Nollie Design Ventures Ltd (2026)

05/01/2024

8 WAYS MODERN DESIGNERS CAN LEARN FROM CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH

At Nollie Design, we want to demonstrate Design's Transferable Skills. Building a broader skillset allows you to adapt to different projects, collaborate easier and provide more opportunities. We've split our transferable skills into 12 categories for you to learn from.

In our Past Masters series, we look at Generalist Designers in history to learn what skills allowed them to adapt to a variety of different projects and how we can develop those skills. Who better to focus on in our first post than Charles Rennie Mackintosh!?

Mackintosh was born in Glasgow and went on to design within Architecture, Interior, Textile, Graphic Design and Watercolour Art. His versatility allowed him to work on a variety of projects. With all of the advancements in education and technology, why couldn't we achieve a similar level of versatility?

In this post, I share some history about Mackintosh, follow Glasgow's Mackintosh Trail, and share 8 ways that modern designers can learn from his ability to adapt to different projects.

All information was fact-checked by the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, with images provided by The Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections.

23/09/2023

⚡️⚡️ WHAT MAKES A DESIGN LEGEND? ⚡️⚡️

At Nollie Design, we are all about sharing design's transferable skills. That means building a collection of skills you can apply to different creative projects.

Many design fields have their own rules and ways of doing things but there are so many ways where different design fields overlap.

By learning these skills, you will find it easier to work on a wider range of projects. Surely that's more fun than doing the same thing every day!

Designers have been told that we need to specialize to be successful. When in reality the opposite is true. The best designers in history were known by the wide variety of their work.

In Scotland, we have Charles Rennie MacKintosh, who's work went from building schools to print work. An even bigger example would be Leonardo DaVinci, known because of how much he invented.

To learn more skills and tips check out the Nollie Design website:
www.nolliedesign.com

21/09/2023

Do you struggle to draw people? Do you want to be able to draw people in your design work?

Design is about conveying your ideas and you should be able to draw that quickly. Why not try using cartoons as an inspiration. With cartoons you don't need to know how to draw proportions, or study human anatomy. You can just put your idea to paper.

Start by using the classic character template used in famous cartoons, like:
- The Simpsons
- Bob's Burgers
- Looney Tunes

It might take a while before you get good at drawing people, so until then demonstrate your ideas using cartoon characters instead?

19/09/2023

Here's a secret... You don't need to be amazing at drawing to be an amazing designer!! 😮

Cartoons are one the easiest ways to learn drawing. But for some reason, we see it as inferior to realistic drawing. Well until your Bob Ross, try just to convey your idea using basic shapes.

You can use cartoons as a way to convey your ideas without spending HOURS drawing and shading something.

To be a better designer, you now have a fast and easier way to put your ideas to paper.

Also, cartoons are cool.

Learn how to design a classic-style cartoon character in our next post.

Nollie Design is about sharing the transferable skills within the design industries. Check out our website for for design tips and tricks.

NOLLIEDESIGN.COM

17/09/2023

Does drawing seem too hard to do? There's a wee trick you can use to make drawing easier.

Use shapes as the skeleton of your drawing. Draw the shapes roughly how you want them and add lines over the top.

Drawing is a key component of the creative industry. You don't need to be amazing. But you should be good enough that you can display your ideas. Use this trick to start building your drawing skills.

HIT FOLLOW and learn how to use shapes to design your own characters.

Nollie Design is about learning Design's Transferable Skills, follow along and learn how to draw your own cartoons and develop more drawing skills.

Check out our website for more design skills:
WWW.NOLLIEDESIGN.COM

15/09/2023

Can you be a designer if you're not good at drawing? ✏️

Of course you can! There are many professional designers who are not the best at drawing.

All that matters is that they can visually share their ideas. You don't need to be able to draw perfectly, or even that well. But as long as someone can look at your work and tell what you're idea is then you'll be fine.

Just look at Dieter Rams. His sketches do an amazing job of conveying his ideas but they are very simple.

In the next few weeks I'll share drawing tips so that you can start simple and build from there.

Follow Nollie Design if you want to learn some drawings skills and become a better designer.

13/09/2023

WHATS MY MOST IMPORTANT TIP FOR ANYONE STARTING DESIGN? It isn't learning to draw, it isn't a portfolio, it isn't spending hours doing tutorials.

A good designer has a secret tool that helps them grow their skills and keep them on track.

A Design Notebook. If you're new to design, you might be wondering why that would help?

A notebook will keep you on track and if you use it often you can see yourself grow as a designer. It can show you your process when doing projects. It can be used to write do-to lists. But most importantly, use it to write down advice, new techniques and things you want to remember in the future.

If you go to a design school, you may call it a Design Journal, A Process Book, etc.

Keep yourself on track and use it daily.

But what do you write in it? Honestly write whatever you want, write how the project might be going, write down your ideal clients, doodle. Do whatever you want, but keep consistent. Write down your goals and how you can achieve them.

If you want to start a design journal and want to get inspired check out the blog:
www.nolliedesign.com/design-journal/

11/09/2023

Do you want to be a designer? Do you want to expand your creative skills? Maybe you don't know how to start.

Welcome to Nollie Design, where you'll learn design's transferable skills.

We'll go through the different ways design fields overlap and you can adapt your process and start growing your skillset.

I'm Connor, I started as a Graphic Designer, ended up in Makerspace using 3D printers, then became an Industrial Designer. Design overlaps so many ways, but nobody is talking about it. Till now...

Follow as we start by learning the design process and design drawing basics.

Check out www.nolliedesign.com for more design resources.

06/06/2023

Do you be a great Designer you have to know your process. This is the foundation to build your skills on.

Having a strong understanding of your process is what separated the part timers from the pros.

🗓️ PLAN:
Plan your time around your deadlines and set realistic goals and check you fully understand the brief.

🔍 RESEARCH:
Go out meet people who can answer the questions you've got about your project

✍️ CONCEPTS:
Put as much as you can to paper.

🧑‍💻 DEVELOPMENT:
Bring your best ideas forward and refine

🌟 DETAIL:
Polish your final idea so it's ready to present on its own.

📊 PITCH:
Showcase your work to your client and have answers to questions prepped and ready.

📢 PROMOTION:
Use your work to build your audience and get seen.

At Nollie, our goal is to show you how your skills can transfer across different design fields.

Back in the old days, designers could go from field to field with ease, now we're stuck in one specialty. We plan on changing that.

✌️

THE ICONS USED IN THIS POST ARE AVAILABLE AT NOLLIEDESIGN.COM

08/05/2023

Welcome to Nollie Design!

We want to share with YOU the transferable skills within design.

Follow us as we embark upon learning and sharing the techniques used across Graphic, Fashion, Interior, UX / UI, photography.

Well teach you how to build an adaptable Design Process.

MORE ABOUT NOLLIE:

I'm Connor. I started out as a Graphic Designer, ended up working in a Makerspacd then studied Product Design.

On this journey I noticed how much of my skills transferred over. The more I looked into it, the more I realised this type of creativity used to be the norm.

Take Scottish designer (and hero) Charles Rennie Mackintosh. His work stretched across a range of mediums from fonts, to furniture, to architecture. That way of creativity has been lost to time, and we want to bring it back!

FOLLOW US IF YOU WANT TO BE THE NEXT ADAPTABLE DESIGNER.

Nollie Design Ventures Ltd

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