FUTURES LAB 2025
- Serrell Tafari
- Nov 20, 2025
- 16 min read
Updated: Jan 3
POSITIONING MYSELF AS AN ARTIST
WEEK 1 : 20 . 11 . 25
TEXT:
MY NOTES :
LESSON/ PERSONAL REFLECTION :
OUTDATED CV I MADE LAST WINTER
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖ MY WEBSITE⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
I used to call this my portfolio and used it as such for a while, but its realistically more like a personal website of all my broader work. In last years feedback for futures lab, and the advice from the careers adv - Sadie Lenton, both advised me to make a 10-15 page pdf version. I've been meaning to do it for age and kept putting it aside until now, where I'm challenged to create a professional portfolio for employers, highlighting my best work and projects.
NOTES FROM MY CAREERS MEETINGS WITH SADIE.
RESPONDING TO THE JOB AD + MAKING A CHECKLIST FOR MY CV
THESE ARE THE FIRST FEW DRAFTS OF MY UPDATED CV
I edited one of my retail cv's, essentially just trying to get the information right. Then began thinking of different designs and ways to make it more original.
WEEK 2 : 27 . 11 . 25
JUNEAU PROJECTS, COSIMO & CAREERS + ENTERPRISE SESSION - BUSINESS, TAXES AND GOING FREELANCE
workshops
FIRST PORTFOLIO DRAFT
Starting is hard since theres so much work, on top of everything we did in the past year. I got a template and started adding stuff. Created a profile page inspired by some behance portfolios - looks a bit gross for now, red and black is a nono.
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪˖ INSPO ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
BEHANCE PORTFOLIOS AND CV INSPIRATION
EXPLORING POTENTIAL CAREER PROSPECTS- REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
CONCEPT ARTIST https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/concept-artist
CREATIVE DIRECTOR https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/creative-director
ILLUSTRATOR https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/illustrator
FREELANCEhttps://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/self-employment/freelancing/
FOUND SOME EDUCATIONAL+INSPIRATIONAL VIDEOS
instagram posts with links
EXPLORING CREATIVE FONTS FOR PERSONALISATION
WEEK 3 : 04 . 12 . 25
DOODLING STUFF FOR MY CV IN LESSON
Before my tutorial I drew various cv compositions and designs, including a side-profile logo showing my personal self.
~transcript
Today was quite a long day. I had my feedback from the other project and I’m super happy - I got a first, 75%. Really, really happy. I made a promise to Lara that I’d start putting my work out there, reaching out to people, and finding ways to make my animation more immersive. The way I want to do that is by creating revenue through exhibitions or installations - spaces where I can showcase my work in a similar way to what Al Sarraj does. When I speak to her, that’s definitely something I want to learn from her: how she builds revenue and connects with people so effectively.
We also discussed interview techniques and started working on our employability materials - CVs, cover letters, etc. I still haven’t written my cover letter. I currently made a refined “retail” version of my creative CV, but I want to make it stand out. I want all my materials to have some form of commonality, a clear theme or brand. If you look at my CV, cover letter, portfolio, business card, even my website, I want them all to express a unified identity. Like when I walk down the corridor and see Adam’s logos everywhere, he’s really built a strong, consistent brand. That kind of visual identity shows self-awareness and confidence as an artist, and I think people respect that. It makes them more willing to explore engage with you.
It was interesting seeing what everyone else in my class is doing. Everyone has such different ideas. James, for example, is making a glowing, laser-cut, glow up CV - which is insane. He’s really thinking outside the box and staying consistent with his theme. David later spoke to us about the importance of consistency, something I’ve been trying to do.
TUTORIALS WITH CAREERS + ADVISORS , FREYA :
On a side note, I spoke to Freya Jenkins from CareersPlus. I went in hoping to get feedback on my CV, portfolio, and employability materials. Instead, she asked me a lot of questions, and through answering them, I actually learned a few reassuring things. For example, the Hatchery programme is available for five years after graduation, not one year like I initially thought. she booked another meeting for Monday on Teams. I’m planning to refine my materials over the weekend and send them off for feedback.
After that, David came around and gave me very direct, critical advice on my CV and portfolio. I have a solid retail version of my CV, which I assumed he’d find boring, but he actually said it was good to have a “normal” version. One alternative he suggested was placing a 3D model of myself on the page, with the text arranged around it ,something that shows off my 3D skills. That then sparked the idea of animating myself, which I could do in Nomad and Mixamo. I’ve done it before, so that could actually be really cool. He also suggested using Google Sites for my portfolio, since it enforces grids and design principles more than Canva does. I understand what he means, Canva is very accessible, but it doesn’t always teach you why a design works. From secondary school through to uni, I mostly used Pages and older design software, so I do fairly understand design fundamentals, I just haven’t reached that refined stage with my portfolio yet, and I’m definitely doubting myself a lot.
I want a consistent theme, clearer sub-form captions, and proper figure labels. What I have works well as a website or presentation because it’s very dynamic, but that could be overwhelming in a portfolio context if everything moves at once. For a digital portfolio, I need to find a balance between motion and still imagery. One thing I’m really unsure about is how much content is enough. Am I showing too much? Too little. I also need to be more intentional about how I present myself. Am I a 3D artist? A character designer? An interdisciplinary creative? How do I show that interdisciplinary in a way that actually flows? It really depends on the role I’m applying for. David put it perfectly: the job ad is flexible enough to represent what I want to become in the future - Concept artist? Animator? Freelancer?
I think the best approach for me is to keep things simple, creative, and fun. I also need a physical portfolio, a clean PDF version, and I was challenged to create a showreel for this brief. I need to be more selective and intentional in how I present myself: designer, 3D artist, technologist, character designer, illustrator.
This drawing is one of my favourites because it represents me a lot - my identity as a person and artist - and all the elements that inspire me. I love it. I want it to be the first thing in my portfolio, but the current placement and black background aren’t working. I should make mood boards of textures, colours, patterns, and themes to help refine my design choices. Another useful idea was creating different iterations of my CV and portfolio tailored to different roles. Like Freya said, I have multiple pathways. Showing that experimentation on my blog , and documenting the thought process, could be really valuable..
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖TIAMAT⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
A recurring motif in my work and an heirloom is the Tiamat
I wear it on my neck and on my clothes, it has a very special meaning. Some think its Egyptian lol.
Tiamat is the primordial goddess of the salt sea, chaos and creation in Mesopotamian myth. Revered as the original mother of gods, she represents the primal forces from which give birth to new worlds, encompassing the duality of creation and destruction. Her embodiment of the wild and unpredictable aspects of life serves us as a reminder of the transformative potential found within chaos. She is often portrayed as a monsterous dragon or serpent in her antagonist role, before her body formed the earth and universe; illustrated in the Enuma Elish, the world's oldest written creation story.'
To me she's a symbol of my heritage, a philosophy and the ancient story which inspired many. Including that symbol in my portfolio, and wearing in a way reinforces that part of me. If someone sees it in my materials and then sees it on me in person, it shows that my art isn’t separate from who I am; My identity and my work are intertwined.
TASKS
make a showreel
clarify how I want to present myself, where I want to go, MY BRAND - mood boards!
develop my employment material; cv, cover letter, portfolio, business card, etc..
review with Freya, tutors and peers.
organise and keep social media up to date e.g linkedIn.
12 . 25
DEVELOPING A PERSONAL BRAND/ IDENTITY
I want to try and understand how I want to express myself and my art to employers and people in the industry.
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖MOODBOARD ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
In order to understand how I truly want to present myself I created a mood board which basically dissect all those little bits about my art and self. I started with key motifs in my work and just the affinities that I have - certain themes and colours which have significance to me . Then theres the more professional aspect which is my skills. I want to show that I’m skilled - that I can do fine art, illustrate, manage projects, collaborate, work across 2D and 3D, animate, model, and use tools like Twinmotion, etc. range, adaptability, creativity, and critical thinking. Overall being considerate of how I should show these sides ; balancing the professional and emotional creative imaginative.
EXPLORING STUDIOS
I MIGHT APPLY TO
PLEASE READ!
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
DAY BEFORE THE BOM SHOWCASE
BUILDING NEW RELATIONSHIPS
Yesterday, I took a little trip to BOM to meet my sis. There wasn’t much going on, but I made 3 really valuable interactions and connections. One of the highlights was speaking to Taran in person. As I mentioned in my proposal, I wanted to collaborate with BOM, and Taran turned out to be one of the best people I could have spoken to. We had a long conversation about how I could use their facilities, particularly for 3D printing and technical work in Blender.
I came in, sat down, and was eating a muffin when I overheard trigger words like “retopology”-. He was explaining something to someone else, and I just knew it was about Blender. He has a lot of knowledge and shared some great resources and tips with me. He also suggested a method I haven’t tried yet - keyframing - where you plot key points of motion with a video in the background, and Blender automatically calculates the timing and spacing between them. The more keyframes you use, the more detailed the motion.
I briefly pitched him my presentation for Roots to Fate, sharing my process and what I’ve done, and it went really well. He recommended someone else who’s even more knowledgeable in Blender (who I then connected with on Linkedin). BOM have also been seeking to reach out to other young creatives so I came at a great time. We set up a deal that I will use their Rokoko studio at scheduled times, and in return my experimentation can help promote their studio. They’re getting new 3D resin printers soon that I’m free to use, which is so cool!
After that, I moved to the other side of the room, where a few bootcampers were finishing up work before the showcase. I noticed some really interesting projects on their screens, which caught my curiosity. My sister was talking to a lovely woman named Sienna, who was making some really amazing work (I added her on LinkedIn too). She let me go through her presentation explaining her entire process.
Right next to me I met a girl named Teodora Minetos. I’m really glad I connected with her because she is incredible. At first glance, her work looked like a quirky retro sci-fi game, but as she gave us a full tour - the level of creativity, technical expertise, and attention to detail was so skillful. Teodora shared her background in game design, including her experience at DeMonford. She explained her process, her methodology using multiple software programs, and how she approaches both character design and technical work. We also talked about how she joined the BOM bootcamp to find a community.of like-minded people and have fun; in which this is the first time Im meeting another character designer/3D modeller in the wild.
We spent about an hour talking, covering many subjects, from software workflows to our personal creative journeys. She showed me her ArtStation portfolio https://tr.ee/7RZA7SDxBY, which motivated me to make my own since its a platform catered to digital artists in games, film, media. The way she presented her work and articulated herself inspired me in how I should present myself in the upcoming interview, because AD+CT would defo hire her. I then showed her my current portfolio that I’ve been currently working on and it felt nice having someone react positively to my work and be curious. We encouraged each other with our ongoing projects, and it was motivating to have that kind of meaningful conversation and a new connection. I'm glad I found other artists outside of uni, and that me and BOM have started collaborating early on. For them to support me for this project is so exciting.
MAKING AN ARTSTATION ACCOUNT
ArtStation is a leading online platform for digital artists in games, film, media, and entertainment to showcase portfolios, find jobs, sell art/assets, and learn from peers, acting as a professional hub for high-quality 2D/3D art with powerful portfolio tools, community features, and a marketplace for resources. It's essential for connecting artists with recruiters from major studios, offering a sleek portfolio builder, learning resources via ArtStation Learning, and community challenges.
Over the Christmas break I’ll start curating my portfolio here, showcasing mainly my character, concept illustrations and 3D work! Games, film and media is kind of industry that I’ve considered working in the most as a designer, so its good having a tailored portfolio for that industry on a site thats tailored for that industry (rhymes).
YOUTUBE VID TRAIL
MORE USEFUL VIDEOS
SINCE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF ACCOUNTS I UPDATED MY LINKEDIN A
LITTLE BEFORE THE SHOWCASE
BEFORE & AFTER
CURATING PERSONALISED THUMBNAIL DESIGNS FOR MY PROFILE
I THEN FIXED MY LINKTREE
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖ LINK TO MY TREE ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
POSTING MY ART ON SOCIAL MEDIA
DEVELOPING MY MATERIALS
LOADS OF CV DRAFTS
I've experimented with different colours, placements, and creative layouts. Adjusted content, fonts and opacities.
Final contenders, I chose the one with my face since it feels more personal.
*Note: the QR code turned out to be invalid due to domain issues so it links to my old website not my new portfolio which sucks.
LENTICULAR PRINTING
Lenticular printing is a technology in which lenticular lenses ( lentil like lenses) are used to produce printed images with an illusion of depth, or the ability to change or move as they are viewed from different angles.
I have a really cool idea of turning my CV and Business Card into a physical lenticular picture. From the front view perspective all the employer sees is my plain CV, but from different angles appears various moving designs such as artworks or a moving avatar of myself waving. In which I would achieve that by 3D sculpting my character on Nomad then animating it on Mixamo. I’d then screenshot a few frames of that animation and remove the background to each frame; allowing me to experiment with different backgrounds and keyframe animations done on Clipstudio. I’d essentially be physicalising my animations and ‘said’ creative skills into a CV, using lenticular printing services such as Reflex Print Store, Tribal3D, or TwenT3 which are more local to me; or reaching out to the graphics department at BCU to see if they have any connections.
Unfortunately theres not enough time to do this by the deadline, but that wont stop me from making them anyway.; particularly for applying for competitive/creative roles. I'd most definitely do this for my business cards once I finalise its design.
AUGMENTED REALITY
Alternatively I can make an animated cv / business card using AR technology, inspired by this creator.
COVER LETTER
I struggled quite a bit making the cover letter for the first time. I found some templates given by Sadie, one of the career advisors, over a year ago, which luckily I still had. And it’s hard to write one for a fictitious studio that I’m applying for.
So, I ended up thinking why not fictitiously research this studio, because it does fall under the same ADCT name? I’ve done this sort of “quote-unquote research,” by looking at the instagram and my blog- reflecting on my experience in the course, the nature of working collaboratively on these projects, and whilst also being true to my ambitions and the kind of studios, the role, that I would want to work in future; concept artist, illustrator, creative director, etc. The role in itself is up to me, so long as it aligns with the ad.
WHAT IF I TURNED MY PORTFOLIO INTO A BOOKLET OR BROCHURE?
BUSINESS CARD EXPERIMENTATION
ATTEMPTING AT MAKING A SHOWREEL
WEEK 4 : 11 . 12 . 25
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖BOM SHOWCASE⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
There was more said so I transcribed and summed it up in notes:
thoughts ~
notes ~
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖EASTSIDE PROJECTS⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
TURNS OUT THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
'The term Nar Marratu translates from Akkadian to ‘Bitter River’ and was used in ancient Babylon to refer to the cosmic ocean, water encircling the world. In this speculative installation, Sarah Al-Sarraj presents a future, a large-scale panorama, depicting newly formed, interconnected communities in wetlands in disparate geographies. Drawn in graphite on canvas, the work wraps around the walls of Eastside Projects’ second gallery, offering a glimpse into an imagined future world where climate crisis has allowed new configurations of power, community and environmental stewardship to emerge.'
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖DESIGN CHOICES ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
~ tutorial reflection
I feel like I have a lot to work with. The main things I need to focus on are titling all the pages and keeping everything consistent, even down to details like title placement, which should ideally stay on the right-hand side rather than the left. I also need to make sure there’s consistency in daylight and lighting across my images.
When it comes to imagery, I need to be more intentional about scale and hierarchy. Illustrations, such as the Boomtown work, should be larger than the videos and photos because they hold the most detail, and people shouldn’t have to zoom in too much to see what’s going on. That level of clarity is really important.
I also need to be very strategic with how I use video. As a website portfolio, videos work really well to show process and movement, but for a physical portfolio it makes more sense to focus on key still images that can be printed. Everything needs to be clearly captioned, with short subtitles or explanations so it’s immediately obvious what each piece is and why it’s there.
Even though I really like the first front-page of my wedsite and what it says about me, I’ve decided to go with the second option. It’s the one I originally chose, and it’s a much stronger opening page overall. The main thing that needs changing is the font, as the current one feels too basic. I’m planning to switch to the Water Lily font that I used in one of my CVs, which I’ve grown really fond of and think suits the work much better.
I also need to make sure everything is properly linked and add in my MAC work experience, even though I already have a lot of content. They really liked the way I organised everything into minimal strips, as it clearly shows all the work at once. Compared to my original presentation-style website, which breaks things into individual presentations, this format works much better for employers because they can see everything quickly in one place. The presentation-style site would work better as a secondary or more personal website rather than my main portfolio.
CRAFTING MY PITCH
INTERVIEW PREP
PEER AND ADM FEEDBACK
NOTES FROM CAREERS MEETING/ PRACTICE REHEARSAL WITH ABAZ KASER
Introduction
Name, what you study, introduce the portfolio
Projects (Cover 3 points)
1. Your own role and responsibilities within the project
2. Why you made certain design choices or did certain things
3. What your favourite part of the project was, or what was it you enjoyed doing the most
Ending
Thanks them for listening, hand out business cards and promote social media, and ask them if they have any questions
Potential question - Why do you want to work for us
Points to cover -
1. Your passion for design and the industry
2. Your own technical skill and past experience
3. Bring up why you want to work for their company - mention team culture and ethic, say you enjoy some of the work they do and want to be a part of an environment like that as a long term career goal
PREPARE AND ORGANISE
How I try to stay organised and prepared, I hate when I forget things so I write everything down, tasks and deadlines, ways to mentally prepare and be presentable. Having ticked it all is satisfying.
WEEK 5 : 18 . 12 . 25
INTERVIEW DAY!
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖ CV AND COVER LETTER ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖ MY BUSINESS CARD ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖MY NEW PORTFOLIO⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖ MY PRESENTATION ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖ INTERVIEW ⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
Shake hands, don't rush nor waffle, be confident, be honest ~
Wish me luck.
REFLECTION
This brief encouraged me to reflect on my past and future - my journey in this course - positioning myself as an artist - thinking towards potential career paths and studios - networking with BOM and other creatives - developing more professionalism and confidence. I feel like there are things I could have done better in terms of the interview and cv, but I appreciate the work I have done to promote myself ( portfolio especially ) and everything I've learnt in the process.
Though I couldn't for this module I still want to make my business cards/cv’s lenticular (moving image). I’ll keep improving my portfolio and get the hang of designing some more for other sites/industries. I've even started making one for my mom as well, to help promote her artwork. Ahead of the creation lab I’ll definitely continue communicating with BOM and hopefully network with other studios/practitioners.
