Enterprise - Lecture 5

10 steps to a future you

Stephen Covey - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Laurence Kohlberg - Pyschologist - Ways in which people behave to become successful.
Carl Hopkins - Alumni of Leeds College of Art - Invests in young and creative businesses.

1) Proactivity

Stimulus -> Response
Stimulus -> Choice -> Response

We choose how we respond to a stimulus by developing strategies.

In our practice, we should expand our circle of influence in order to be more proactive by getting work placements and experience, meeting new people, gain contacts, network with likeminded students etc.

3 Environments

Internal environment - Skills, resources, lifestyle
Micro environment - Network of friends and associates, competitors, other practitioners
Macro environment - Economics, technology, social trends, politics. These cannot be affected as a whole.

**The micro environment is where we get our influence**


2) Project

• Develop a vision of our future
• Create a principle-centred personal mission statement
• Extend the mission into long term goals

Priority management

To build a vision for our future:

Business plan - Gain a degree in chosen subject and learn as much as you can
Life plan - Family, friends, economics, whereabouts
Business vision - Business plan and life plan combined

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans" - John Lennon

"Begin with the end in mind" - Carl Hopkins


3) Provide

• Clear explanations
• ...using their language
• Talk about benefits, not processes

Think - who you are talking to

Create - clear messages

Inspire - people with your creativity

Demonstrate how you can benefit a client and differentiate yourself from your competitors

4) Prioritise

• Put things first
• Keep a proper balance
• Stick to your personal mission

Time, study, social life, rest, money = Results (focus)

Prioritise your time accordingly in these areas

5) Presents

• Think - win/win
• Seek outcomes and relationships that are mutually beneficial
• Do a favour to gain a favour

Benefits them as much as it benefits yourself
Form relationships but make sure the benefits are clear
Getting together with others extends your capacity and opens your opportunities

Kohlberg's theory

1) Pre-conventional (Dependent) Ecocentric; only thinking of themselves; short term
- I want
- Why should I?
- Nobody listens

2) Conventional (Independent) Negotiate; listening to others
- I would be happy to
- Your needs
- I understand

3) Post-Conventional (Inter-dependent) Larger society - communities; working within a team/collective. Devise plans which will be sustainable long term; infrastructures that will last years
- We can
- Together
- Mutual benefit

6) Pause

• Give all your attention
• Empathise - walk in someone's shoes
• Don't re-iterate or interpret - just listen
• Do you really know how they feel?
• Seek first to understand, then be understood

Dont expect clients to understand what you are trying to say unless you have listened to what they need first - learn from your differences.

7) Proven

• Consistency
• Integrity
• Reliability

Brands need to deliver a certain quality/performance/experience which is expected by the consumers

Consumers trust these brands due to their consistency and reliability

In our practice, we must seek to achieve these traits

8) Partner

• Synergy multiplies your talents
• Work with other experts outside your field to achieve greatness

It is not possible to achieve such greatness and success without the help of others:

James Dyson - Could not have mastered the technology on his own

Anthony Gormley - Prolific sculptor who works with other parties

Michelangelo - Took several people to create his work

Everest expeditions - Cannot be achieved without help and support

Damien Hirst - Art director who finds others to help achieve his vision

The movie, Avatar, had 600-800 credits, all of which were freelance or small, independent business which all had creative input in order to achieve the director's vision.

The freelance creative has more opportunity for success than ever before.

9) Pit stop

• Sharpen up
• Rest - renew, revitalise
• Explore - challenge, excite

You need the time to acquire new skills, re-evaluate what you are doing and take time out.

Excite and stimulate your imagination.


10) Propel

• Extinguish your fears
• Exude confidence
• Instil faith

Progress Tutorial

Really pleased with the tutorial with Lorenzo. I was initially worried about my PPD in terms of contacting studios, requesting placements/feedback etc but there will soon be a PPD session dedicated this. I also thought that perhaps my concept was too focused but it was noted that there are many subject matters within this concept that I could research in more depth such as:

• Childhood TV/Films/Music/Gadgets/Toys/Sweets
• Medicines/tablets/creams
• Existing medicinal packaging
• Emotions and how we process them
• The five senses

Enterprise - Study Task 2 - Response

Where are my potential clients/employers located?

Aforementioned in the first task, my employers would ideally be small, independent studios. The work in which I aspire to is of that created by design studios I wish to gain placements with (as noted below) I would prefer to stay in the north for social and economic reasons - in order to keep close contact with friends and family and to stay in accommodation which is feasible and appropriate (transport links etc). However, I would like to think that I could adapt to a new environment, possibly abroad.

As of late, I have come across design devised by studios located in Norway and Sweden. Heydays, for example, have a design ethic I wish to aspire to - they work primarily with branding and design which, as stated on their website, 'create strong visual con­cepts that trig­ger curios­ity, cre­ate excite­ment and show ambit­tion'

Potential clients are located throughout the country, from independent sectors as opposed to more commercial and corporate sectors. My main focus in terms of a client base, would be small, independent businesses; clients who I could work close with to develop ideas that will inspire and communicate their brand effectively.

Because Studio
Preston
http://www.becausestudio.co.uk/

Because is an independent design studio based in Preston that offers an 'integrated services including branding, art direction, print and website design'. Because work primarily with with clients from the creative industries and not-for-profit sectors as they pride themselves in collaboration. Communication is essential throughout the design process and this is what Because states heavily informs their practice. 

Aforementioned in study task 1, I believe my own practice would be best applied to small businesses within the culture / independent sectors therefore working or partaking in a placement at Because Studio would be brilliant and would inevitably help me move forward as a designer.

Located fairly near Manchester, this offers good links to industry which is reflected through some of their clients - Manchester university, for example. 

Heydays

Oslo, Norway

http://heydays.no/

The Consult

Leeds

http://www.theconsult.com

What media do my potential clients/employers use?

Having an online presence is almost a necessity nowadays. However, the most obvious form of media in terms of publishing and editorial is through print, particularly newspapers and magazines. However, a good example of this transition between digital and print and vice versa is annual business reports.

Businesses usually publish their annual reports through print but through technological advances and the way we now communicate with one another, many have published their findings online for several reasons, particular economic ones; cost, ease of distribution and further technological adaptations (web > mobile > tablet). However, print is far from dead. Aforementioned, I aim to work with small, independent businesses which not only need an online presence, but also require printed, promotional materials which can be distributed easily. Brand identity and consistency throughout a brand is essential - this includes web design, stationery, promotional materials and so on.

What do you need to communicate and how does it match what your clients/employer need?

Ultimately I need to communicate that I am passionate about what I do, to both clients and employers. Although a sense of professionalism is paramount, I as a designer need to be approachable and sociable in order to engage with the client and create interest - before, during and after the design process.

Enterprise - Study Task 1 - Response

Client groups

Retail

Publishing/Editorial

Music

Education

Travel

Food/restaurant

Electronics

Fashion

Television/film

Medicine

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

I typically approach work methodically, with a focused attention to detail; traits of which I believe can be adapted to brand identity. My skills have developed since beginning this course, from a keen interest in advertising and web design to a primary focus on print, type and layout. I believe my skills lie within software as I used the Adobe programs extensively on my college course which is why I am most familiar with computer generated design as opposed to a hand-rendered approach.

Every business needs a brand and every business needs promotional material for this brand to be applied to. Small, independent businesses require a strong and distinct brand to distinguish them from their competitors. In the current climate, it is proving more difficult for small businesses to differentiate themselves from others, particularly in the culture sector. Restaurants and independent food stores are constantly emerging and therefore need a brand aesthetic which sets them apart from similar businesses.

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

Brands are accessed by everyone and anyone and although small in comparison to a complex magazine layout, for example, it requires a lot of thought and conceptual thinking. Print is everywhere and covers an extensive range of media, from packaging and stationery to bus shelters and billboards. A brand identity needs to be visually engaging and consistent throughout all materials to create a common aesthetic.

I would like to develop my communication and presentation skills as these are essential in client communication and pitching ideas to clients. I also find it difficult to put myself across to a design studio (who I would like to gain a placement with), even through e-mail, as I feel as if I would be wasting their time. If I intend to work primarily with brand identity, I need to work closely with the client in order to gain insight into what their business is, who it is targeted towards and the services / products it has to offer. Client communication and feedback is essential throughout the design process therefore I definitely need to improve upon my presentation skills.


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

Upon graduating, it would be great to work within an independent studio as a junior designer. Through the design process, I like to bounce ideas off others therefore a firmly integrated and close team would prove beneficial in me developing as a designer. I hope to gain contacts through this course in the form of visits, placements and networking by trying to 'get my name out there' - direct mail, networking events and developing my online presence.

Small, start up businesses such as restaurants and independent food stores may not have the credentials to work with an established, international and renowned studio who are known to work with large corporations. This is where I believe my creative aims could match those of small businesses. I believe they require constant, integrated communication to relay information back and forth. A small team would prove beneficial in getting to the 'heart' of a business in order to devise the most effective brand solution.

PPD - Study Task 2 - Response

What is Industrial experience? 

To gain insight into industry practice through working in employment. Studio placements can vary from a few days to a few months and could potentially lead to employment after education.

What can you learn from industrial experience? 

• Gain further knowledge in all aspects of design
• Create contacts, meet new people and collaborate with others
• Industry standard practices
• How a studio works and how they approach the work they take on
• Your own work ethic

What form/format could industrial experience take? 

• Studio visits/placements
• Freelance work
• Visiting professionals
• Feedback from those in industry
• Working with live clients (freelance)

What areas of industry are you interested in? 

Overall, I am more interested in print as opposed to web. Although I have worked with web-orientated projects (mostly creating web templates) prior to starting this course, I see myself working primarily with print due to the vast range of possibilities.

• Branding & Identity - Corporate identity, stationery 
• Packaging - Unique, interactive
• Editorial - Layout, methodical

What are your concerns about industrial experience?

Daunting - Although this course prepares us for industrial experience, there is no knowing how we will react and adapt to the design industry. Studios differ and they each have a different way of working, something that we as prospective employees must work towards.

Contacting studios - I find it difficult to put myself across in an email; should I show my online portfolio or send them samples of my work? I feel as if I would be wasting their time by either asking for a studio visit, placement or feedback on my work.

Whereabouts/financing - As a student, I would need to find a studio 'close to home' in order to reduce costs in travel, accommodation and so on. However, there are studios which I would love to work in but are situated in London, for example or even abroad.

OUGD201 - Good is? - A different approach

One idea I had been focusing on since my idea generation and the research I collated was to package 'nostalgia' as a medicine using typical conventions of medicinal packaging such as dosage instructions, warnings and so on. Although this was received well in the packaging workshop (here), the group crit a couple of days ago changed my direction slightly.

Through my research, I have briefly looked at how we process senses into emotions (nostalga) found here. The following is a quote from an article I found:

"The olfactory system, the apparatus responsible for our sense of smell, has a pathway in the brain closely associated with the limbic system. The limbic system contains the amygdala and the hippocampus parts of the brain which are closely associated with emotion and memory respectively."

In the group crit, it was brought up that certain smells evoke certain nostalgic memories which is in reference to the quote above. This gave me the idea of creating various test strips (much like perfume test strips) of certain smells. When discussing this idea with Steph, she suggested looking at all of the other senses, too, which focused my idea onto a 'nostalgia pack'.

I therefore want to again, brand 'nostalgia' into an identity which I could apply to a range of promotional materials but focusing moreso on a 'nostalgia pack' containing various items relating to each sense which would stimulate nostalgia in different ways. This could be sold a novelty gift either independently online or as Kirsty suggested in the group crit, a shop such as Urban Outfitters as these tend to sell unusual gifts.

OUGD201 - Good is? - Revised Rationale

Good is...

Nostalgia

Why? 

• Childhood memories represent times when we were free from the responsibilities and anxieties of adulthood
• It is proven to improve mood, self esteem and strengthen social bonds
• It is accessible anywhere
• Provides comfort and familiarity
• It is see as a natural anti-depressant

I intend to

Inform

... a group of

workaholics who have little time to relax

...that

nostalgia provides a break from day-to-day life, can be incited by all our senses and simply makes us happy.

In order to achieve this I will produce...

Product - What is your product?

A nostalgia pack consisting of 5 sections each catered to one our 5 senses

Range - What range of deliverables will you produce/propose

• Brand identity
• Nostalgia pack with 5 individual segments
• Nostalgia medicine
• Flyers/information booklets

Context - define the context in which your products will exist/be viewed

• Independent shops/online as a novelty gift
• Flyers handed out in busy commuter areas such as train stations