Module Evaluation:
Overall I have found this module to be really beneficial to my personal development. I have struggled a lot with my confidence throughout the three years and I have felt that I'm not up to the high standards of others on this course. In particular I have struggled to put my work out there and show it off, this is something I have been working on this year. I have been doing more competition briefs this year in the hopes of my work getting recognised. I have also created a website which has given me a lot of confidence. Seeing my work mocked-up helped me to feel more professional and I felt proud seeing and reflecting on what I have produced.
As part of my personal branding I produced packs to send out to different studios in the hopes of getting and internship. I wanted to 'package' myself in the hopes of highlighting skills within this career path. For me I have found this a lot easier then sending an email, as it is quite difficult to get a reply as they can be easily overlooked. By sending something physical it will stick in there minds more and hopefully spark there interest. I think that the personal branding I have produced reflects my personality and design style. It has helped me to feel more prepared for the professional world.
I have really enjoyed going to talks and exhibitions this year as I have seen some really inspiring female creatives. This makes me personally feel more empowered as females are usually under represented within the creative industries. Overall I have gained valuable advice and knowledge which will hopefully prepare me for a career in design. I enjoy going to exhibitions from a range of disciplines as I am always intrigued and inspired by the things I see around me.
The presentation element of the module was something I was originally really dreading as I get really nervous doing public speaking. However, I think because I did the End of Year Show live brief which gave me the opportunity to pitch our group concept to the chancellors of the uni, the marketing department and various tutors, I have gained a lot of confidence. What I found worked best for me is being as prepared as possible and creating a visually engaging presentation to take the focus off me. Also, watching other people's presentations was really inspiring and to see how some people also got nervous made me feel better as I wasn't alone.
I think that I have progressed a lot throughout my uni experience, originally coming from a background in Fine Art I have slowly but surely started to develop sound software skills. I have gained a wider knowledge of graphic design and although I am still learning, I am eager and determined to learn more. In particular, I have found feedback extremely helpful and I have been able to develop really strong outcomes from this.
Lastly this module on a whole has been a big wake up call to me, I need to stay feeling confident and determined if I hope to get a design job after uni and I need to stop doubting myself. That is why this module has been so beneficial, because of this constant reflection I have been able to realise what I need to do and how I can improve.
Monday, May 14, 2018
OUGD602 Website
Website:
I used wix to build my website and bought my own personal domain:
www.georgina-smith.co.uk
I have used large scale imaged to really show off and create intrigue for my projects. I have done this in a clear layout so that it is easy to navigate and presents the work in the best format possible.
I have tried to write about my projects in a concise and engaging manner based on Alec workshop - writing about you work.
Developing my website I have had to mock-up a lot of my work, this has given me a lot more confidence as I have started to feel proud of the work I have been producing. Seeing everything put together and laid out professionally makes me feel more confident in my abilities.
I decided against buying an email address as at the time I couldn't afford to financially. Hopefully this won't impact people responding to my normal email address.
I used wix to build my website and bought my own personal domain:
www.georgina-smith.co.uk
I have used large scale imaged to really show off and create intrigue for my projects. I have done this in a clear layout so that it is easy to navigate and presents the work in the best format possible.
I have tried to write about my projects in a concise and engaging manner based on Alec workshop - writing about you work.
Developing my website I have had to mock-up a lot of my work, this has given me a lot more confidence as I have started to feel proud of the work I have been producing. Seeing everything put together and laid out professionally makes me feel more confident in my abilities.
I decided against buying an email address as at the time I couldn't afford to financially. Hopefully this won't impact people responding to my normal email address.
OUGD602 Personal Branding - Packs
Packs:
As I want to try and get an internship within a studio so that I can learn more about the industry, I have decided to send out packs. Hopefully, this will gain more attention from something physical and tactile then just an email.
I'm using white boxes to provide a clean look from which I can apply my own design.
Stickers
Round frosted stickers will be used on the front of the box and to close the CV. It helps to keep the branding strong and consistent throughout.
CV
I have designed a landscape CV with a gat-fold which is closed together with a sticker. There is also a slot for the business card.
Mini Portfolio
I wanted to include a taster of my work so I created a small publication of large images all in blue. This will hopefully spark interest where they will look further on my website.
Cover Letter
This uses the logo to create interest be being half cut out and remains consistent with the branding.
Studios I have sent the packs to...
- Robot Food (Leeds)
- Hullabaloo (Loughborough)
- R Design (London)
- Family and Friends (London)
These studios mainly focus on packaging and branding which is the area of graphic design that I want to go into. It will be useful if I get a work placement through this as I will be able to see whether packaging design is for me. I will also learn whether I would enjoy working in a studio environment.
Although it has been difficult getting over my lack of confidence I now feel more professional and confident in myself.
As I want to try and get an internship within a studio so that I can learn more about the industry, I have decided to send out packs. Hopefully, this will gain more attention from something physical and tactile then just an email.
I'm using white boxes to provide a clean look from which I can apply my own design.
Stickers
Round frosted stickers will be used on the front of the box and to close the CV. It helps to keep the branding strong and consistent throughout.
CV
I have designed a landscape CV with a gat-fold which is closed together with a sticker. There is also a slot for the business card.
Mini Portfolio
I wanted to include a taster of my work so I created a small publication of large images all in blue. This will hopefully spark interest where they will look further on my website.
Cover Letter
This uses the logo to create interest be being half cut out and remains consistent with the branding.
Studios I have sent the packs to...
- Robot Food (Leeds)
- Hullabaloo (Loughborough)
- R Design (London)
- Family and Friends (London)
These studios mainly focus on packaging and branding which is the area of graphic design that I want to go into. It will be useful if I get a work placement through this as I will be able to see whether packaging design is for me. I will also learn whether I would enjoy working in a studio environment.
Although it has been difficult getting over my lack of confidence I now feel more professional and confident in myself.
OUGD602 Personal Branding - Business Card Moo Order
Business Card Moo Order:
Due to time constraints and I couldn't get hold of the stock that I wanted I decided to use Moo to print them.
Front:
As I want to add an extra element to elevate the design I have chosen a raised spot gloss to help give a more tactile feel.
Back:
Outcome:
Overall I am really happy with the outcome, the raised spot gloss catches the light and creates intrigue whilst also providing a tactile element. The design is simple and bold with a friendly feel which hopefully represents me.
Due to time constraints and I couldn't get hold of the stock that I wanted I decided to use Moo to print them.
Front:
As I want to add an extra element to elevate the design I have chosen a raised spot gloss to help give a more tactile feel.
Back:
Outcome:
Overall I am really happy with the outcome, the raised spot gloss catches the light and creates intrigue whilst also providing a tactile element. The design is simple and bold with a friendly feel which hopefully represents me.
OUGD602 Personal Branding - Business Card - Final Design
Business Card - Final Design:
Colour: Bright and friendly to reflect my personality.
Colour: Bright and friendly to reflect my personality.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
OUGD602 PPP Workshop - Writing about your work
Writing about your work:
- Know what you're doing
- What is the project trying to solve, improving or communicating.
Task:
WHAT is the core idea?
HOW does it work?
WHY does it work?
Choose my favourite project and write one sentence for each element.
'How To Stand Up To Racism'
WHAT - An informative campaign on how to stand up to racism.
HOW - Provides a guide to intervening in a racial attack.
WHY - Gives clear information and instructs people what to do.
This workshop has been really useful for me to understand how to write about my work in a concise manner.
- Know what you're doing
- What is the project trying to solve, improving or communicating.
Task:
WHAT is the core idea?
HOW does it work?
WHY does it work?
Choose my favourite project and write one sentence for each element.
'How To Stand Up To Racism'
WHAT - An informative campaign on how to stand up to racism.
HOW - Provides a guide to intervening in a racial attack.
WHY - Gives clear information and instructs people what to do.
This workshop has been really useful for me to understand how to write about my work in a concise manner.
OUGD602 27 Club Exhibition
27 Club Exhibition:
This exhibition was run by some 2nd year graphic design students. It is a dedication to artists that died at the age of 27. The event was really successful and very busy, there were some really engaging pieces of work on display. Seeing how experimental and creative these outcomes are has inspired me to really push my secret 7 outcome this year.
This exhibition was run by some 2nd year graphic design students. It is a dedication to artists that died at the age of 27. The event was really successful and very busy, there were some really engaging pieces of work on display. Seeing how experimental and creative these outcomes are has inspired me to really push my secret 7 outcome this year.
OUGD602 Personal Branding - Stickers
Personal Branding - Stickers:
I've mocked my logo up as different sticker designs so that I can use them to seal boxes/envelopes.
Unfortunately the bright blue that I used on my website hasn't converted to CMYK very well. Because of this I am going to try and use a different shade of blue that I can use across both web and print.
I think that this blue is a lot nicer and brighter which can be used across both platforms.
These are the two sticker variations that I want to get printed. I think that im going to go for either a frosted or clear sticker.
I've mocked my logo up as different sticker designs so that I can use them to seal boxes/envelopes.
Unfortunately the bright blue that I used on my website hasn't converted to CMYK very well. Because of this I am going to try and use a different shade of blue that I can use across both web and print.
I think that this blue is a lot nicer and brighter which can be used across both platforms.
These are the two sticker variations that I want to get printed. I think that im going to go for either a frosted or clear sticker.
OUGD602 PPP Presentation
PPP Presentation:
I am really nervous to do my PPP presentation as I struggle with presenting/public speaking. Im hoping that I will go better than I think, to make the process as easy as possible for me I have practiced my presentation. This way I will feel more prepared and confident at speaking. Within my presentation I have included gifs to draw the attention away from me and provide a bit of humour.
Start of 3rd year:
- Positive
- Ready to work hard
- Went to Barcelona
Went to the Design Museum in Barcelona..
- The graphic work on display was really inspiring
- Reminder of my love of design - this is what I want to do
Design Manchester...
- Day long conference
- Different creatives
Different presentation styles
Interesting to see how different creatives worked in a professional environment
Good to hear about the current things going on within design - projects/work
Tash Wilcocks
Interactive & engaging talk – strong presentation style
People connected more with what she was saying
Encouraged to do things that scare you – this is what I am trying to do
Lastly,
- Hand in and get all my work done!
I am really nervous to do my PPP presentation as I struggle with presenting/public speaking. Im hoping that I will go better than I think, to make the process as easy as possible for me I have practiced my presentation. This way I will feel more prepared and confident at speaking. Within my presentation I have included gifs to draw the attention away from me and provide a bit of humour.
Hello!
Start of 3rd year:
- Positive
- Ready to work hard
- Went to Barcelona
Went to the Design Museum in Barcelona..
- The graphic work on display was really inspiring
- Reminder of my love of design - this is what I want to do
Then the stress hit…
Cop
Sorting out timetables / deadlines for extended
But, I started to go to more exhibitions and talk…
Frankie came at the start of the year...
Inspiring how she managed to balance work/life/travel – important for me to find that balance
Working out what is right for you is important – studio life didn’t suit her
Try different things
I don’t want to be stuck in a job I won’t enjoy
Design Manchester...
- Day long conference
- Different creatives
Different presentation styles
Interesting to see how different creatives worked in a professional environment
Good to hear about the current things going on within design - projects/work
Tash Wilcocks
Interactive & engaging talk – strong presentation style
People connected more with what she was saying
Encouraged to do things that scare you – this is what I am trying to do
Creative Convos found the whole week
Inspiring/motivational
Robot Food is a studio I really admire – strong portfolio of work
Inspired me to do my own project based around this concept of finding a stale category and disrupting it…
Quick brief encourage me to work faster - particular and take time over things.
Send to Robot Food for feedback good contact – can develop from feedback.
Spoke to eve about portfolios gave advice on what to include
Buy decent mockups – elevates the presentation of your work
More professional
Worried about proficiency on the design programs as im still learning a lot.
More important to have creative ideas/concepts
- You would learn a lot - you can ask for help
- Felt more at ease
Slowly starting to feel more confident / determined
Want to go into packaging design
- Been trying to focus my briefs towards that
Based of this interest looking at studios
which do packaging and branding
-Which have strong portfolios
-Good studio environment
-Struggled with confidence contacting
people
-How I plan on contacting them…
By packaging myself..
- Careful consideration
- Reflects interest
- Help me stand out
Thought about my self-branding from first year
- Didn’t reflect me professionally
- Still learning who I was as a designer
- Still learning a lot about design
However, I decided to keep my logo
Combination of both initials – g, s
Bold, simple, strong - reflected me well enough
Website:
Paid for domain
Feel more professional
Nice to see all the work I’ve done
Confidence boost
Finally set up my Linkedin
- More conversations happening than I thought
- Good to starting grow a network
Instagram..
- Re-done
- More professional
I've done a few competition briefs this year one of them being Starpack...
- Packaging competition
- More material focus
- Enjoyed doing it
- Felt quite rushed with other deadlines - D&AD, EOYS
- Got shortlisted
- Confidence boost
- More motivated
EOYS Branding - shortlisted
Working Collaboratively on live brief
Love collaboration
Worked well with this team
Visited Peter & Paul studio in Sheffield
- Good to see a professional studio
- Had a meeting
- Feedback from Daniel through project
Communicated to Daniel through email
- Difficult
- Unclear feedback
- Miscommunication
- Face to face meetings more valuable when working with clients
Pitching the concept
- Chancellors, marketing department and tutors
- Nervous
- Supported by group
- Power-point lagging
- Built confidence
- Went better than I thought
Glug event..
- Inspirational women in design
- Real stories
- Find a job that's right for you
- Strong presentations which were really engaging
Tried networking…
A guy had a card game needed better branding and packaging
- Just done D&AD brief card game
- Offered to do it
- Said he couldn’t really afford to pay much
- Didn’t seem trustworthy – just wanted me to send him my idea
- Need to watch that don’t get taken advantage of
My plan now..
- Internship for summer
Lastly,
- Hand in and get all my work done!
Outcome:
The presentation went a lot better than I thought, even though I wasn't first to present I managed to keep my nerved under control. I think that after seeing other people present and seeing other people get nervous it made me feel a lot more at ease. I received positive feedback and I know that the more practice at presenting I get the easy it will become. This is something I really want to improve as I will need to be able to pitch and present ideas to clients.
OUGD602 Email for Studio Visit
Email for Studio Visits:
Me and Emma have decided to email a studio in Leeds to learn more about the creative industries and to see a different studios working environment.
Split
- Small creative studio
- Concept driven
- Details
- Really strong identity for Yorkshire Dance
Email:
Unfortunately I didn't get a reply, but that could be down to my email address or just the fact the studio is too busy!
Me and Emma have decided to email a studio in Leeds to learn more about the creative industries and to see a different studios working environment.
Split
- Small creative studio
- Concept driven
- Details
- Really strong identity for Yorkshire Dance
Email:
Unfortunately I didn't get a reply, but that could be down to my email address or just the fact the studio is too busy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)