The Human Experience
I recently had the privilege to present WOLFEGANG, the graphic design studio I started in 2008, as well as represent the broader creative industry at a local Secondary School’s career fair.
The experience was so incredibly rewarding and I hope to have inspired at least a few of the many curious young adults that approached me.
But what became absolutely apparent to me after the third visitor was the fact I need to shorten my '‘entry to the creative industry’ life story - mostly to avoid sending young people into a coma and also to avoid driving myself insane (and then probably into a coma myself).
My story is not unique - I’m sure there are others out there who have a similar course of events - however I would say my story is not so common. And it was especially interesting to a hall packed with 11-15 year olds - as my story is very much based on the notion of being open to change and finding a career that I hadn’t set off to pursue.
I managed to get it down to a few bullet points, and found a way to deliver these points in an engaging way each time (the event lasted 3.5 hours), so here it is:
I had a plan, I was going to further study music; specifically playing the drums
I was excepted at the Brit School (on the condition I improved my reading and writing of music)
From leaving the comprehensive secondary school I attended in Greenwich (with GCSE’s including an A in Music and English), an unexpected opportunity came up
A friend’s sister worked in a ‘Repro Graphics’ company in central London and they needed a replacement runner
I took the job with the understanding it would be a summer job so I could earn some £££ before embarking on my musical journey at the Brit School in September
I immediately fell in love with everything - the job, the people, the energy, the buzz of soho in the hot summer, the Power PC Apple Mac…
That was 1999 - look where I am now.
My point to these young people was very simple - be open and prepared for a change of direction if it presents itself to you - be open to discovering a passion you hadn’t known was there - be open to discovering a path that was previously totally unknown to you.
My career from a 15 year old comprehensive secondary school leaver - with a D for Graphic Design - to graduating to ‘Mac Operator’ within 6 months - to scan operator, retoucher, artworker, junior designer, designer, print & digital designer to heading up the digital division of the advertising agency I worked at before leaving to start WOLFEGANG in 2008… is all because I was open to trying something different to what I had planned, realising my passion and ability, my enthusiasm to learn - which has not faltered once - to taking risks.
The process is the thing
I recently had the privilege to present WOLFEGANG, the graphic design studio I started in 2008, as well as represent the broader creative industry at a local Secondary School’s career fair.
The experience was so incredibly rewarding and I hope to have inspired at least a few of the many curious young adults that approached me.
But what became absolutely apparent to me after the third visitor was the fact I need to shorten my '‘entry to the creative industry’ life story - mostly to avoid sending young people into a coma and also to avoid driving myself insane (and then probably into a coma myself).
My story is not unique - I’m sure there are others out there who have a similar course of events - however I would say my story is not so common. And it was especially interesting to a hall packed with 11-15 year olds - as my story is very much based on the notion of being open to change and finding a career that I hadn’t set off to pursue.
I managed to get it down to a few bullet points, and found a way to deliver these points in an engaging way each time (the event lasted 3.5 hours), so here it is:
I had a plan, I was going to further study music; specifically playing the drums
I was excepted at the Brit School (on the condition I improved my reading and writing of music)
From leaving the comprehensive secondary school I attended in Greenwich (with GCSE’s including an A in Music and English), an unexpected opportunity came up
A friend’s sister worked in a ‘Repro Graphics’ company in central London and they needed a replacement runner
I took the job with the understanding it would be a summer job so I could earn some £££ before embarking on my musical journey at the Brit School in September
I immediately fell in love with everything - the job, the people, the energy, the buzz of soho in the hot summer, the Power PC Apple Mac…
That was 1999 - look where I am now.
My point to these young people was very simple - be open and prepared for a change of direction if it presents itself to you - be open to discovering a passion you hadn’t known was there - be open to discovering a path that was previously totally unknown to you.
My career from a 15 year old comprehensive secondary school leaver - with a D for Graphic Design - to graduating to ‘Mac Operator’ within 6 months - to scan operator, retoucher, artworker, junior designer, designer, print & digital designer to heading up the digital division of the advertising agency I worked at before leaving to start WOLFEGANG in 2008… is all because I was open to trying something different to what I had planned, realising my passion and ability, my enthusiasm to learn - which has not faltered once - to taking risks.
Cultivating the next generation
I recently had the privilege to present WOLFEGANG, the graphic design studio I started in 2008, as well as represent the broader creative industry at a local Secondary School’s career fair.
The experience was so incredibly rewarding and I hope to have inspired at least a few of the many curious young adults that approached me.
But what became absolutely apparent to me after the third visitor was the fact I need to shorten my '‘entry to the creative industry’ life story - mostly to avoid sending young people into a coma and also to avoid driving myself insane (and then probably into a coma myself).
My story is not unique - I’m sure there are others out there who have a similar course of events - however I would say my story is not so common. And it was especially interesting to a hall packed with 11-15 year olds - as my story is very much based on the notion of being open to change and finding a career that I hadn’t set off to pursue.
I managed to get it down to a few bullet points, and found a way to deliver these points in an engaging way each time (the event lasted 3.5 hours), so here it is:
I had a plan, I was going to further study music; specifically playing the drums
I was excepted at the Brit School (on the condition I improved my reading and writing of music)
From leaving the comprehensive secondary school I attended in Greenwich (with GCSE’s including an A in Music and English), an unexpected opportunity came up
A friend’s sister worked in a ‘Repro Graphics’ company in central London and they needed a replacement runner
I took the job with the understanding it would be a summer job so I could earn some £££ before embarking on my musical journey at the Brit School in September
I immediately fell in love with everything - the job, the people, the energy, the buzz of soho in the hot summer, the Power PC Apple Mac…
That was 1999 - look where I am now.
My point to these young people was very simple - be open and prepared for a change of direction if it presents itself to you - be open to discovering a passion you hadn’t known was there - be open to discovering a path that was previously totally unknown to you.
My career from a 15 year old comprehensive secondary school leaver - with a D for Graphic Design - to graduating to ‘Mac Operator’ within 6 months - to scan operator, retoucher, artworker, junior designer, designer, print & digital designer to heading up the digital division of the advertising agency I worked at before leaving to start WOLFEGANG in 2008… is all because I was open to trying something different to what I had planned, realising my passion and ability, my enthusiasm to learn - which has not faltered once - to taking risks.
MAKING WOLFEGANG
Niki Wolfe started WOLFEGANG in 2008 - with a very simple ambition: to not be just another multi-disciplanry freelance graphic designer. Instead with the idea that the work could come to him - taking on projects that would not normally be given to a sole freelancer - by pulling in the various talents Niki had made throughout his career in the creative industry since 1999- he was able to say ‘yes’ to ambitious projects and deliver, and not only deliver but surpass exceptions and as a result build a rich word-of-mouth reputation with clients often taking WOLFEGANG with them as they changed position, company and even career.
WOLFEGANG is built from the core based on a strong belief that “nothing is impossible” - as long as the brief is clear and intentions of the project are good - we can work it out.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Walking through the doors of EMI, Harvey Nichols, L’Oréal, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, John Lewis, Southbank Centre, National Citizens Service, The Kings Trust… representing WOLFEGANG.
Founders Story
I recently had the privilege to present WOLFEGANG, the graphic design studio I started in 2008, as well as represent the broader creative industry at a local Secondary School’s career fair.
The experience was so incredibly rewarding and I hope to have inspired at least a few of the many curious young adults that approached me.
But what became absolutely apparent to me after the third visitor was the fact I need to shorten my '‘entry to the creative industry’ life story - mostly to avoid sending young people into a coma and also to avoid driving myself insane (and then probably into a coma myself).
My story is not unique - I’m sure there are others out there who have a similar course of events - however I would say my story is not so common. And it was especially interesting to a hall packed with 11-15 year olds - as my story is very much based on the notion of being open to change and finding a career that I hadn’t set off to pursue.
I managed to get it down to a few bullet points, and found a way to deliver these points in an engaging way each time (the event lasted 3.5 hours), so here it is:
I had a plan, I was going to further study music; specifically playing the drums
I was excepted at the Brit School (on the condition I improved my reading and writing of music)
From leaving the comprehensive secondary school I attended in Greenwich (with GCSE’s including an A in Music and English), an unexpected opportunity came up
A friend’s sister worked in a ‘Repro Graphics’ company in central London and they needed a replacement runner
I took the job with the understanding it would be a summer job so I could earn some £££ before embarking on my musical journey at the Brit School in September
I immediately fell in love with everything - the job, the people, the energy, the buzz of soho in the hot summer, the Power PC Apple Mac…
That was 1999 - look where I am now.
My point to these young people was very simple - be open and prepared for a change of direction if it presents itself to you - be open to discovering a passion you hadn’t known was there - be open to discovering a path that was previously totally unknown to you.
My career from a 15 year old comprehensive secondary school leaver - with a D for Graphic Design - to graduating to ‘Mac Operator’ within 6 months - to scan operator, retoucher, artworker, junior designer, designer, print & digital designer to heading up the digital division of the advertising agency I worked at before leaving to start WOLFEGANG in 2008… is all because I was open to trying something different to what I had planned, realising my passion and ability, my enthusiasm to learn - which has not faltered once - to taking risks.