Last night Thoughtful travelled up to Newcastle to listen to a talk by Adrian Shaughnessy, organised by DESIGN EVENT.

Adrian’s talk was centred around the essential attributes of the modern graphic designer.

The audience was largely made up of students with a few designers dotted around, and what was great about the talk was how relevant it was to everyone. It would have been quite an eye-opener for the students to hear that sometimes, being a designer isn’t great, and it can be hard and boring. (We can’t remember being told that when we were at college.)

As a relatively new start-up, we’ve had more than a few tough times already, and it was reassuring to know that someone like Adrian, who’s been kicking the UK design industry’s arse for 20 years has been through it all too.

It’s fair to say though, Adrian is one of the few people who can write about and discuss his experiences without fear of upsetting clients or giving away his company’s edge – which is why his talk was so refreshing.

We love listening to other heavyweights like Dick Powell or Stefan Sagmeister speak but so often these talks only cover their achievements within their respective fields, which can feel a world away from where we are at the moment. Last night highlighted the shared experience we all have as designers, from a self-taught graphic designer who’s been there and written a book about it.

Adrian’s a very busy bunny, but we’re going to try our hardest to bring him to Manchester to discuss his thoughts and experiences about the ever changing design industry.

One last thing, if you ever need a petrol stop, be warned about a creepy little place called Barton Park Services. Their petrol is more expensive per litre than Prada perfume, and you’ll run the risk of actually running out of petrol before you get to it.