THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2009
Meet Erin Morris- Kit Design Award 2008 Winner
In the lead up to the very exciting Kit Design Award 2009, we thought we'd ask 2008's winner about her experience and for any hot tips she can give to this years entrants...
kit: How did you feel when you found out you had won the Kit Design Award 2008 competition?
E: When I found out I won, I just stopped. The situation seemed surreal and I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked, amazed, ecstatic. I experienced a rush of different emotions. I have never experienced winning something as high profile as the Kit Design Award before and I didn’t know how to react.
kit: What do you feel you got out of the competition?
E: I gained invaluable exposure across a range of media from online blogs, magazines and the newspaper articles. I still get calls and messages from friends saying they have spotted a photo of me or of the kit product with my design in various media, which is fantastic for my career within the communications industry. Being able to say that I created a design that was sold commercially is also an amazing and extremely rewarding experience. I feel a great sense of achievement.
kit: What are you are doing design and career wise now?
E: I currently work for Sambag, a retail women’s fashion company in a hybrid role as both a retail sales assistant and graphic designer. My role has given me experience both on the floor and in a design capacity which has given me a greater comprehension of the Sambag brand. I am also working towards an overseas trip to Europe and North America as both a personal and professional venture to build my cultural knowledge and experiences.
kit: What was it like to walk into a kit store and see your products on the shelf?
E: It is an amazing experience to see your design on products sold commercially, especially at kit stores as I have been a fan of the brand for a long time. My friends were very supportive and excited for me and I received many calls and text messages from friends who saw the product in-store and purchased it.
kit: What is your advice to those entering in the Kit Design Award 2009 competition?
E: The most important thing when designing commercially (ie. not just for fun or for yourself) is to research your client and build a strong understanding of their brand and it’s ‘look’. It is important not only to understand the client’s ‘look’ visually but also to interpret information to find the client’s target market and their price point, who they want to appeal to and such. And of course, design flair and creative thinking are a given. I also felt that with a brand positioned in the fashion sector, it is important to consider trends and how to best use the colours in the given palette as these have a huge impact on the success of retail products.
To download the 2009 deign brief, specs and terms and conditions, click here and get creating!
