Peer Peeks Sessions

Take a peek at some of your Design Peers. Leading creative minds share their professional stories and pieces of advice.

• To My Younger Self – 5 Pieces of Advice from Jonathan Kirk 

Jonathan Kirk looks back over his 30-year career in design and considers the advice he’d give his younger self. What were the big lessons and what would he have done differently? An honest and illuminating retrospective with some important pointers for anyone involved in Design. Join Jonathan on Thursday, August 18th 2022 at 8:30 am.

About the speaker

Jonathan Kirk is the founder of Up to the Light, a consultancy that advises creative agencies on positioning and strategy, and all aspects of business improvement and growth, challenging some of the ingrained assumptions that exist in our industry and providing effective, insight-led advice.

Jonathan’s senior roles have included Business Development Director of Fitch, the global brand design group, and New Business Director of Havas EHS (now Havas Helia), one of Europe’s largest agency networks. Jonathan is a founder member of the Design Business Association’s Experts Register and is a frequent conference speaker and trade press contributor.

• Signs of Power – A Poignant career journey with Lettering Artist Vanessa Power

If you ever catch the red line Luas past Smithfield in Dublin, you will be familiar with the ‘Me Aul Flower’ mural on Benburb Street. The quintessential Dublin-esque phrase was created by sign painter Vanessa Power, also known as ‘Signs of Power’.

Vanessa Power is one of a rare breed in Dublin. There aren’t many young female sign painters who have achieved such success in this historic and specialised craft. Having worked on commissions with everyone from Facebook to Jameson, she’s bringing her contemporary vibrant style to big brands and shining a light on the power of street art and typography. From web designer to renowned artist with a solid reputation among famous clients, in this short talk, Vanessa will retrace the journey of her Signs of Power. Join Vanessa on Thursday, August 18th 2022 at 5 pm.

About the speaker

SIGNS OF POWER is Dublin-based artist Vanessa Power who specialises in custom lettering, type-based murals and hand-painted signs. Vanessa’s bold typography conveys a contemporary and timeless urban aesthetic. Her vibrant and clean style acts as a bridge between the traditional craft of sign painting and the arresting aesthetic of the pop art movement.

Signs of Power’s work can be seen across Dublin city and it has been widely commissioned by a myriad of national and international brands (City Councils, Jameson, The Guinness Storehouse, the Devlin Hotel, Facebook, Twitter and more). Her work has also appeared in group shows in Chicago, Belfast, London and Dublin, including Frame, Dublin and she has delivered workshops all across the globe.

The Peer Peeks sessions are part of our Design Summer Sessions programme Share & Learn Sessions. Book your ticket now or browse through the rest of the programme.