Glug Leeds #7 - The Careers Clinic - Developing Leeds Talent
I went to the event that Glug put on at Munro House in Leeds on Thursday evening. I only attended for the talks by Studio12, Alec Dudson of Intern Magazine, the ladies from up and coming movement SheDoesDigital, Matt Essam of Creative Life, brothers turned business partners Matthew and Daniel Tweddle of Only, and author of the Human Freelancer - Chris Kenworthy.
It was an extremely inspirational talk with helpful hints and tips from each professional. I am glad that I went as it has given me a better insight in what I need to start doing now if I want to be happy with my career. The main advice was to stay true to yourself and have self belief, which I think is really important.
Notes:
Build - Micheal
- Rock metal covers were an influence
- The Graphic Language by Neville Brody (an interesting book that had inspired him).
- Work placement at iD
- Trevor Jackson - design and music
- Initially predominantly record sleeves but not enough money in it to survive off.
- Takes advantage of partnering with people that are experts in their fields.
Studio 12
- Creativity and experimentation
- Accessibility to designers tools - creative suite - photography studio etc.
- A space for people to grow
- Members of studio influence equipment and training
- Helps students develop creative talent
- Ma created a film 'Live how you sleep. Live how you dream'
- Platform for people - linking them with people in industry
- Working with people in industry makes you reach the standards - hard work - shows the level you need to be at.
- Don't limit creativity - work around boundaries
- Patience and working hard
Intern - Alec
- Interned with Domus
- Then Boat magazine
- Made his own job
- Creative youth
- Things are being challenged
- Don't underplay your value
- 'Burning questions' youtube
She Does Digital
- Epiphany - growth in digital
- Digital skill gap
- 3500 jobs in Leeds
- Show off Leeds
- Woman in digital 26%
- #wheredidyoustart?
Creative Life - Matt
- Alan Watts
- Creativity driven by passion, purpose and values.
- Authentic creativity
- Creative Life - help artists earn and love what they're doing.
Only
1. Be nice to people
2. Maximise every opportunity
3. Share your passion
4. Be brave
5. Do good work
Chris Kenworthy
- The Human Freelancer
- Fear can hold you back
- Business is based on trust
- Do friendly favours
- Always do a good, honest job
- Write, talk positively about what you've learned
- Know your limits, know yourself
- There's no such thing as the right price
- Relax, something always comes up
- There's no shame in small
- No one really knows what they're doing, we're all just making it up as we go along.
Glug events are something I definitely want to go and get involved with more, I will be keeping my eye out for the events next year.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
OUGD502 The Leeds Salon at The Tetley - 'Is Art Good For Us?'
The Leeds Salon at The Tetley - 'Is Art Good For Us?'
'Angus Kennedy, author of Being Cultured: In Defence of Discrimination, asks whether, today, we are burdening culture and the arts with too much. Are the arts good for us? And is there still room for aesthetic judgments or just impact statements?'
On Saturday the 19th of November I attended a debate at The Tetley. Kennedy had very strong controversial views that art cannot change society and needs to stop being used as a band aid to try and heal a broken community. He explained it as if the government used it as a technique to help try and fix social problems, that he believes does not work. He thinks that art should only be done by masters and that we cannot label people great artists just because they have something wrong with them (like being disabled). This was quite a strong statement to put out there. He also went on to say that people the are interested in popular culture don't actually know why they like it. I also found this to be really insulting because he has generalised massively.
As his views were quite controversial he got lot's of questions to debate against his viewpoints. One that stuck out for me was a caregiver who was trying to explain the importance of art to patients with Alzheimer's and where she had seen the benefits first hand. He then proceeded to talk about the aesthetics of art rather than the other benefits it could clearly provide like the woman had talked about.
Although I did not agree with what Kennedy talked about, I still feel like he didn't actually answer the question at hand. It was an experience to go to, as it was not what I was expecting, however I am glad that I went because it made me realise how much I love art and I can see the benefits that it has within society even if he cannot.
'Angus Kennedy, author of Being Cultured: In Defence of Discrimination, asks whether, today, we are burdening culture and the arts with too much. Are the arts good for us? And is there still room for aesthetic judgments or just impact statements?'
On Saturday the 19th of November I attended a debate at The Tetley. Kennedy had very strong controversial views that art cannot change society and needs to stop being used as a band aid to try and heal a broken community. He explained it as if the government used it as a technique to help try and fix social problems, that he believes does not work. He thinks that art should only be done by masters and that we cannot label people great artists just because they have something wrong with them (like being disabled). This was quite a strong statement to put out there. He also went on to say that people the are interested in popular culture don't actually know why they like it. I also found this to be really insulting because he has generalised massively.
As his views were quite controversial he got lot's of questions to debate against his viewpoints. One that stuck out for me was a caregiver who was trying to explain the importance of art to patients with Alzheimer's and where she had seen the benefits first hand. He then proceeded to talk about the aesthetics of art rather than the other benefits it could clearly provide like the woman had talked about.
Although I did not agree with what Kennedy talked about, I still feel like he didn't actually answer the question at hand. It was an experience to go to, as it was not what I was expecting, however I am glad that I went because it made me realise how much I love art and I can see the benefits that it has within society even if he cannot.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
OUGD502 Ideas
Ideas:
On Thursday we had a session learning about how to generate ideas and work through the creative process so that you come up with the most unique ideas possible. It was useful to me as it tackled the issue of creative block which sometimes I can struggle with.
THINK:
- Product
- Range
- Distribution
'open minded thinking'
THEORY:
- Budget
- Technical
- What you can do
Ideas for coming up with ideas:
- Gallery visits
- Obvious and ambiguous answers
- Free association
- Key word association (tangential approach)
- Spitball ideas (many voices, editing different approaches)
- Identifying what exists
- Subconscious, recognising everyday potential solutions
- Identifying and working with limitations
- Discussions, feedback, focus group, interviews
- Rewrite the brief in own words
- Target audience
- Product testing
- Mind mapping
Group ideas:
Strategies are important - how you take an idea and make it better.
James Webb Young
1. Gather info
2. Attack problem
3. Do something else while your subconscious mind works on the problem
4. Eureka!
5. Figure out how to tackle problem
Brand = adjective
Pose the brief/problem as a question
Find the negative and be truthful
YCN Yahoo! Brief:
In small groups of no more than 4 we were given an old YCN brief to use what we had learnt about coming up with ideas and to apply it to a real brief.
We did find that learning how to come up with ideas was useful for this very challenging brief. I also found working in a team and talking through things for me makes an idea a lot clearer, which shows the benefits of group crits and peer feedback.
I am going to use these methods for when I get stuck and have creative block because it shows different ways of tackling the idea process, if it doesn't work in one way it will work in another.
On Thursday we had a session learning about how to generate ideas and work through the creative process so that you come up with the most unique ideas possible. It was useful to me as it tackled the issue of creative block which sometimes I can struggle with.
THINK:
- Product
- Range
- Distribution
'open minded thinking'
THEORY:
- Budget
- Technical
- What you can do
Ideas for coming up with ideas:
- Gallery visits
- Obvious and ambiguous answers
- Free association
- Key word association (tangential approach)
- Spitball ideas (many voices, editing different approaches)
- Identifying what exists
- Subconscious, recognising everyday potential solutions
- Identifying and working with limitations
- Discussions, feedback, focus group, interviews
- Rewrite the brief in own words
- Target audience
- Product testing
- Mind mapping
Group ideas:
Strategies are important - how you take an idea and make it better.
James Webb Young
1. Gather info
2. Attack problem
3. Do something else while your subconscious mind works on the problem
4. Eureka!
5. Figure out how to tackle problem
Brand = adjective
Pose the brief/problem as a question
Find the negative and be truthful
YCN Yahoo! Brief:
In small groups of no more than 4 we were given an old YCN brief to use what we had learnt about coming up with ideas and to apply it to a real brief.
We did find that learning how to come up with ideas was useful for this very challenging brief. I also found working in a team and talking through things for me makes an idea a lot clearer, which shows the benefits of group crits and peer feedback.
I am going to use these methods for when I get stuck and have creative block because it shows different ways of tackling the idea process, if it doesn't work in one way it will work in another.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
OUGD502 Barbican - Bedwyr Williams, The Gulch
Barbican - Bedwyr Williams, The Gulch
29 September 2016 - 8 January 2017
'This autumn, enter the weird and wonderful mind of Welsh artist Bedwyr Williams as he brings the Barbican’s Curve gallery to life with his quest into The Gulch.
Navigate a succession of surreal and theatrically staged scenes as you embark on a journey conjured by one of the contemporary art world’s most exciting and innovative artists. From a pair of singing running shoes to a depressed hypnotist and a talking goat, Bedwyr’s curious and often subversive internal dialogue plays out along the Curve’s space in this fantastical installation. Physical and metaphorical twists and turns will guide you through the gallery and ultimately inspire you to give your own performance, one that will fill the cavernous gorge of the gulch for those following in your footsteps.
Minute observations are elevated to a monumental scale and compelling scenarios come to the fore on this intriguing and immersive journey.'
Yesterday I went to London's Barbican centre where I explored Bedwyr Williams, The Gulch. A gulch can be defined as a narrow and steep-sided ravine marking the course of a fast stream, which was how the exhibition was laid out. The interactivity of the exhibition wasn't too bad with there being some drums that people could play and curtains you have to move out of the way to navigate round. But overall I did not understand what was happening within the exhibition, everything seemed to random and without purpose, they had been done just for the sake of being out there ideas.
Entrance to the exhibition:
Own photos:
Maybe the concepts were too much for me to understand, but I felt that whatever he was trying to convey was not clear enough for me. I didn't really enjoy the exhibition I think I prefer work that clearly communicates something, and for me I was unsure of what that was with this exhibition.
29 September 2016 - 8 January 2017
'This autumn, enter the weird and wonderful mind of Welsh artist Bedwyr Williams as he brings the Barbican’s Curve gallery to life with his quest into The Gulch.
Navigate a succession of surreal and theatrically staged scenes as you embark on a journey conjured by one of the contemporary art world’s most exciting and innovative artists. From a pair of singing running shoes to a depressed hypnotist and a talking goat, Bedwyr’s curious and often subversive internal dialogue plays out along the Curve’s space in this fantastical installation. Physical and metaphorical twists and turns will guide you through the gallery and ultimately inspire you to give your own performance, one that will fill the cavernous gorge of the gulch for those following in your footsteps.
Minute observations are elevated to a monumental scale and compelling scenarios come to the fore on this intriguing and immersive journey.'
Yesterday I went to London's Barbican centre where I explored Bedwyr Williams, The Gulch. A gulch can be defined as a narrow and steep-sided ravine marking the course of a fast stream, which was how the exhibition was laid out. The interactivity of the exhibition wasn't too bad with there being some drums that people could play and curtains you have to move out of the way to navigate round. But overall I did not understand what was happening within the exhibition, everything seemed to random and without purpose, they had been done just for the sake of being out there ideas.
Entrance to the exhibition:
Own photos:
Maybe the concepts were too much for me to understand, but I felt that whatever he was trying to convey was not clear enough for me. I didn't really enjoy the exhibition I think I prefer work that clearly communicates something, and for me I was unsure of what that was with this exhibition.
OUGD502 Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising (The Graphics of Punk Exhibition)
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising (The Graphics of Punk Exhibition):
Yesterday I visited the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in London. This is an area of graphic design that I have a particular interest into, and I thought that it would be useful to see the development of this area through time. The museum entry price was quite expensive being £7 for students, and unfortunately no photographs were allowed, however I found it inspiring and very nostalgic.
The main feature within the museum was the time tunnel which starts from the Victorian era right through to today's day and age. It was really interesting to see how consumer and popular culture has developed over the years, and I think that it is important to understand why and how it changed. Within the museum there was a wealth of items, but they were all crammed together inside glass cases. As there was so much to look at visually, it was very easy to look over and miss things out. Another criticism of the museum is that although there was a lot of historical context about the era the items came from, for a design student like myself it would have been useful to know about production methods, materials, styles, designers etc.
My favourite era from the time tunnel would have to be the 90's, I love the bright, bold colours and striking text that was on packaging. I want to look into type and use of colour further as for me, they were really striking pieces of design. Within the museum it also featured book covers and magazine covers, I much prefer the design of them in the past rather then present day. Illustration played a big role in newspaper designs and made them more visually appealing and sophisticated then some of the tackier designs of today. Text for titles was also designed and embellished which was interesting and added status and grandeur. In some areas I believe design has taken a step back and the quality of design and skill doesn't seem to be what it used to. Looking at past designs has really inspired me, it's helped me to reconnect with my love of design especially within packaging.
What also became clear was the importance of materials and resources as the most cost effective would be used and design was thought about after. Lot's of things help to change a brand such as shape, size, name, colour etc.
One of the reasons I had gone to this exhibition was to see 'The Graphics of Punk Exhibition', unfortunately it was only two glass cabinets, and the information seemed to lack on what it was actually about. However the style in design was clearly radical compared with where it was contextually placed in the museum, it was interesting to how the styles of collage and threatening text was portrayed in a positive break out movement.
Overall I have found the visit very beneficial and I want to take forward methods in design that aren't used as much and try to revitalise them for the modern world.
Yesterday I visited the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in London. This is an area of graphic design that I have a particular interest into, and I thought that it would be useful to see the development of this area through time. The museum entry price was quite expensive being £7 for students, and unfortunately no photographs were allowed, however I found it inspiring and very nostalgic.
The main feature within the museum was the time tunnel which starts from the Victorian era right through to today's day and age. It was really interesting to see how consumer and popular culture has developed over the years, and I think that it is important to understand why and how it changed. Within the museum there was a wealth of items, but they were all crammed together inside glass cases. As there was so much to look at visually, it was very easy to look over and miss things out. Another criticism of the museum is that although there was a lot of historical context about the era the items came from, for a design student like myself it would have been useful to know about production methods, materials, styles, designers etc.
My favourite era from the time tunnel would have to be the 90's, I love the bright, bold colours and striking text that was on packaging. I want to look into type and use of colour further as for me, they were really striking pieces of design. Within the museum it also featured book covers and magazine covers, I much prefer the design of them in the past rather then present day. Illustration played a big role in newspaper designs and made them more visually appealing and sophisticated then some of the tackier designs of today. Text for titles was also designed and embellished which was interesting and added status and grandeur. In some areas I believe design has taken a step back and the quality of design and skill doesn't seem to be what it used to. Looking at past designs has really inspired me, it's helped me to reconnect with my love of design especially within packaging.
What also became clear was the importance of materials and resources as the most cost effective would be used and design was thought about after. Lot's of things help to change a brand such as shape, size, name, colour etc.
One of the reasons I had gone to this exhibition was to see 'The Graphics of Punk Exhibition', unfortunately it was only two glass cabinets, and the information seemed to lack on what it was actually about. However the style in design was clearly radical compared with where it was contextually placed in the museum, it was interesting to how the styles of collage and threatening text was portrayed in a positive break out movement.
Overall I have found the visit very beneficial and I want to take forward methods in design that aren't used as much and try to revitalise them for the modern world.
OUGD502 SWOT Analysis of Myself
SWOT Analysis of Myself:
Strengths
- Creating concepts
- Working in teams
- Problem solver
- Approachable
Weaknesses
- Confidence
- Testing out ideas
- Time management
- Presentations
Opportunities
- Working collaboratively on projects
- Attending a presentation class
- NEST magazine to get work out there
Threats
- Competition
Strengths
- Creating concepts
- Working in teams
- Problem solver
- Approachable
Weaknesses
- Confidence
- Testing out ideas
- Time management
- Presentations
Opportunities
- Working collaboratively on projects
- Attending a presentation class
- NEST magazine to get work out there
Threats
- Competition
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
OUGD502 Only Studio Talk
Only Studio Talk:
Only are a strategy and design consultancy.
'Through research, strategy and design we connect brands with people in unique and compelling ways.'
Only works by putting people first and positioning a brand with clarity and simplicity. They have won numerous of awards and work with a wide range of top clients from around the world.
Only are going to be coming in every so often to help with our new studio brief, designing for screen. They gave us some advice on where to start with our idea and how it will develop.
- You don't need to be able to code - this is a misconception within designing for screen - as long as we can articulate our idea and communicate it clearly to a developer.
- It is a fast paced environment.
Design Process:
When designing for screen we continue to use the standard graphic methods but we start thinking about things like how it would scroll etc. Taking care to consider details and screen size.
They also spoke about their own experience within the graphic design world, saying that working in a small studio is somewhere you will learn more. Everyone has a skill, you need to take ownership of that, studios will look for something that they don't already have.
Overall I have found this talk to be really inspiring, looking at the work they produce I can understand why it is so successful and it is something I want to aim for in my own practice. The advice that they gave I have also found useful and it has given me things to think about not just for this project. Having studios come in to talk to us like this I find a really positive experience and something that gives me more hope for my own future within the design world.
Only are a strategy and design consultancy.
'Through research, strategy and design we connect brands with people in unique and compelling ways.'
Only works by putting people first and positioning a brand with clarity and simplicity. They have won numerous of awards and work with a wide range of top clients from around the world.
Only are going to be coming in every so often to help with our new studio brief, designing for screen. They gave us some advice on where to start with our idea and how it will develop.
- You don't need to be able to code - this is a misconception within designing for screen - as long as we can articulate our idea and communicate it clearly to a developer.
- It is a fast paced environment.
Design Process:
- Research - Who will be using it?
- Wireframing - How do you flow through it. Testing.
- Design - Different applications.
- Front End - How it's communicated is important.
All of these steps are as important as each other.
Only have done some really interesting work, I really like their style, particularly I liked the work that they did for Lost Village festival. The branding was really thorough and distinct, it needed to be able to work across platforms. They also worked with type very well, each design decisions was backed up contextually.
When designing for screen we continue to use the standard graphic methods but we start thinking about things like how it would scroll etc. Taking care to consider details and screen size.
They also spoke about their own experience within the graphic design world, saying that working in a small studio is somewhere you will learn more. Everyone has a skill, you need to take ownership of that, studios will look for something that they don't already have.
Overall I have found this talk to be really inspiring, looking at the work they produce I can understand why it is so successful and it is something I want to aim for in my own practice. The advice that they gave I have also found useful and it has given me things to think about not just for this project. Having studios come in to talk to us like this I find a really positive experience and something that gives me more hope for my own future within the design world.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
OUGD502 LCA Alumni Talk - Harrison
LCA Alumni Talk - Harrison
Today we had an ex pupil from LCA come in to talk to us about his experience after graduating. I found this very useful to give us an insight into the real world of graphic design, however I did also find the talk demotivating and seeming to focus on the negative aspects which led it not to be the most inspiring talk for me. Although there seemed to be quite a few negatives along Harrison's journey I made notes on the important things that I would benefit from within my own practice.
Harrison recommended when reaching out to other creatives and sending emails they need to be personal and something that makes you stand out and connects with them. I could look at recent work they have done to help but I also need to look beyond just an email. If I put more effort into the form of contact that shows personality and tells a story I am more likely to get a response from it.
He also mentioned about going to as many events as possible to start meeting people, learning and making connections. One event he mentioned was Glug, which is something I am going to look into further.
As a designer he made it clear that we need to have our own presence and to just be your own person, this is something that I think is really important so that you don't get stuck doing a job you don't want to do.
The design world is a community and I need to make myself known within this now, it seems that it is very much about who you know and connections to help you get a job. This was reiterated various times and has been mentioned a lot by my tutors, as I know the importance of this I am going to start looking at going to more events and doing some research into design studios. I also want to sign up to linkedin and behance, to have an online presence and making myself more accessible.
Today we had an ex pupil from LCA come in to talk to us about his experience after graduating. I found this very useful to give us an insight into the real world of graphic design, however I did also find the talk demotivating and seeming to focus on the negative aspects which led it not to be the most inspiring talk for me. Although there seemed to be quite a few negatives along Harrison's journey I made notes on the important things that I would benefit from within my own practice.
Harrison recommended when reaching out to other creatives and sending emails they need to be personal and something that makes you stand out and connects with them. I could look at recent work they have done to help but I also need to look beyond just an email. If I put more effort into the form of contact that shows personality and tells a story I am more likely to get a response from it.
He also mentioned about going to as many events as possible to start meeting people, learning and making connections. One event he mentioned was Glug, which is something I am going to look into further.
As a designer he made it clear that we need to have our own presence and to just be your own person, this is something that I think is really important so that you don't get stuck doing a job you don't want to do.
The design world is a community and I need to make myself known within this now, it seems that it is very much about who you know and connections to help you get a job. This was reiterated various times and has been mentioned a lot by my tutors, as I know the importance of this I am going to start looking at going to more events and doing some research into design studios. I also want to sign up to linkedin and behance, to have an online presence and making myself more accessible.
OUGD502 Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events:
I have decided to create a calendar of events that I would like to go to, to help me engage with the design world and get inspired.
- to 28th Nov
Tactility: Contemporary Fashion Illustration
Pocho, 51A King Henrys Walk, LONDON
- 24th Nov 15:00 - 23:00
£5.80
Glug Leeds 7, The Careers Clinic, Developing Leeds Talent
- to 8th Jan
Bedwyr Williams - The Gulch
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, LONDON
- to 29th Jan
Dave Brown: The Boosh Club
The Book Club, 106 Leonard Street, LONDON
- to 29th Jan
The Graphics of Punk
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
Notting Hill, LONDON
- to 12th Feb
Dedicated to all Defenders of Human Freedoms The Art of Paul Peter Piech
People's History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, MANCHESTER
- to 31st Dec
Crime and Punishment Exhibition
Abbey House Museum, LEEDS
- to 29th Nov
Film Posters Exhibition at North Bar, LEEDS
I have decided to create a calendar of events that I would like to go to, to help me engage with the design world and get inspired.
- to 28th Nov
Tactility: Contemporary Fashion Illustration
Pocho, 51A King Henrys Walk, LONDON
- 24th Nov 15:00 - 23:00
£5.80
Glug Leeds 7, The Careers Clinic, Developing Leeds Talent
- to 8th Jan
Bedwyr Williams - The Gulch
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, LONDON
- to 29th Jan
Dave Brown: The Boosh Club
The Book Club, 106 Leonard Street, LONDON
- to 29th Jan
The Graphics of Punk
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
Notting Hill, LONDON
- to 12th Feb
Dedicated to all Defenders of Human Freedoms The Art of Paul Peter Piech
People's History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, MANCHESTER
- to 31st Dec
Crime and Punishment Exhibition
Abbey House Museum, LEEDS
- to 29th Nov
Film Posters Exhibition at North Bar, LEEDS
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
OUGD502 Studio Brief 01 - A Creative Strategy
Studio Brief 01 - A Creative Strategy
PART 1
Collect, categorise and reflect on a body of investigative research, creative references and responses to set tasks in the form of your PPP blog. You should make regular posts to your blog that demonstrate an increasingly individual/independent exploration of graphic design, the broader creative industries and general visual culture. You should use this brief as a starting point for the development of an increasingly informed understanding of the nature of contemporary graphic design practices and their role in our local, national and international culture
You will need to maintain an ongoing evaluation of your individual progress in Level 05 of the programme by regularly reflecting on what you have learned, how you have developed and how this relates to your own creative ambitions. As part of this process you should post copies of each End of Module Self-evaluation to your blog in order to maintain an ongoing record of your reflective skills and analytical responses to your own development.
Study tasks will be set and you will need to record your responses to them but you should use them as a starting point for your own independent research activities.
PART 2
Produce and present a 10 minute Powerpoint/pdf or similar presentation that reflects on your experience & response to the PPP and Responsive modules. You should aim to understand who you are as a learner and an graphic designer as well as how the things you have experienced over the past nine months have affected your current aims and ambitions. You should also identify creative concerns, personal aims and professional ambitions that you intend to explore further over the Summer and during Level 6 of the programme
Considerations:
We are not asking you to simply produce a scrapbook of images or a day-to-day diary of what you have seen/where you have been. Keep your reference broad by searching out new and interesting connections.
Take the opportunity to attend lectures, events and exhibitions. Organise study visits to studios, galleries etc. and remember to record and reflect on all that you see.
Set time aside on a regular basis to reflect on the work you have produced and its relation to your emerging creative interests and areas of individual focus.
Requirements:
Your presentation should last 10 minutes (you will be penalised for a presentation that is shorter or longer than this).
Although the content, tone and conclusions of this reflective process should reflect your own experiences, personality and ambitions, you should aim to focus on the learning journey through the PPP and Responsive modules and how this has informed the decisions that you are making about your future. To this end you should use examples of your own work, creative skills and interest in the contemporary field of graphics & design as part of your presentation.
You should be prepared to answer questions on your presentation posed by your colleagues.
Responses to this task should be recorded on your PPP Blog and should be labelled with the module code and appropriate 'Studio Brief Number'.
Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that all work for this brief has been presented and labelled in line with these guidelines by the submission deadline. Work that is incorrectly labelled, posted to the wrong blog or is in anyway unclear or inaccessible will not be assessed
You should ensure that any material, discussions and reflections generated during taught sessions, workshop and group critiques are evidenced for assessment.
Deliverables:
- 1 x 10 minute Powerpoint/ pdf presentation.
- Evidence of critical and reflective engagement with personally relevant contemporary graphic design and responses to set tasks in the form of a blog.
- Assessed Presentations W/C 08 / 05 / 2017
PART 1
Collect, categorise and reflect on a body of investigative research, creative references and responses to set tasks in the form of your PPP blog. You should make regular posts to your blog that demonstrate an increasingly individual/independent exploration of graphic design, the broader creative industries and general visual culture. You should use this brief as a starting point for the development of an increasingly informed understanding of the nature of contemporary graphic design practices and their role in our local, national and international culture
You will need to maintain an ongoing evaluation of your individual progress in Level 05 of the programme by regularly reflecting on what you have learned, how you have developed and how this relates to your own creative ambitions. As part of this process you should post copies of each End of Module Self-evaluation to your blog in order to maintain an ongoing record of your reflective skills and analytical responses to your own development.
Study tasks will be set and you will need to record your responses to them but you should use them as a starting point for your own independent research activities.
PART 2
Produce and present a 10 minute Powerpoint/pdf or similar presentation that reflects on your experience & response to the PPP and Responsive modules. You should aim to understand who you are as a learner and an graphic designer as well as how the things you have experienced over the past nine months have affected your current aims and ambitions. You should also identify creative concerns, personal aims and professional ambitions that you intend to explore further over the Summer and during Level 6 of the programme
Considerations:
We are not asking you to simply produce a scrapbook of images or a day-to-day diary of what you have seen/where you have been. Keep your reference broad by searching out new and interesting connections.
Take the opportunity to attend lectures, events and exhibitions. Organise study visits to studios, galleries etc. and remember to record and reflect on all that you see.
Set time aside on a regular basis to reflect on the work you have produced and its relation to your emerging creative interests and areas of individual focus.
Requirements:
Your presentation should last 10 minutes (you will be penalised for a presentation that is shorter or longer than this).
Although the content, tone and conclusions of this reflective process should reflect your own experiences, personality and ambitions, you should aim to focus on the learning journey through the PPP and Responsive modules and how this has informed the decisions that you are making about your future. To this end you should use examples of your own work, creative skills and interest in the contemporary field of graphics & design as part of your presentation.
You should be prepared to answer questions on your presentation posed by your colleagues.
Responses to this task should be recorded on your PPP Blog and should be labelled with the module code and appropriate 'Studio Brief Number'.
Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that all work for this brief has been presented and labelled in line with these guidelines by the submission deadline. Work that is incorrectly labelled, posted to the wrong blog or is in anyway unclear or inaccessible will not be assessed
You should ensure that any material, discussions and reflections generated during taught sessions, workshop and group critiques are evidenced for assessment.
Deliverables:
- 1 x 10 minute Powerpoint/ pdf presentation.
- Evidence of critical and reflective engagement with personally relevant contemporary graphic design and responses to set tasks in the form of a blog.
- Assessed Presentations W/C 08 / 05 / 2017
OUGD502 Module Overview
Module Aims:
- To develop an integrated understanding of the practical and professional concerns of individual creative practices.
- To encourage an investigation of the personal, professional, innovative and entrepreneurial aspects of external creative industries and communities of practice.
- To establish an increasingly independent understanding of the practical and contextual location of individual creative ambitions through sustained approaches to research and investigation.
- To develop higher level communication skills through programme specific practical and contextual research, development and presentation.
Brief:
It is important to see this brief as starting point for an ongoing and increasingly individual/independent enquiry that underpins your studio practice. Your approach to this brief in relation to the rest of your work. should be distinct enough to allow for a sufficient level of objective reflection but integrated enough to maintain relevance to your practical work. The brief is in two parts that will run concurrently throughout the year.
1. CREATIVE BRIEF
2. DESIGN STRATEGY PRESENTATIONS
Both of these elements should be seen as interrelated and reflect a growing independence and ability to make decisions from an increasingly informed position. You will be briefed separately on each element. It is important that you keep your PPP blog up to date as they will offer yourself, your peers and the programme team an insight into your individual progress and ambitions.
You will be expected to thoroughly research design companies and agencies in order to gain an understanding of contemporary design business and how this relates to your own practice.
Evidence for Submission:
1. PPP BLOG demonstrating a range of approaches to sourcing, analysing and evaluating a breadth of professional/industrial research appropriate to the development of your practical work and professional ambitions. Your PPP Blog should provide a thorough, consistent and organised record of your research into contemporary creative practice, professional concerns and issues relating to your own practice in its relationship to the wider design industry. The blog posts for this module also have to be submitted as a PDF.
2. REPORT demonstrating your ability to identify, research and present a successful overview of a practitioner and their own route into industry that incorporates material drawn from your own interview process. This can be printed or submitted as a digital project. Give consideration to how this is visually supported and how the design itself may communicate the essence of the interviewee and/or the content of the interview.
3. ORAL PRESENTATION AND INDIVIDUAL DESIGN PRESENCE demonstrating your ability to communicate reflective observations on your own work and design practice/brand in relation to appropriate professional contexts and practices. This may be presented with Powerpoint, as a PDF and/or alongside other supporting material.
Friday, October 14, 2016
OUGD502 Last years challenges
Last years challenges:
Sharing my ideas
Last year I found it hard to share my ideas with my peers, I think this was because I was overwhelmed with how talented people on the course are. I preferred smaller groups to larger crit groups as it didn't feel as intimidating, making me more relaxed. I have noticed within second year that I am still struggling with this problem, i'll rush through what I'm saying or won't get to say everything that I wanted to. This is definitely something that I need to try and gain more confidence with, as it will have an impact on my work, I might not get the feedback that I need to develop as a designer. To improve in these situations I just need to keep pushing myself into them and be clear, point by point what it is I need to talk about.
Presentations
Whether it's individually or in a group this is something that I really struggled with and my nerves are extremely obvious. I think it might be the action of getting up and standing in front of everyone, it's usually when all eyes are on me. Last year for the PPP presentation I asked to go into a smaller group as I didn't feel confident to present to more than a couple of people. Next time I'm going to try and make myself more at ease, going over my presentation and practicing really helps me so that I don't freeze up. I am going to try and look into presentation skills more by watching other peoples such as TED talks. I could also look at tips online and in books.
Workload jump
The shift from an art and foundation to a graphic design degree seemed quite substantial, and I initially felt overwhelmed. As the first year went on it gradually did improve, but I still felt like I could have been better organised and prepared for dealing with different deadlines all at the same time. This year time management needs to be really kept in check to keep on top of a heavy workload. I intend to plan out my time week by week so that I am motivated and know what needs to be done, instead of being lost under a mountain of work where I don't know where to start.
Using the design programs
As I come from a fine art background I haven't much skill on the design programs. I have noticed where this has limited and impacted my work last year, slowing my down. I need to try and watch tutorials and go to tutors when I am stuck so that I start to slowly get to grips with things.
Sharing my ideas
Last year I found it hard to share my ideas with my peers, I think this was because I was overwhelmed with how talented people on the course are. I preferred smaller groups to larger crit groups as it didn't feel as intimidating, making me more relaxed. I have noticed within second year that I am still struggling with this problem, i'll rush through what I'm saying or won't get to say everything that I wanted to. This is definitely something that I need to try and gain more confidence with, as it will have an impact on my work, I might not get the feedback that I need to develop as a designer. To improve in these situations I just need to keep pushing myself into them and be clear, point by point what it is I need to talk about.
Presentations
Whether it's individually or in a group this is something that I really struggled with and my nerves are extremely obvious. I think it might be the action of getting up and standing in front of everyone, it's usually when all eyes are on me. Last year for the PPP presentation I asked to go into a smaller group as I didn't feel confident to present to more than a couple of people. Next time I'm going to try and make myself more at ease, going over my presentation and practicing really helps me so that I don't freeze up. I am going to try and look into presentation skills more by watching other peoples such as TED talks. I could also look at tips online and in books.
Workload jump
The shift from an art and foundation to a graphic design degree seemed quite substantial, and I initially felt overwhelmed. As the first year went on it gradually did improve, but I still felt like I could have been better organised and prepared for dealing with different deadlines all at the same time. This year time management needs to be really kept in check to keep on top of a heavy workload. I intend to plan out my time week by week so that I am motivated and know what needs to be done, instead of being lost under a mountain of work where I don't know where to start.
Using the design programs
As I come from a fine art background I haven't much skill on the design programs. I have noticed where this has limited and impacted my work last year, slowing my down. I need to try and watch tutorials and go to tutors when I am stuck so that I start to slowly get to grips with things.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
OUGD402 Packaging Inspiration
As I have a fond interest in packaging design I have set up a pinterest board full of inspiring packaging designs. This is something I can refer to for inspiration, I can use aspects to work for me in different ways. Packaging design engages and excites me the possibilities are vast in terms of design and shape.
I have chosen to look at a few examples of the types of packaging design that inspires me:
Mama & Boo
A cosmetics and skincare line specifically for mums-to-be. From cleansers to creams to sunscreens, the company provides products with ingredients that are safe for mothers. With packaging and branding designed by Thinkpanther Design Studio, Mama & Boo captures the essence of the joys of parenthood for its products.
I particularly like the pattern design that is created for the bottle labels, the illustrative style and bright colours are attractive and do create this happy mood. I also like the wood lids which suggest that the products are natural - definitely what a mum to be would look for. They work cohesively with the rest of the design to produce a bright engaging product.
New Tea Ceremony
Designed by Typical Organisation, this line of tea sticks is just as good for a grab-and-go cup of tea as it is for a relaxing cup of afternoon tea.
This modernist approach to the design of tea packaging is really interesting but works really well to show the freshness and modernity in these tea sticks. The bright colours used are bold and striking which goes against the normal muted tones related to relaxation - it provides more excitement and intrigue. The dot pattern gives a sense of organisation and tidiness, much like graph paper. Overall it is a really interesting design that goes against the norm and bushes the boundaries of tea packaging.
The Pams Confectionary Range:
I have chosen to look at a few examples of the types of packaging design that inspires me:
Mama & Boo
A cosmetics and skincare line specifically for mums-to-be. From cleansers to creams to sunscreens, the company provides products with ingredients that are safe for mothers. With packaging and branding designed by Thinkpanther Design Studio, Mama & Boo captures the essence of the joys of parenthood for its products.
I particularly like the pattern design that is created for the bottle labels, the illustrative style and bright colours are attractive and do create this happy mood. I also like the wood lids which suggest that the products are natural - definitely what a mum to be would look for. They work cohesively with the rest of the design to produce a bright engaging product.
New Tea Ceremony
Designed by Typical Organisation, this line of tea sticks is just as good for a grab-and-go cup of tea as it is for a relaxing cup of afternoon tea.
This modernist approach to the design of tea packaging is really interesting but works really well to show the freshness and modernity in these tea sticks. The bright colours used are bold and striking which goes against the normal muted tones related to relaxation - it provides more excitement and intrigue. The dot pattern gives a sense of organisation and tidiness, much like graph paper. Overall it is a really interesting design that goes against the norm and bushes the boundaries of tea packaging.
The Pams Confectionary Range:
Illustrated by the talented Brett King, the design's naïve style touches on a story book 'look and feel' from simpler times. Each character relates to the product inside and cleverly tells its own story with little details for the consumer to find.
The choice of retro colours and a creamy pack give a sense of naturalness without downplaying the fun. And a gentle reminder that these lollies have no artificial flavours or colours. The characters are fun and engaging for a wide audience both young and old. The display window is also cleverly placed as the characters clothes which adds to the interest and shows layout has been well thought out.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
OUGD402 Presentation Reflection
On Monday I finally presented my presentation to my small group. I had been practicing over and over with friends and family to assure myself that I knew what I was doing so I have less chance of messing up. Initially I was really nervous and had that horrible sick feeling and I was very shaky. However, from the feedback I received apparently my nerves didn't come across when I was presenting. Because I knew how nervous I was, I tried to project my voice to stop it from shaking. This is really good news to here and it means that the steps I took to help obviously paid off. In the future with more practice hopefully the feeling of nervousness and dread will subside as I get more used to it. I aim by the end of second year to be a lot more confident in myself that I can actually present.
OUGD402 Reflective Summaries on the Studio Briefs
OUGD403 - Logotype:
Overall I really enjoyed this brief, I learned to look at type in a different way, it is usually designed for ease and speed of interpretation and understanding. However a logotype should intrigue the audience, should be meaningful and considered. The composition, spaces, spacing and weight are significant. A well designed arrangement of letterforms within a logotype can and should evoke personality and emotions. These were all the elements that I now needed to consider and look at in more depth and I found this really interesting.
Overall I really enjoyed this brief, I learned to look at type in a different way, it is usually designed for ease and speed of interpretation and understanding. However a logotype should intrigue the audience, should be meaningful and considered. The composition, spaces, spacing and weight are significant. A well designed arrangement of letterforms within a logotype can and should evoke personality and emotions. These were all the elements that I now needed to consider and look at in more depth and I found this really interesting.
I believe that the logotype I designed is bold and unique to the brand. It reflects a fragrance shop how it is contextually informed and people immediately engage, recognising exactly what that brand does. I think that it is a really cohesive aspect of the design that people when just seeing the logo as well as the name, that it is clear what it is. Although there may be a problem with scale, when applied at a smaller scale the perfume bottle might not be recognisable. I took inspiration from The Body Shop's re-brand and I think this is reflected within my final design. I found this a challenging task as I always struggle to come up with ideas for logos, I find it hard to try and represent a whole brand within one small piece of design. I have also realised through doing this brief that I do not experiment with my ideas enough and this proves to be very limiting. I really need to work on this, but hopefully I will try and focus on that for the next brief, really developing my ideas thoroughly.
In reference to the brief I believe that I did focus on the manipulation of original letter-forms and considered who the company are within my final design. However I should have considered looking to 'refresh' the brand as it already has a reasonably recognisable logo. And one of the major things within the brief that I did not do very successfully is experiment. Overall I think the design turned out well and does meet the brief but I would not say it was 100% successful as I need to make sure I do meet all the brief requirements.
OUGD403 - Typeface Design:
I found this a really challenging task based on the fact that I was unsure where to begin, but once I had got passed that it did become easier. I had a really hard adjective to work with and this is initially where my problems came from. Once I had spoken to others it gave me a lot more ideas to work with and helped me pinpoint which direction I wanted to go in.
The ideas seemed to come a lot easier then, I wanted to reflect wealth and and a large richness. I thought the best way to do this was to embellish the characters.
I could potentially try and make the swirls bigger and more over the top but within the time scale I did not see it being done and because my skills on illustrator are very basic I didn't want to try something that I wouldn't be able to complete.
From the feedback I have received I think I have achieved my aim of how I see abundant reflected as. People have interpreted my adjective in different ways which is probably the reason why my feedback is reasonably mixed. However, I think that people generally understood my design decisions which is a good thing.
Next time however I might try to consider how I can incorporate both trying to find more of an even ground of large quantities which more people seemed to associate the word with. With regards to my aims I have produced a design which is clear and easy to read, legibility is something I wanted to focus on. I think because I didn't over complicate my design and kept it reasonably simple it improved clarity and I think it would easily be reproduced.
Regarding its functionality and whether I made the right design decisions for the context I wanted to use the typeface in, I think it has worked and proved to be successful. However, next time I hope to be quicker with my idea generation and work and improve my skills on illustrator so I produce a more seamless piece of design.
OUGD405 - Wayfinding
Within this project I haven't ever done something like this before so It was a bit of a challenge to get started with, once I had done lots of research however this gave my designs more focus.
I believe that my way-finding system has improved upon the original, greatly aiding the user experience. My way-finding was primarily designed with new students in mind but can be used by anyone needing to find a place within IQ. People are immediately able to engage with the large new signage as it improves both readability and legibility. Because I have kept the colours of the design the same as the companies branding, it allows the way-finding system to be bought in smoothly and works in cohesion with any other materials such as posters.
The illumination of the signs will help make the signs visible outside at night and in poor weather conditions. The signs are easy to clean and are low-cost to run which is a huge benefit. However I do think I could have done a lot more for the system such as applied the pictograms to a map, although I wasn’t able to acquire a map of the building. I also should have created a sign labelling what floors different flats were on, I had intended to do this but I ran out of time for this project. I found this brief challenging as it was something I had never done before, I think I have been reasonably successful but maybe could have been more adventurous with my designs. I also struggled to manipulate the images effectively within photoshop so this is something I definitely want to improve.
In reference to the brief I believe that I had clarity, consistency, and coherence in order to guide the user through an environment in a consistent, convenient and safe manner. I also made sure to try and make my designs as legible as possible. I again struggled with the idea generation but I did try to consider lot’s of different things as to have more informed design decisions.
OUGD405 - Information Design
This happens to be one of my favourite briefs, I enjoyed the whole process from research to production, it was something that I could really engage with. I prefer designing for a purpose and this brief did just that.
I really enjoyed this project as designing for kids is quite fun! It allowed me to be childish in my designs and not worry about it looking perfect. I think I have developed an appropriate tone of voice for my target audience, something children will easily engage with. I think I should have done a bit more research into children’s leaflets and books so that I have everything covered when designing for children.
I think in the feedback it was right to say that the typeface for the body of text should have been clearer to improve readability and legibility, although it does fit in with the rest of the design. I think the accordion fold is easy for a young child to follow although there is no particular order to reading the leaflet. The design just makes it a bit more engaging to follow rather than opening one page and reading a ton of info, it allows the necessary breaks for children to process the information.
When doing my colour research I feel I chose the appropriate colours although I wish I could have tried to incorporate yellow into the design as that is linked to a child’s memory, which would increase the chance of them remembering the information. Overall I am happy with the design although I was worried it looked too childish like I hadn’t put much effort into it but I was just trying to get a style children could associate with.
OUGD406 - Secret 7
I have found this brief really exciting, but a lot more nerve racking as it is a live competition brief. I found that within the class people became a lot more competitive and seemed more motivated to produce a really good design, than with some of the other tasks. I found with this task that I had a more thought out design process which allowed me to get a range of ideas and this is something im going to take forward to improve my design practice within other tasks.
Within the feedback process I found that it wasn't as useful as it could be, whether that was due to the questions I asked or not, next time I will make sure I ask the most appropriate. However I would have preferred an approach were we sat down in groups as I feel I gain the most beneficial feedback from those types of crits.
If I had more time within this task I probably would have set the ice in the photography studio with the proper background and lighting, as that has hindered me entering some of my work due to odd colourings. Overall I have really enjoyed this task as it allowed me to come up with interesting and creative ideas without any limits.
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