Creative Report: Interview

Interview:

What is your name, age and where are you from?

My name is Ally Ross, I’m 33 and I am from Kentish Town, London.

What were you doing when you were 18-21?

I was selling t-shirts on the streets of Camden when I was 18. Cut up and safety pinned screen printed t-shirts, a real stereotypical punk look, with lyrics of my favourite bands printed on the front, that was fun. Met a load of weird and wacky people, as you do in Camden, and went on to design record sleeves for a while. They weren’t the biggest bands but it was a lot of fun and exciting for a mere 20-year-old. I got the gig after meeting a guy working at the radio station XFM, now it’s called Radio X, it was a lot more alternative back then before the Global Radio group bought it. After some good experience but not a lot of money, I went travelling at 21. I ended up in Amsterdam when I got a job at Foam gallery. I then met a group of awesome people, moved in with them, and was later introduced to the people behind Mysteryland.

Growing up around Camden I’d always loved the strong counter-culture vibe. From the wacky store fronts to gig posters and flyers, I wanted in on it all. The idea of designing posters for bands was a dream goal for me when I was a kid. Funny to think now. But yeah, backpacking around Europe at 21 was when I grew up. It was the first time I’d left the UK and I was awake. The atmosphere in Amsterdam was a lot calmer there and I thought the city was beautiful. It felt like a step in the right direction when I decided to move there at the end of my travels.   

What is a bit about Mysteryland?

Well, Mysteryland is the longest running electronic dance festival. It’s actually entering its 25^th year. There is a huge group of people working on various different areas within the festival and throughout the year, however I work on the branding and set design.

About:

‘We are a colorful collaboration of party animals, artists, DJs and creatives. Together we are Mysteryland; the leading electronic music festival in The Netherlands. Year after year, we reunite to celebrate our friendship and love for music. In between sparkling ponds, rivers and forestry hills of the Floriade terrain near Amsterdam, we welcome more than 100.000 fellow festival friends from over 100 nationalities. ­Our handcrafted stages range from outdoor dance floors to massive tents filled with LED screens, laser shows, and the world’s most advanced sound systems. Next to the dance floors, the various paths through forests and grassy fields will guide you to hidden chill out spaces, art installations, food courts and unexpected encounters with like-minded travellers.’

What’s the process behind the production of something that huge scale?

It’s the same as every design process, but just with a much larger team. You have a concept or theme for the year and this is usually the starting point. There’ lots of refinement and contribution from across the board. You do what you’re best at, and your ideas become a collective. You really need to get on board with everyone you’re working with or there can be friction. We start with a concept, and then experiment 2d with sketches. Then we move onto materials which is my favourite part. We look at the space we’ve set out to create and how colour and texture can communicate the desired environment. We then work up and up until you get to see it in the space. It’s an incredible feeling when you see thousands of people completely immersed in something you created for them, and to see it function how you wanted it. There are the few people that know what goes into these things but most people have no idea. But that’s what’s so great about it. It has this sort of subconscious effect on the audience, which is in my opinion a sign of good design.

Do you like working in a team?

I love it. You feel like you constantly have support and everyone is pitching in to produce the best outcome possible. Everyone there is so passionate about music and art so everyone is really giving their all. The Mysteryland team have become my family in a way. I never went to art school, so I never got to be in a space solely filled with creative minds. I’ve always wanted to just work around musical and artistic personalities and this is a space that is filled with every type.

Was there a language barrier for you working abroad?

I’ve never struggled in the Netherlands but their English is probably unanimously the best of all the places in Europe I’ve been. It’s never been a struggle for me, everyone speaks it very well there and as Mysteryland is hugely international, so English is normally the neutral language we use.

What’s your view on sustainable design, as this is something I am particularly interested in.

Mysteryland is actually a great example for sustainability within festivals. I mean, the Dutch are A LOT cleaner than the British. The visitors leave zero to no rubbish. This is because of the Greenteam we implement – a collection of volunteers who ensure that Mysterland take a lot of effort to leave as little a footprint as possible. It is down to the designers to make sure the attendees are well-informed of the impacts a festival makes on the environment, so we made separated bins that are provided throughout the campsite and the Greenteam distribute bin bags to everyone. I’d like to think the signage we design plays an impactful role in the effective recycling.

How does your practice reflect your personal life?

Long long hours at first. Don’t get me wrong I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done, but this line of work doesn’t start at 9am and end at 5pm. You got to keep going until it’s done. We all have deadlines and you want to see it all functioning so you work and work until what has to be done has been done. I think working for something so big keeps you going because of the knock-on effect your work has on the rest of the team.

Now I work a lot less on Mysteryland than I did 10 years ago, and have a lot more time to freelance and travel which is bizarre for me. I never saw myself getting into something like this but when I was younger Graphic Design was nothing like what it is today. I’m lucky to have the freedom I do to seek out projects that interest me, as I know a lot of people who don’t have that. But I believe you can sell out or you can stick to your guns. I stuck to mine and I think that’s why I have that freedom.

But yeah, I am always finding new and interesting projects to get involved in, which combine community and bottom-up or holistic approaches. I have always been a campaigner of sorts, so projects which reflect strong women and sustainable ideals I am particularly drawn to. Obviously, music is something that I hold close to my practice too, so I try and pick projects with a musical relationship when possible.

Do you think you get paid fairly for your work?

It’s difficult because attention to detail in my trade is vital, and one piece could take me 3 days of working 15 hours, but people just see the final product and don’t understand the blood sweat and tears that went into making something which they view to be ‘so simple’. And then minor tweaks that they think are minor but can actually take hours, then you explain that to them and they don’t care blah blah blah. I’m sure you’ve heard it before or experienced it yourself. I guess only people who do your work understand. I’ve only really have this problem freelancing, but less and less as you develop into the trade and learn the signs, then you can stop taking shit from people.  

What advice do you have for dealing with that?

Definitely pick your clients wisely. Cater for your tastes and styles, and what you want to do. You can think about the money or you can think about why you design, I do it for its purpose.

Do you often find yourself inside for long periods of time, because I find graphics very computer heavy, so was wondering your opinion on this?

Yes, it is but the best part about it being digital is that its lightweight and moveable. For the most part, as long as I have my laptop and a few other extras on me, I can be making work wherever I am, which is why I love what I do. I am big on travelling and gaining inspiration from living your life –experiences – the people you meet, places you go, cultures you see – no one really gets a eureka moment sitting in an office space, five or six days a week. For me, Idea generation and research happens out in the real world. It also happens on the internet and behind a book, but it takes looking up to find that initial spark of an idea.

I find the idea of more alternative outlets for design more attractive than what seems to be thrown at me on the course, what advice would you give for this?

I understand that. It’s where, when and who you meet. If you click with a designer don’t let that connection go, we all have different styles and approaches but you’ll find those people that work for you, and follow that up because you could be making incredible things. There are always going to be the people that go on to make adverts for Nike, and I can appreciate they are making fantastic design both aesthetically and conceptually. On the other hand, you have people who are going to put on bizarre productions and make wacky motion graphics for festivals, with more mess and chaos than a Nike poster. But they’re both catering for their target audience and purpose, and despite their apparent differences, they are both examples of equally good design.

Do you have anything else to add?

Just good luck with everything. You seem like the campaigner type, so keep that advocators attitude, it’s something design needs more of. As cheesy as it sounds, go with the flow and don’t do things that don’t feel like you. The world needs more honest people.

Ally's Work: