It was a long wait before I got to do my presentation as I was at the bottom of the register, saw some great presentations, which was a breathe of fresh air; getting an insight into what everyone else got up to over the summer period. From watching these presentations, I'm starting to get an idea on the type of work that everyone's focusing into and the standard of work that our year are going to be producing in the next few months - exciting!
I felt that my presentation went relatively well, waiting till the end didn't help my nerves but just like past presentations, I seemed to be getting used to talking about my work to a group of people now. I didn't really practice what I was going to say as I didn't want to over think the whole thing so just wanted to talk through it as I go through the structured presentation. The feedback I received was positive overall, I seemed to be able to communicate my thoughts and ideas effectively while engaging the audience throughout the presentation and the number of presenting I did during my studio visits over the summer might have helped! The only main criticism was on refining the title of my dissertation which I am aware of and will be working on very very soon! But overall, it was a good presentation I think, the process of present it itself has made me reflect on things and has clarified my direction of study.
Now to start a brief!
Thursday 30 September 2010
Tuesday 28 September 2010
3rd Year PPD Presentation
Presentation of our personal, professional practice, what we've been up to over the summer and our aims for this year leading on to the end of this course. I've kept the format quite simple and straight forwards focusing more on the content.
Monday 27 September 2010
Business card production / final
Final business card design and production; they were produced out of laser cutting a 3mm fluorescent green/yellow sheet of acrylic. I wanted to experiment with a more unconventional method of producing the cards, laser cutting was an interesting choice as it would be highly cost effective, I only had to pay for the material as the use of the laser cutter was free. To produce this finish in large numbers would be incredibly expensive and I wouldn't even know where to start looking to get these done, I was only planning on getting around 40 of these cards produced so wanted to utilise this.
The finished business cards:
Dimensions - 55mm x 85mm x 3mm
The final finish looks pretty impressive and is definitely eye catching thanks to the fluorescent colour of the acrylic. I experimented with different cutting variations including cutting it on the other side before using the inverted cut so that it is viewed on the other side, as this gives a cleaner and more polished finish. I'm pleased with the results, considering the amount of time we had to work on these. They look really professional as a collection and individually, the only thing I hoped could have been better is the accuracy of the type, it looks quite rigid when they're cut out, and although it is legible I would have liked it to be sharper! Nevertheless as I now have my business cards ready to hand out to visiting professionals, potential employers and clients. Although there can be improvements, it's eye catching as planned and does the job for carrying my contact and website address.
The finished business cards:
Dimensions - 55mm x 85mm x 3mm
The final finish looks pretty impressive and is definitely eye catching thanks to the fluorescent colour of the acrylic. I experimented with different cutting variations including cutting it on the other side before using the inverted cut so that it is viewed on the other side, as this gives a cleaner and more polished finish. I'm pleased with the results, considering the amount of time we had to work on these. They look really professional as a collection and individually, the only thing I hoped could have been better is the accuracy of the type, it looks quite rigid when they're cut out, and although it is legible I would have liked it to be sharper! Nevertheless as I now have my business cards ready to hand out to visiting professionals, potential employers and clients. Although there can be improvements, it's eye catching as planned and does the job for carrying my contact and website address.
Sunday 26 September 2010
Business card designs / development
Last Friday, we were asked to produce our own set of business cards ready for the following Wednesday, a short brief with limited time to produce something that would be good enough to give out to design professionals and potential clients.
Due to the limited amount of time and also wanting to leave my own branding for a later date that would tie in with a redevelopment of my website and branding materials, I aimed to produce temporary business card that would be used to give out to more specific people such as visiting designers and working professionals. I wanted something that would be striking; something that would stand out with the only function of being able to leave an impression and carry my contact and website details.
As it would be a temporary business card, I felt that I had more flexibility with the design; the cost didn't restrict me too much as I won't be producing too many, it's temporary so the notion of experimenting a bit more encouraged the design. This also made me decide on something a lot quicker, I didn't really have much time as I had to consider the time it would take for the production side aswell so only explored 2 different routes.
The 1st route was to produce a limited number of 26 business cards; each one would carry my details and a letter from the alphabet. I wanted to produce a custom typeface that would contribute to a 'set' of cards that I would give out to specific people.The image below shows a few developments of this, I had the idea of getting the card's laser cut, with the letter cut through and details engraved onto the material. This didn't really work out however as the aesthetics of each letter of the alphabet on the cards didn't really fit with the function of the business cards, I realised that they didn't really communicate 'type lead designer' as I had hoped so this idea was scrapped.
My 2nd route followed the same direction in terms of the production side of it, my main thoughts behind the business card was that I wanted to communicate : professional, ambitious and type & print based designer. I also had to consider the use of these cards, I was not planning on printing masses and masses of these, as I wanted them to be more for specific people who I would contact during this year; professionals who I would speak to and give at the end of speaking to them as opposed to just dishing them out. With this in mind, I worked on a temporary identity that I would use, exploring the shapes and letter forms of my initials and layout of the information.
Due to the limited amount of time and also wanting to leave my own branding for a later date that would tie in with a redevelopment of my website and branding materials, I aimed to produce temporary business card that would be used to give out to more specific people such as visiting designers and working professionals. I wanted something that would be striking; something that would stand out with the only function of being able to leave an impression and carry my contact and website details.
As it would be a temporary business card, I felt that I had more flexibility with the design; the cost didn't restrict me too much as I won't be producing too many, it's temporary so the notion of experimenting a bit more encouraged the design. This also made me decide on something a lot quicker, I didn't really have much time as I had to consider the time it would take for the production side aswell so only explored 2 different routes.
The 1st route was to produce a limited number of 26 business cards; each one would carry my details and a letter from the alphabet. I wanted to produce a custom typeface that would contribute to a 'set' of cards that I would give out to specific people.The image below shows a few developments of this, I had the idea of getting the card's laser cut, with the letter cut through and details engraved onto the material. This didn't really work out however as the aesthetics of each letter of the alphabet on the cards didn't really fit with the function of the business cards, I realised that they didn't really communicate 'type lead designer' as I had hoped so this idea was scrapped.
My 2nd route followed the same direction in terms of the production side of it, my main thoughts behind the business card was that I wanted to communicate : professional, ambitious and type & print based designer. I also had to consider the use of these cards, I was not planning on printing masses and masses of these, as I wanted them to be more for specific people who I would contact during this year; professionals who I would speak to and give at the end of speaking to them as opposed to just dishing them out. With this in mind, I worked on a temporary identity that I would use, exploring the shapes and letter forms of my initials and layout of the information.
Meeting James Littlewood - Design Project
One of my most admired design studios up north; Design Project has been one that I've been following for quite some time now; the work showcased on their website demonstrate an inspirational collection of work ranging from website designs for P+HS Architects to the 44th annual of the D&AD Awards.
Meeting James Littlewood, the director of Design Project was an invaluable experience. We chatted for just under an hour about graphic design, Design Project, my portfolio and few other things and received some positive and constructive feedback/advice on my work. One of the major things he picked on was that I didn't have many physical copies of my work, especially as I was talking about print finishes and wanting to focus more n design for print, this wasn't the 1st time it's been mentioned by a professional that I've spoken to so definitely need to sort this out before my next studio visit! I used to think that having a structured portfolio printed showing well photographed work was enough, but this doesn't seem to be engaging enough as they would most likely have seen my work on my website before anyway so definitely need to bring something more if I was to use up some of their time.
From speaking to James, I got some great advice and opinions from him about my work and where I'm thinking of heading with my 3rd year. It has definitely influenced the direction and my design strategy for the final year and beyond.
In general meeting James was a fantastic opportunity to talk to a working professional who produced work that I aspired to. Again the main thing he was a little disappointed about was that I didn't have many physical pieces of my work so it was difficult for him to make a judgement on it just from looking at the photos. In response to me finally asking about placement opportunities, he said that he wanted to see more work first, therefore has asked for me to go back in a couple of months with more physical and recent work and will go from there.
As an overall experience, I was very satisfied with meeting him and getting the feedback off my work. From now till December, I will be developing and printing out past work and work on some new briefs to produce some high end work to show him later in the year, which would hopefully impress him enough to offer me some placement experience at Design Project. It's going to be a busy few months for sure but also really looking forwards to producing work that I enjoy!
Meeting James Littlewood, the director of Design Project was an invaluable experience. We chatted for just under an hour about graphic design, Design Project, my portfolio and few other things and received some positive and constructive feedback/advice on my work. One of the major things he picked on was that I didn't have many physical copies of my work, especially as I was talking about print finishes and wanting to focus more n design for print, this wasn't the 1st time it's been mentioned by a professional that I've spoken to so definitely need to sort this out before my next studio visit! I used to think that having a structured portfolio printed showing well photographed work was enough, but this doesn't seem to be engaging enough as they would most likely have seen my work on my website before anyway so definitely need to bring something more if I was to use up some of their time.
From speaking to James, I got some great advice and opinions from him about my work and where I'm thinking of heading with my 3rd year. It has definitely influenced the direction and my design strategy for the final year and beyond.
In general meeting James was a fantastic opportunity to talk to a working professional who produced work that I aspired to. Again the main thing he was a little disappointed about was that I didn't have many physical pieces of my work so it was difficult for him to make a judgement on it just from looking at the photos. In response to me finally asking about placement opportunities, he said that he wanted to see more work first, therefore has asked for me to go back in a couple of months with more physical and recent work and will go from there.
As an overall experience, I was very satisfied with meeting him and getting the feedback off my work. From now till December, I will be developing and printing out past work and work on some new briefs to produce some high end work to show him later in the year, which would hopefully impress him enough to offer me some placement experience at Design Project. It's going to be a busy few months for sure but also really looking forwards to producing work that I enjoy!
Tuesday 14 September 2010
Visiting Music - Manchester
Over the summer, I got back to them again, to let them know that I have setup my site and would appreciate some feedback on some of my recent projects and also to see if they'd be free to meet up for a brief chat. Craig from Music got back in touch and I went round to their studio to pay a visit and have a chat. Again, similar to previous visits, I got some great feedback, both positive and constructive. Again the main points he raised that I could improve on was to bring actual mockups or finished outcomes to talk through. Eventhough my print outs were well presented, it would be beneficial to show off the print finishes to demonstrate my considerations with print and attention to detail.
Amongst the feedback, I got a brief history about Music as a design studio, the work and the direction they're heading which was insightful! Looking around there small but very nice studio, and getting to see some of their work again reminded me how much I'd want to experience working there!
Before leaving, Craig again was kind enough to help me out with my dissertation research, so that's another designer to send my questions to regarding my dissertation topic!
Visiting Raw Design - Manchester
Visiting Raw Design Studio
During my stay at Manchester while working at True North, I managed to squeeze in a meet up with Tom Heaton who works at Raw Design Studio; an award winning design agency in Manchester. They are a multidisciplinary agency who focus on effective ideas and strong design outcomes that range form brand identities, print publications to design for web.
They have a lovely little design studio as you can see from the images below. I arranged to meet up with the intention to receive some feedback off my portfolio, discuss potential placement opportunities, and to ask about helping me out with my dissertation research. Tom was very helpful and spared almost an hour of his time after work to speak to me, I received some positive and constructive feedback and advice on my work. Stuff that has made me rethink certain parts of how I should present my portfolio, one of them is to definitely bring the actual projects with me particularly if they are print heavy outcomes.
In terms of placement, this is currently a 'pending' situation as I'll need to see what date's I could do and he would also need to double check with the art director, particularly as there has been some big alterations with the people and the direction that they're heading with the studio. Again, just like Whitespace, he was more than happy to help me out with my dissertation research and was willing to answer a few questions which I'll need to email him ASAP!
Once again, I really appreciated his time and the overall time spent there was invaluable. I definitely feel slightly more connected getting to speak to more designers around the area, this has also improved my confidence with meeting new designers and the way I present my work etc.
During my stay at Manchester while working at True North, I managed to squeeze in a meet up with Tom Heaton who works at Raw Design Studio; an award winning design agency in Manchester. They are a multidisciplinary agency who focus on effective ideas and strong design outcomes that range form brand identities, print publications to design for web.
They have a lovely little design studio as you can see from the images below. I arranged to meet up with the intention to receive some feedback off my portfolio, discuss potential placement opportunities, and to ask about helping me out with my dissertation research. Tom was very helpful and spared almost an hour of his time after work to speak to me, I received some positive and constructive feedback and advice on my work. Stuff that has made me rethink certain parts of how I should present my portfolio, one of them is to definitely bring the actual projects with me particularly if they are print heavy outcomes.
In terms of placement, this is currently a 'pending' situation as I'll need to see what date's I could do and he would also need to double check with the art director, particularly as there has been some big alterations with the people and the direction that they're heading with the studio. Again, just like Whitespace, he was more than happy to help me out with my dissertation research and was willing to answer a few questions which I'll need to email him ASAP!
Once again, I really appreciated his time and the overall time spent there was invaluable. I definitely feel slightly more connected getting to speak to more designers around the area, this has also improved my confidence with meeting new designers and the way I present my work etc.
Monday 13 September 2010
4 weeks at True North - Manchester
From the 16th August - 10th September 2010, I did 4 weeks at Manchester based design agency True North. Initially I applied for 2 main reasons; their location and the work that they produce. Being from down south, I wanted to make the most of being in the Leeds area and experiencing as much as I could in regards to the design industry in the north. Manchester, particularly more recently has become a prominent interest in terms of the location mainly because the healthy number of design studios that are currently producing work that I'm really interested in myself.
The work produced by True North from their site shows that they are an experienced multidisciplinary design agency, who have produced work for a variety of different applications and clients ranging from the more cultural sector to commercial names. They show that they like to emphasise on ideas and concepts and work closely with their clients, which is something I like to practice more myself and also really wanted to experience in a design studio. Although I'm not clear where I would like to end up after finishing the course, there were clear areas that I could learn from doing a short placement there.
During the 4 weeks there, I've helped out with a range of different briefs, (unfortunately these are still confidential as they have been released properly yet) that ranged from generating ideas, visualising things, making mock ups and research materials etc. The time there seemed have flown by and 4 weeks definitely seems too short to get to know people properly and know my way round how the studio works. However, I feel that I have picked up some skills and experience towards the way I could consider working, which I'll definitely put towards my design practice in the 3rd year and beyond. Also, what I did witness and experience there has influenced my decisions for the type of work I have decided to work on for the 3rd year. Being in a busy studio environment definitely has altered my views on what I would like to do, if anything this has questioned where I would like to end up, the type of work I would like to produce and the 'ideal' clients that I would like to work for.
But all in all, it has been a good experience, both working in Manchester and at True North itself. Although it has been short, the experienced gained was invaluable, it was good to meet and work with industry professionals and the whole time spent there has kept my head design orientated and still alive ready to take on the final year!
The work produced by True North from their site shows that they are an experienced multidisciplinary design agency, who have produced work for a variety of different applications and clients ranging from the more cultural sector to commercial names. They show that they like to emphasise on ideas and concepts and work closely with their clients, which is something I like to practice more myself and also really wanted to experience in a design studio. Although I'm not clear where I would like to end up after finishing the course, there were clear areas that I could learn from doing a short placement there.
During the 4 weeks there, I've helped out with a range of different briefs, (unfortunately these are still confidential as they have been released properly yet) that ranged from generating ideas, visualising things, making mock ups and research materials etc. The time there seemed have flown by and 4 weeks definitely seems too short to get to know people properly and know my way round how the studio works. However, I feel that I have picked up some skills and experience towards the way I could consider working, which I'll definitely put towards my design practice in the 3rd year and beyond. Also, what I did witness and experience there has influenced my decisions for the type of work I have decided to work on for the 3rd year. Being in a busy studio environment definitely has altered my views on what I would like to do, if anything this has questioned where I would like to end up, the type of work I would like to produce and the 'ideal' clients that I would like to work for.
But all in all, it has been a good experience, both working in Manchester and at True North itself. Although it has been short, the experienced gained was invaluable, it was good to meet and work with industry professionals and the whole time spent there has kept my head design orientated and still alive ready to take on the final year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)