OUGD602 - Contacting Professionals

Using the list of professionals we made in an earlier session, we were given a week to contact them. First, a session was run that gave advice on the best ways to contact them, which was incredibly useful. The most effective and advised way to contact busy professionals is by using physical mail, it is more impactful than an email. It can be in many forms such as a simple letter to just strike a conversation. It might be a piece of work you have made yourself, or just a piece of design you want to share with them.

One technique that may be more effective than that is sending them a piece of work that replicates their own. Often a gift that is paying homage to their work will be taken as a compliment. It will also entertain them to see work using their own tone of voice and will make them noticeable.

I myself used my original identity gifts that were first created in OUGD402. To a couple of people on my list, I sent handmade candles and a selection of business cards by post. They were sent to Dave Sedgwick and Volta Studio in Porto.





As well as sending these candles, I took this opportunity to send the posters I created for Emanuelle OUGD502 to Emanuele Capponi in Rome.

After sending the packages the process was pitched to a presentation group. Overall there was positive feedback and many felt that this was a personal gift that would grab the attention of the receivers and resonate with them. This exercise has benefited my overall outlook at contacting professionals. I will always, when possible use physical post which is much more meaningful than any electronic means of contact, and I am starting to understand the benefit of growing a network.