LCC Graduate School // Creative careers advice from It’s Nice That

Staff at It’s Nice That give feedback on LCC students’ design work

It’s Nice That and INT Works recently invited LCC Graduate School down to their studio in Hackney to give some students from the School of Design an insider peek around their studio, some detailed portfolio advice and to answer some career questions. Graduate School Assistant Tari Eguruze reports.

Led by INT Works creative Ellen Turnill, the visit started off with a brief tour of the studio with a rundown of the different roles within It’s Nice That, and its sister creative agency, INT Works.

Now in the form of a website and bi-annual magazine, It’s Nice That started life as a blog nine years ago, and now has evolved into a creative media company, involving artists from a wide range of fields including illustration, graphic design, animation, and architecture. They commission creatives and set open briefs, inviting the best new talent to collaborate with them and showcase their work, and highlighting the best talent working today.

Recently It’s Nice That moved into brand partnerships, working with artists to create new approaches to product advertisements. Preferring to take a tailored editorial approach to showcase as a brand, the It’s Nice That team emphasised the importance of storytelling and artistry.

“Educating brands on editorial is still a fairly new thing.”

For a recent brand collaboration, It’s Nice That teamed up with Uniqlo for opening of the new Tate Modern building, creating immersive mock-ups of the brand’s storefront within the Tate, organising installations and live, collaborative art performances capturing the spirit of the brand.

Visiting It’s Nice That and INT Works’ studios.

On the other side of the studio was INT Works, which operates more like a ‘traditional’ agency. The benefit of working in such close proximity with It’s Nice That gives them the opportunity to allow their clients to share exposure with the It’s Nice That audience, as well as embrace their own creative process.

Capping off the studio visit, the students presented their portfolios, wowing staff with the range and quality of work, and receiving some sage advice from them about how they could move forward.

Top tips from INT Works and It’s Nice That:

1. Tailor portfolios to feature only your best work, keep it focused and relevant.
   “Personal projects show passion and personality. Only show what excites what you do yourself.”

2. Seek out similar organisations to the ones you would like to work for in the future. Send personalised messages and ask to meet informally for advice on portfolios and careers, rather than blindly and generically sending out emails for jobs.
   “Ask questions at organisations and business you’re interested in.”

3. Develop a personal project. It’s especially appreciated when a creative student can flesh out a personal project they’ve worked on themselves outside of academic or commissioned work, as it shows passion and dedication and helps them stand out in terms of the approach and the aesthetic.
   “Turn a niche interest into something with universal appeal.”

The studio visit was perhaps one of the most informative and career building for our postgraduate students, and hopefully they took something concrete away about how to develop their creative careers after leaving LCC.

Words by Tari Eguruze

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