Inscape Alumni
From Vox Wiki
Paul Kotze - Graphic Design 1997-1999
It has been many years since I studied at Inscape. I've just been updating some personal information and came across your new site and got all excited all over again. Browsed through the site and read your new wiki contribution, so I thought I'd add mine.
I managed to find a job in a publishing house during my internship while studying at Inscape, and was offered a full time job as Art Director as soon as I graduated for Penta Publications. From there I moved on to Intelligence where I ended up launching T3 and Playstation SA. I was also Art Director for PCFormat at that time. In 2003, I was offered a job in Dubai for a publishing house to move in and revamp their portfolio with the editor I was working with. From there I moved to Dubai's largest publishing house where I oversaw the men’s lifestyle department in DTP. In 2007, I had moved back to SA and since have been working at Panorama Publications. I am currently the Studio Manager overseeing fulltime and freelance designers for 13 titles that we publish, as well as other media products we handle.
My experience at Inscape set the perfect grounding for my career. The courses offered felt tailor-made for my learning aptitude, where I got out what I put in and was always pushed to my boundaries. I received a vast level or knowledge and training across all media types that left me prepared for any avenue I chose after graduating.
I hold Inscape in the highest regard, and am honoured to have you, your staff and the college as the grounding for my career.
Stefan du Toit - Interior Design 2005-2007
As a student at Inscape I wasn't always the perfect pupil. I did not always take things too seriously. However, I always had a passion for design, and when I later got my wake-up call and started taking things a bit more seriously, everything came together nicely.
I started working at The Design Partnership, where I gained a lot of experience that I still treasure today.
Later on I was approached by Quanto Bello Interiors in Johannesburg, who offered me a senior position promising enticing challenges, and I decided to take it. Through all of this the one thing that always stayed on my mind was business. I wanted to start my own business.
One of my friends, Henk van Wyk, and I started a part-time business and ran it for a couple of years, but we felt it wasn't enough. After a year and a half of driving back and forth between Joburg and Pretoria we decided to run our own business full-time. Working between my house and his garage, we managed to build up the company Liquid Mesh Design to a well-oiled machine, with our office now situated in Brooklyn, Pretoria.
Coming from different design backgrounds we collaborate very well. Our company now covers a diverse range of disciplines including the areas where they overlap. These range from Interior Design and Architectural Visualisation to Graphic Design, Illustration, and Web Design. Liquid Mesh currently has a fulltime staff of five, including former Inscape students, Jemma Blom and Robin Rossi. We also make use of the services of several associates on contract basis.
Our clients cover a range of international names and we deliver work for projects as far afield as New York, Dallas, Angola, Nigeria and the United Emirates. We also cater for niche markets, creating bespoke solutions rather than using one house style.
What we do might be commonplace, but the way we do it, is not. When we get under the skin of a project we challenge the usual, everyday and average. We use our unique combination of creativity, energy and insight to make sure our next piece of work is always our best.
The golden thread that runs through all we do is our belief in building strong and lasting relationships with our clients. It means investing time and effort in making sure we really understand your clients’ products, customers, and markets. This is where exceptional creativity thrives.
Turning 25 this year, I am proud to say that all we have today started at Inscape for me.
Dirk Kotze - Interior Design 2002-2005
Since leaving college things have been going great and I am still constantly learning through new experiences and projects. The design world is much bigger than anything I had expected back then. I am currently working in-house for one of the biggest private developing firms in SA and work in numerous fields including design, project management and tenant coordination. Money is scarce out there in the new economy and diversity is definitely a friend of anyone in the practice at the moment.
I am currently living in Amanzimtoti with my young family and I am still in contact with Liezl Joubert and JR Shultz that were in my ID diploma year.
I hope all is well with the college and all my lecturers, big shout out to Helen, Quintus and yourself. I am very exited to hear that you might be offering on-line courses from next year as I am always interested in furthering and refreshing studies in design.
