Behind the scenes with the people of PlayStation

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This week, Senior Graphic Designer Andy Hope takes the spotlight

This week, Senior Graphic Designer Andy Hope steps into the spotlight. If you’ve bought a Sony game or console in the last few years, you may well have seen his work – among other things, he crafts how our game and hardware packaging looks. Andy, tell us more…
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When and why did you join Sony Computer Entertainment Europe?
Andy: I joined SCEE in 2003, over ten years ago now. At the time, I’d been working in magazine publishing as an art editor on a video games publication. Having enjoyed designing the magazine’s covers and inside pages, I decided that the natural progression was to try to get into the video games industry. A graphic designer’s role was advertised at PlayStation so I decided, “why not?”
Luckily after a couple of interviews and a few weeks waiting for a decision, the news was good so I made the move from sunny Bournemouth up to London. And I haven’t looked back since.
What exactly do you do at SCEE?
Andy: My role at SCEE is Senior Graphic Designer within the Central Creative department.
My job consists of design and art direction for both the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation 3 brands. I also produce design work for large consumer events and gaming shows, PlayStation brand communications, packaging for games, online materials, advertising and the “point of sale” displays you see in-store.
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I also give creative support and guidance to the marketing department and other design teams in the company, so there’s always a lot going on and a lot of variety.
What’s the best thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is that I get to do what I really love: designing. The varied nature of the work that I get involved in is also a real bonus. I enjoy being able to sculpt a project from the ground up, watching it evolve and develop through to delivering the final product.
And on top of that, I work with a great group of people, many of whom are my good friends.
What’s been your proudest/most enjoyable moment at SCEE?
Andy: Wow that’s a tough one, where do I start? There have been so many, from being involved with the design and launch of ground-breaking titles such as SingStar and Buzz – really colourful and energising software brands – through to the recent launch of the PlayStation 4 system, producing design work that was used around Europe and beyond.
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Another key highlight was when I designed the packaging, logo and artwork for the European release of the Pink PlayStation 2 back in 2006. Again, this was a project where creative direction was sculpted at ground level. Our head office in Japan were really pleased with the results.
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Then there was the design of a 150-foot window display that spanned the inside of Wembley Stadium for the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. It showed the history of the Champions League alongside the evolution of PlayStation from the launch of the first console up to the present day.
Oh, and did I mention meeting Jet Li? That was for a game he starred in called Rise to Honour on PS2. Five foot five inches of total awesomeness.
I could go on and on…
What was the last game you played, and what will be the next one?
Andy: The last game I played was Tearaway on PlayStation Vita. I was lucky enough to be involved in the packaging design for this title, so naturally I wanted to play it and see what all the fuss was about. I wasn’t let down; the team at Media Molecule really do know their stuff. Go play it if you haven’t already!
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My next game will probably be The Last of Us. I didn’t get a chance to sit down with this title when it launched, so I’m looking forward to spending some time playing it soon.
What advice can you give to someone wanting to break into the industry?
Andy: Patience, passion and determination are key. Whatever industry you want to break into, it takes a lot of hard work and persistence to achieve your goals. The games industry is no different.
There are a lot of very talented people out there and maintaining a strong portfolio of your work is so, so important to getting noticed. Having work in your portfolio that reflects your personality, strengths and interests also helps. But as I said at the start, being patient, understanding your audience and developing your knowledge of the industry are all crucial.
Try to showcase the work that you feel illustrates the person you are. And above all else, have the determination to keep trying, even if at first you don’t succeed.
PS4 Dec wall
More people of PlayStation:
Ben Andac, Producer, Strategic Content
Nigal Raymond, Motion Graphic Creative Director

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