Martin Port

Name: Martin Port
Job: Art editor, Classic & Sports Car
Employer: Haymarket Publishing

Art was one of the two things that I really enjoyed and was good at! The other was music, which I kept as a hobby. I got into graphic design because I wanted to do something more design-specific than the general training offered by a foundation course. On my graphic design course I was able to try a bit of everything, including typography, illustration, fine art and advertising design.

How did you get your foot in the door after your art course?

I thought I’d get work from winning an award from the Association of Illustrators and having an exhibition at the Hyde Park Gallery, but it was 12 months before anyone rang me up! Graphic design seemed like a good career option as I wouldn’t have to do freelance work indefinitely and could get a full-time job with a steady income. After freelancing to build my portfolio, I worked for a small publishing company before moving on to my current employer.

What does your current role involve?

I’m responsible for the design of a classic car magazine with around 100,000 readers every month. My job is to make sure that the creative aspects of the publication, such as the photography and illustration, are up to scratch. Basically, I look after the visual tone of the magazine. I manage other designers working on the publication and also work on other projects, for instance with motor racing circuits and promoters.

The biggest challenge of your work so far?

Redesigning the magazine! We have a wide breadth of readers, ranging from youngsters to pensioners. I had to make sure the redesign was balanced between a conservative and modern feel. The redesign needed to keep our advertising and also boost our number of readers.

And the best bits so far?

I get great job satisfaction from working in areas that interest me – motor-sport and classic cars are passions. I’m doing the job I want to do. But working in a subject area that I enjoy makes my work far more interesting.