Creative spotlight: Carla Matthews, Creative Design Officer at Derby City Council

In the creative spotlight this month is Carla Matthews, Creative Design Officer at Derby City Council. She tells us all about her experience working in the public sector, her creative workflow, and why she can’t live without Adobe Creative Cloud…

By Shariff Ibrahim November 15, 2018

Can you tell us a little bit about your background as a designer?

I always enjoyed art and design at school, so it was a no-brainer to carry on studying Graphic Design at college and university. My first job was working for a business magazine at a large print company, where I got to work with some large brands, and it taught me the importance of strict print deadlines. Then I moved into the public sector and started working for Derby City Council. Public sector work really appealed to me because I wanted to make a positive impact on people living in the city where I live.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My work at the council varies from day to day, whether it’s the subject matter or the different channels. One day I could be on location, filming or on a photo shoot, another day in the office working on projects, meeting clients or pitching ideas. The only thing that’s consistent are the weekly catchups and production meetings with the team.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

Because I work part-time, it’s important I set myself a certain amount of design hours a week and allocate time to each project. That way I have a realistic work plan each week and make sure I meet the all important work deadlines.

The council are very forward thinking in their approach to new ways of working. So I’m able to finish earlier to pick up the kids from school, and then carry on working later from home to meet any deadlines if necessary. I also work from home one day a week (sometimes in my pyjamas!) which means I fit more in the working day by not having to commute. It gives me time to concentrate on any large projects or complete any online training without being interrupted, because I have to admit I do like a chat when I’m in the office!

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I’m a bit of a doodler and always have my sketchbook handy for when an idea pops into my head. I’m mostly influenced by street and digital art especially illustration and character design. There’s so much online with Behance, Instagram and Pinterest, which are great resources to tap into instantly and can really help when I’ve lost my creative mojo. But I also like to get out and about to different art and networking events too. I recently attended ‘The art of the hip hop album cover’ at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham, where I used different media, such as risograph printing and graffiti, which was very interesting, fun and hands-on.

What’s been your favourite project to work on?

My favourite project recently was for Breakfast Clubs, a scheme to offer free breakfasts to children in schools across Derby. We promoted the scheme to schools and businesses to raise money or pledge staff time as volunteers. The concept we created was a series of characters based on breakfast items – a bowl, a spoon, breakfast cereal and milk – aimed at children. These characters had their own personalities which were sponsored by various businesses, and we created an environment where they lived. The final designs included four characters running excitedly to school before Breakfast Club started. The branding was fun and engaging to children, and highlighted the positive attributes of eating breakfast.

And what upcoming project are you most looking forward to working on?

I have a few exciting projects coming up, but the one I’m most looking forward to is a series of short animations to promote the information, advice and support service for children with special educational needs. Animation is a new area for us and it’s great to use a different media channel to engage our target audience. We are just at the storyboard stage so it will be interesting to see how the animation will develop.

How has technology and creative software changed over the course of your career?

Technology has changed so much since I started, I remember my first piece of artwork was done in QuarkXPress. But I have since switched to the Adobe suite as the apps are so user friendly and easily integrate with each other. I use InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop on a daily basis through Adobe Creative Cloud, and more recently Animate for motion graphics and Affect Effects for any film editing.

How does Adobe Creative Cloud integrate into your workflow?

Creative Cloud means the design team can share work easily when we’re working on large projects together. We can create multiple versions at the same time and then share any work in progress. I love the tutorials on Creative Cloud so I can keep learning new skills and stay ahead of any current developments. The assets are all provided with the tutorials and the videos are easy to follow, which means I can quickly do some self-led learning at any time.

Is there a particular Adobe CC app you couldn’t live without?

I obviously couldn’t live without InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, but I also love the Adobe Scan app on my phone so I can quickly scan sketches to redraw in Illustrator. I also have a soft spot for Adobe Spark to quickly create any social media graphics on the go with all our brand elements already uploaded. Easy peasy!

What productivity tips would you give other creatives?

The presets in InDesign are amazing, any projects that are made for print can easily be resized for our website or social media channels by the touch of a button. I also like the templates available in InDesign in case I have to knock up a quick report cover or poster at short notice.

Looking forward, are there any creative or technology trends you’re excited about?

I can’t wait to use Adobe Character Animator on my next project and animate one of my character illustrations using facial recognition and control the character expressions and movements in real time. I’ve had a little play already and the possibilities are really exciting.

Want to know more about Adobe Creative Cloud? Get in touch with the team on 03332 400 888 or email DandP@Jigsaw24.com. For all the latest news, follow @WeAreJigsaw24 on Twitter or ‘Like’ us on Facebook.