Email conversation with designer Ben Crossman

Ben is an old friend from Brighton, and, essentially, the person who made me want to do graphic design in the first place. 

He still to this day is one of my biggest inspirations and his work, back in the day, was very much what got me interested in the world of design. 

He used to explain to me carefully every process of his work, and, as I spent a lot of time with him, I began to learn and love a lot of what went on. 

We fell out of touch just through busy lives, but I thought I would contact him and find out where the world of design has taken him. When I left Brighton he was just finishing a short graphic design course at the university of Brighton to further develop his skills and qualifications.

I intend to go down and visit him and the studio where he works on the weekend between my two weeks interning in London.

On 29 March 2011 13:07, Ellie Niel-Mee <elliexyz@hotmail.com> wrote:

Thank youuu...

What made you start to want to do video stuff?! We just did a module on after effects... creating idents and title sequences. It nearly killed me but I learnt a lot. I got square eyes by the end of it. SO MANY KEYFRAMES. But since that... have decided that moving image isn't so much my thing. 

Just wanted to send you the e-mail because you were, essentially, the person who made me want to do graphics in the first place. 

I've got a placement at an advertising agency in London for two weeks in April and am thinking of visiting Brighton for one of the weekends that I'm down there... would you like to do a coffee or a lunch?! Would be lovely to see you and hear about all this in more detail. It all sounds so exciting. 

Hope all is well with you and Noot, will check out the video once it loads. 

xxx

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From: ben@brcrossman.com
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:56:58 +0100
Subject: Re:
To: elliexyz@hotmail.com

Hello chicken - lovely to hear from you!

I'm well thanks. I work for a company called Surface Impression, based in Brighton. We specialise in cultural projects, so public funded arts orgs and bigger stuff like museums. I worked on this one for the Bodleian library in Oxford last year: http://shelleysghost.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/

I am lead designer now, started off freelance doing static layouts about a year and a half ago, then jumped in at the deep end and now working on sites from start to finish, learned shitloads (still am), but very much taught myself / learned on the job

don't really do much illustration now, other than producing graphics for websites. Trying to get into video tho!

oh yes and i did this at the weekend, it will probably change your life: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C_DjAmz8hw

what you been upto you little waster? ask any more questions if you have any

lots of love xxxxxx

Ben Crossman

On 29 March 2011 12:37, Ellie Niel-Mee <elliexyz@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hey Ben,

It's Ellie... How are you stranger?!

As you know... I disappeared and started on my quest to be a graphic designer on my course in Leeds... I was just wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your work and your general life as a designer?

Who do you work for now and what kind of stuff are you producing? I checked out your website and there aren't any examples of your work.... Are you specialising in the illustration or the web design now?!

I am popping down to Brighton soon, so would be lovely to see you to catch up and maybe discuss your work?!

LOVE

Ellie 

xx