Meet the MD

Design visualisation combines my enjoyment of architecture, art, photography and technology. The process involved in producing our imagery is creative, fast, challenging, rewarding and fun (honestly). We work with similarly minded creatively demanding people so no two projects are the same. I qualified as an architect in the 90’s and soon realised that the timescales involved in creating and constructing a building was too long for my attention span - I have the utmost respect for architects producing great architecture. The fast pace of creating computer generated ‘virtual’ architecture in the form of our imagery suits me, and even though the fast pace is often challenging, it is stimulating – no standing still.

Passion, perseverance and integrity. If you want to produce great architectural imagery I would suggest gaining art or design qualifications and experience. Understand how designers think and talk and how the creative design process works in real life. When you understand this you will know if you want to spend your career working within a design environment. Then focus on artistry, attention to detail and aspire for high quality. Teach yourself all of the things you don’t know – don’t wait for others to help you – be proactive, show initiative, learn - for your own sake. Work out your ethics, keep your integrity, be considerate, honest, reliable, and be easy to work with. Don’t stop until your imagery is right, and if you are good, all of this will come naturally…

Professionally, Alan Davidson, founder of Hayes Davidson visualisation studio in London. I joined Hayes Davidson at an informative stage of my career during the build up to the New Millennium. We experienced the boom in the design and construction of the associated millennium projects including the Millennium Dome. I was fortunate enough to work within the team producing many of the Millennium Dome marketing images. I quickly understood the uncompromising aim of the studio was to produce the highest quality artwork within the pressures of the London commercial world. Alan helped me understand that the process of creating great computer generated imagery is not about the software or latest technology – it is about artistic talent, enthusiasm and dedication.

Personally, our children. Their enthusiasm and cheek never ceases to amaze, inspire and keep me smiling. Let’s not mess up this world for their sake.

Liverpool John Moores University School of Architecture. During a final year crit I proudly presented the tutors with a wall of my computer generated images and a fly-around animation. This was in the early 90’s when computer generated imagery was in its infancy. One tutor’s response was slow and deliberate. He said, “The video is interesting, but there are times when I want to sit down and read a book”. This comment could sound outdated these days but I think the points are still relevant – understand your audience - slow down – use the best medium for the situation – we often need time to take stock and consider. He also said, “If you don’t produce some drawings you will fail”. So it was literally back to the drawing board and more hard work drawing (by hand).

Moving our family from London to live and work back in my native North East in 2003. The North East was a different world in comparison to London – a culture shock after 15 years away - it was small and seemed to have lagged behind in design, aspiration and technology terms. I discovered that the type of company I wanted to work for did not exist in the region so I created EYELEVEL to achieve my ambition to produce artistic digital imagery of the highest quality. More advice… Don’t sit still complaining – get on with creating the career you want. EYELEVEL is working hard as part of the regions fast growing and successful creative digital sector to offer creative opportunities in the North East.

Who knows! Not the most insightful business owner response, but I think it’s currently impossible to look 10 years ahead. Saying that, our business hasn’t fundamentally changed during the last 10 years, other than benefitting from technology speed increases which have enabled us to do more complex imagery, faster. VR and AR are in their infancy and will surely have a profound, if yet unknown, impact on how we live and work in the future. Looking at current technological advancements and big business aspirations, I suspect a lot of jobs will eventually be replaced by superfast computers and AI. I think we will either be working in a yet undiscovered and exciting way or we will have been superseded by technology. It may be a move back to using paper, pencil, pen and paint producing ‘vintage’ hand-made ‘analogue’ imagery.

Photographing concrete car parks threatened with demolition... Since Gateshead’s ‘Get Carter’ Car Park closed for demolition in 2008, I have spent the subsequent years photographing brutalist car parks which have been under threat from demolition. The first photograph of Gateshead Car Park was shortlisted in the Architect’s Eye 2011 Photography Competition which inspired me to continue the collection. The latest photograph is of Welbeck Street Car Park in London which is currently threatened with demolition. I am slowly creating an ongoing series of black and white concrete car park art photographs, the first few of which can to be viewed on our website.