listeners questions cover what is seen on Sean’s desk in some of our time-lapse videos and if design awards are worth the entry fee that many seem to charge. Sean explains why our studio stopped entering these type of competitions many years ago and what creatives should consider before entering such events. If you have any suggestions for content that you would like to see included in 2016 then please contact us at info@twohundredby200.co.uk

Join Sean in the 25th episode of the twohundredby200 Creative Podcast recoded from our Dunfermline design studio. To kick things off Sean thanks everyone for their help in our appeal for help in finding freelance illustrators to help us with a upcoming project. Special thanks to those who sent in their portfolios and to the who connected with on the social networks who suggested people we could approach. Help lie this is what makes the creative community great. Sean talks about Fife Zoo and the recent opening of their coffee shop. The zoo is a recent client of twohundredby200 and our team are working with them to produce branding and promotional material to bring life to the new project. This unique eco-friendly African theme coffee shop has a wide selection of coffee and teas plus delicious freshly made lunches, cakes and pastries made from local produce. The design of the café’s interior carries the Africa throughout creating a warm, welcoming and relaxing environment to take a break. Next up Sean talks about a new crowdfunded ventures coming to the airwaves soon. The Light of September is a new weekly podcast series from multi award-winning creators of The Minister of Chance. The Light of September will be available as a free podcast  in ten x 10-minute weekly episodes, crowd-funded by its audience: as each episode is released, a one-week campaign will begin to raise £2,000 to fund the next episode. If that target is reached, the episode will be released and a new one-week campaign will begin for a total of ten weeks. This week’s questions cover how we film our popular time-lapse videos in the studio and whether or not Behance is of advantage to young creatives looking to get exposure for their work. If you have any suggestions for content that you would like to see included in 2016 then please contact us at info@twohundredby200.co.uk

The first twohundredby200 creative podcast episode of 2016 finds Sean taking time out of our busy design studio to share news, answer questions and more. This year has kicked off and the studio is already busy with some exciting projects including two big branding projects which Sean talks about and the plans to share some of the processes involved in their creation. Sean talks about the recent changes to the twohundredby200 website’s creative news section. The entire news archive is now simpler to navigate enabling users to find the content that interests them the most. This improvement comes from a number of welcome suggestions made by of listeners to this podcast. The Creative Pick of the Week feature has made a welcome return to the website and will cover a wider array of topics from across the world. The main addition is the inclusion of architectural and fashion related projects. The studio team have also started a regular new series on our Youtube and Vimeo channels. The new series features time lapse footage of hand lettering and some behind the scenes of various studio projects undertaken by the team. These time-lapse videos can also been seen by following our studio instagram account The new content schedule is as follows: Wednesday - The twohundredby200 Podcast Thursday - A creative time-lapse or behind-the-scenes video Friday - Creative Pick of the Week The studio will be looking for freelance illustrators for a project starting in May and ending in October 2016. We are looking for illustrators with proven experience in the creation of detailed illustrated maps and illustrators who have experience in creating educational graphic for children aged between 5 and 16. Sean talks about what we will be looking for and when more information will be appearing on our website. If you have any suggestions for content that you would like to see included in 2016 then please contact us at info@twohundredby200.co.uk

This episode of the twohundredby200 crave podcast Sean announces some big changes coming to our magazine. The magazine has existed as a pdf publication for over a decade and as technology changes so must the format of the zine. Sean talks about how the studio will continue to support creativity by expanding our website, expanding the content and expanding the reach of the magazine to allow it to continue to grow and cover more of the creative community. Sean also answers some questions recently sent in by listeners. Edinburgh based freelance designer asks for advice on setting his rates Sean talks about how he used to set his rates when working as a freelance graphic designer before starting the studio back in 2002. He covers some elements that many people often miss when estimating costs. 2016 promises to be an exciting year for the studio team and Sean talks about some of the initiative and competitions coming online and with which we will need your help to make them happen. Exciting way to end 2015.

In this week’s episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast Sean is back to answer more questions and update us on the work of the studio. Sean updates us on the new videos hitting our channel. The first Show and Tell episode was received well by viewers and followers of our magazine and the second video features a unique source of design inspiration. The twohundredby200 design studio is often asked to produce artwork in the iconic soviet military style very much along the lines that street artists Shepard Fairey creates with his large wall murals. When we were first asked to create a piece of work in a style we have not used before, we have to do some research and one of the most useful places we have found is ebay. The shopping portal led us to a wealth of soviet designed badges. The badges would not win top marks for production quality as the materials and processes used are usually very poor but in terms of a source of design inspiration they win. Sean talks us through a small selection of the badges in the collection and talks about how the studio uses them and what the ultimate plan is for the collection is in 2016. Subscribe to our channel to see what else we have hidden away in the twohundredby200 studio. Jamie from Dundee asks Sean for advice on how to get more gig poster design work. Sean shares his experiences from when he was a student and covers some top tips for getting noticed by bands looking for a designer.

Sean is back in this week’s episode (21) of the twohundredby200 creative podcast. Sean covers the updates coming to the 200 Digital shop and thanks everyone for continuing to support the shop and the artists involved. He also speaks about the limited edition prints in the works from studio favourites Smite, Crosshead and WD each of whom have been hugely popular with customers of the online store. The magazine section of the twohundredby200 is undergoing some changes and updates to bring in more content to readers including the addition of video. Sean talks about a new feature available through the studio’s YouTube channel. The "Show and Tell” series will feature some of the cool and inspiring things that are spread across the 200 studio space. Sean answers a few questions from listeners covering photography and illustration. Will from Glasgow asks for advice on stock image libraries and Sean shares some experiences that fiends of the studio have had when signing up to such services to sell they imagery. Student Kat from Newcastle asks if it viable to earn a good living as a freelance illustrator and Sean covers the various aspects of freelancing and where to seek advice when considering different avenues of employment.

In episode 20 of twohundredby200’s podcast, Creative Director, Sean Makin is back to talk about the latest news from the studio, the magazine and it’s shop. Sean talks about the reason the twohundredby200 magazine is no longer available on the website in a Flipbook-type format but lets listeners know that it can still be experienced in that format through online publisher portal Issuu. The portal hosts the magazine in different viewing formats through it's website and through it’s own free iOS and Android apps. Sean moves on to cover the coming enhancements to the magazine and talks about the studio’s plans to expand it presence on Youtube and how it will integrate with the magazine and podcast. This something the studio team have been experimenting with over the past few months and the first content will be coming online with a regularly "Show and Tell" feature starting soon. Sean answers a few questions from listeners including the plan for coverage of the Edinburgh festival period this year and one asking how to part company with a client you can no longer work with. Sean talks about a recent experience the studio had when they reached the decision to stop working for a client they had been involved with for nearly 11 years. Sean covers the different aspects that people have to be aware of and talks about how to do it with the minimum impact on client and studio. A tricky topic but one Sean thought worth covering in this episode of the podcast.

In this the 19th episode of the twohundredby200 podcast Creative Director, Sean Makin is back to talk about the latest activities of the studio. Sean covers the latest issue of the twohundredby200 magazine. This issue packed full of superb creativity from across the world. There is a distinct architectural slant to this issue as we showcase some stunning examples of interiors each of which are truly inspirational. Sean talks about his favourite parts of this issue including the new identity created for Spike created by design agency bluemarlin as well as the stunning theatre set design produced to host an exciting new production of Shakespeare’s King Lear. The studio would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to get in touch with us to tell us about their projects and those who sent in work for the exposure section. It is really exciting to see this work come in and we are looking forward to the next issue. Since the last episode of the podcast a number of questions have been sent in by listeners covering topics such as what a design agency looks for in a illustrators portfolio, the best place to learn about typeface design and how to promote yourself to a new employer in the creative industry.

This episode of the twohundredby200 podcast gets a little street arty. Sean announces the winner of our "podcast only" competition to win a £230 voucher to spend in the 200 Digital shop and answers some more questions from listeners. Brian enquires about a recent presentation given by the 200 team covering the methods of creating interactive videos. twohundredby200 are excited by this technology and thanks to the recent developments in html 5, it is now something anyone can do with the right software and a little know how. Copywriting is topic of a question from Alison who asks Sean how important copywriters are to the twohundredby200 studio. Sean explains why good copywriters are worth their weight in gold and why the studio prefers to employ freelancers instead of creating copy in-house. Exclusive to the twohundredby200 podcast - Sean speaks to Scottish urban artist Crosshead. During the interview talks listeners through the reason he started his new hidden project and what he had to learn in order to make sure that it can be enjoyed for decades to come.

In this the 17th episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast, Sean Makin answers more questions sent in by listeners and announces a podcast only competition. The questions in this week’s episode have a distinct signage feel to them with a question from listener Grant about where to start when designing artwork for full body vehicle wraps and how best to approach it. Simon from ST Andrews ask for some advice about creating artwork for use on large display banners, a field that twohundredby200 has had a great deal of experience in. Maisie from Dundee asks for advice on how to ensure she gets paid when freelancing and Sean shares some of his experiences of freelancing before he founded the twohundredby200 studio. Sean talks us through the staged payment method that the studio employs when taking on a freelancer.

In this episode of the twohundredby200 creative podcast our creative director, Sean Makin, announces the winner of our recent competition to win a MacBook Pro. Sean gives us an insight into the various projects that the twohundredby200 studio undertakes and talks about a recent illustration project for the Royal Navy which will exist for decades to come. After the last episode of the podcast we have been sent a number of questions from listeners and Sean answers a few. Topics include work placements and and how to approach design studios, why some clients don’t allow for their work to be displayed in portfolios and how freelancers can get in evolved with twohundredby200’s various design projects.

Creative Director Sean Makin is back to answer listeners questions, share some news from the 200 Digital shop and our studio. Sean also announces the new competition backed by twohundredby200 and 200 Digital to win a Macbook Pro. Gill Sans raises it’s head and Sean puts his case forward after his blog post became a topic of great debate online.

twohundredby200’s Sean Makin is back to answer some more of your questions and to talk about the other activities surrounding the studio. Sean talks about the new 200 Digital shop and what you can expect to see it stocking in future. He talks about the popularity of the latest issue of the twohundredby200 magazine and thanks everyone for their support.

The studio’s Creative Director, Sean Makin, introduces issue 10 of the twohundredby200 creative magazine and thanks everyone involved in it’s production.Sean announces an exciting big change for the 200 Art Shop and he also offers some advice to students on preparing their CV’s before sending them out to design studios.

Sean answers some more questions from listeners of the podcast and also covers the upcoming tenth issue of the twohundredby200 magazine.

Sean is back in another mini cast to answer a few listener questions about the twohundredby200 studio and shop. He also talks over plans for the Edinburgh Festival this year.

In this mini cast Creative Director Sean Makin answers some more of the listener’s questions and make a few announcement connected with the twohundredby200 magazine and the 200 Art Shop.

twohundredby200’s Creative Director, Sean Makin, makes this special mini cast to announce the winner of our competition to win a Wacom Intuos Pro Special Edition graphics tablet.

In this mini podcast, Sean answers listeners and readers questions as well as discussing the dangers of the practice of free pitching in the creative industries. If you have any questions for the studio or magazine team drop Sean a line at info@twohundredby200.co.uk.

Sean is back with answers to more of your questions. He also tells us about a odd events that happened at the twohundredby200 studio that is truly out of this world in the strangest sense of the saying. Also in this episode you can find out how to get hold of some studio freebies

In this episode Sean answers more questions sent in by listeners and gives us a quick overview of the copyright law. You can find out more about the legal standing of copyright in the UK here - https://www.gov.uk/intellectual-property-an-overview Another good reference source is on the CLA website where they outline copyright in a simple way - https://www.cla.co.uk/copyright_information/copyright_information/ For information on Fair Use can be found at http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-other/c-exception/c-exception-review/c-exception-fairdealing.htm & https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/138/copyright_and_licences/55/copyright-the_basics/4 One of our studio team, Jo Whitfield, wrote piece about an instance of copyright infringement that happened to her. You can view the post on our website. Jo also suggests a useful reference book that makes copyright a bit clearer for artists and designers - http://www.twohundredby200.co.uk/copyright-the-creative-minefield/ Sean mentions a handy guide for budding sign writers - Signwork (2nd Edition) by Bill Stewart ISBN 0-632-03365-7

In this short edition of the twohundredby200 podcast, Sean is back to answer your questions and tells us about the new competition on the twohundredby200 website. You could win a Wacom Intuos Pro Special Edition! We have one of these excellent creative tablets to giveaway to one lucky winner. If you would like to ask Sean or the team any questions then please drop us a line.

In this the fourth episode of the twohundredby200 podcast, Creative Director Sean Makin answers more questions from our listeners, he discusses the dangers of using low cost printing companies and “website in a box” solutions and also talks us through some of his favourite and most disappointing design projects from the twohundredby200 archive. If you would like to ask Sean or the team any questions then please drop us a line.

The Creative Director of the twohundredby200 design studio, Sean Makin, answers listeners questions about the 200 creative magazine, our online shop and our design studio. If you have any questions for Sean or the team then please drop us a line.

Join Sean from twohundredby200 as he talks us through the various opportunities for working with the studio team. Sean covers how we approach freelancing with the studio. Sean also covers the benefits of submitting your work to the twohundredby200 magazine.

This episode of the twohundredby200 podcast covers the marketing of brands to kids and how to submit your work to the 200 magazine.