Study Task 6 // PPP // What do 'They' do?

Large Company -  Zerofee Studio 

 http://www.zerofee.org

Zerofee is an ethical design company based in North London. 

I feel that we have a similar mind frame in common, we both share a care for ethical issues.

Strengths

Profession Interactive Website
Ethical
Offers financially-challenged charities or non-profit organisations they believe to be worthwhile

Weaknesses

 

Mummo - A Social Network for Mums

 

EDN - Eco Design Network

Medium Company -  Ten and a Half

http://tenandahalf.net/

"Studio Ten and a Half is a collaboration between designers Charlotte Bolton and Jessie Earle. We are dedicated to producing unique and effective design solutions. Whether working on large corporate projects or for small independent companies, we believe that building strong long-term client relationships is key. Our work includes brand identities, editorial design, exhibitions, corporate literature, signage, packaging and websites."

Strengths

Cover different area's of design
Easy to use Website
Each time you visit the website you get a different landing page that appears for about 3 seconds which makes you engage with the website (examples above)
Versatile Client Group


Weaknesses

Examples of Work

 

Small Company - MikMik Studio

http://www.studiomikmik.co.uk/index.html 

Studio MIKMIK is a graphic design and illustration studio established in 2006 by Michael Lewis.

We create well crafted solutions for print, identity, illustration and online projects.

By working with Studio MIKMIK you'll receive a friendly design service where every project is handled with care and attention to detail is paramount. From first meeting to final delivery, no matter how small or large a project, you can be assured that every question will be answered and cups of tea will never be far away.

Based in Shipley, West Yorkshire.

Strengths

MIKMIK are aware of the environment and source high quality recycled paper and uses Good Energy to supply its electricity from 100% renewable sources.

 

Study Task 5 // PPP // Who am I? Who are They?

Possible Client Groups which use Graphic Design in their development, production, distribution, promotion and/or communication of their products or services:

Music Industry  
Album Art
Music Videos
Music Festivals
Homeware
PR
Advertising
Retail
Packaging
Publishing
Education
Television Industry
Film Industry

A client group which I would like to focus on is Retail, as I enjoy packaging and promotion.


What skills / interests you have and how they relate to the needs of your client group?

Illustration

Packaging Design

Branding

What skills are needed and what skills do you want to develop?

Retail is a massive industry and there are many different areas within retail.  I personally am interested in fashion retail, homeware goods, and food.  When I say fashion retail, I mean that I am interested in designing gift tags, price tags, gift vouchers, shopping bags, the interior of shops etc.  Food packaging is what it says on the tin.  Skills which I need to develop in order to be able to do this well are research skills, knowing a lot about the brand you are designing for is important to achieve the correct look of the design and the correct message, tone of voice etc.  A skill I may need to work on for this kind of work could be photography, especially food photography as there are people who are experts in these fields.

What are your professional/creative aims and how do they relate to the needs of the client group?

My creative aims are to sell my own arts & crafts but to bring a graphic designers eye to the table.  I love making arts & crafts and I love packaging design.  People are drawn to "pretty packages" and this would help to sell my products.

My professional aims are more towards illustration, perhaps working freelance as well as working in a small studio of people.  I would like to design and illustrate for stationery, letter writing sets, greetings cards and packaging design. 

Overall, I find it hard to limit myself to one client group as I am not entirely sure where or what I want to do exactly, but I do know that my interests lie mostly within illustration, packaging design, music industry, music festivals and I intend to pursue my interests in a graphic way and use my design knowledge along the way. 

OUGD502 // Life's a Pitch

PPP // Branding & Business Cards

What is brand?
The perceived emotional corporate image as a whole.
What is identity?
The visual aspects that form part of the overall brand.
What is a logo?
A logo identifies a business in its simplest form via the use of a mark or icon. 

TASK
Can you identify at least 6 ways (for each) that you can utilize, to communicate to your potential audience, your identity and services offered. 

To communicate the brand

Logo
Package
Illustration
Stationery
Hand - Made Crafts

PPP // Who am I now? What kind of a professional can I be?

Make a list of 3 of each of these.

My chosen areas of practice as of now. 

Illustration is something that I really enjoy doing and think it can be very creative.  There is often elements of illustration in my work.
I also enjoy crafting things by hand, therefore enjoy using the laser cutter and also enjoy screen printing however I need to utilise these things more to gain confidence in them.

My main strengths as of now.

Good at working with other people, enjoy being able to bounce idea's off each other and enjoy the company of others.
Illustration


My identified weaknesses as of now. A set of main goals for this year. Wishes.

My strongest weakness is definitely Time Management, if I organise my time better it means I will be able to execute the designs I want to in the first place, instead of rushing things last minute.
My photography skills - they do not show case my work in a good way.
Networking and getting my work out there


My Ambition is to be employed by a small ethical design company where it's a small team of people working together.

PPP // John Watters

Task 1
Identify 5 companies/studios which you consider potentially synergetic
to you personally.
Write a short explanatory paragraph and reasons for each. 

Tigerprint Studio's

http://www.tigerprint.uk.com

I would quite like to work at the above as I like the style of design they generate which is quite illustrative.  They also offer 2 week to 1 month placements to students, so I may consider sending them an email when the time comes to organise a placement.

Oh Comely Magazine

http://www.ohcomely.co.uk

I absolutely adore this magazine, i love the design style, the anecdotes and articles.  I would love to be a part of their design team.  It just sounds exactly like my cup of tea, as it is a small group of people who seem to get on really well while thoroughly enjoying their job.  The personality of the designers definitely shows through in their designs and they seem like lovely, happy-go-lucky people.

Merrimaking

http://www.merrimaking.co.uk

I feel that I share similar taste for clothing and illustration with these designers.  I like that they apply design to objects such as hats and clothing.  They seem like a playful and laid back bunch which is what I'd sway towards over serious and corporate design studios.

http://www.14cstudio.com

This is a design studio in glasgow and I like the look of the work they produce.  Glasgow is my favourite city in Scotland and I think I'd be very happy there.

http://printpattern.blogspot.co.uk/ 

This blog looks really 

Task 2
Identify the top choice and WHY you feel that they may have synergy with your practice now, or in the near future. 

My top choice would be Oh Comely as I feel most passionate about it. 

Responsive Module // 5 Competition Briefs

Feel Good Drinks Brief 1

I would like to do this brief as I am developing an interest within packaging design and I already like the brand and think it would be good to work with and I'd enjoy pushing the design further.

http://www.ycn.org/awards/ycn-student-awards/2012-2013/briefs/the-feel-good-drinks-company#.UJuDyakUUy4

Greetings Card Brief

The greetings card brief caught my eye as designing cards is something that I enjoy and I'd love to do it for a real card company.

http://www.ycn.org/awards/ycn-student-awards/2012-2013/briefs/uk-greetings#.UJuHZ6kUUy4

Bacardi Brief

http://www.ycn.org/awards/ycn-student-awards/2012-2013/briefs/bacardi#.UJumDqkUUy4

Plan UK - Charity

http://www.ycn.org/awards/ycn-student-awards/2012-2013/briefs/plan-uk#.UJuow6kUUy4

Study Task 3 // Industrial Experience

What is industrial experience?

Industrial experience is experience in the real world of design, designing for real briefs and actual clients, also working with professionals in a studio.  

What can you learn from industrial experience?

Industrial experience can give you confidence as a designer as you will become more familiar in a real working environment and learn things about communicating with clients and meetings also will gain experience with the costing side of design.

What form/format could industrial experience take?

Industrial experience could take the form of studio visits, placements, freelance work.

What areas of industry are you interested in?

I am interesting in packaging design and am constantly finding my interest in this gets greater and greater as I look at other designers work.  Below are a few examples of the kind of packaging design I am interested in which I found on pinterest.

I am also currently becoming interested in web design as we start to learn more about it in studio workshops, as I like the idea of designing well designed, cleanly layed out, easily navigable web pages as I really dislike bad and hard to use websites.

I also am extremely interested in designing for festivals as they're something I'm passionate about, if there was a way I could experience something like this in real life for my placement that would be amazing.  Designing things like wristbands, line up posters, websites, programmes and even artwork/installations in the festival field.

T-shirt design is something I am interested in and thinking about looking more into t-shirt designs and start designing again.

What are your concerns about industrial experience?

I am concerned about not being knowledgable enough to have a placement in a bigger scale design studio and generally anxious about venturing out into the real world of design for the first time.

Industrial Experience

Questions about Industrial Experience

How do you get industrial experience?
How do you go about contacting studios and printers?
How can I get involved in the industry having no experience outside college?
Does a beginner get paid?  If they do is it per job or per hour?
How do you know how much to charge someone?
What happens if you make a mistake in a design and it gets printed?

Group Questions

How do you present a portfolio to a potential employer?  Ask John/ ask the studio
What mistakes do people make?  Ask John/3rd Years, Graduates, Studio
What's the best way to contact them?  Contact them, ask who you need to speak to
How do you make the most of it? Get involved as much as possible
How much do you get paid?  Try and get expenses covered
What is expected of you?  Attitude/Personality/Skills/Level of Understanding/Eager to Learn

What Form does Industrial Experience Take?

Live Briefs
Interviews
Visiting Professionals
Freelance Work
Networking online
Events eg D&AD/Print Festivals
Exhibitions
Studio Visits
Internships
Trade Events/ Lectures

How do you get it?

Direct Contact
Request Samples
Tailor Portfolio
Creative Professional Networks
Appropriate Places
Ask for Feedback
Confident & Professional 

What can you get from it?

Confidence in your professional self
Contacts
Friends
New Perspective about what you want to do/ambitions 
Motivation
Learn new things
Future job prospects
Clearer direction of Design Practice
Skills Development

What do you need to get it?

Professionalism 
Confidence
Be friendly
Online Presence 
Design Identity
An interest within the subject
Portfolio of Work
Commitment
Samples of Work
Knowledge of Company
Business Card
CV

Analysing different types of graphic design workshop.

Different types of graphic design we could pinpoint from the pool of images we collected:

1. Illustration  

2. Photography  

3. Packaging  

4. Typography 

5. Info-graphics

6. Branding and identity  

7. Publication  

8. Editorial design  

9. Music promotion  

10. Letterpress

11. Printmaking  

12. Book design  

13. Photomontage  

14. Modernist/ Postmodernist design  

15. Clothing

16. 3D design  

17. Architecture  

18. Product design  

19. Poster design  

20. Hand rendered design

21. Packaging illustration  

22. Packaging for retail  

23. Perfume and cosmetics packaging  

24. Food packaging  

25. Flat pack packaging

26. Type posters  

27. Vector work  

28. Retail promotion  

29. Fair trade  

30. Gift wrap

31. Invitations and cards  

32. Album covers  

33. Film posters  

34. Events  

35. Label tag design

36. Food tag design  

37. Festival promotion  

38. Card art  

39. Pattern design for retail  

40. 3D modelling

41. Informative 

42. Window display

1)  Who is the Client?

2)  Who is the intended Audience?

3)  What is the function?

4)  What is the budget?

5)  Where is it from?

6)  Who is the designer/studio?

1)  Carl Wine

2)  Wine Drinkers, young adults, illustration links in with popular culture

3)  Humorous way to represent what kind of wine is in the bottle, makes wine more appealing to younger people

4)  Low budget, simple design with limited colours used and simple stock, no expensive techniques used

5)  Denmark

6)  Lovely Package Design Studio

1)

2)  Tea drinkers, late teens/young adults, quite feminine

3)  To make a tea cup more interesting, add humour to an everyday task

4)  Low Budget, single colour print 

5)  

6)  Designer's Block UK

1)  Self guided work

2)  People interested in healthy eating, farming, vegetables, people who want to grow potatoes

3)  To inform people of the best time to cultivate potatoes and the environment they need to be in

4)  Low budget, vector based graphic, no phototgraphy used, not much ink needed to produce print

5)  Portland OR, USA

6)  August Winfield http://www.flickr.com/photos/augustwinfield/

1)  A Bistro

2)  Shoppers, people out and about of any age but probably mostly young professionals 

3)  To inform people of what the cafe offers

4)  Medium budget, design could have been carried out with cheaper materials however the design would not look as clean and crisp

5)  

6)   http://www.imgspark.com/image/view/4f86eadcfa99b942040001fe

1)  Slanted Magazine

2)  Graphic Designers - young trendy designers....edgy

3)  To educate, inspire and inform typography enthusiasts and graphic designers

4)  High Budget, as it is mass produced, the style suggests its quite up to date and widely used. As the magazine format requires use of lots of colours and nice stock it could potentially cost allot to create.The quality of the products suggest it has quite a high budget. There are a range of products also which would add value to the promotional items. The rounded off edges suggest there has been additional processes used which would result in extra costings.The quality of the products suggest it has quite a high budget. There are a range of products also which would add value to the promotional items. The rounded off edges suggest there has been additional processes used which would result in extra costings.

5)  Germany

6)  Slanted Magazine

1)  Fast Freddies Barber Shop

2)  The sophisticated man.  It looks quite classy but still playful.  The black and white colour scheme suggests the products are targeted at an older audience rather than a younger one.

3)  To promote and brand a barber shop, Complete with business cards, headed paper, envelopes, price lists and more

4)  The quality of the products suggest it had quite a high budget.  There are a range of products also which would add value to the promotional items.  The rounded off edges suggest there has been additional processes used which would result in extra costings.

5)  America, Allston Massachusetts

6)  Richie Stewart

1)  The typographic face painting and photography was a self initiated and personal project between designers

2)  Those interested in graphic design, typography legends, type design, illustration video & photography

3)  A series of posters merging the expressiveness of manual gesture and type design in honour of four outstanding typefaces.

4)  Medium Budget, have to consider the expanse of models, makeup artists, photographers and designers involved

5)  A small studio located in Gijon in Asturias in the north of Spain, 2010

6)  Raul Garcia del Pomar and Ismael Gonzalez, two designers in association with apito.

Level 05 - PPP2, Study Task 1

Identify and explain 5 reasons why you chose to study on this programme.

My tutors from foundation highly recommended the course for its good reputation and they thought the course would push me to my fullest potential whereas other courses would be more lenient.

I liked the size of the college when I came to visit and the size of the course sounded much better than some universities which had courses of nearly 100 students on each.

I really liked the city of leeds and could see it as a place I would be happy to study.

The rate of graduate employment is good at LCA and this is very important

Identify and explain 5 things that you want to learn during your time on the programme.

I want to be confident within graphic design, confident enough to take on any brief given to me because I have the knowledge needed to complete it.
I want to improve my software skills, so that my ability to design won't affect my big idea's and mean that I can create what I can imagine.
I want to learn more about setting up your own practice, learn about costings and the business side of it, because one day I'd like to perhaps have my own business and for doing freelance work.
I want to do more non-digital print based work as work like this always has a different quality from digital print, I also love working with my hands and making things.

Identify and explain 5 skills that you think are your strengths.

I really enjoy drawing and illustration and think I should use this skill more within my designs.
Recently I have been becoming more and more interested in photography and would like to involve this within my designs too.
I think my designs are always clear and not confusing because they are quite simple.


Identify and explain 5 things that you want to improve.

I want to improve my use of colour within design, recently I have been a bit more experimental with colour but i tend to avoid it without even realising.  I think this will make my designs more interesting.
I want to improve my typography skills as I don't feel confident in this area.
I want to improve my photography skills.
I want to branch out from creating vector based work.
I want to experiment with different media's than just digital print, e.g foiling, to give my work a deeper quality.

Identify and explain 5 ways that you will evaluate your progress.

Looking back over my blog will help me to see my progression over the three years of my study.
Group Crits will help evaluate my design work and feedback will help me improve the designs. 
Personal Tutorials with tutors will help as they will give me feedback on how they think I'm doing.
Ask my peers for their opinion on my work.
Personal reflection.

Identify and explain 5 things that inspire you.

Working in the studios and seeing other people produce great work makes me want to work harder and design more.
Oh Comely magazine is great for inspiring me, it's full of illustrations, quotes, poems and anecdotes that are really interesting and its beautifully designed.
Quirky gift shops always make me want to go home and get crafty.
Looking on design blogs and websites like pinterest also inspire me.

Identify 10 examples of design that illustrate your fields of creative interest.