Shivangini experiences The London Design Festival

September 25th, 2007

Shivangini Patel was one of the first people to apply for a volunteer position with the London Design Festival. She said she wanted to volunteer because “it would be a good opportunity to get up to date with what is happening in design,” and extend her contacts within the field.From the first meeting of the volunteers she thought it was an exciting opportunity to work with designers from different backgrounds and cultures. Shivangini was one of only two British volunteers out of 17 people. She was surprised that other young British graduates were not taking advantage of this exciting opportunity.

Her first few days of the Festival were mostly spent helping with the organisation and set up of the Festival HQ at the Southbank Centre. Participating in the launch of the Tom Dixon lighting installation really left its mark. She was excited to get a free light and the experience proved to her, “that simple designs can be fabulous. Simplicity, is you know, inspiring.”

Shivangini says the work at the main information point was gratifying because she got to help the people who hadn’t heard about the events of the week with seeing and experiencing it for themselves. The opportunity to see and listen to Zaha Hadid at the Southbank Centre was particularly moving to Shivangini because one, she is a woman, and secondly it gave her the confidence to continue pushing boundaries.

Her preferred event of the week was Designers Block because “it was funky.” She said the “crappy” building was a great place to showcase new and emerging talent. In the end the installations blended well with the environment, she says, “the colors, the lights, the people, it was just fabulous.”

After the Festival Shivangini hopes to find a job within the field of Information Design. Her ideal position would be “creating exhibitions, installations and communication material for future festivals.”

Below is her experience in her own words:

As a recent Graphic Design graduate I am eager and enthusiastic to pursue a career within the field, The London Design Festival for me this year has not only givin me a great opportunity to explore and keep up to date with Design but also allowed me to visit and attend conferences like; Langlands & Bell in conversation on the Interactive Design of Somerset House & Conference on Design for children which explored aspects of Environmental Design for children, I found them to be both very interesting and educational.

As a volunteer for the London Design Festival I have really enjoyed my time helping and contributing to such a major event within design in London. I have also been inspired by many great designs and works by Artists that I have seen through out the last 10 days.

I have loved every moment of the Festival and hope all who visited it did too!!

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