evaluation

This whole module for me was a real eye opener for what I wanted to focus on for the time being in my design career, which is illustration. I learned a series of other things along the way, which has made me a better designer in a number of different ways.

My original briefs I had wrote were ones I wanted to do and for people I would like to work for in the future, I knew using these purposed briefs would get me the portfolio pieces I wanted. Since leaving second year I knew it was time to focus on myself and what I wanted to do and that is what this module was all about for me, in terms of my rationale I mentioned things which I had previously learned from the prior two years at Leeds college of art and I wanted to focus on these elements in order not to make the mistakes I had done before and in order to make the module a fun and challenging one.

This module was a bit of a slow starter for me as I worked out what I wanted to do which is create illustrations for clients in various contexts suiting the brief, but my main issue was that I was not creating the form of illustration I wanted to, in working on the drop dead brief (brief one DD) I learned all about using the wacom tablet, which was the main gain out of the brief, the brief stretched on a little bit longer than I had originally intended due to it being such a long start getting my head around drawing straight to screen and learning all about different strokes, textures and calligraphy brushes not to mention file sizes, formats and scaling. Round about illustration two I started to get the hang of the tablet and was able to complete my drawings a lot faster and neater than originally.

My second brief however (front) was one which was a very misled brief and taught me all about how even though you have wrote a brief sometimes you cannot stick by it and it needs to be altered, I found myself producing editorial work which is not what I wanted to do same with (DD) the publication in my design practice is not what I had intended on doing and after altering the briefs I chose to get rid of areas of the brief to simplify them and extend on the stronger areas, front ended up being completely changed to Halloween decorations which in my opinion made a lot more sense and it looked a lot better once I had mocked up some of my ideas for packaging and products, I found that the napkin I made for this brief was a very successful piece and once it was changed to decorations I had a lot more fun producing for it.

Looking into time scale and organization there were a few problems along the way the first few projects went more or less according to my time table in my progression folder but there were key areas throughout this module were things went really wrong, the 6^th of November being the worst one which was when I got home from the army one weekend and found that my Mac book would not turn on which meant I had lost out on blogging and digital design for Sundays and any time after 8-9pm once college had shut, and the two pathetic snow days off were awful for me as I needed access to the Macs at university at least. I also lost data for some of my day briefs, which were progression screen grabs, and extra file of ideas, which are still unable to access. Due to having some financial difficulties lately it has strongly effected a lot of the module, one being that I couldn’t mock up a lot of my projects which I had been looking forward to doing and the other being I couldn’t get my Mac book fixed until after submission. After this situation happened it left me in a odd state which meant I had to work faster and in more detail as I knew I would be missing out on some long nights, as when I get home that is when a lot of my ideas flow being away from the studio.

Due to this set back it was very foolish of me to produce so many small briefs which left a lot of my time really slim especially due to the fact that there was no way I could focus on over time work, However once getting some pay in by the army I was able to finish off a few projects one being the tattoo flash book which taught me all about producing different kinds of illustrations and producing them for a odd scale using different stocks and print processes not to mention binding, I found this brief a very rewarding one and felt as though it was one of my strongest briefs I had completed as well as drop dead in which I learned all about different types of t-shirt printing and which works better for a contextual piece which answered the briefs specification.

I found that although a lot of the odds were against me I was able to produce all my boards, admittedly not in the quality I originally wanted but to a high enough standard to present them and in a very clear manner a lot better than any of the other boards I have produced over the years here.

Overall I answered the aim of my rationale and produced the work and gained portfolio pieces that I am very proud of showing off, using these forms of illustration I have had a few responses and gained a few clients who just want drawings doing for them which is great for me as I haven’t had anyone so interested in my work like this before. The module has been adventurous and a great learning experience were I have gained many new skills and have learned a lot about different processes and what can go wrong in them, most of all I believe the best thing I learned was how to juggle a series of briefs at one time. With the time I have left on this course I want to take my next briefs to the limit and go all out as I now know the power of context, I am very excited to start designing and starting something new, I know this is what I want to do now as I am still excited about my work and love what I do.

New creative email address

IMMUNITYFROMDESTRUCTION@HOTMAIL.COM

YEAR 3 BEGINS

last evaluation

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

During this module I feel as though I have developed a series of different skills ranging from areas such as documentation on blogs all the way to 3D design. In essence I believe that I now have a better understanding of what it takes to make a well structured blog which delivers a clear story. My 3D work could have been a lot better but due to the workshop being so busy at this time of year I was not able to do a lot of things I wanted with the box which I wanted to.

I have started considering different media approaches and distribution such as 3D and digital. I did not apply my digital media as well as I would have liked as my ambitions were narrow to begin with as I did not want to give myself a major workload and over complicate my time and effort.

2. What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

Research has been a stronger point for me during this module in particular due to the fact I am creating work for a statistic based audience, my questionnaires helped me out so much in defining whom my target audience is, what they wear, where they go, what they drink, when they sleep, where they shop etc.

I also think the structure of my research is the best structure yet. I used to just do all my context at the start of a brief then it was done with whereas with this brief I have juggled the two, relying on both to get me further on with my project. It has allowed me to be a lot more comfortable with my project with a clear direction of where I was going.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

My development skills, constant analysis and evaluations have been a great strength in this project, Without these my project could have drifted off into no where. Keeping on top of my documentation has allowed me to refer back to my work with a clear understanding of what needs to be done and when, so I am not using my time un-efficiently. My commitment to final products has been at an all time best and has allowed me to learn different ways of working using other facilities around the college.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these more fully?

My main weakness yet again is time management I believe that I need to book in the print room next time so I have a deadline for my work to be ready for, without any concerns with drop in being booked up or design boards not being printed out in a quality way. I think this is a vital area in which I am losing marks for in the project which is why I must be prepare my self for third year when all this and much more is expected of us.

I think I also need to produce more ideas at the start of a project as it seems although I am producing 20-40 ideas I should be doing so much more which would allow me to work out a fall back plan if anything was to go wrong with an existing concept in a crit or via statistics being incorrect/ just not working as a design.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. Pay attention to workshops that are available and take more dedication in producing a 3D product rather than getting scared about time and rushing delicate areas such as the finish.

2. Be constant of my time, although I had a lot of time to do things, I didn't think about expanding what I could do. It was in my grasp to take this project and do so much more with it rather than a box, I could of made the digital distribution in after effects and made everything much more interactive.

3. Learn from my mistakes, think back to previous projects and notice what the problems were, in order to prevent me from making the same ones again on a new project.

4. Think about more ways to tackle one task, sometimes the easier idea could be much more interesting and look better and in all honesty ( be cheaper)

5. Book in at the digital dungeon at the start of the project so I am ready to print off boards and finals for crits.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

(5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor)

Attendance: 5

Punctuality: 5

Motivation: 4

Commitment: 4

Quantity of work produced: 3

Quality of work produced: 2

Contribution to the group: 3

3rd year

I collected a lot of examples of image and type in context. These were the images that really struck my attention, I loved the type on body image, I thought that kind of thing would add so much depth to my work if it turned out right. The majority of the images I love, but it is purely because of the context and experimentation of a lot of it e.g the fruit. I think the depth of some of the typography is amazing and very impressive, I would like to produce something with objects to produce a typeface.

I think that using type as image is a lot more effective and has a much more personal feel than if the type was on it's own. Being drawn onto a 3D model makes the type have different curves, a different kind of character and as a result a different element of interest. The only issue would be getting a model to let you draw on them with perm marker.

A little dirty but smart. Sexual health week, this campaign is based around the natural parts in life therefore the backing colour and type are based on skin colours and the type in a slightly sexist way is made out of penis's I believe that this would work in reality to the target age group as it is so bold and outrageous it would catch teenagers attention. I think it's funny but also on a serious tone, is very personal.

I love the idea of using type in context, in honesty I'm not quite sure what a FTLOT is but it doesn't bother me as I can see this is a nature piece so it has some enviromental values. The fact that you can take any object and make communication out of it is amazing. It is something I want to focus on and do more of.

This piece is an interesting one, I'm not sure of what it it represents bar part of the alphabet, but is the 't' supose to be duo tone?

Sandblasted glass is a cool way to use type as the enviroment in which it covers gains the textures of 3D elements behind. I think that this is a cool way of advertising as when you look at the type it is different from different angles.

This is the kind of stuff strive to achieve in 3rd year, I want to improve on my type generating skills and make calligraphy with such in depth texture like so. I think that an image like this has a thousand words, especially if the words used are ones of a strong meaning that makes the reader really think.

I might actually start drawing on fruit like this as I think it looks really cool when the type works in a spiral and the pt size and angles change according to which way the shape turns. The type doesn't have to be to amazing for it to look good.

Using scrap objects such as boxes is an interesting component to changing an identity of a product. I think that type looks really great when used in the correct way, but I really love it when it is type in context as it gives such a strong feel.

Temporary type is a great way too look at things, it is such a delicate process as one little slip and it's destroyed. I think type like this is so much more special as it doesn't physically last for ever so it is up to you to document it in such a way that it brings out the items best qualities so it can live forever.

3D/2D is an important factor in design, I think creating these 3D items and photographing them makes them so much more in depth than if the photo was taken and the type was just laid over the top.

Simple yet effective the piece is built up of lower case and higher case woodblock letters and doesn't strive to take the whole photo which makes it that bit more special, a simple message is displayed from this which is Typography in Austraillia.

This type is really cool I think the fact that it is pencil shaded gives it such a character that makes it really interesting, I tried to producing something similar with such a raised form, but it looked shockingly bad.

This above is amazing and is again something what I would like to develop in my 3rd year I believe that the detail and individuality of such a project makes it rewarding and looks really good.

This is one of these designs you see and well you just wish you had done it, using type like it was water creating a trail from a pipe.

Making images out of type, essentially filling in the missing paths

Using different shapes to make the image say what it is before you even read it.

Again 3D work that looks really good, wish I could get a lovely naked girl like this to draw on :)

Detailed type

Stock and emboss

Powerful calligraphy

Deep.co.uk

This site is an interesting one as regards design, but is advertised in a very fine art way which as a Graphic Design company I think is an incorrect way of getting custom. All of the images on the portfolio have no real description of what we are looking at why we are looking at it and who it is for, which is a very open way of displaying projects. From the images the photos are very pro dealt with but the site remains more of a personal photography achievement site.



In his defense he has an extra ordinary client list with hundreds of clients with images of what he has produced for them, all the images appear again to be at a high standard although, his issue in my belief is that he needs a blog or somewhat of more description of his items so we know what we are looking at.

The Chase

Chase is a bold site which have a brief description about their selves, not everyone reads what is on a site unforutnatley however the story here is really interesting, the fact they turnover around £5.6 million is crazy!

But with a bit of further investigation I think that I have fell in love with the designs they do.

I didn't think much of the approach to the website but moving on and looking at the portfolio, it is one of the strongest and varied ones I have seen, I really love the statement 'we are painting the town red' then including the other colours, I think that it was a really smart way to incorporate and improve the famous statement.

I think it is also really good that they are not a one trick pony and have other skills to offer at really interesting and qualified approaches such as this design for digital, some of the shots are really out going and work really well.

Such a broad range of techniques are used in the portfolio, I think these illustrations are really cool and remind me a lot of the red bull advert kind of work.

This little piece below is another way of seeing that this company covers all kinds of elements of work including different tones of work, this place is so cool and again is another site that I would love to get an opinion on my work and keep into contact and perhaps one day meet up with them and have a talk about portfolio stuff

Placement 2

Below is a repky from a high school in Hindley in which I have asked about a placement:
Chris,

We will consider accepting students on placements if they are intending to do PGCE. I would have to consult with MsWoods before making any commitment.
Are you considering PGCE and how long would you want to come for if it was possible?

Martin Rigby
Hindley HS

I am currently waiting for feedback off them onto wether or not it would be possible for me to work there as I am looking into my masters degree and London, I need to of either worked in a educational enviroment or have had quite a few years experience in design as a freelance or in a graphics job so it seems benneficial for me to look into what it is like to teach the subject.

Placement

So after a bit of chasing up I got in touch wit a old friend does free lance design in Wigan, over summer I'm going to get down to Wigan and hae a talk to him about his design and work/ experience also where he finds his market for this kind of design work









































A lot of his work is around new bands who have gigs in clubs around the NW in places such as bar fever, Joseph Wells and a lot of other underground venues for bands.




















His work is made up of vector mostly and uses an interesting pallet which makes the advertisments really pop and look inviting.

I love the work he did for Manchester metal and how he included some of Manchester main highlights such as the mancester eye and printworks which are infact located very close to one another. Then the king kong just looks really rad.




















This is my favorite poster he did, I went to this gig in 2006 and I was amazed at his skills and how he smartly incorporated images together to make another image, I really love howhe go the detail on the wings of the bee and wether he has a few tips that will help my design details and work as a whole.

Reply

Hi Chris


First of all forgive me if some of this doesn't make sense or I rabbit on a bit, as I have just had a bottle of wine.



Thank you for your email, its nice hear from someone who likes your work.


I'm actually just about to finish my new site this week, I have made it live but it still needs tweaking - site address http://www.north45.co.uk/ - I have also attached a pdf of my new work, as I know it is good to see what other people are doing ( this is what I will send to companies).


Advice wise I can only tell you what I wished I had done and I'm still planning on doing, as I have only worked in design agencies for a few years, previously I worked for news media companies, which is a lot different.




1. The thing I wish I had done the most is study other creative media while I was studying at college. All i used to think about is going ooooowwwt on the toon in newcastle, but now 10 years down the line its a lot harder to teach yourself things or go to college at night after working all day . Plus with jobs so scarce these days its good to have other talents and you might get sick of graphic design after a few years, so I wished i had studied at night classes in 3d visualisation, web development or something.


2. Your work looks good to me, you can definitely design - I think you just need some more projects too get your teeth into, plus you need a bit more variety showing you can design for all media, print or web.


3. There are loads of good agencies in Leeds, I would just keep googling them and send your work off, see if you can get a placement.


4. Most of my freelance work is through word of mouth, actually most of them are mates. So maybe if you do some freebies word will get around and you will get some commercial work.


5. The big thing at the mo is social networking, so gets some blogs going and get your work on.


6. Keep looking at the companies in leeds and see what they are doing.


7. Look at inspirational sites like http://logopond.com/ - http://creattica.com/ - http://www.smashingmagazine.com/ this is good for everything to do with design. You can also post your work on these sites.


8. Get yourself a website - or get someone at college to build and seo one for you (maybe in exchange of designing something for them). I'm just about to make my site into a resource centre for designs, offering plugins, brushes etc.. which i will email to creative agencies around the country , which should get them revisiting my site - look at http://www.spoongraphics.co.uk/ . Send html emails out.


Hope this helps, keep sending me your work and if I here of anything which will suit you, I'll email ya. Also don't just look in this country, maybe do bit of travelling (before you settle down) and try and get in at some agencies in other countries ( another thing I wish I had done)




Nolan

All of us

WOW is all I can say when I look at some of this work, I love the style of production the site has a lot to offer such as a news feed so we know what they are up to all the time, the site is updated weekly and runs smoothly and with speed.

The site offers a portfolio of their latest achievements which include a journalism kind of description about the brief, what it is about and the highs and lows.

This design team has a lot to offer from html to design for print to 3D design not to mention photography, voted number one designer of the UK all of us appears to be an amazing place to work and is becoming an influence on where I want my design to go in the future, the image of the stone object with the fast forward and rewind symbols on it is something that I would love to produce.

Design agencies

Toast design is a design company I came across when looking at branding and are based in Banbury in Oxfordshire, the company has a fast website which is inviting but to me one of the best things the site has to offer is the process stage in which there is a diagram for the customers to see how they can get a design off toast.

-You're need

-Brief and quote

-Concepts

-Development

-Sign off

-Print and delivery launch.

To me this is the way things should look on a professionals website as the process is known the client is instantly more liable to choose this agency over others as they have a clear understanding of what will be happening.

The site also has a blog which is a very strong way of showing DD and finishes also un related projects, perhaps personal. However this blog is pretty weak and doesn't show a lot of what they are up to and what they are doing which I think is a very important way to back up all of the designers work.

Attik.com

Attik are a well brand related design company whom have a lot to offer for a design agency and from the website appear to work towards a certain kind of style. This site from looking at it is so amazing, This company is some people I would love have comment on my portfolio and someone I would be proud to have as a contact. They cater to the needs of all kinds of clients and produce some fantastic work.

This illustration in my opinion is really inspiring and is just really cool, I love the style and power behind the image, this paticular brief is one which was released in the press. The site has a lot to offer in terms of getting to know who they are before having to even email or ring them..