KE XU
Galleryti vodka
elephant stories
origin coffee
cartoon museum
terraline
whip
graphic design
photography
commercial photography
Behind the Work
Information
25/26 Diploma in Professional Studies at UAL LCC
This space records my one-year placement during the Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) at UAL LCC,
from September 2025 to June 2026.
Along the way, I encountered genuinely kind people who took the time to reply thoughtfully. Of course, there were many more emails that received no response at all.
In mid-March, I met with Something Inc and left with a very positive impression, feeling that we had reached a mutual understanding about me joining the team. However, after that meeting, communication went quiet. I continued searching throughout the following months.
By September, I had assumed that I would be returning to my third year. With the support and connections of my DPS tutor, Jo, I was finally able to confirm my placement at Something Inc in early September.
SEP-OCT 2025
As I have always been interested in photography, this experience allowed me to see that photography is rarely a solitary practice, but one built around collaboration and teamwork. I also learned that the light seen in photographs is not always a result of natural conditions—especially in the UK—but is often carefully constructed using large-scale lighting equipment.
I became involved in selecting images for Affinity Water, producing outputs in different formats and sizes, and developing layouts.
I worked through multiple rounds of client feedback, including visual adjustments such as shifting a football pitch to a winter colour palette or transforming an outdoor swimming pool into an indoor setting. This process also involved revising copy design and refining the final deliverables.
Many of the photographer’s excellent shots weren’t included in the final campaign, but I showcased some of them here：
In this project, I gathered visual style references for the machine, created animation storyboards, designed the website environment, and developed the appearance of the gashapon balls.
For the gashapon balls, which were my main focus, I experimented with a variety of styles, including stickers, line icons, and decorative spheres. Ultimately, the team chose the Logitech line icons that I designed.
Through this project, I progressed from a beginner in Figma to fully mastering it (thanks to Logitech...), and most of my design work, including the balls and prize cards, was completed directly in the platform.
There were lots of meetings happening here...
The project was competition-based, and my proposal was awarded first place.
I was really glad to be involved in this project, as it gave me a deeper understanding of what it means to work as an independent designer within the industry. While studio work often involves close collaboration between designers, this project required me to complete the entire design process independently. It effectively allowed me to experience the full workflow of an independent brand designer in advance.
I would like to give special thanks to our tutor, Sarah, for her support throughout the project. Before the final client presentation, she organised multiple meetings that encouraged peer feedback and provided us with valuable references, which were incredibly helpful to the development of my work!
Click Elephant Stories
for more details
OCT-JAN 2025/26
Around the same time, someone I really liked working with in the office left the company, which was difficult for me emotionally.
Alongside this, I worked closely with the team to prepare the presentation deck for the pitch.
NOV-DEC 2025
I initially planned to take part in D&AD; however, due to an intense workload and conversations with third-year students, who shared that their final major project could be submitted as a D&AD entry, I decided to postpone it.
Instead, I plan to fully commit to D&AD during my third year, allowing myself the time and focus to approach it properly.
NOV 2026
The next project was a long-term UK government campaign titled NMU Defence.
After the team completed photography shoots across different regions, my main responsibility was to select appropriate images in response to the copy, and to design both static and carousel assets for the campaign.
Tommy, photographed in Sheffield as part of the campaign.
NOV-JAN 2025/26
The studio wanted to send a festive card to previous collaborators and potential clients. I explored several directions, including hand-drawn concepts that incorporated the Something logo into different Christmas elements, playful versions using humorous pet photography, and designs that leaned more strongly into Something’s visual style.
The final direction was to use a piece of candy tied onto the card to partially cover the Something logo. I experimented with different tying methods and type sizes to refine the balance between the physical element and the graphic design.
DEC 2025
During my time at Something, I actively sought additional opportunities, and applied after seeing a call for a graphic designer shared in the DPS WhatsApp group.
My first task at Singer Studio was to develop a visual poster moodboard for their newly launched VR game, The Pirate Queen, followed by an independent poster design. In response to the main character’s cultural background, I spent time researching her cultural context and chose to write her name using Chinese calligraphy, allowing the design to better reflect her identity.
JAN 2026
After discussing my interest in developing 3D skills with the Creative Director, he arranged for the studio’s 3D designer, Tyler, to run a dedicated Cinema 4D workshop for me.
Through weekly sessions, I was able to build a systematic understanding of Cinema 4D, covering the fundamentals of modelling, texturing, lighting, and camera setup. I’m especially grateful to Tyler and the studio for their support and generosity in sharing their knowledge.
DEC-JAN 2025/26