Charlotte Bourke
Strengths: Concept driven; research; deligation; organisation; motivation; perfectionist.
Weaknesses: Software skills; confidence; pushiness; indecisive.
Luke O'Brien
Strengths: Motivated; Software skills; ideas driven; project management; organised; presentation; decisive.
Weaknesses: Spleling; financial management; finishing (craft quality).
Max Gregory
Strengths: SPAG/proofing (spelling & grammar), craft and finish.
Weaknesses: Confidence, presentation, life; indecision.
Joe Warburton
Strengths: Software skills; attention to detail; maths; organisation; innovative.
Weaknesses: Confidence; presentation; drawing; indecisive.
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Enterprise - Study Task 5
Proposed Position Statement
Write 10 short but informative statements that identify your distinctive ‘positioning’ as a Graphic Designer. Your statements should consider your ambitions, skills and areas of creative interest in relation to the market, your clients, competition and possible collaborators and should be based on the information that you have collected in response to the set tasks.
You will need to compare a list of your skills and services against customer/client needs to those of your competitors, this should help you determine how your company is unique.
Response
1) After I graduate, I aim to work within a small, independent studio as part of a small collaborative team, working primarily with brand identity solutions. I find it difficult not to work around like-minded creatives therefore I believe working within a team is paramount.
2) I strive to create works of a concise and minimal aesthetic that communicate effectively.
3) Strong passion for brand and identity design with a primary focus on print.
4) I aim to build contacts through placements and studio visits to create a potential platform for the future.
5) Sometime in the near future, when searching for placements and internships, I think it would prove beneficial to look at studios abroad, particularly in Australia, America and Scandinavia as many studios I have come across are situated in these parts of the world. Although it seems like a big stepping stone, it would ultimately help me become more confident whilst improving my design and contextual practice.
6) I intend to expand my knowledge with digital and web based media as technology is constantly evolving and brands are always searching for innovative and modern advertising techniques. Online presence is a necessity nowadays.
7) Collborate with others in order to diversify my knowledge in all aspects of design.
8) I aim to continue with self-initiated projects alongside my education to continually develop my own 'style'.
9)
10) Potentially open up my own studio, preferably with 2 or 3 like-minded creative who have a similar passion and outlook on design in general.
Write 10 short but informative statements that identify your distinctive ‘positioning’ as a Graphic Designer. Your statements should consider your ambitions, skills and areas of creative interest in relation to the market, your clients, competition and possible collaborators and should be based on the information that you have collected in response to the set tasks.
You will need to compare a list of your skills and services against customer/client needs to those of your competitors, this should help you determine how your company is unique.
Response
1) After I graduate, I aim to work within a small, independent studio as part of a small collaborative team, working primarily with brand identity solutions. I find it difficult not to work around like-minded creatives therefore I believe working within a team is paramount.
2) I strive to create works of a concise and minimal aesthetic that communicate effectively.
3) Strong passion for brand and identity design with a primary focus on print.
4) I aim to build contacts through placements and studio visits to create a potential platform for the future.
5) Sometime in the near future, when searching for placements and internships, I think it would prove beneficial to look at studios abroad, particularly in Australia, America and Scandinavia as many studios I have come across are situated in these parts of the world. Although it seems like a big stepping stone, it would ultimately help me become more confident whilst improving my design and contextual practice.
6) I intend to expand my knowledge with digital and web based media as technology is constantly evolving and brands are always searching for innovative and modern advertising techniques. Online presence is a necessity nowadays.
7) Collborate with others in order to diversify my knowledge in all aspects of design.
8) I aim to continue with self-initiated projects alongside my education to continually develop my own 'style'.
9)
10) Potentially open up my own studio, preferably with 2 or 3 like-minded creative who have a similar passion and outlook on design in general.
Enterprise - Study Task 4
Who else is out there - how good are they?
Based on the principles that have been introduced in lecture 4 of the Enterprise module and your responses to the previous tasks, evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses of three practitioners or design agencies as objectively as you can. What opportunities for your own practice have revealed themselves to you as a result of this analysis and evaluation? Do not use subjective language or make unfounded comments about other people’s businesses. It is essential that you make references to SWOT and evaluate its usefulness as an analysis or evaluation tool.
In responding to this task you will need to consider the following questions:
Response:
Raw
http://www.weareraw.co.uk/
A multi-disciplinary design studio located in Greater Manchester. 'We create effective pieces of design and creative communications, with a focus on craftsmanship and collaboration.'
Strengths
- Diverse team with different specialities and strengths, perfect for a design studio working with a wide range of media - from interactive to print.
- Evident passion for design and communication / collaboration - "We create effective pieces of design and creative communications, with a focus on craftsmanship and collaboration."
- Brilliant studio in a good location - the studio aims to inspire which, from looking at the photographs, is extremely well designed. By being in Manchester, there should be many links to the industry, albeit not as much as working in London, for example (though this may be an overcrowded market)
- Winner of an entrepreneur award amongst many others.
- As they already have an extensive client list, including high profile ones, this gives other clients an incentive to work with Raw.
Weaknesses
- No specific client base - is it too broad? They cover an extensive range of print and interactive media from branding and illustration to websites and motion graphics for a diverse client list. Customers desire a specialist in a particular market therefore this may be seen as a weakness - this in turn could possibly provide opportunities. I intend to work primarily with brand identity solutions - logo (and its application) etc for independent businesses, particularly in the culture sector.
Based on the principles that have been introduced in lecture 4 of the Enterprise module and your responses to the previous tasks, evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses of three practitioners or design agencies as objectively as you can. What opportunities for your own practice have revealed themselves to you as a result of this analysis and evaluation? Do not use subjective language or make unfounded comments about other people’s businesses. It is essential that you make references to SWOT and evaluate its usefulness as an analysis or evaluation tool.
In responding to this task you will need to consider the following questions:
- Who am I competing against?
- What do they offer?
- What makes me better?
- What makes me different?
Response:
Raw
http://www.weareraw.co.uk/
A multi-disciplinary design studio located in Greater Manchester. 'We create effective pieces of design and creative communications, with a focus on craftsmanship and collaboration.'
Strengths
- Diverse team with different specialities and strengths, perfect for a design studio working with a wide range of media - from interactive to print.
- Evident passion for design and communication / collaboration - "We create effective pieces of design and creative communications, with a focus on craftsmanship and collaboration."
- Brilliant studio in a good location - the studio aims to inspire which, from looking at the photographs, is extremely well designed. By being in Manchester, there should be many links to the industry, albeit not as much as working in London, for example (though this may be an overcrowded market)
- Winner of an entrepreneur award amongst many others.
- As they already have an extensive client list, including high profile ones, this gives other clients an incentive to work with Raw.
Weaknesses
- No specific client base - is it too broad? They cover an extensive range of print and interactive media from branding and illustration to websites and motion graphics for a diverse client list. Customers desire a specialist in a particular market therefore this may be seen as a weakness - this in turn could possibly provide opportunities. I intend to work primarily with brand identity solutions - logo (and its application) etc for independent businesses, particularly in the culture sector.
Matthew Haysom
Matthew Haysom is a recently graduated graphic designer / creative thinker. now based in London. His works are relatively simple in their aesthetic but are concise in terms of communicating a message. I chose Matthew Haysom as his work is that I wish to aspire towards once I graduate
Strengths
- Conceptual work with a strong, minimal design aesthetic
- Full self-rebrand consisting of a simple letter mark and applied to various media that communicates effectively
- Effective brand identity solutions working across a range of media
Weaknesses
- Primarily self-initiated work aside from a recent update containing work created during employment. Although not necessarily a 'weakness', as such, clients may seek 'live' client-based work
Tim Boelaars
Tim Boelaars is a graphic designer working primarily with digital illustration and iconography. His unique style has been sought by a diverse range of clients from a woodworker to those specialising in skincare packaging. He is currently selling prints of his work through an online store.
Strengths
- Unique, illustrative and distinctive style that immediately stands out amongst other work
- Iconography can be used within any business, big or small, and are used as clear and simple methods of communication. I have a passion for iconography and digital illustrations among branding and identity therefore I may pursue this even moreso in future projects
Tim Boelaars
Tim Boelaars is a graphic designer working primarily with digital illustration and iconography. His unique style has been sought by a diverse range of clients from a woodworker to those specialising in skincare packaging. He is currently selling prints of his work through an online store.
Strengths
- Unique, illustrative and distinctive style that immediately stands out amongst other work
- Iconography can be used within any business, big or small, and are used as clear and simple methods of communication. I have a passion for iconography and digital illustrations among branding and identity therefore I may pursue this even moreso in future projects
Enterprise - Study Task 3
How will I promote myself?
Based on the principles that have been introduced so far in the Enterprise module and your findings in previous tasks, evaluate the most suitable marketing methodologies for your own practice and the most effective methods to reach your potential customers.
It is essential that you make references to some of the methodologies in the ‘Marketing Communication Mix’ and evaluate the ‘Place’ that will give you the greatest competitive advantage and be convenient for your clients / customers. This is an exercise in applying that theory – it is not appropriate to write about the theory itself. Demonstrate your understanding of it by actually using it.
In responding to his task you should consider the following questions:
Response
I aspire to work within an independent studio, working predominantly with small businesses, therefore self identity and promotion is extremely important. Through an online presence and printed, self-promotional materials distributed through networking (and mailshots) I need to translate my passion, ambition and drive for design. Clients seek professionalism but I also believe they seek designers they can approach, those they believe they can work effectively with in order to produce the best outcome possible.
Aforementioned, networking is essential in order to communicate and share ideas with like-minded individuals but most importantly, to showcase my work (and myself) to potential clients. Currently, I have an online portfolio, a blog, flickr, twitter and a store on bigcartel (though this is somewhat lacking, quite substantially actually). Using these, I intend to promote myself and my work. Twitter is useful in showcasing your personality and distributing your work instantaneously to your followers. Through my Tumblr blog, I predominantly post design that inspires me but occasionally post my own work. Those who follow me on Tumblr can gain insight into what I seek to achieve through my own design practice. Aside from online networking, however, it would be great to exhibit my work in exhibitions such as D&AD in order to gain more publicised exposure.
Although online resources are great marketing tools, it is vastly overcrowded therefore it may be difficult to get myself heard in amongst my 'competitors'. Google, for example, only lists what it deems the most 'relevant' search results. However, this requires SEO, money and pre-existing interest in your site.
Through contextual research, I have come across many design studios I aspire to gain placements with. As no two studios are alike, the way in which I approach these may differ entirely. For example, I may contact a studio who work with web through an interactive CV or simply showing them my online portfolio. With a studio working primarily with print, however, I may send a unique mailshot containing some examples of my print based work.
Based on the principles that have been introduced so far in the Enterprise module and your findings in previous tasks, evaluate the most suitable marketing methodologies for your own practice and the most effective methods to reach your potential customers.
It is essential that you make references to some of the methodologies in the ‘Marketing Communication Mix’ and evaluate the ‘Place’ that will give you the greatest competitive advantage and be convenient for your clients / customers. This is an exercise in applying that theory – it is not appropriate to write about the theory itself. Demonstrate your understanding of it by actually using it.
In responding to his task you should consider the following questions:
- What do ‘they’ want to hear?
- What should I say to ‘them’?
- How will I communicate with ‘them’?
Response
I aspire to work within an independent studio, working predominantly with small businesses, therefore self identity and promotion is extremely important. Through an online presence and printed, self-promotional materials distributed through networking (and mailshots) I need to translate my passion, ambition and drive for design. Clients seek professionalism but I also believe they seek designers they can approach, those they believe they can work effectively with in order to produce the best outcome possible.
Aforementioned, networking is essential in order to communicate and share ideas with like-minded individuals but most importantly, to showcase my work (and myself) to potential clients. Currently, I have an online portfolio, a blog, flickr, twitter and a store on bigcartel (though this is somewhat lacking, quite substantially actually). Using these, I intend to promote myself and my work. Twitter is useful in showcasing your personality and distributing your work instantaneously to your followers. Through my Tumblr blog, I predominantly post design that inspires me but occasionally post my own work. Those who follow me on Tumblr can gain insight into what I seek to achieve through my own design practice. Aside from online networking, however, it would be great to exhibit my work in exhibitions such as D&AD in order to gain more publicised exposure.
Although online resources are great marketing tools, it is vastly overcrowded therefore it may be difficult to get myself heard in amongst my 'competitors'. Google, for example, only lists what it deems the most 'relevant' search results. However, this requires SEO, money and pre-existing interest in your site.
Through contextual research, I have come across many design studios I aspire to gain placements with. As no two studios are alike, the way in which I approach these may differ entirely. For example, I may contact a studio who work with web through an interactive CV or simply showing them my online portfolio. With a studio working primarily with print, however, I may send a unique mailshot containing some examples of my print based work.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Twofold Magazine Feature
I emailed Twofold magazine (an independent design magazine) after receiving an email regarding their submissions. Before starting university, I had a passion for photo manipulation and devised the following typography piece:
As Twofold required both Illustration and Typography submissions, I thought I could suggest this for the latter category whilst still showcasing the other work on my portfolio incase this interested them. I contacted them with a link to my portfolio and within a week or so, got a reply! Really chuffed.
As Twofold required both Illustration and Typography submissions, I thought I could suggest this for the latter category whilst still showcasing the other work on my portfolio incase this interested them. I contacted them with a link to my portfolio and within a week or so, got a reply! Really chuffed.
Got another email a week ago asking for a delivery address for a free copy which will be released at the end of December so I will post as soon as it arrives.
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
The Beautiful Meme Talk
The Beautiful Meme is a creative agency with a core focus on branding. Copy is seen as one of the most important aspects of design and the following are their reasons why. It made me realise that content is extremely important in putting across an idea - there is no use simply inputting placeholder text into a publication, for example, without knowing what the content may be. The content may affect your design decisions and vice versa.
Generation Press Talk
General notes
- Email Anand for advice
- Start building relationships
- Self promotion is not all about advertising
- Try everything
- Brush up on other skills
- If you get opportunities, it is up to us to make the most out of it
- It doesn't stop at finished artwork
- A design is just a flat image on a screen
- Be methodical with your artwork
- Be engaged with whoever you're working with
- The skill of the designer is to get the entire process correct, including printing.
- Have a vision!
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