a fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power surrounding someone or something.

M y s t i q u e | m i s t e k | n o u n

a fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power surrounding someone or something.

M y s t i q u e | m i s t e k | n o u n

Mystique isalso available

on iPad

B E E Ö S T E R M A N

THE MYSTIQUE: Why are you at CSM now? I liked the way of learning in my portfolio course, and I thought since the course is bigger the fa-cilities are better in Saint Martins compared to universities that offer graphics courses in Fin-land. I think it‘s also really valuable to have peo-ple from all over the world in our course.

Tell us a bit about the working process and the kind of teaching at CSM! It‘s really independent which is good cause it gives you the freedom to try out different stuff and do what you want. And at least for me peer feedback and networking with other students is one of the most important a project.

How is the school seen in you hometown?I think in Helsinki some people know CSM for its fashion course/graduates, and Aalto University of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki col-laborates with CSM.

What was your main reason for you to go ab-road and move to London? I came here for a gap year in 2010 to spend some time abroad before studying, and for some reason keep co-ming back every autumn.

B e e ‘ s I l l u s t r a t i o n : ‘A l t er e d s t a g e ’ c o l l a g e

w o r k i n p r o g r e s s

F I R S T Y E A R G R A P H I C D E S I G N S T U D E N T

A L I F E C H A N G I N G M O M E N T

S T I N A L AV E N I U ST H E A V I D I L L U S T R A T O R T E L L S

U S A B O U T C U R R E N T L I F E A S A F I R S T Y E A R

THE MYSTIQUE: What is a good thing about studying at CSM and what is a bad one?Good thing: If you understand the opportunities you get, you can really do anything. *anything you want. Bad thing: You can’t.Then good thing isn’t really true unless you have money. When we have already paid so much for this education, I think that material should be for free. At least really really cheap. And large lockers should be available for everyone.I liked the way of learning in my portfolio course, and I thought since the course is bigger the facilities are better in Saint Martins compared to universi-ties that offer graphics courses in Finland. I think it‘s also really valuable to have people from all over the world in our course.

How did CSM and moving to London change your life?I have never been so poor as during these months. But never so rich on impressions.

Tell us something about the new building at the Kings Cross side? I’m slowly getting to know this building, I guess I will feel more and more at home . But i still has a stiffness to it. And it’s so big, more lockers could definitely be squeezed in!How does living And Studying in London influ-ence your Work? There are actually less distrac-tions here compared to when I lived in Stock-holm. There I always had extra jobs, relatives to visit, Sunday dinners with the family, friends I hadn’t seen in a long time... Here almost all my friends are gathered at the same place: uni, so I can hang out with them and work at the same time. Of course I miss seeing my grandma and having Sunday dinners, but it means I can focus more on working. So the main influence this place has had on my work is the quantity.

Selfportrait, 2011Aquarelle

Grandmother Greta 2011, Lead pencil

indian ink, white ink pen

2ND YEAR

BAGD STUDENTSAT CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS

Z E Y N E P A R T O K

Interviewed by Jan KunkasikumFilmed by Haley Ma

THE MYSTIQUE: A lot of people say that CSM has a big name; Do you agree?The reasons that I came to csm for my BA course was just like what people usually answers like CSM has big name and its like very well-known in the arts communities so I thought it was a good school to go to.

Were there any other schools in your mind?However, I really want to do graphic design and CSM has a name to it. I was thinking of go-ing to America. I actually applied to some schools and got accep-ted and everything but, I choose CSM because I thought that Lon-don Is a great city. And its very well-known for its arts like all the museums and exhibitions.

The thing is that I wanted to do something with arts. When I was in turkey I joined a studio environment and they taught me how to draw and everything such as sketchbooks and things. Then later, they told me the best place to go based on my skills would be CSM or within the University of the Arts London (UAL)

However, I chosen CSM out of those six universities

Currently finishing their second year,

reputation continues to create a unique

platform for emerging graphic designers.

LONDON’S BEST ARTS UNIVERSITY

S T U -D E N T S

E D W A R D O N GT O N O G U Z O O H I R O N O G U C H I

THE MYSTIQUE: CSM attracts people with various reason; what was yours? I have always been interested in fashion and CSM has a very implusive alumni which I thought was impressive.

So If fashion was your interests; Why did you end up doing gra-phic course? I didn’t want to go to graphic design but I got in for graphic design. I might well do graphic design. To be honest, back in my country CSM is a Big Name and if I graduated from CSM whether in any course I would still get a good job.

What‘s next for you?After I graduate, I would proba-bly run my own design company back in my country and be real famous. I rather do what makes me happy than to be employed.

THE MYSTIQUE: What makes a great collaboration? You get to work with these talen-ted people like nowhere else and location. The reason that I chose graphic design course here was because I didn’t want to go to London College of Communica-tion (LCC). Plus, CSM has a Big name for their Graphic design pathway.

Why CSM is your choice?I heard about CSM from every-where! Anywhere! For example, Alexander Mc-Queen has a hugh reputation. Also, I did my A-levels here in England so basicly my high school is associated with CSM. Somehow, we had Jimmy Choo as our president of the school and everyone is choosing one out of the six universities within the University of the Arts London (UAL). For me I think, CSM is the best and for that reason I came to CSM.

THE MYSTIQUE: what is the most exciting thing about being here?All the students from around the world come together and shared their different cultures which I found interesting and real sense of international community.

What initially drew you to study here?Back to the time I made the deci-sion to come here, I guess I want something different. Different culture and getting out of my comfort zone you kind of sort of find yourself you know like dis-cover things about yourself. In here you learnt more indepen-dently.

For more content see the iPad version of Mystique.

1 2Interview Interview

SEBLESTER

BOBBYGUNTHORPE

3Interview

L I V E B R I E F S

CECILIEBARSTAD

THE MYSTIQUE: What designers, design com-panies or agencies have strong connections with the graphic design department?Bobby Gunthorpe: My personal answers might be (from the college website as well as some of my own personal suggestions):BA Graphic Design alumni include: Alan Aboud, Alan Fletcher, Andy Altman, Colin Forbes, Damon Murray, Derek Birdstall, Dylan Jones, Graham Wood, Huw Morgan, Jonathan Barnbrook, Katy Hepburn, Ken Garland, Luci-enne Roberts, Michael Worthington, Minkie Spiro, Morag Myerscough, Paul Neale, Phil Bai-nes, Platon, Richard Hollis, Sandro Sodano, Ste-phen Sorrell, Tom Hingston, Tony Chambers.

Design groups or companies formed by BA Graphic Design graduates or employing BA Graphic Design graduates include: Aboud Sodano, Barnbrook Design, Coley Porter Bell, Fallon, FUEL Design, GTF, JKR Global, John-son Banks, Mark & Anna, Moving Brands, Mul-tistorey, Pentagram, Praline, REG Design, Sans +Baum, Studio Myerscough, Tom Hingston Stu-dio, Tomato, Why Not Associates, Wolff Ollins, Wieden & Kennedy.

For instance, Karstadt.Why did they choose us, why CSM?CSM‘s students have a huge reputation within the creative industries so in many instances brands or companies approach us because they wish to collaborate. I am afraid I do not personally know in every instance exactly how companies approach, or are approached, by CSM – it varies, but it can go in both directions; often they want to work with us, other times we might want to work with them. The Enterprise and Innovation department is responsible for arranging these collaborations and you might want to speak with Eimear Byrne (The Spon-sored Students Project Manager) for more in-formation: e.byrne@csm.arts.ac.uk. In some instances these brands/companies have long standing relationships with the course and col-laborate often. Other times it can be quite or-ganic; for example, two recent sponsored pro-jects offered to CSM by Tetra Pak Japan came about by one of their product managers having attending a course at CSM, having a great ex-perience with the teaching and deciding that they would like to experience more.

B O B B YG U N T H O R P E1Interviewed by Jan Kunkasikum

A L U M -N I

C S M ‘ S S T U D E N T S H A V E A H U G E R E P U TAT I O N I N T H E C R E AT I V E I N D U S T R I E S S O I N M A N Y I N -S TA N C E S B R A N D S A N D C O M PA -N I E S A P P R O A C H U S B E C A U S E T H E Y W I S H T O C O L L A B O R AT E .

In your opinion, what makes CSM Graphics different from other University? I was a student at CSM in the mid-90‘s. Before I came to CSM I wasn‘t fully aware of its’ repu-tation but shortly after I started studying here I would speak to people who might ask whe-re I studied and when I said CSM they would often go (in all seriousness) ‚ooooooh Central Saint Martins!‘. I think the graphics department here has always attracted and produced fierce-ly independent, creative individuals who care about their subject and want to push things for-ward. I think that the freedom to independently explore the subject offered at CSM doesn’t suit everyone but for those for whom it does work there is nothing like it. The premium placed on the strong idea first and foremost seems to be an identifiable trait also. Being in the heart of things, in London, with our connections and re-putation make us unique.

P R O J E C T T U T O R A N D C O U R S E D I R E C T O R A T C E N T R A L S A I N T M A R T I N S .B O B B Y G U N T H O R P E S H A R E S U S A B O U T A D V A N T A G E S O F B E I N G A T C S M .

Which companies/organisations do graphic design students from CSM produce work for through competitions and collaborations?BG: LVMH, Sony Music, Lacoste, Samsung, Tetra Pak, Heinz Foods, Cambridge University, Kings College London, Royal College of Art

S E B L E S T E R 2

SEB LESTER , THE TYPOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR. HE SUCCESSFULLY BECAME A TYPE DESIGNER BY CONTINUING

HIS INTERESTS AFTER GRADUATING FROM CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS.

W H A T I D I D G E T F R O M C S M W A S A S E N S E T H A T Y O U C O U L D D O A N Y T H I N G , T H A T T H E W O R L D I S Y O U R O Y S T E R

2So, what was the turning point from leaving here?I got most interested in type design actually on my foun-dation course. To be honest, I was pretty fixed on that. I liked doing other things, but I think ultimately, that was probably the point….it caused a certain amount of fric-tion when I was here, because I was pretty headstrong about doing typography.

THE MISTIQUE: Did your time at CSM play a part in that or was it something that came along later?What I did get out of CSM was a sense that you could do anything, that the world is your oyster. I remember, there were students when I was studying here, going off - third year students here doing photo-shoots with Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell - which was amazing, I mean, they were students. There were people really high-flying and they hadn’t even left college, so there was that atmosphere that instilled a certain amount of confidence in you, that you could go out and do wha-tever you wanted if you set your mind to it.

You decided to specialise into a much smaller area of design, rather than being a broad graphic designer or an illustrator, you’ve gone into typography. What was your decision to go into that? Was it a natural pro-gression?I was saying this to someone earlier, I think it’s one of those strange things; it kind of chose me as much as I chose it. It sounds weird, I really enjoyed lots of things, but that was the thing that pulled me in the most and I found most stimulating and challenging and enga-ging.

So, did CSM help you get into the job market, or did you have to find your own way to break into that?The best thing about CSM for me, was they had a degree show in central London; that makes a big dif-ference. I mean, having a degree show in London, li-terally a thousand agencies, you know, in Central Lon-don – lots of people are going to see your work. That was the biggest factor for me because I was very….well I got a Rolling Stones tour book when I left col-lege, that was the first job. And I wouldn’t have got that necessarily if I was studying somewhere else.

If not that, what would you consider to be your ‘big break’ as it were?My big break was studying at Monotype as a type designer.

You said on your website, you are an illustrator, a desig-ner and an artist. Would you have described your work as a student as all of those things, or were you quite specific with what you were producing?I was trying to do all of those things really, but within the context of letterforms. So it was typographic, illustrati-on… I was doing art. I was doing all of those things with a very specific purpose.

If you knew then what you know now, what piece of ad-vice would you give your younger self?I think just believe in yourself actually…

Seb spoke to second year student at Central Saint Mar-tins, spring 2013.

G I L L E S & C E C I L I E 3

The illustators, Gilles Jourdan (France) and Cecilie Barstad (Norway). Gilles & Cecilie. Gil-les and Cecilie both graduated from Central Saint Martins with bachelors degrees in graphic design. Cecilie also has a masters in business management. Gilles of the Parisian suburb and Cecilie the Norwegian countryside meet metro-politan London. Founded in 2006.

Our studio is on Redchurch Street in Shore-ditch. It’s on the top floor so we’re blessed with a spacious tall ceiling, brick walls and windows at the front and rear, which gives us good natu-

ral light. The studio has three areas: the compu-ter area, a library of books, samples and archive of works and another for drawing and making stuff by hand.

As designers we have the ability to have an im-pact on our environment. We have the aspira-tion to improve things. We love to be precise, to make things interesting, to make people see things differently. The possibility to make envi-ronments that are harmonious and comfortable to be in, environments to love in and environ-ments to work within inspire us to create.

THE MYSTIQUES : While you were here skills did you learn from CSM? Did you find indepen-dence or collaborative opportunities? Both of those things, but other things I remember very well are making ideas and concepts and going for what you wanted, that is part of indepen-dence, but also to believe that what you’re do-ing is good and being able to sell your ideas and convince other people of them; also to take criticism and build on that to take ideas further.

CSM wasn’t on my list at all, I’m from Norway and I went to an education fair in Oslo, where there were lots of schools and things you could do and you could go around and check it out. The University of the Arts was there (then Lon-don Institute) and I knew I wanted to go into graphic design, so there was a sign saying gra-phic design this way and there was The Institute on the corner. I didn’t really know anything, we had the Internet at home but I didn’t really use it because it was so slow.

I met Alain Baines, he was interviewing peop-le, so I asked “Can I show you my portfolio?”, he said “Yes you can, but I don’t let everyone in, just so you know”. So I said ok I would come back in an hour, and I showed him my portfolio and told him about the ideas and everything. He said that my English wasn’t very good but I could speak French and I’m good at learning, I was 20 and I wasn’t that good at English from school. From that he signed me up from Saint Martins. This was in June, so I came home and said to my Mum that I was going to move to London in August, do you want to come with me and settle me in.

What advice could you give for when people leave the college? To get a job and how to pro-mote yourself? I knew I wanted to do my own thing so I didn’t apply for a job. Since I started

my own studio I think the most important thing is to make a plan. Never doubt yourself. Never tell anyone else if you’re asking for a job that you’re nervous and think you’re not going to make it, this you have to keep to yourself. Be nervous at home and strong when you’re out-side. Everybody is nervous right, I mean actors and illustrators, we all are nervous that things are going to fail but I don’t think that needs to be let outside.

Make an annual plan, like how much do I want to earn this year, divide it in days then you have a day rate and then how many jobs you need to make that. What is it you want to do? 10 illustrations for a book, maybe one film, 2 personal projects, then you have some numbers. As soon as you put things in to numbers it’s easy. Ok, I have done one personal project, I have another one to do this year, good. Then you can mea-sure in percent how well you did, and why did you fail or not. Make sure to take holidays as well. When friends and family have anniversa-ries or whatever, just don’t work that weekend and that’s it. Sounds super easy, but of course it isn’t. That’s the last sentence, of course it’s not easy, but it’s easier if you plan and have some goals to work towards. It’s not easy to be a prac-titioner but it can help you out.

What did you make of the ethos of CSM? Did you fit in? I think I was good fit. Since I was young I’ve known what I wanted, even if I didn’t know that you could be a graphic designer gro-wing up in the countryside of Norway. I knew I could be a doctor or a pharmacist but nobody ever talked about art or being a creative as a profession. I’ve always been independent and by coming here I was emphasising that; by being here I got great freedom to explore and to explore ideas.

I K N E W I C O U L D B E A D O C T O R O R A P H A R M A C I S T B U T N O B O D Y E V E R T A L K E D A B O U T A R T O R B E I N G C R E A T I V E A S A P R O F E S S I O N