Hazel PPD

Mailouts

2012-02-02T13:03:00.001-08:00

Branding guidelines

2012-01-31T03:50:00.000-08:00

Craig Oldham

2012-01-26T08:58:00.001-08:00

Got so much from my talk with Craig Oldham today when he saw my portfolio...

Work more with imagery, it is clear that type is a focus, but how can this be incorporated with imagery such as 'I'm Still Here'.
Think about talking like design rather than type.
Get in contact with Timothy Donaldson for feedback, if he doesn't get back, tell Craig. Haha.
Show images in context. In 'A Type Of Show', its not clear what was exhibited.
Take physical items as well as a portfolio.
Show the process of production, especially on'The Specials'. Doesn't matter if cannot be produced on a large scale and cannot have a real life application, have fun.

He had confidence in my work, and it was great to get an opinion face to face with a professional not from the course team or another student. I gave him the 'Rat Race' poster from 'The Specials' brief with a business card inside the tube. He seemed pretty happy to receive this and I will do this in future with any professionals which I converse with.

Andy Lodge

2012-01-26T08:57:00.001-08:00

Andy was really helpful, however I was in a bit of a mood so probably would have got more out of this surgery if it was a day before or after. He picked up on a few of the same things as Craig, in reference to my portfolio in terms of which images I have used. Other points he made were

Get a placement, stand out, be different. This gave me an idea to write to studios I like asking if I could come and have a look round.
Photograph my work again, to a high quality. Consistency with colour.
Post-rationalise so my briefs make more sense.
Understand everything written in the portfolio so if I get asked about it, I don't get stuck. Know the answers to everything and be able to give a reason for my design decisions clearly.

Website re-brand

2012-01-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

Wowee... got my website up and running with my new branding and all relevent projects... really happy with it and people are visiting it which is great! Need to update and get my business card printed ASAP and send our hand written letters to potential studio visits... Also I have updated my Twitter so my branding is consistent across all mediums. The colour I have used is suitable for print and web and likewise with my font choice.

visit - www.hazelgage.co.uk
message - hello@hazelgage.co.uk
follow - @hazelgage

Portfolio

2012-01-17T02:33:00.001-08:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More design

Rebrand

2012-01-04T03:17:00.000-08:00

I am tiring of my personal branding. Jonny asked me why I was using Georgia on my boards as this is a web font. I had no idea. I just like it and at the time was a bit dismissive, but on reflection, as a typographicly focussed designer, I really should think more about my font choice! Also looking at previous graduates portfolios, they look more polished and my layouts are beginning to look dated. I have relied on simple layouts for too long, and now is the time to shake things up a bit and step outside my comfort zone.

I am giving myself 1 hour to come up with a new branding identity. Seriously.

Here is what I achieved... This will be changed when I get back to Leeds by adding shading on some elements of some of the letters such as the right hand side of the H and right hand side of the G. (similar to letterforms of Exhilaro... But this will do for now.

Portfolio ideas

2012-01-04T03:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some portfolios from the previous 2 graduating years from LCA BAGD that have caught my eye. I wish to utilise elements from these to make mine more interesting and professional looking. They includes, Scott Colley, Edward Webb, Vicky Simpson

Small studios are not a training camp for the big world

2012-01-04T02:54:00.000-08:00

Posted by Mind design and I came across it on a previous 3rd years blog. Making me get more excited about mine and Stephs little studio/business adventure!

"Most interns want to work in a small studio because they assume that those are more 'creative' and somewhere between art college and the big agencies. What they often forget is that small those studios hardly ever employ new staff and usually struggled quite a bit themselves to achieve their 'creative' status. All small studios started at some point with very little experience from nothing with just one or two semi-reliable clients. They took risks, made many mistakes, worked through quite a few bad jobs and put up with difficult clients in order to pay the bills. Instead of assuming that there is a shortcut to great creative freedom or a half-way house between college and the big world graduates should just be braver and start their own thing. It actually seems easier nowadays to find your first client than getting a full-time job. The more small design studios there are the better and we have always been happy to help if someone asks for a printer recommendation or how to structure an estimate. The sad thing is that many interns after they have done their rounds through the small studios end up in a big commercial agency because they need to earn money and those are the only ones hiring (and firing once the project finishes). In a way small studios come into a position where they are training the future staff of their own competitors who put profit before creativity."

Mailout

2011-11-22T04:11:00.001-08:00

As I want to send somwthing physical out to studios and then send a follow up email, I experiemented with folds and came up with this design as I wasn't happy with my previous attempts. They seemed too big and something smaller is cuter.

Inside the envelope (and attached to it) will be a sample version of my first print created for the Pop-Up Shop. This links 2 professional networking and practices together. Also I any prints that I do not sell at the shop will be given away to studios when I visit them.

Postcards to post!

2011-11-14T07:43:00.001-08:00

Printed my postcards today so I can now send all my emails off and send these little packs first class!

IMAGES

Promotional postcards

2011-11-08T03:01:00.000-08:00

I want to send something physical to the studios and professionals which I am emailing. Postcards would be a nice way to show off my work in the printed form and would nit be very expensive to create As there are now 4 projects in my sampler, I can create 4 postcards. Here are my simple ideas. The front of them will be printed on satin (as this looks great quality), but as you cannot double side print this, I will use vinyl on the back to stick the information.

IMAGES

I think the block of colour on the back cheapens the look of these postcards. By simplifying the design and making it more in relation to my sampler. it looks better and more professional. The outside black stroke will just be the edge of the sticker and will not show on the final postcards.

Timba Smit Intern

2011-11-05T02:12:00.000-07:00

Seems everyone is looking for interns around this time of year! This is about the digital side of things, not my strong point at all! But maybe I could go and visit the studio...

VNA intern

2011-11-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to contact VNA in the future, when my portfolio is more complete and see if they have another opportunity for a short placement over Christmas possibly.

Twofold

2011-11-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to submit my posters for Brief 05 and the pop up shop to this independent magazine and hopefully get featured!

List of contacts

2011-11-02T04:49:00.000-07:00

Eskimo Creative - Manchester studio
VNA - London street art magazine
Like Minded Studio - Austratlia studio
A2/SW/HK - London studio (A2-Type - Type foundry)
Underware - Amsterdam based Type foundry, workshops and typeradio
Daren Newman -
Luke Lucas -
Studio Makgill - Brighton studio
Demian COnrad - Switzerland based studio
The Entente - Brighton studio (Colophon Foundry - Type foundry)
Timba Smits -
Because studio -
Why Not Associates -
Generation Press -
Seb Lester -
Nicolai Sclatern -

Print, Digital and Experimental

2011-11-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

Eskimo Creative are running this in conjunction with GF Smith. Gutted that I am unable to make it as it would be great if I got to talk with Eskimo and also good for research on my OUGD301 briefs.

Twitter

2011-11-02T04:27:00.000-07:00

I have been tweeting my new projects and retweeting others and replying to professionals. I think this is good, especially now they have begun to then retweet me.

I have posted photos of my new projects and also promoted myself and LCA at the Manchester Book Fair, which if I had more presence and importance it may have got more people through the door, can help to try! I have been retweeted by Blanket Magazine, Imagine That! and Eskimo Creative. I have found it a great source of information and a good way to keep in touch with past BAGDers.

Update

2011-11-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been pretty rubbish in doing any PPD stuff and I think it must be because I was focussing on getting some design I am happy with so that I can show professionals. I really want to get a placement and really need to get myself out there. I seem to keep missing events that are happening in Manchester and it is getting frustrating.

I am hoping to email some studios next week and my list is growing.

October

2011-11-01T03:00:00.001-07:00

Sample portfolio

2011-11-01T02:54:00.000-07:00

I think this is a good time to update my portfolio. I am happy with more pieces of my work now and hope to get a few placements beofre I finish my degree. Through research for my briefs for submission of OUGD301 in relation to my rationale I have found more studios where I would like to work for and also have some contacts for my dissertation who I may also be able to send my portfolio to in the future.

PORTFOLIO

Inspire. Create.

2011-10-25T02:38:00.001-07:00

Recieved an email about this but didn't do anything about it, gutted! It is certainly a wake up call to write things in my diary and book events as and when I head about them!

"Organised by Leeds Media and Social Alchemy, Inspire. Create is a FREE event, combining an exhibition of budding creatives’ work with a series of seminars and workshops in a bid to support Yorkshire’s rising stars. Students and freelancers are given the chance to showcase their talent to the region’s media and digital sector through an exhibition / competition. Workshops and seminars will be held by representatives from some of the UK’s leading agencies, including Ogilvy, jelly London, Coolpink, Clearsilver, Creative England and What!?"

As this is a feww event and held at The Faversham I have signed up for some talks and put myself on the waiting list for a student day ticket.

3 - 4PM Seminar: Being Creative In A Commercial WorldA talk by Brand Nu & jelly focusing on the process of monetising the creative process when leaving college; paying specific attention to briefs, deadlines, IP rights and general survival tips. Find out more: http://www.inspirecreateleeds.co.uk/brand-nu/

5.30 - 6PM How to Approach an Internship [Professionals/Agencies] LIMITED PLACES
Louise Leach & Pip Rogan provide insight into how businesses and organisations should approach a placement. Find out more: http://www.inspirecreateleeds.co.uk/clearsilver/

6 - 7PM Seminar: Media Without Barriers
jelly & Brand Nu will demonstrate how they produce content and design across all media, with a consistent approach to quality and creativity. Find out more: http://www.inspirecreateleeds.co.uk/jelly-three-blind-mice/

6 - 8PM Networking Drinks
Come and join us for a drink and a chat! Bring your business cards and portfolios and take this opportunity to find placements, new talent or new business! All are welcome!

Just realised that some of these overlap! And after some more research, I think one or two of these events is not necessarily relevant to my practice. So I will have to think about which would be most beneficial to attend.

Manchester Book Fair

2011-10-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

I helped out on our stall at Manchester Book Fair and was glad I did. I hoped to talk to more people, but it is hard to start making conversation! We sold a few items, but not as much as I thought we would. The book fair was more craft based than design based and there was quite a bit of illustration rather than type. After saying that I am surprised that I sold one of my books, it was also the first item to sell (so I was pretty happy!).

On reflection I think it may have been better if I had produced something more illustrative, than a type specimen booklet for this event but it is part of my submission for OUGD301. It would have also been great if I could have collected some more business cards and spoke to more professionals.

Pop-up shop application

2011-10-22T02:46:00.000-07:00

Submitted my pop-up shop application and it has been accepted! This will form part of my submission for OUGD301 but it will also aid in my commercial practice.

Tutorial with Fred

2011-10-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

Define deliverables
Be confident
Overlap briefs
Make own decisions
Experiment and conclude
Type a focus for OUGD301

Group tutorial with Fred

2011-10-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

Really helpful to see what others are tackling in their third year. Some have chosen similar briefs to myself but are approaching them with a different focus.

A revision of my briefs has happened through this group discussion. I need to stop worrying and thinking about what is going to be produced at the end of the process and see where it goes through development. Some of my small briefs for the book fair and pop up shop could relate to my larger briefs.

Brief 01 - Typefaces. Explore the collaboration of different typefaces. By next week I need to aim for a whole load of different examples of possible typefaces, then at the tutorial I can show what I have and discuss what is working and where it can go from there.

Brief 02 - Publication. Headline fonts for a series of publications based on window designs in the Midlands. By taking the elements from one window from each city (Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Sheffield) and create a typeface for a publication on each city. Also create a working interactive web version of the publication.

Brief 03 - Identity. Exhibition of possibly my own work or maybe black and white film photography. Identity across different deliverables.

Brief 04 - ISTD.

Common Room - Graphic Design

2011-10-06T01:18:00.000-07:00

Collaboration would be good possibly for my final major project. I would like to be able to work in a collaboration with a photographer, and create a publication to show off their work in an editorial format.

I put out 15 business cards, and 13 were taken which made me feel pretty positive and I saw alot of people looking at my 'Hate Week' brochure which was encouraging. I think people like to physically hold and look through stuff. However I was disappointed to hear that beer had been spilt on the typeface I had been working on all day. This means photoshopping out the imperfections, which was an avenue I wanted to avoid to have the purest hand-drawn type.

September

2011-10-05T02:43:00.001-07:00

PPD group tutorial

2011-10-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

John emailed asking to reflect on any work experience I had over summer. The three questions didn't really relate to my summer as I did not seek studio placements once I left uni at the end of second year. I am glad I had a relaxing summer and stayed sane and ready to come back into third year. One thing I have definitely learnt was that I do not wish to work as an in-house designer. Since coming back, my outlook on the type of designer I want to be has changed, so I do think the type of summer I had, even though it may not have been professional, was personally for the best.

LCA pop up shop

2011-09-30T02:19:00.000-07:00

I am going to enter myself into the pop up shop and hopefully be a successful applicant. I want to do this in order to get some of my work circulating, to see if my work is commercially viable, and also make a few pennies!

I get discounted print on large orders form digital print, so my profit will be a pretty high percentage on anything that I sell. There is a £10 application fee, and the college add a 20% commission.

After having a word with Amber, I have decided to print posters and possibly tote bags also as she said these sold well last year. Initially I would like to typographically illustrate song lyrics.

Hg identity

2011-09-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

I undertand that my initial brand identity does not fit with my rationale anymore, and so I need to have a re-design of this! I think this will be quite a big task as I will need to rebrand my website, business cards and blogs so am going to address this over reading week.

For the next few weeks I will be using my existing brand and have quickly bashed out these business cards.

Website

2011-09-29T10:16:00.001-07:00

www.hazelgage.co.uk

Response to design strategy presentation

2011-09-29T10:08:00.001-07:00

I realise that I didn't communicate what I actually want to do to Lorenzo and Joe. I got across the illustrative typography side, but not that I want to work with print and in particular, publications.

Also as a reflection, I need to re-brand myself with this new rationale in place. I think I might do this later in the module as I want to get more experienced with illustrative type before I brand myself as that.

I have a pretty specific area of illustrative type that I am interested in, more than creating letterforms of my own, I want to take structured typefaces and add some character to them. Illustrating them within the stems and serifs. Here is one example which incorporates pretty much everything I want to do (except for the actual content being fashion, which is a bit no for me!)... illustrative letterforms, editorial and print.

Design strategy

2011-09-28T14:23:00.001-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More design

Design skills

2011-09-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More design

Manchester print fair

2011-09-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Manchester print fair wasn't as good as I'd have hoped. There were only a small number of stalls and I think due to this, the atmosphere was pretty quiet. Also, with it being named a 'print fair', I expected more of a range of printed items. I really wanted to pick up some zines as research for my dissertation, but all of them (that I saw) were illustration based, not typography. I took it as a good opportunity to pick up some business cards anyway for inspiration!

Next door is THE MOST amazing book store... Such a great resource for design books and magazines. Ended up spending way too much money, but all of it worthwhile!

On this little day-trip, I saw things on a huge scale. At one point realising how much of a geek I am by wondering what point size a M&S logo was and thinking I was seeing the worlds biggest poster, along with dining in the worlds first pop up bowling alley 1050s style and beautiful old letting in Victoria station which I absolutely love. Each time I go to Manchester, it makes me more determined to move here after Uni.

Statement of intent

2011-09-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Smile - stay positive and sane throughout third year and into the world of work.
Fontographer - design a typeface to a professional and usable standard.
Praxis - learning through doing.
Research visits - get inspired by the world outside the studio.
Business cards - contact information so I am always prepared and do not miss opportunities.
Dreamweaver - HTML/CSS need to learn to be able to make my own website for me design presence.
Photography - photograph my work to a high standard for my portfolio.
Contacts - make contacts!

The other day, I made a different sort of statement. My friend had been assulted by a man who looks remarkably like Michael Cera. Unlike this doppleganger, I want to make a positive mark on society. I reckon that is what keeps me going. I want to make others smile. Design may be useless in the whole spectrum of life, (all we really need is water, food and light, like plants I suppose) but in the manufactured world of luxury we have become accustomed, I am glad that I am involved in something to make the world a brighter, cheerier place.

I always thought I wanted to be designing printed resolutions and typefaces rather than motion and image. Now I know it. The end of year show (just gone) metaphorically 'kicked me up the arse' by showing me what I could potentially become. Nay, what I will become. In one year, I am going to have a portfolio that says, on a personal level; involved, professional, fun-loving, forward-thinking, committed, and on a professional level; print, illustrative/decorative type, branding, small team. It will not say; advertising, retail, fashion/music, screen, craft, in-house, freelance.

10 briefs

2011-09-08T04:26:00.000-07:00

Link to my chosen 4 briefs.

Inspired by the last graduating years portfolios I have come to decide which briefs I wish to undertake in my final year of my degree.

I wish to focus in areas which I most want to be a part of in my career. This includes publications, typography, print and branding. I have found many more studios which have inspired me and some briefs I have adapted from their solutions.

1. Identity a day (DC initial inspiration)
The Brief
Create bespoke branding for 10 diverse companies of different sizes and apply across a range of marketing stationery.
Concept/Proposition
Each design must be unique and effective for that company.
Target Audience
Be aware of costings for each company and what mediums will be most suitable for each.
Tone of Voice
Professional but obviously dependant upon each business.
Considerations
Fast turn around, however do not churn out bog standard ideas. Also crafting considerations must be to a high level as these will be representing businesses. Stock must be taken into consideration and possible web presence.
Mandatory Requirements
Each company will have a unique brief created with alternate deliverables.
Deliverables
10x branding solutions
Studio Deadline
2 weeks.

2. Interactive magazine (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief
Learn through doing. Understand the elements of a digital interactive magazine.

Concept/Proposition
Content taken from an existing, not well designed (in my opinion) magazine and redesign for the web.

Target Audience
That of the original magazine.

Tone of Voice

Considerations
Make it easier to access the information provided by the magazine through suitable links and correct metadata, think about impaired vision audience.

Mandatory Requirements

Deliverables
1x interactive PDF, placed on a web page with all links working.

Studio Deadline

3. Ornament typeface (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief
Create a working decorative typeface.

Concept/Proposition
Development of letterforms through a window as inspiration. Elements of window are the only details allowed on each letterform to create an entire alphabet.

Target Audience
Designers using the font for single words or sentances. Typeface not designed to be used for paragraphs of text.

Tone of Voice
Ornamental, architectural, elegant.

Considerations
Do the letters work next to each other, is it easily read and understood?

Mandatory Requirements
Uppercase typeface

Deliverables
1x typeface.

Studio Deadline
2 weeks, possibly more if I use this for something further... could tie in with my publication brief below.

4. Publication (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief
Find an avenue to explore and inform an audience through a free publication. This could be an extension of my ornament typeface and an avenue to demonstrate this working as I intend.

Concept/Proposition

Target Audience

Tone of Voice

Considerations
Cost of printing, methods of distribution, form and function.

Mandatory Requirements

Deliverables

Studio Deadline

5. Competition brief (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief
Taken from either ISTD, YCN or D&AD. Preferably an ISTD brief, as they seem to more in-depth, and specifically typographically based. Also, when looking through other graduates work from different universities, I noticed alot of students have included YCN briefs in their portfolios. I think it would be better not to have such a generic brief as something for 'Ted Baker'. This years' ISTD Briefs will be published on 1st October.

Concept/Proposition

Target Audience

Tone of Voice

Considerations

Mandatory Requirements

Deliverables

Studio Deadline

6. Exhibition design (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief
Promote a photographic exhibition.

Concept/Proposition
Design the layout of the exhibition guide and promotional material for a photographic exhibition of old black and white photographers. (Heller, Atget, etc).

Target Audience
Photographers interested in film photography, particularly black and white film from a certain era.

Tone of Voice
Reflective, respectful.

Considerations
Delivery method and audience.

Mandatory Requirements

Deliverables

Studio Deadline

7. Restaurant range (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief
Create the concept for the branding of a new/existing restaurant. Based upon a previous ISTD brief 'Mutton Quad'.

Concept/Proposition
A new egg restaurant in Leeds.

Target Audience
People who like good food and like to eat out. Probably are working and are couples.

Tone of Voice
Professional, clean, considerate, tasty!

Considerations
Needs to communicate the good quality and range of food available, even though they all share the same ingredient.

Mandatory Requirements
Logo, menus, branding.

Deliverables
A range of items for the restaurant including menus all branded with a recognisable identity.

Studio Deadline
2 weeks.

8. Greetings cards (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief
Tigerprint brief.

Concept/Proposition

Target Audience

Tone of Voice

Considerations

Mandatory Requirements

Deliverables

Studio Deadline

9. Personal identity (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief
Create personal identity for Hazel Gage.

Concept/Proposition

Target Audience
Potential employers in the creative field.

Tone of Voice
Professional, with some personality.

Considerations
Must communicate graphic designer and the areas which I am most interested in.

Mandatory Requirements
Personal identity (logo, typeface, colours).

Deliverables
Branding range including mailshot to send to potential employers.

Studio Deadline
1-2 weeks.

10. Zine (DC initial inspiration)

The Brief

Find the creative Hazel in a 24 hour period.

Concept/Proposition

Express myslef over paper, make copies and sell at the book fair. Could also be sent to studios I want to work for and an introduction to my personality, not just me as a designer.

Target Audience

Myself, and anyone else who wants a snapshot of the workings of my mind, when left to nothing else except my own thoughts.

Tone of Voice

Personal.

Considerations

Communicate my brain.

Mandatory Requirements

Must be 24 hours of thoughts.

Deliverables

1x zine.

Studio Deadline

1 day.

Berg

2011-09-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Wooow. Berg studio is amazing. Just the kind of place I want to work for, beautifully crafted typographic resolutions, but not overwhelming. Just stunning.

Printout!

2011-06-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

Me, Kim and Nick managed to get to Printout! in Manchester. Alasdair Hiscock from Article (Sheffield), Bec Brown from Blanket (Manchester) and James Griffin from Bonafide (Leeds) were there to answer questions and generally talk about independent publishing in the north. It was an amazing night and so insightful. It seemed we were the only students, so I felt pretty chuffed to be in the same room as professionals and on the same level of interest.

I asked Alasdair from Article if they had any placements for design students and he suggested that none of the team had design knowledge and that they would be interested in a bit of help. This really shocked me as Article is an inspiration to me, it shows that you don't need a degree to be creative, you either have it or you don't. I know all design and creative things are subjective and some may think Article is awfully designed, but I am the oppisite. I emailed them after the event and Ben replied asking for examples of my work and said "Sheffield doesn't have many eager young graphic designers, especially compared to Manchester!, so we have never really engaged help on graphic design. But the offer is really intriguing, and i think it could be quite fun."

After sending them my PDF sampler I didn't hear anything back from them which was pretty gutting. I tried emailing a few times with no response. They are someone who I could email again in the future when I have more stuff to show them but it would have been nice to work with them for a while over summer.

2011-06-08T04:15:00.000-07:00

Updated sampler

2011-06-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

Ok for the final time this is my PDF sampler. I am really happy with this one, it woks so much better being a square and my branding is more refined. I will be sending this off to companies tomorrow!

Open publication - Free publishing - More design

OUGD203 Evaluation

2011-05-27T06:00:00.001-07:00

Throughout this module, my design practice has been affirmed and I know more firmly what area of design I am most interested in and wish to aim for in my career. Design for print, specifically publications using type as a focus are primarily what I want to do.

During the YCN brief it was difficult at times as both me and Ailsa were quite undecisive and I don't think either of us wanted to take control, as there was only 2 of us. In a larger group I work better as I feel I can talk more openly, but when the number in the group decreases, there is more chance of offending someone. I like to work in a team of 4 ideally.

Packaging was a big part of the YCN brief also and I have decided that is an area of print design which interests me very little anymore.

I realised, when I was printing my publication for 'Hate Week' just how happy I was and got excited when it paginated correctly, and trimmed down to size. I want this feeling when I work and it drives me to keep going.

During all projects, past and present, I can see that I manage my time well towards the end, but find it hard to get my teeth into something at the start. What I need to focus on is getting as many initial ideas down right at the beginning and deciding... rather than half going with an idea when its not really working.

I am so pleased with the result of 'Hate Week'. The juxtaposition works and it is definately a piece I can put in my portfolio and be happy with for both the reasons that it works as a piece of design and secondly that it reflects the context, content and media I wish to work with in the future.

One thing I would add would be include real articles in the publication rather than lorem ipsom, as that would show more type technical ability with layout restricted by word count, paragraphs etc.

This module has been the best so far and my aim to to continue doing mini projects over summer to build my portfolio even further.

Contact list - revised

2011-05-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Previously I emailed 5 professional studios... only getting one response. I have made a new list, looking at a broader selection of designers in selected locations; Nottingham, Leeds, Lincoln and London. I could also look at Sheffield and intent to send some more emails if my responses are thin.

Updated sampler

2011-05-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

After my feedback from Celine Leterme I have adjusted my sampler to hopefully give a more confident approach and worthy of a placement... I need to print off some other projects and photograph them again as I don't think my images are very impressive. These will be updated by the end of the week and next week I can send off emails to my fresh selection of studios which I found over Easter. A placement would be great, but I have lowered my expectations and any feedback, positive or negative would be absolutely brilliant.

Open publication - Free publishing - More design

Feedback from Celine Leterme

2011-05-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Some brilliant feedback from Celine Leterme which came about by ordering Eight:48 through CounterPrint which the design studio Leterme Dowling run on the side. I need to find out a postal address so I can send Celine a thank you card which I have designed also.

Celine:

No problems Hazel, hope it wasn't too strong. Just think it's not worth sugar coating. It's a good sign that you're even looking for feedback. Keep ups the good work, and best of luck with your career.

Celine
x

Me:
Thanks Celine for such a detailed reply!

I definitely need to work on communicating confidence with my work... many others have told me likewise. I am currently working on a project to truely showcase the two areas which I am most interested in (layout and type) in one piece which hopefully will be a great addition to my portfolio and something I can be confident in showing to others.

I understand where you're coming from about as a graduate I will be doing the basics and will factor this into my future proposals and contact with professionals such as yourself.

Anthony Burrill is someone I hadn't looked into before but the image you sent with this email was perfect. The quote is brilliant and the typography is beautiful! Thanks for suggesting to look at his work.

I do have a Twitter account (@hazelgage) and am currently working on my own website which I hope to be up and running before the summer.

Thank you again, your feedback have been invaluable,

Hazel x

Celine:
Hi Hazel,

O.K, so I've looked through your sample and, on the whole, I think it's great that I can see you have an enthusiasm for design and that shows in the work. However, and this is just personal preference, I think you need to tone the CV down a bit.

People want to see that you can do the job, which usually when you leave college means setting type, working with layouts and generally being at the beckon call of the dreaded art director. This art director will receive hundreds (literally) of these a year so, yes yours needs to stand out, but for the right reasons. You need to show that you can be trusted doing the basics. Show you know how to work with good photography, type, illustration, editorial, digital, logos and identity systems.

I like the big type on the front and last page because it's memorable, but I don't really like how you describe your work in general, as it sounds like your talking to a child. Saying things like 'Are the positives clear in my negative type? Created to represent good in bad', sounds a bit cheesy to me and make you sound like you don't have confidence in your work. I know where your heads at with it, but you need to sell yourself more. Maybe for the big type, look at Anthony Burrill's work for inspiration. The fonts he finds from old wood block type are really quirky.

Overall, be serious in your tone. If your work is fun and creative it will speak for itself. Don't be afraid to revisit projects with your CV in mind. This is a major selling tool for you so you need to slave over it and keep tweaking.

Try and show a couple more picks of the Ted Baker project, as I think this is strong and try and apply your typography project to something. Get a little book printed and photograph that, or animate it and show it on an i-pad. It will have more impact. Also, if you don't have one, get a website with your work on, a related Twitter account and start networking.

I think the 'Layout' page is good because it shows practical skills that an employer can use. Maybe expand on this. Then one or two more projects would be ideal and a page with your CV details – what year you're in, where you're studying etc

Hope this helps! I'm sure some of this might be a bit annoying but I thought I'd give you a warts and all analysis.

Celine
x

OUCE255

2011-05-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

To see all posts for OUCE255 enterprise module, please click here. There are lots of blog posts, especially related to other businesses I hope to work for in the future or do placements with as I do not intend to set up mu own business straight away, but possibly in a few years time.

Enterprise Evaluation

2011-05-03T01:34:00.000-07:00

In our first group meeting we assigned roles. My task was to work out the start-up costs and also to look at our competitors. We would all look into identity and marketing. This was a good tactic as from the very beginning we all knew what we each had to do and when we needed it done by. If we had any issues everyone was willing to help out.

The research I collected along with the other members of the group was to a better standard than I envisaged. We each collected a substantial amount data and were in contact throughout our individual research. As we had each a chosen area to look into, we did not cross-over information or waste time researching the same thing twice. Also it meant that if someone had a question about the finances, we all knew who would be able to answer it.

A negative of our group was our delay in producing out presentation. We had focussed so much on the information and business side of the module that we left the designing and presenting until the very end. Luckily it wasn't too bad and we worked hard and late to get the presentation made. We then individually wrote what we would say for each of our areas and got feedback from the other team members. The flow of the presentation was good and I don't think it was too data heavy.

We each added something to the presentation and to the module as a whole and I would happily work with these people in a group again. The skills and techniques I learnt are invaluable and in the future if I do set up my own practise I will be well equipped.

Enterprise Presentation

2011-05-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More design

Position Statement

2011-05-02T01:33:00.000-07:00

Comparisons

2011-05-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

I have clooected some information from the Design Council so we can compare ourselves with the UK in a broader sense and not just on a few other design companies.

I also looked more closely at the North West as this is the area we will be located in and it would be good to know in more detail about the state of design in this area.

SWOT and PEST for others

2011-05-01T02:16:00.001-07:00

Useful organisations

2011-05-01T02:10:00.001-07:00

Now I know a bit more about our proposed design company, I have been able to find out some brilliant information from The Design Council about useful organisations...

Finances

2011-05-01T01:38:00.000-07:00

Steph probably had one of what I would class the most boring jobs, she was to find out about finances and legal stuff. She could only find out certain bits and pull it all together once we had decided how much rent would be and start-up costs. We also all decided that we would earn £22,000 a year so she could work out our daily rate from that.

IMAGE

Enterprise group meeting 4

2011-04-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

We have each been getting on ok but today was our last chance to make sure everyone was ok with what was left to find out and what we get put on each slide of the presentation. We looked through all the previous lecture notes and saw if we were missing anything. Individually we will carry on collecting the final pieces of information over the weekend and meet up on Monday at Jo's flat and create our presentation.

I still need to do some more PEST and SWOT analysis of other Manchester (and UK) design companies who could be our competitors. Also I am going to look further into our own identity and possible presentation designs.

SWOT and PEST for us

2011-04-29T01:30:00.000-07:00

Jonny has evaluted our SWOT and PEST for our own business. Really detailed! This is going to be brilliant in helping us progress.

He also found this model to use as a basis which will be really helpful for me to look into our competitors SWOT and PEST analysis.

Political Factors

Ecological/Environmental:- It can be a big selling point for the business to hold ethical and environmental values and it's very important that the company is seen to act responsibly.
- FSC certified paper is almost standard now and recycled stocks and vegetable inks are extras which could help a design studio to take this issue further.
- Recycling paper, card and ink cartridges and responsibly disposing of old equipment are examples of where we can act considerately within the studio environment itself.

Copyright Matters:- Copyright legislation is in place which protects the work that you create and prevents you from using other people's work without their authorisation.
- In many cases you may be prepared to assign your rights in your original work to your client, or licence them to use it while retaining ownership. This is something to be agreed between you and your client and should be clearly set out in any contract between you.
- If you have employees you should make clear in their contract of employment that the copyright of any work they produce belongs to you, their employer.
- The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is responsible for intellectual property matters in the UK. The IPO website contains comprehensive information on copyright issues.

Funding/Grants/Initiatives:- There are places that do offer non-repayable grants should you present a sound business plan to show how you would use the capital. Such places include; The Arts Council, The Princes Trust, National Enterprise Scheme.
- Networking can present opportunities that could lead to you obtaining investment. Perhaps from venture capitalists for example.

Business Stationary:- When you design a letterhead and other business stationery for a company, remember that certain company details must by law be included on things like letterheads, order forms and other formal documents. You can find out more on the Companies House website.

Health & Safety:- You must also make sure that you comply with health and safety legislation which covers all aspects of work place health and safety.
- Employers have a duty to ensure the health and safety at work of all their employees and those with more than five employees must prepare a written health and safety policy statement - this wouldn't affect us yet as we only have four but it's something we would need to bear in mind if we expanded.

Fire Safety:- All employers must comply with fire safety regulations - this means carrying out a fire risk assessment at your premises and putting in place fire precaution measures. These could include fire alarm systems and extinguishers as well as clearly signed escape routes.
- We are responsible not only for the safety of your staff but also of anyone who might be on your premises, like clients or suppliers.

Employment Legislation:- Anyone employing staff must comply with employment legislation. The major pieces of legislation that we must be aware of include; The National Minimum Wage Act, The Working Time Regulation, The Employment Rights Act.

Disability Legislation:- You must make sure that you do not treat a disabled employee or job applicant less favourably than someone else accessing goods and services.
- You must make sure that disabled people are not treated less favourably and that they can access any services you provide. You may need to make physical changes to your premises to ensure this is the case.

Economic Factors:
Home Economy:- Current economic climate means it is a challenging environment that faces any kind of new business opening in the UK today.
- Fragile financial system means banks are unwilling to lend as freely as they used to which places massive dependancy upon the viability of the business plan which is key to securing a start up loan.
- Government cutbacks in spending have hit the arts and creative industries heavily with 30% reductions in spending for the Art council.
- On a more positive note, the creative industries was in fact one of the strongest performing sectors throughout the recent recession.
- Some have claimed graphic design to be 'recession-proof' in the past since more emphasis is placed on a businesses' promotion and so design agencies will be in demand.
- We have decided to locate our studio in Manchester which appears to have a strong creative community and many graphic design studios - particularly in suburbs such as Salford and Stockport.
- Investigation into the specific Manchester region's economic status would be required for more in depth knowledge of the climate.

Overseas Economy:- Many other economies around the world have suffered similarly to the UK over the past few years and have recovered at widely varying rates.
- Graphic designers often work on projects that involve overseas clients and if we were to be targeting certain clientele in other countries, then their economic climate may well affect their spending upon promotional services such as graphic design.

Interest/Exchange Rates:- Both interest and exchange rates have fluctuated vastly as a result of the recent economic downturn which will have impacted heavily upon all business types.

Seasonality Issues:- Graphic design is in demand all year round but certain holiday periods for example are likely to increase demand further within particular areas of the industry.
- Many businesses also see the start of a new year as the opportunity to undertake a re-brand or to step up their promotion.

Monetary Issues:- Due to student debts and difficulty in accessing extra finance to use for start up capital, it will be essential to keep initials costs as low as possible without impacting upon the capabilities of the studio.
- A sound business plan will be vital in order to obtaining large some of capital such as bank loans which are crucial for funding the high set up costs.

Product/Services:- In many current graphic design studios, they seem to try and offer potential clients the 'whole package' of a range of different services so covering as many areas of design as possible would be beneficial.
- However, it is also highly likely that certain clients will be searching for highly specialised design services and so how we pitch ourselves in the market will be key to attracting the desired customer base. Being a studio with a specialised skills set could prove to be a great selling point for our company.

Sociological Factors:
Lifestyle Trends:- Graphic design is impacted upon heavily by emerging lifestyle trends but graphic design itself can be responsible for setting lifestyle trends. Keeping up to date with trends within the industry will be important in maintaining a confident and contemporary edge to the business.
- Trends and buzzwords come and go very quickly regardless of which sector of design you work in and you can't really fail to notice them once they are around. Playing on these things are risky as the company could quickly become outdated when trends move on to other things.
- It's also very important to retain a distinctive style that is unique to our business so that customers can recognise us for being a quality firm in the areas that we are specialists in.

Demographics:- The demographics that designers can produce work for ranges across the ages but, for our business, we were looking to gain clients that are small to medium size businesses and from the not-for-profit sector.
- This may involve a younger clientele with small start up businesses which are looking to grow and are perhaps more likely to allow a little more creative freedom for whoever produces the identity and promotional material.

Brand/Company:- The way in which a graphic design company brands and promotes itself is one of the most important aspects of the business as we are essentially showing other people what we are capable of doing for them.
- Building a professional body of work and promoting ourselves are also key steps to establishing our own brand. If a good reputation is built within the industry then recommendations and past work should draw in a large volume of work.

Consumer Buying Patterns/Fashion:- Buying patterns will be affected by ongoing trends at the time and will alter the type of work demanded by customers.
- It is up to us as designers to be on top of what's in fashion at the time in order to be able to direct our clients as to what is appropriate for them at that point.

Advertising/Publicity:- The work that graphic designers produce is often meant to be out there in the public domain and to attract attention or promote something for example.
- Therefore it is of high importance that anything produced does not offend ethnic or religious groups or certain demographics of the general public. This is avoided by being informed about what we are doing through conducting thorough research on the background of each project.
- Graphic design is also something that has power to persuade public opinion and so with that must come a responsibility to fully consider what we produce and the effects it may have, although of course some work is intended to shock etc.

Technological Factors:
Competing Technology:- As a small design studio that is just starting up we may find ourselves facing competition from more established businesses that have greater resources and better equipment.
- We will also be reliant on the technology that we decide to use keeping itself at the head of the market, however since the Adobe package is industry standard then this shouldn't become an issue.

Research Funding:- For every project we undertake research will make up a fundamental part of it as graphic design must be informed. As a result, funding for research visits to cities, galleries, museums or the purchase of books, magazines or journals should be considered.
- Resulting from research visits are wider factors to think about such as travel costs, eating out with clients and purchasing samples for example.

Associated/Dependant technologies:- Apple computers and software is practically standard throughout the design industry and comes with high price tag. Every member of the business will need to have their own computer to work on in the studio whilst a company laptop or i-pad may be needed for meeting clients or giving pitches and presentations.
- Keeping up to date with new developments in software or brand new products is important to maintain the current and contemporary feel of the business whilst it presents a professional image to clients.

Replacement:- Software packages or developments may be important to keep up with but are also expensive issues to resolve. On a technical level, it is also important to enable us to develop our own skills and perhaps increase the skills and services we can offer to clients.

Maturity of technology:- Most technology is expected to last between 3 and 5 years so it will be beneficial to buy brand new equipment from the start so that we wont have to think about replacing it for the short term future.

Information and Communication:- With everybody having computers it will mean we can correspond by email with each other when we aren't in the studio as well as with clients.
- Social networking will also allow us to utilise modern communication to keep in touch with contacts, businesses and clients.

Licensing/Patents:- The company brand/logo can be trademarked so it is then investigated to check it has not been plagiarised in any form before it then becomes registered.
- Things that can be trademarked include; Custom typeface, arrangement or layout, colour and shape (packaging etc.)
- Registered designs can include; Decorative details, add ons, covers and cases.
- Every drawing you create is copyrighted. You must sign and date it. For an official date you can ask a bank to stamp your work or you could post it to yourself.
- Patents last for a maximum of 20 years.
- Trademarks and logos last forever but must be renewed every 10 years.
- Design rights last for up to 25 years but must be renewed every 5 years.
- Copyright lasts up until 70 years after death.

Intellectual Property Issues:- Intellectual property rights can cover ideas and inventions which can the be patented. There is an intellectual property office which deals with matters surrounding this.

Sauce

2011-04-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

After a very long time in the Library flicking through the design magazines and shouting random words at each other we came up with Sauce for our business name. We wanted something that sounded right (obviously) and it didn't need to have Design or Creative in the name.

I have quickly looked into a possible typeface to be used in our logo. Something bold but with rounded edges and that is a sans serif...

Logo ideas have been quickly developed as this is not a primary concern for submission and the presentation, however we do need an identity. I altered the kerning and added colour and shine details to enhance the effect of sauce. A great idea would be to actually write this in sauce, however a logo should be a vector and suitable for use on stationary etc. I don't think an image would be suitable.

huiln

The Collective

2011-04-27T04:02:00.000-07:00

We wanted to use The collective as our name but it is taken mainly by creative companies!

I like what it stands for and so Theasaurus was pretty good to give alternatives... ones which I like are assembly, gathered, grouping, add.

Our competitors

2011-04-27T02:20:00.000-07:00

As there are so many design businesses in Manchester I wondered what our position looked like. Everywhere is largely populated by design companies and due to this I think it would be a great resource and there should always be something new to look at and be inspired by, also there should be quite a few exhibitions in the city which would be brilliant for meeting competitors and keeping up to date.

Closer to our studio, there are 2 design companies in the same building, however these are different types of design, so hopefully wont impact upon our business.

Flint Works

2011-04-27T01:24:00.000-07:00

Jo has found us somewhere we could use as a studio! Pretty happy with this choice!

Smalls

2011-04-22T00:53:00.000-07:00

This is brilliant! A great way to get yourself noticed and actively complete briefs set by studios. As they are limited to 140 characters it wont take long for the studios to set and it would show them alot about how he interprets the brief.

"From the 14th March to the 12th May I will complete any short brief (small) set by people working within the creative industry. The only constraint to these briefs is that they are small, no longer than 140 characters in length and define a time frame to be completed in, either 1, 6 or 24 hours. Once receiving the brief, it will be entered into the calendar so you know when I will begin working on it. Updates on the various briefs can also be followed on the blog.

As a way of thank you for setting me a brief, my response will be posted to you within 48 hours from starting the brief.

At the end of the seven weeks my responses will be collated in the form of a magazine, Smalls (Issue 1). The second part of this project is to get a number of people from the creative industry to set a small, and pair these with young creatives willing to tackle them. These responses will form Smalls (Issue 2) and will form a collective of young creatives wanting to create an impression."

This is his calendar for April, really impressive!

Make Comic Sans cool

The letterhead is no longer a viable or relevant graphic design format. Announce its death to design students. It’s banned.

Using whatever media you feel appropriate tell us all the story from your birth to this brief, it can be as detailed as you wish.

The perfect breakfast.

50 things to know

2011-04-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Great little post from Jamie Wieck...

The 50
From speaking to friends, colleagues and recalling my own experiences I’ve complied The 50, a list of 50 things I believe every graphic design student should know on leaving college. Some of these points are obvious, others less so – but all are brief, digestible nuggets of wisdom that will hopefully go some way to making the transition from graduate to designer a little bit smoother.

Share the 50
The 50 has been crafted to be shared, spread and debated. Each point has been synthesised intojust 140 characters (complete with a #the50 hash-tag) making them memorable and Twitter friendly. Tweet your favourites, share them on Facebook, and send this URL to your friends –The 50 needs to be seen by as many students as possible – because feedback is crucial for the next step…

The 100
Ultimately I want to have 100 points in total. This list will no doubt throw up debate and I’m sure many will have questions and queries that have yet to be answered. So please email me, tweet me or leave comments and have your say on what the next 50 points should be, and together we’ll write The 100 – a condensed primer for students and graduates-to-be.
Thank you, I look forward to working with you.

1. You are not the first.
There are very few ‘firsts’ these days. Countless others have started studios, freelanced and requested internships. It can be done. #the50

2. There is always someone better.
Regardless of how good you are, there will always be someone better. It’s surprisingly easy to waste time worrying about this. #the50

3. Success is not a finite resource.
College fosters a zero-sum mentality: that someone has to fail for you to succeed. In truth, another’s success doesn’t limit yours. #the50

4. You cannot score without a goal.
If you don’t know what you want, then how can you pursue it? Having a goal defines an end point, and subsequently, a place to start. #the50

5. Starting anything requires energy.
It takes more energy to start than it does to stop. This is true for physics, your career, and that idea you need to work on. #the50

6. The path to work is easier than you think.
To get into the industry you need just three things: great work, energy and a nice personality. Many forget the last attribute. #the50

7. Have a positive self-image.
Your self-perception is your most important asset. See yourself as the person you want to be and others will see this too. #the50

8. Get a clean, simple website up.
An online portfolio is the alpha and omega of your career. With a wealth of web services, there’s no excuse for not having a website. #the50

9. Curate your work.
Never stop editing your portfolio. Three strong pieces are better than ten weak ones – nobody looks for quantity, just quality. #the50

10. Listen to your instincts.
If your work doesn’t excite you, then it won’t excite anyone else. It’s hard to fake passion for mediocre work – scrap it. #the50

11. Make your work easy to see.
People are lazy. If you want them to look at your work, make it easy. Most of the time employers simply want to see a JPG or PDF. #the50

12. Hand-write addresses.
Clients, prospective employers and potential clients gravitate to letters with handwritten addresses. The personal touch goes far. #the50

13. Time is precious – get to the point.
Avoid profuse humour or gimmicks when contacting studios for work, they’ve seen it all before. Get to the point, they’ll be thankful. #the50

14. Never take an unpaid internship.
This is not necessary evil – a studio that doesn’t pay their interns (at least the minimum wage) is studio not worth working for. #the50

15. Do as many internships as you can stand.
Internships are a financial burden, but they are vital. They let you scope out the industry and find the roles that suit you best. #the50

16. Don’t waste your internship.
A studio’s work can dip, as can its energy. Ignore this and be indispensable, the onus is on you to find something that needs doing. #the50

17. Make friends with a printer.
A good relationship with a printer is invaluable – they will help you save money and the environment. #the50

18. Find your local D.I.Y. store and pound shop.
These places are invaluable resources of cheap and ready-made artifacts ripe for tinkering, re-decoration and re-contextualisation. #the50

19. Be patient.
It’s not unusual to complete several internships and not find ‘a good fit’. Try applying to a studio you hadn’t considered. #the50

20. Ask questions.
Assume nothing. Ask questions, even if you think you know the answers. You’ll be surprised at how little you know. #the50

21. Ask for opportunities.
It will feel cheeky, but ask for things. Ask to be included in exhibitions, magazines, pitches – if you don’t ask, you can’t get. #the50

22. Seek criticism, not praise.
You learn nothing by being told how great you are. Even if you think your work’s perfect – seek criticism, you can always ignore it. #the50

23. Make friends, not enemies.
The creative industry is a small world: it’s a network where everyone knows everyone else. Remember this before pissing someone off. #the50

24. News travels fast.
A good intern will find their reputation precede them. Jobs are nearly always offered on this word-of-mouth evidence. #the50

25. Don’t get drunk at professional events.
There’s a difference between being ‘merry’ and ‘paralytic’. The latter costs you your dignity, your reputation and possibly your job. #the50

26. Network.
There’s some truth in ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. Talk to people, send emails; at the very least sign up to Twitter. #the50

27. Dress smart – look business like.
Take your work seriously? Then take your appearance seriously. Clients are more likely to deal with people who look like they care. #the50

28. Never work for free.
Not only does this devalue the profession, but it makes you look weak. Even a ‘nice’ client will take advantage of this. #the50

29. Negotiate.
If you really have to work for nothing, negotiate. Clients and studios have access many resources that can be viewed as ‘payment’. #the50

30. Read contracts.
Never sign a contract before reading it. Subsequently, don’t begin any job without a contact – you may have to write one yourself. #the50

31. Make your invoice stand out.
Businesses are deluged in invoices. Make yours stand out with colour or shape and it’s likely to rise to the top of the ‘pay’ pile. #the50

32. There’s no such thing as a bad job.
Always push yourself to do your best. Logically, there’s no way you can be dissatisfied with ‘having done your best’. #the50

33. There’s no such thing as a bad client.
The onus is on you to make the client relationship work, not the other way around. If it’s not working out, ‘fire’ them as a favour. #the50

34. Embrace limitations.
Limitations are invaluable for creating successful work: they give you something to push against. From this tension comes brilliance. #the50

35. The environment is not a limitation.
The environmental impact of your work isn’t a fashionable consideration – as a creative, it’s your most important consideration. #the50

36. Boring problems lead to boring solutions.
Always interrogate your brief – re-define the question. No two briefs should be the same; a unique problem leads to a unique solution. #the50

37. New ideas are always ‘stupid’.
New ideas are conceived with no context and no measures of success – this falsely makes them feel silly, awkward or even impossible. #the50

38. Do not underestimate self-initiated work.
Clients get in touch because of self-initiated work. Ironically, business is excited by ideas untouched by the concerns of business. #the50

39. Justify your decisions.
Clients fear arbitrary decisions – they want problem solving. Have a reason for everything, even if this is ‘post-rationalised’. #the50

40. Show sketches, not polished ideas.
Clients often mistake ‘rough’ digital work for the final design. Show sketches for as long as you can, it makes them feel involved. #the50

41. Work with the client, not against them.
You may think you’re right, but look at the client’s solution along with yours. Occasionally you’ll be surprised. #the50

42. Don’t always take no for an answer.
Fight for superior solutions. Demonstrate your thinking to your client, take them through it – it’s hard to argue with logic. #the50

43. Pick your battles.
The creative industry is often infuriating, but not every argument is an argument that needs to be had. This takes time to learn. #the50

44. If you’re going to fail, fail well.
Being ambitious means you have to take on things you think you can’t do. Failures are unfortunate, but they are sometimes necessary. #the50

45. Be an auteur.
Regardless of who you’re working with, speak up if something’s not right. Take it upon yourself to be the barometer of quality. #the50

46. Take responsibility for failure.
If a job’s going wrong take responsibility. It feels counter-intuitive, but responsibility means you can do something about it. #the50

47. Share your ideas.
You’ve nothing to gain from holding on to your ideas; they may feel precious, but the more you share, the more new ideas you’ll have. #the50

48. Get out of the studio.
Good design is crafted from understanding the relationships between things. These connections can’t be found when locked in a studio. #the50

49. Awards are nice, but not vital.
Awards look good on the shelf, but clients seldom pick up the phone because of them. Solid work encourages that. #the50

50. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Take your work seriously, take the business of your craft seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. People who do are laughed at. #the50

Oh bugger...

2011-04-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

I am a bloody idiot. For some stupid reason I thought that Eight:48 was made by Form Fifty Five, which also ran Counter-Print. I have no idea how I made this connection, the only thing I can think of is the numbers in each of the companies.

Email from Counter-Print clearing up my mis-guided and somehow confused mind!

Basically it goes like this… we run a design company called Leterme Dowling, that's the day job and pays the bills, we also set up Counter-Print to sell vintage books and Counter-Objects to sell prints, posters and stuff.

Eight:48 was set up as a sister magazine to Counter-Print and Counter-Objects, in which we would promote the work of people we admire and people we've met along the way. It's a bit confusing I know. Next year we want to streamline the whole thing.

Feel free to send your work to us at this address, and we'll let you know what we think!

Hope this clears it up,

Celine

Oh yeah... and it turns out Celine is Celine Leterme, Founding Partner.

I really haven't presented myself in the way I wanted when getting in touch with Professionals in this instance, but I have been myself and not false, she has seen the ditsy side of me and hopefully she isn't offended!

This is how we get in touch. I bought issies 1-4 of Eight:48 from Counter-Print and recieved this email and subsequent emails back...

Celine:
Hi Hazel,
Thank you for your order.
Your 4 newspapers will be posted out to you today.
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
Celine
PS. May I ask where you heard about us? I look forward to hearing from you.

Me:
Hi Celine,
I think I found alike on the Form Fifty FIve website... however I cannot find it now!
Just had another peek at your site and I love it! I will definately be ordering many more things from you in the future! I can't seem to find Elephant or Futu which are 2 magazine I am trying to get my hands on currently. Do you think in the future you would stock these?
Thanks,
Hazel.

Celine:
Hi Hazel,
Thank you for getting back to me. Sorry for me oh so late reply! We have been very busy over here!
If we come across the requested magazines I will get in contact with you.
Have a lovely weekend.
Kind Regards,
Celine

Me:
Thanks Celine, that would be great!
Is counter-print in conjunction with Form Fifty Five? I am interested about learning more about them and possibly getting some feedback on my work, as I am a Graphic Design student, anything like this would be amazing and so helpful to my future development.
Thanks for all your help, brilliant!
Hazel.

Celine:
Hi Hazel,
No we aren't anything to do with FormFiftyFive I'm afraid, what made you think that out of interest?
Sorry,
Celine

Me:
Oh sorry for the miss-interpretation!
Simply because you both have quite prominent links to one another on your sites, and on yours, not directly to others apart from blogs, apart from the link to Leterme Dowling on the left. Also that Eight:48 has a prominent positioning on the page and seems to be the only regular magazine that you stock.
I miss-understood, oops!
Hazel.

Celine: Hi Hazel,
In your original email you said 'FormFiftyFive', not 'Eight:48'.
I think this is where the confusion lies, as FormFiftyFive is another blog which we don't have anything to do with.
Yes, we are affiliated with Eight:48. It is our sister magazine.
Basically it goes like this… we run a design company called Leterme Dowling, that's the day job and pays the bills, we also set up Counter-Print to sell vintage books and Counter-Objects to sell prints, posters and stuff.
Eight:48 was set up as a sister magazine to Counter-Print and Counter-Objects, in which we would promote the work of people we admire and people we've met along the way. It's a bit confusing I know. Next year we want to streamline the whole thing.
Feel free to send your work to us at this address, and we'll let you know what we think!
Hope this clears it up,
Celine
x

Me:
Oh dear I am so sorry!

This is classic example of me miss-understanding things! I completely get it now, a huge thank you!
For some reason I thought Form Fifty Five made Eight:48. My brain probably made a strange connection because of the numbers... thats the only way I can explain it!

Ever so sorry but yes of course I would love your feedback! I am following Leterme Dowling on Titter and I was intending on emailing them soon with a sampler of my work.
Thank you once again for explaining everything, and again I am sorry for my stupidity!

Hazel.

Working format

2011-04-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Brillaint use of typography throughout their work... shame they are based in Canada!

"Working Format is a Vancouver-based design studio founded by Abi Huynh, Grace Partridge & Ross Milne specializing in graphic design, art direction and type design for print and screen. Working Format collaborates with creative agencies and clients throughout North America and Europe, producing a diverse body of work across cultural and commercial fields."

Fuck you. Pay me.

2011-04-18T02:03:00.000-07:00

Brillaint video I found through FormFiftyFive on Twitter. This realtes well to the Enterprise lecture stash your cash.

"Our speaker at the March 2011 San Francisco, CreativeMornings (creativemornings.com) was Mike Monteiro, Design Director, and co-founder of Mule Design Studio (muledesign.com). This event took place on March 25, 2011 and was sponsored by Happy Cog and Typekit (who also hosted the event at their office in the Mission)."

2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo.

Studio sweet studio

2011-04-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Someone posted this on Facebook, great little resources for seeing how other designers work, however most of them do appear to be freelancers, it is good to see how other work in an environment.

APFEL feedback

2011-04-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

Pretty limited but its nice to hear anything back at all! A little gutted that I have no feedback, especially when he has viewed my PDF, even a thumbs up or down. I will be sending out a thank you mail out to them anyways and hopefully another attempt via email later in the year, as I do bloody love their work!

25ah

2011-04-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

This is the style I want for my own identity. Created by 25ah, unfortunately a Stockholm based brand identity studio. This identity was created for the Hairdressing salon “You Stockholm”.

Designer designed business cards?

2011-04-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Great article found on Design Assembly.

"I’m frequently asked this question by design students, and cut short by the paradox. In today’s digital age, designers have a plethora of ways to get their names out into the world: personal websites, design blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. The idea of the business card has certainly become a bit antiquated, despite its significance. When I meet a designer for the first time—particularly a student, a junior designer, or an interviewee—leaving with a business card is a great token of memorability. In fact, the more personal the cards are, the more engaged I am, and the more likely I am to check out their work. But should they be ‘designed’?

In Ellen Lupton’s book D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself, she introduces ideas for business cards which can be done with readily available typography in Microsoft Word. This is spectacular way to polarize young designers and their beliefs about design, typography and computer programs. After all, it’s much easier to learn to use InDesign and Photoshop than it is to learn how to set elegant typography or, dare I say, come up with an actual idea. She went on to explain that business cards act as a portrait of oneself, and I could not agree more.

My cards become an extension of who I am, which ultimately embodies my spirit as a designer. And that’s difficult to accomplish, which is why I think some designers, especially students, fall back on unneeded die cuts, heaps of embossing, or oversized cards. Unless I have an awesome idea, or I’m a specialist in hand-lettering and/or illustration, focusing on making them cleverly simple is a challenge in and of itself. I can still create cards that feel like “me” without making them labored.

Below are some of my personal favorites; an eclectic collection of cards that are participatory, wildly flamboyant, highly conceptual, ridiculously tasty, or just plain funny. All are smart, all are beautiful, and all are supreme examples of what a designer can do when they turn up (or down) the volume. Unless you can rock them like this, I’d be careful with any embellishments."

I have no idea if this guy is serious... I kinda hope so for comic effect and maybe one day I will get to put his head in a toilet where it belongs.

Character Creative

2011-04-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Build

2011-04-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Based in London...

"Founded in 2001, we are a London-based graphic design agency.
We believe in the importance of intelligent design, the integrity of original design,
and the virtue of beautiful design.
We believe exceptional design is all of these things.
And this is what makes people take notice."

I really like the work they are producing and that they do not have a set style, but work well to each brief.

B&W

2011-04-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Based in Leeds and looked at this studio in first year... still look pretty good.

B&W Studio win 'Best of Show' and 'Best Annual Report' at the prestigious international Design Week Awards for St George's Crypt 'Annual Report and 6 Accounts'. Furthermore, the St George's Crypt brand was inducted into the 'Hall of Fame' alongside brands such as Apple, Royal Mail and The Guardian.
Image: Douglas Kennedy (1974-2009)

B&W Studio is an award winning graphic design studio based in Leeds. With a growing reputation we deliver innovative branding and design for clients across cultural and corporate sectors. The most successful design agency in the 2009 Roses Design Awards and winner of the coveted Chairman's Award."

The Consult

2011-04-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

Also based in Leeds, the tutors seem to be bragging about them constantly so worth a look...

"Our work is as diverse as it is creative. We deliver considered communications to audiences across a range of relevant media including: brand identity, design strategy, annual reports, brochures, internal communications, advertising, direct mail, events & exhibition, online."

Projekt

2011-04-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

Also based in Leeds... but they do seem to like sans serif and capitol letters.

"Projekt is a small multi disciplinary design practice with some big ideas. We're working on all sorts of projects in a wide spectrum of different fields from Bars, Restaurants and Pubs to construction and music. We're putting together long running campaigns for Pubs, Bars and music websites. We're re-designing the way people perceive stock market trading. We're helping to build construction companies from the ground up and finding ways to project your message to the right people. We love a challenge."

Boxhead

2011-04-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

Based in Leeds...

I can't find a bit of information about Boxhead on their website but it is pretty clear what kind of work they do. I really like the stuff they produce. I have posted the print stuff I like the most.

Purple Circle

2011-04-12T05:43:00.000-07:00

Wow. I never knew Annual Reports could look so good!

"Purple Circle are a print and digital design agency in Nottingham. With an established background and specialism in branding, we combine award-winning strategy and design to help businesses in Nottingham and beyond engage their audiences in online, mobile and traditional media.

Purple Circle services include:
- Ground-up branding and rebrands.
- Design and artwork for print.
- Packaging design and POS.
- Design and build for web and email.
- Design and build for phone apps.
- Copywriting and editing.
- Search Engine Optimisation
(SEO) and online PR.
- Social media packages."

Top tips from top people

2011-04-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

Through Twitter I found this little gem...

Mistakes to Avoid from JESS3
Jesse Thomas founded creative agency JESS3. His firm has done great work for tons of tech brands such asGoogle, Facebook and Wikipedia; JESS3′s also worked for mainstream consumer brands, including Nike. He gives us a quick run-down of five things not to do when applying for a job.

Don’t misspell anything. “This is the cardinal sin of sending a resume to anyone,” Thomas says. “Run spell check, and if you really can’t spell with spell check a click away, then you should perhaps go back to school.”
Always include a cover letter. “You should write a very personal and direct note that explains the key things you want explained … This is the test of your professional tone,” he says.
Use a professional email address that is some variation of your actual name, and make sure your name is listed in your email account — got it, cre8tivedude97@hotmail.com? “Obviously we all have had emails and chat names that we wouldn’t want others outside of our social circles to see,” says Thomas, “but if you send me an email that doesn’t have the name set up and it just shows me a Hotmail address in the name field, you suck at email.”
Use a professional tone. Thomas makes the salient point, “I need you to be writing my company’s emails, so if you can’t impress me with yours, why would I want to hire you?”
Never send a prospective employer an email from your mobile. “It’s a rookie, noob move and you know it!” Thomas says.

3 Quick Tips from Code & Theory
Brandon Ralph is a partner and executive creative director at New York-based firm Code & Theory, which was recently charged with redesigning Vogue‘s website. He gives the following words of advice to would-be designers:

Your first email should include a short and sweet subject line that introduces you and names the position you’re applying for. Why the simplicity? “It’s good to stand out,” says Ralph, “but don’t be so clever that it comes off as arrogant.”
Always include a PDF version of your resume. Ralph says, “Layout matters, but so does scannability.”
Give your prospective employer a link to your portfolio website, then “let the work speak for itself,” says Ralph. “A cumbersome interface sometimes gets in the way of the work.”

7 Dos and Don’ts from AKQA
AKQA is one of the leading interactive-focused agencies in the country. Two of the firm’s creative recruiters, Lionel Carreon and Barbara Tejada, share these three things they love in candidates — and four red flags.

Aim for the following:

Your portfolio should be filled with home runs. “Your work should challenge us, take us out of our comfort zone and make us jealous.”
Make sure you can give an elevator pitch for each of your pieces. “Be prepared to speak about your work from brief to completion and explain your ideas simply.”
Do your homework, kids. Tejada and Carreon say you’ll need to “know everything about the agency you are applying to.”

Try to avoid these faux pas:

Now is not the time to be bashful about communication. “Call and email the places you want to work for, but do it within reason,” they say.
Don’t bad-mouth past experiences, including “ex-clients, ex-agencies, ex-colleagues or that bad cup of coffee you had earlier.”
Discouragement and pessimism are the enemy in your job search. “Don’t give up,” the AKQA team says. “If an agency passes on your work, work someplace else and prove them wrong.”
And finally, Carreon and Tejada caution applicants to avoid using the third person in cover letters and resumes. “It’s just creepy.”

10 Pointers from Mekanism
Finally, we hear from a few staffers at Mekanism, one of the most creative firms in the world of digital storytelling. Brendan Gahan is the firm’s social media director. He, a Mekanism copywriter, a PR staffer and the firm’s president, Jason Harris, relay the following tips to would-be creatives:

Be passionate about wanting to work at that specific firm. “Be fans of the work,” said Gahan. “This is more than a job.”
Be a self-starter. Gahan says he looks for candidates who, “even if they haven’t had a ton of work experience, are already creating stuff on their own.”
Of course, it helps to have an “amazing work ethic,” Gahan says. And if someone can vouch for you on this point, all the better.
It goes without saying that you’ll need “a website highlighting your work,” and Gahan also points out …
You simply must have “great work” in your portfolio.
A Mekanism copywriter cautions applicants, “Do not tweet things at [your prospective employers] that link to your resume or reel. That’s annoying as hell. It’s not clever — it’s weird.”
One of the firm’s PR folks says that you can stand out in a positive way simply “by having a point of view and a personality. … Don’t be afraid to be witty or edgy — just avoid being offensive.”
And here’s a word for newer or younger applicants: “Be bold, especially if you’re a new college graduate. It’s challenging landing your first internship or gig out of school, so don’t be afraid to cold call or email people you respect within the industry for informational interviews.”
Express your passions, such as music or fashion, even if they’re not necessarily related to the job description. The PR person says, “There are brands out there that can benefit from insights you may have from your other interests. And if you have connections in media in any specific verticals, let your dream employer know.”
Finally, the firm’s president gives the following practical and political tip: “Learn the [agency's] creative work up and down, point out your three favorite pieces of work, and say why they’re your favorites. Flattery gets you everywhere.”

Something to avoid...

2011-04-12T03:34:00.000-07:00

Found this while looking for possible studios to give me feedback and a possible placement... This kind of stuff makes me mad. Normally I can't place my finger on why I don't like something, it just looks crap. But here I can pinpoint flaws...

Rugged and aged label with rustic typewriter print, which I suppose is to represtn a tea bag label? Why would it look anything like this and be enticing?
"Fancy a cuppa" then showing a cup of coffee.
British design badge. What is this?
£3.20.. yeeeeeaaaah.
Floorboards.

Eskimo Creative

2011-04-12T02:45:00.000-07:00

Based in Manchester and look pretty interesting...

"We are an independent creative studio based in Manchester, United Kingdom. We create personal, intelligent and considered design solutions across all mediums.

We're constantly creating and generating ideas and understand the power of a great idea is only realised through precise and accurate execution. The strength of our studio is our people, our ability to adapt to the changing tempos and styles of projects and bring to them a unique mix of design concepts, ideas and execution."

Creative Lynx

2011-04-12T02:14:00.000-07:00

Based in Manchester and are more aimed towards the public sector... not my ideal but I do like the stuff they produce and might be worth a look.

"We specialise in strategic design and marketing for clients whose markets and industries demand a little more attention to detail.
Our focus is on these sectors, doing what we do best, with experience and insight that you won't find in your average design house.
From the very beginning we define a strategy, establish the intended outcomes and add some contemporary thinking to achieve the desired results.
We never forget about the results; that's why we win awards for effectiveness.
Have a look at our sectors in more detail...
Public Sector
Healthcare
Culture & Sport
Education"

I also quite like their website and having the navigation a focus point of the page. This is a page I like, but some others do look a bit dated with the whole colour and black and white cut out images.

I always thought public sector would be boring and would have loads of restrictions... but they have produced stuff I really like and have changed my view of public sector design.

Manchester

2011-04-12T01:53:00.000-07:00

Manchester does have loads of design companies in the centre and spread outside the city. I am really keen to set up a business or work here as I felt comfortable in the city but also as it is a popular place for designers I hope we as a business could stand out and become one of the top studios.

London

2011-04-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

Leeds

2011-04-12T01:51:00.000-07:00

Nottingham

2011-04-12T01:49:00.000-07:00

Lincoln

2011-04-12T01:48:00.000-07:00

Direct mail packaging test

2011-04-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

"Recently I received two mailpieces containing the same credit card offer. One was the standard letter in a #10 window envelope that I'd received countless times. The other was a beautiful (and expensive) wedding-style invitation. I opened the invitation, pitched the #10, and didn't respond to either since the last thing I need is another credit card." Website.

My take...

Seeing as neither was responded to that looks pretty damning. However, the receiver did choose to open the more interesting one. Showing that looks do count and more interesting mail-shots get results. Obviously if the audience does not need what is being offered it wont be that successful. But if your content is interesting enough to a design company I have heard of some DIrectors and Managers keeping interesting mailshots and CVs. I think I would.

Direct mail...

2011-04-12T00:25:00.000-07:00

The revealed that 3.4 billion pieces of direct mail were sent in the UK last year - that’s approximately 57 for every man, woman and child.

They also revealed that 22% (a staggering 748,000,000 pieces) is binned without even being opened!

If people don’t open your envelope, they can’t read your letter and, if they don’t read your letter, they can’t respond.

So, I thought I’d take a little time to help you get your mail past this first hurdle.

Direct mail legend Gary Halbert has an interesting way of looking at this problem:

“Everybody divides their mail every day into two piles. An "A-Pile" and a "B-Pile". The "A" pile contains letters that appear to be personal. Like letters from friends, relatives, business associates, and so on.

On the other hand, the "B" pile contains those envelopes that contain a commercial message.

Now, here's the way it works: Everybody always opens all of their "A" pile mail.

And, for obvious reasons. After all, everybody wants to read their personal mail.

What happens to the "B" pile mail? Does it always get opened? No. It doesn't. Sometimes it is thrown away immediately without the envelope ever being opened. Sometimes, if it looks interesting, "B" pile envelopes will be set aside for later examination. And, of course, sometimes... IF the envelope looks interesting, or IF the person receiving it has some idle time, or IF the person is bored and has nothing else to do, than, MAYBE the "B" pile envelopes will be opened.”

Gary is, unsurprisingly, a huge fan of using plain (i.e. no commercial messages or logos) envelopes in his direct mail promotions.

However, other direct mail gurus take the opposite approach and recommend using “teaser copy” on the envelope to create interest.

Here’s my take on it.

If you send direct mail to someone you don’t already have a relationship with (this is an important distinction as things are different when you’re mailing existing customers), I think there are 4 different approaches to the envelope:

Plain envelope
Teaser Copy Envelope
Corporate Envelope - must be opened
Corporate Envelope - optional

The plain envelope is, in my opinion, usually the best format. This format treats the envelope as simply an obstacle that you have to overcome. So, it removes all unnecessary information from the outside of the letter.

The recipient receives a letter and has no idea what inside - it could be personal, it could be legal, it could be something that must be read - so it always gets opened.

The teaser copy envelope is harder to succeed with (I can’t remember the last time I received a piece of direct mail with teaser copy that actually helped). For a “normal looking letter”, I’d almost always be against using teaser copy. However, for a bulkier format - one that flags the piece as direct mail - well written teaser copy can help you get more letters opened. In my opinion, the two best formats for teaser copy are limited offers/deadlines and curiosity stirrers.

The “corporate envelope - must be opened” format is only available to certain industries. For example, if you are a legal company, it can help to make this clear on your envelopes. After all, if a lawyer writes to you, you better open it fast! Maybe you’re being sued (or, better still, some long lost uncle in Australia has just left you money in his will).

Finally, the “corporate envelope - optional” format should, in my opinion, NEVER be used.

This is the sort of envelope you receive that has the name/logo of the sender on an otherwise plain envelope. This format is ok if you are already a customer. However, if you’re not, it just says “boring corporate letter, feel free to bin me now!”

These envelopes typically have a very high “bin rate”, but most of the direct mail I receive uses this format. I guess it's a case of:
Big companies using it because they're so obsessed with their "brand" that they put "getting their name out there" ahead of actually making sales (stupid, I know, but it happens).
Smaller companies seeing what the big boys are doing and then assuming that it must be the best way to do things.

If you’re using envelopes like this, do yourself a favour, try using plain envelopes instead and you’ll probably get an immediate increase in response.

Steve Gibson. Marketing Consultant, Edinburgh. Website.

My take...
I think one of the most effective ways would be to involve a more interesting envelope all together. Something where the content is connected to the envelope so that nothing is lost or can be easily crumpled up and thrown in the bin.

Studio Output

2011-04-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

This looks like a good studio to contact and from here I have found a few others I am interested in. With this being in Nottingham I am really impressed and would happily do a placement here!

Start-up costs £25,000

2011-04-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sure we could do it cheaper and maybe find nice furniture and second hand computers but I really think we need to show a good impression and if we got second hand stuff I think it would take longer to find and would be harder to show a clean finish...

I have looked into how much money we would need to buy all the equipment we would need to set up a studio and also furnish the studio. I started by making a list

Jigsaw had pretty much all the technology stuff we would need...

I think we need to decide together how we want our studio to feel... I found this site which has loads of variations of desks. I'm pretty keen on each of us choosing our own furniture, that way we are not corporate but a collection of individuals working together. It would show how different we all are and can come up with different ideas and solutions to problems. I think this would look good to possible clients.

I also think it would be nice to have a really HUGE desk where we can do crafting things. I think this would be important and also give a different space in the studio. It could be covered with cutting mats as a feature and also functionality.

Kitchen

2011-04-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

Ok.. so this is probably irrelevant but I WANT THIS IN OUR STUDIO KITCHEN!

Awesome offices

2011-04-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

In terms of furniture and the feel of our studio I think it should reflect us as a collective and not have a definitive brand, but more relaxed and personal. Here are some of my favourite I found...

White Mountain Office
Something from a movie...

Bastard Store and Office
Really reflect the skate brand.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Slovenia
What?! Pretty awesome. Not what you would expect and is a great example of how aesthetics can form and change opinions. Now I think they are cool.

nirownvrfwv

Twitter

2011-04-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

I never realised the imporatance of Twitter... I am always weary of new technology and don't like to jump on the bandwagon... I would much prefer to see that it actually works before adhering to it.

My Dad went to a xxx and oassed on his new found Twitter wisdom to me. By following my favourite design studios and companies which could help me on my deisgn journey I can keep up to date with information. He recommends that I follow and watch for a while, and then get involved in tweets myself. I have been using it for one daya dn can already see an advantage. There are loads of exhibitions and designs on interest to me I have found. These do come up on Facebook, but I seem to get distracted on Facebook. This will be work, Facebook will be play (if you can call it that).

I have also downloaded TweetDeck which is an application for Twitter. And I also intend on following my potential competitors as it would be good to see their use of Twitter and who they are following.

Remember me...?

2011-04-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

As I have had ZERO responses from the PDF sampler I sent out last week I am intending to send out a reminder based upon the message 'Remember me?' Much as the similar style of my HG branding and Thank you.

I think I like the first design as ther is not a huge emphasis on me. I think the other two make me look a bit big headed... whereas rthe first makes me out to be more polite and less intrusive. I need to quickly design a simple mail-out and post within the next few days. I also would like to send out a reminder email to the already contacted individuals to go alongside this mailshot so they d not have to look back through messages.

Enterprise group meeting 3

2011-03-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

We are still working really well together and today (before we break for Easter) we delegated the tasks. I am going to look into start up costs... such as equipment we need for the studio which needs to be done for wc 11th April as Steph needs these to work out cash flow and loans etc. The following week I will look into possible clients and how to target them/promote ourselves. Finally in the third week of Easter wc 18th April I will summarise all my finding so that when we get back together I can communicate my findings effectively.

Group tutorial with Jane

2011-03-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Sampler

2011-03-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

After finalising and tweeking my PDF sampler I was still stuck as to how to to describe myself... so I asked around. People came up with, polite, ditsy, not so generic, type, perfectionist, cheerful, geek. qwerky and approachable.

My email was approved by John and I wanted to tell them about the work I liked of theirs but also ask for guidance or feedback.

Open publication - Free publishing - More design

PDF feedback

2011-03-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

I asked my friends what they thought about my PDF and also forwarded it to the designers at Jigsaw where I used to work. Here are the responses...

PDF designs

2011-03-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

I have been really stressed about this PDF to sent out and today I sat down with Amber and some other sudents and had a head clear. I feel much better now and can refine my PDF.

Initial thoughts are that I will send out a mini sampler of my work as a PDF and ask for feedback. If I get a response I can then ask if I could visit them. At the same time as this I will send out a thank-you printed 'something'. Also I will need to design a printed sampler which I could leave with them if I visit any studios. I can design this over Easter as I plan to visit after easter. But I will need to design the Thank you before I send out my PDF sampler as this needs to be posted as soon as I get a reply.

I don't really like my PDF anymore... I am hoping it is just because I have looked at it for too long...

Open publication - Free publishing - More graphic design

Front page of PDF sampler

Thank you in same style

Enterprise group meeting 2

2011-03-28T06:28:00.001-07:00

Enterprise group meeting 1

2011-03-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

In my group is Steph, Jo and Jonny. I was initially really happy with my group but was even happier once we had our first meeting. We agreed on so many aspects of our design business that it should be a really good team.

We have alot to do over the time available but I am confident we will be able to complete the module to a high quality and all be happy throughout.