OUGD502 - 'Making a Show of Yourself'

Simple approach to creating work and presenting for best results:

- define requirements.
- identify problems.
- who are you talking to?
- where/how do they exist and inhabit the world?
- how do they speak/ communicate?
- can you 'see' them as actual people? Imagine talking to them in their language.
- what do they need to know?
- answer the brief/ why is this the correct set of outcomes?
- how - rationalise and be positive with your solution, review over presentation work.
- never show the work upfront.
- start any presentation putting your client/ viewer in a comfortable place - welcome/ small talk.
- explain the requirement you identified.
- tell them what they will see and why.
- RATIONALE.

OUGD502 - Sarah Heal Talk

Studied BA (Hons) Graphic Design at LCA between 2012 - 2015.
Currently works as a theme park designer at WrenHouse Design.

Theme park designer:
- logos and branding.
- illustration.
- concept art.
- stage designs.
- graphic props.

(For attractions and experiences within theme parks, water parks, hotels, exhibitions and museums).

1. Geekin' Out:
We are all passionate about something - incorporate this into your work/be inspired by it.

2. Making it Happen:
Experience and research.
Feedback - always worth asking.
Quarry Fold Studios, Sweden (theme park) - Sarah designed signage/logos, etc.

3. The Importance of Networking:
WrenHouse Design - worked freelance remotely first as a trial/ self-calibrated J-1Visa Program.

4. Love Yourself:
Take breaks from work - not good for yourself or creative process if you do not.
Remember you do not have to be good at everything/ compare only to your future and past self.
Not keeping things just on-screen is important in any design process.
Network - ask people about themselves/ their processes.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 02 - Briefing

Groups of 5.

10 minute pitch - needs a rationale.

Wayfinding for the new university building

(to create 'signposting' and imagery for the new building, various facilities and courses).

A 'creative pitch' is when a client is looking for creatives to show them that they are creative, innovative and the best group to answer, solve and produce creative work that will resolve a specific problem or problems. It may be a new product launch, a marketing problem or a new identity, etc.

A pitch deck is a presentation using powerpoint, etc used to provide your audience with a detailed overview of your idea/proposal. You will usually use your pitch deck during face-to-face or online meetings with potential investors, clients or collaborators.

- work should speak for itself.

- set the tone (incorporate other senses?)

- keep it simple/easy to understand.

Disect the brief - what is the base requirement?
- allows you to cut out what is irrelevant, etc.

- what do they want/need to achieve?

- who will use this product or service?

- how will it impact their lives? (language, mobility, etc).

- consider the human interaction.

- creativity in action.

OUGD504 End of Module Evaluation

Throughout this module I have learnt a great deal about designing both for print and for screen, in terms of both design elements as well as production processes. Due to the more commercial and practical nature of this module, this has taught me about the various requirements when designing for print and for screen which would need to be utilised. One of these requirements is the development of wireframes, personas and task flow charts, all essential elements when designing for screen. Working with these processes when designing for screen has shown me their importance in effectively communicating layouts in app and interface design, as well as showing the navigation processes through these. This has therefore helped me to better understand what a client would require in the real world, and such processes will help me to better communicate my ideas to a potential client in the future if designing for screen.

Designing for screen is something which I had not had any experience with before this module, and is something which I had not considered in it's entirety. This module has therefore allowed me to develop new skills in the use of specific software, such as Adobe xd which allowed me to produce a click-through navigation of how my interface would potentially work if it were a fully functioning interface through the wiring of specific elements and functions. Another element of this is the development of new skills in animation, particularly using Photoshop frame and video timelines, to also produce simple animations of my final interface would process. This was an enjoyable part of the module and will continue to be developed in further modules as well as other future design works. Despite enjoying this element, this module has also taught me that designing for screen is possibly not something I wish to pursue in a future career as a graphic designer.

Although having experience with layout and publication design last year, this module, in particular studio brief 01, has allowed me to further develop such skills and gain a wider understanding of specific principles and processes when designing for print in a more commercial way. For instance, workshops taught me the correct ways to print booklets from InDesign, each specific to certain types of binding methods. In addition, other workshops as well as independent learning has helped me to further develop my bookbinding skills showing new ways to bind material together which can have just as much of an effect on the design of a publication than the content itself. Since handmade and book design is something of particular interest to me, this was an enjoyable part of the module, skills of which I will continue to develop upon in future design work.

In addition, the unexpected switch in what we would be designing our publication for was a valuable experience to gain. Although not initially agreed upon, the experience replicated the client - designer relationship in the real world, whereby an author will provide the content and the designer will place this in some sort of coherent designed format for them. This affirmed the importance of collaboration within design and therefore I will be making an effort to work more collaboratively with people, not just from this course, in order to further inform my creative practice and create new connections which I could potentially use in the future.

OUGD502 - Preparation for Presentations

- plan out the 'story', break down into slides - use headers to know what you have to cover.
- use images that will enhance and reinforce what you are talking about.
- add pauses - allows you to relax and others to catch up on the presentation.
- consider adding a video?
- keep text to a minimum.
- bullet points - add a build up/text and images.

thedrum.com (case studies)
CAB studios.

OUGD502 - ONLY Studio Talk

Branding agency, originally from Leeds, now based in Manchester, identifying new ways for brands to connect with people. Their approach to design takes inspiration from real people, resulting in a better understanding of their clients and the value of creative experiences. Although working with various different clients, the agency has a more predominant focus on working for entertainment, education and non-profit organisations, both nationally and internationally.

Design Process (Design for Screen):

- Research (competitors, audience, personas, principles).
- Wireframing (ideation, test assumptions, client buy-ins) - this helps to map out the functionality of a product - usually a collaborative process with art directors, etc.
- Design (including prototypes).
- Front end.

University of Suffolk:

Since gaining university status, University Campus Suffolk became The University of Suffolk and so commissioned ONLY to rebrand their logo. The section cut away from the right hand corner of the square is said to represent the geographical location of the university, but also shows change in the university's status. It is clear throughout ONLY's branding that these ideas have been kept consistent throughout the branding and across platforms, which includes web and mobile, as well as physical content such as prospectus design.

Things to consider in personal projects when designing for screen:
(How do they keep the branding consistent across platforms, including screen-based, and how these work on different scales/formats, e.g. the difference between web and mobile).

(Printworks, Goldsmiths University, University of Suffolk, Lost Village).

OUGD502 - Manifesto / Mission Statement

Mission Statement:
A short paragraph used by businesses to explain in simple and concise terms its purpose(s) for being. They can have a dual purpose by helping employees to also stay focused on tasks to achieve this mission by employing innovation toward increasing productive achievement. Externally it sets out the specific image and direction that drives your practice as a 'brand'.

Manifesto:

A published verbal declaration of the intentions, motives or views of the issuer.

Personal Manifesto:

One of my aims for this year and for the future is to work more collaboratively with people not only from my course or university, but other creatives from different courses and other institutions. The first studio brief has taught me the importance of working collaboratively with other designers, creatives and even clients (for instance, working with an author’s ideas and content on a publication), and I feel this would be valuable experience to have, as well as helping to inform and broaden my design practice. To do this I will utilise the networking site LinkedIn in order to make important connections, which may help now and in my future design practice.

Another aim for this year is to utilise the studio space and facilities at university more often in order to make better use of the space. This will also benefit my own work in becoming more productive and working in a suitable design environment amongst fellow designers, where I can receive feedback if needed and have many other resources to hand. This would also allow me to keep on top of my work so that other time can be spent working on more personal and self-led briefs, which is another aim of mine, in order to build a large portfolio of work based on my own personal interests and creative aspirations, rather than consisting only of set university briefs. As part of this I will also aim to work on more competition briefs to gain more experience working with a set of strict guidelines which can help when in a professional creative career, as this is often what it would be like.

For a long time, my main career aspiration has been to work within the print industry, specifically working with methods of traditional print, such as screen printing. This is one skill which I especially enjoy and have had the opportunity to further develop on the course last year. In order to become closer to this aspiration, I will make sure to utilise the print room more often in continuing to better my skills and understanding of traditional print. I will also make more effort to apply this to other briefs, as this would make them particularly more enjoyable as well as playing to one of my strengths in hand-made methods of design production.
In addition to this, the first studio brief of this year was also enjoyable, working with design for print in terms of layout and publications. This creative process can also be applied to traditional printing methods, and therefore I will aim to make more of a conscious effort to use these methods of design production together as well as separately.

OUGD502 - Personal Reflection on Summer

Over the summer, a large majority of my time was spent working. Although nothing related to the career I wish to pursue in the future, and at a place I am familiar with since I have been working there for two years, experiences gained from my time spent there can still help in future careers. My role was as a play assistant and party host at a children’s indoor soft play centre. This meant that a lot of contact and conversation with the public was necessary and unavoidable. Such experiences, over this summer and throughout the time I have been working there, have continuously helped me to develop skills working with customers, which can be useful in a future career within the graphic design industry when dealing with clients. This designer-client relationship is probably the most important one therefore it is essential that you know how to deal with certain situations and can clearly communicate ideas and intentions. Working with a team of people in this job could also be applied to situations where working in a collaborative team is needed, such as working in a studio, for the same reasons regarding communication, as well as showing the importance of collaboration in certain situations and for certain briefs.

More related to the graphic design and arts industry, in my spare time over the summer I worked on a couple of commissions for people, using both digital and hand-drawn methods. Alternatively, to working as part of a team in my part-time job, this experience was freelance, allowing me to work more freely. This experience held more personal responsibility, and so taught me how to better manage my time and work more closely with an individual client.

Towards the end of the summer, I celebrated my 21^st birthday. This is the next big milestone within my life in terms of birthdays and it made me reflect on what I have already achieved in my life so far and think more carefully about what I wish to pursue after graduating from university. Reflecting on this made me realise of how much importance this is, and as a result I have started this year feeling much more motivated to work in order to push myself closer to where I want to be in life.

In order to help me step closer to a career within the creative industry, a couple of contacts have been made through word-of-mouth, for instance close relatives and friends taking about my future aspirations and current education. One contact works for the marketing department at York University, whereby the department holds a small graphic design team. Another contact works as part of a graphic design team for the company Autoglym. Both have offered work experience if needed, which would be a valuable experience to have during this year, experiencing first hand what it would be like to work professionally as part of a graphic design team.

OUGD402 - End of Module Evaluation

Throughout this module I have learnt a great amount about what it takes to pursue a career within graphic design practice and the creative industry, whilst in turn learning more about myself as an individual person, learner and designer. Through visiting professionals and workshops, I have gained some valuable advice from experienced designers which will stick with me throughout the rest of this course. Studio Brief 01 helped me to reflect on such ideas, allowing me to convey what I have learnt in a creative poster format, which used elements of what I have learnt within the actual design, such as grid systems and typography.

This module has also taught me to have more confidence in myself as a designer. Upon starting this course, I had doubts as to whether this was the right course for me, however through set tasks it was found that many other course-mates were feeling the exact same way and that none of us would have been accepted onto the course if we were not good enough. This task was quite reassuring and various PPP sessions have allowed me to build upon these issues since. Through ongoing reflection and presentations of work, these have helped me to better talk about my work and who I am or want to be as a designer. In addition to these presentations, I have also learnt appropriate layouts for presenting information which will overall help to better communicate my work and ideas. For instance, less text and more imagery - you know your ideas, just explain them and make notes if needed.

Other sessions have taught me various other skills and techniques, which will help me throughout many aspects of my life and not just my creative career. For instance, stress and time management. I have learnt the importance of these, since if they are not controlled or managed in an appropriate way this can inhibit your creative processes. To avoid this it is important to plan your time amongst and around briefs, focusing on what is most important for specific weeks, but also allowing yourself to have breaks and down-time to refresh creativity.

The course trip to Barcelona and various studios based out there was a real turning point. Although visiting professionals explaining their creative practices and how their studios work, Barcelona was a great opportunity to physically see inside graphic design studios and show how/where I could potentially be working in the next 5 or so years. It allowed me to see more of their processes and has been a big source of inspiration for myself as a designer.

Overall, this module has ultimately allowed me to reflect on myself as a designer in terms of style, perception to clients, etc, and newly improved skills will help with the continuation of my journey through the 2 years of this course and hopefully also into a career within graphic design.

Barcelona - Thursday 23rd February 2017 - Toormix

Created in 2000, Toormix is a Barcelona based design studio founded by Ferran Mitjans and Oriol Armengou. The studio specialises in branding, art direction, printed and digital graphic design, however aims to take on many different kinds of project in order to gain valuable experience whilst also helping clients. The main value at Toormix is that design is something a lot more than just aesthetic value, which allows them to deliver new solutions to clients and companies through creative thinking, as well as design and communication.

Similar to Brosmind, it was considered upon this studio visit that Toormix also took on an interactive approach towards a large proportion of their work. For instance, the images above show Toormix's branding for the Bicnic company. The project aims to link gastronomy and design to create a new street food culture. Through their proposed identity, Toormix created packaging and merchandise which allows customers to engage with the company and products, such as the use of stickers to place on certain dishes, as well as pin badges, t-shirts and tote bags.

One piece of valuable advice the studio gave us all was in regards to work. It was said that, when possible, to never work for free and they are a big believer in this. They believe that designers should not be taken advantage of and should be allowed to gain something for each of their provided services. This is a point to consider when eventually searching for work within the graphic design practice upon finishing the course and has ultimately made me think about my role as a designer and visual communicator.

Barcelona - Friday 24th February 2017 - Lo Siento

Lo Siento is a graphic design studio based in Barcelona, which takes on a more experimental and handmade approach to work. Their main body of work consists of physical handmade type from paper and other materials, such as fibre and prints using wine stains.

This studio visit taught me the importance of being experimental in working and to be open-minded to new methods and techniques, even if these may question the notion of graphic design as a creative discipline. Through experimentation, this ensures work is not 'too obvious' in approach, gives strength to the meaning and ultimately engages the client more with the work.

Another strength of Lo Siento's discipline is photography, which has been used in conjunction with a lot of their handmade work. This also taught me the importance of photography within graphic design, as the way in which work is photographed has as much of an impact as the work itself. If the work is not photographed in an appropriate way or in a way which best showcases the work, this can limit the meaning and overall communication of the work. An aim for Level 5 is to therefore get better at photography in order to enhance the communication of my own work for the sake of portfolios and blog work.

Barcelona - Tuesday 21st February 2017 - Brosmind

Brosmind are an illustration studio, founded in 2006 and based in Barcelona. The studio is made up of a team of brothers, Juan and Alejandro Mingarro, who both studied graphic and product design courses at university. Although primarily illustration, they take on a multidisciplinary approach to most projects, incorporating elements of sculpture, music and video.

One of the things I learnt from the visit was the importance of teamwork. Brosmind were fortunate enough that both brothers had a similar style of drawing and working which allowed their creative process to work a lot smoother and produce ultimate consistency within their body of work. Each brother takes on a different part of the creative process, such as detail, outline and colour. Taking on different roles allows the work to be split up evenly and plays on each of their strengths to result in a strong and engaging piece of work. Their distinctive style also sets them apart from other designers and illustrators.

Their multidisciplinary approach to working allowed for their product design background to also come into play. I feel this is an important piece of information which I should use within my own practice - for instance using other interests and what I have previously learnt at school in other disciplines to inform my work. This allows to create more meaning and engagement within work. Much of Brosmind's physical product work allows the audience to interact with their work in this way, such as their fussball table, video game and 'motoguias' which were built to transport visitors around their 'Working With a Brother' exhibition and included a built-in audio guide.

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 03 - Presentation Feedback

Verbal feedback on my presentation suggested that the overall layout of my design strategy presentation could have been better, which ultimately would have made the presentation more engaging. It was considered that there was too much text on each page which limited the space for appropriate images of my own work. As a result the text was slightly confusing, as it was not clear whether to read what was on the current slide or to listen to what I was saying verbally. To improve, the text should have been cut out completely so to make the presentation purely image based. This would have allowed a better understanding of how my work and images linked directly to each point.

In terms of content, I perhaps focused too much on the negative side of things. It has been suggested through research that people tend to remember negative aspects of something more than positive points, and this was evident through the two questions which I received at the end of the presentation. Therefore, to improve I should have explained a point and clearly stated how I would overcome this or how it could potentially also be seen as positive. This links back to one of my aims for level 5 which said "to worry less about things". As a result, I should be more proud of my studio brief outcomes which would then have people also engage with them more.

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 03 - Design Strategy Presentation

What have I learnt?
One of the main things I have learnt since the start of this course is new skills in certain adobe softwares, such as illustrator and indesign, which I previously had little knowledge of. This has been incredibly useful for each studio brief, allowing me to produce work which could not be produced effectively through simply handmade methods, such as book layouts and typeface design. Not only have I learnt new skills in such softwares, the ongoing use of these have allowed me to develop existing skills in photoshop.
I have also learn that research is one of the most important things when starting a brief. An extensive knowledge of the themes and concepts behind your work helps it to become more informed and thought out, which normally produces the best outcomes. The more obscure the information the better. This area has been accompanied by various study tasks which have helped me learn new graphic design techniques and processes, such as ascii art and book-binding, and ultimately produce more experimental work.
New knowledge of typographic terminology and grid systems will now allow me to talk about my work in a more informed manner and explain the small, individual elements of type design and the importance of grids within layouts.
Non-work related, I have also learnt how to cook decent meals for myself which has come from independence and living away from family in a new city.

How will these affect my future development?
- A range of new skills to develop my creative practice.
- A range of new processes allows experimentation and better informed work and concepts - this creates clear links between work, research and ideas.
- New knowledge of typographic terms allow me to correctly talk about my work typographically in the correct and a more informed manner.
- Grid systems are important in creating a hierarchy and consistency in work.

Strengths and how I will develop these?
- Handmade processes, such as printmaking - will be developed further through being more experimental and combining different processes, such as analog and digital, which I have done for specific studio briefs and study tasks - blacklettering and wayfindings, in particular.
- Research and study tasks - experimentation with processes and ideas - develop further by going to more exhibitions, research trips and library visits to better inform my ideas and concepts.

Weaknesses and how I will address these?
- Still not the best at adobe - this can be overcome through the natural progression on the course whereby I will use various different softwares for set studio briefs and tasks. Working on more self-led projects will also allow me to develop these skills.
- Presentations have never been a strong point, however the ongoing presentation of work and group critiques will allow me to practice talking publicly to the class about my work and ideas.

What have I enjoyed and why?
- Independence - felt like it was needed to help myself grow as a person/ helped each me things I would not have known otherwise, such as how to cook and work a washing machine.
- Meeting new people - being surrounded by many like-minded people who all wish to pursue a career within the creative industry.
- Living in a new city - has allowed me to explore new things and become more open-minded.
- Exhibitions and workshops - gained valuable new skills, knowledge and inspiration.
- Studio talks, visiting professionals and trips - valuable advice about what it takes to become a graphic designer, set up your own studio, put yourself out there and ultimately pursue a career in the creative industry.

What have I disliked and why?
- The workload has been slightly overwhelming at times, however this is how it would potentially be working in a studio setting, as studio visits and talks have taught me that you will constantly be working on a variety of different briefs at one time - preparation for finishing the course/time management.

Aims and ambitions for Level 5?
- Get better at time management - create lists of things to get done in a day/prioritise those more important/start things as soon as possible.
- Work on more self-led briefs in my spare time - valuable to inform creative practice and build a portfolio of work which does not just consist of module briefs, but one which also conveys more personal interests.
- Pay more visits to the library - do more research through text, books and visits for primary research, rather than relying on the internet the majority of the time - accuracy of information.

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - Business Card Inspiration

In order to make my brand memorable and stand out amongst others, I did some initial research into creative ways to produce a business card. For this, I decided to stick with the handmade, printed route, therefore looking for similar style business cards that could be used as the main source of inspiration for my own.

This particular business card by Rush Talent, a talent agency and management company, was the main source of inspiration for the layout of my own business cards. I uses a clear hierarchy of information, with the image/logo at the top of the card and the contact information clearly stated at the bottom. The template for my business cards uses a similar hierarchy, which meant my logo could easily be stamped at the top of the card.

One initial idea for business cards was to screen print a different design onto each of them. This could be done using simple geometric shapes, creating a different form through the manoeuvring and manipulation of these shape templates. Another idea was to screen print or letterpress a different caption or phrase onto each of the cards which would represent one part of my personality which people described as 'quotable' due to my tendency to say unexpected words or phrases in certain situations. This would give a comedic touch to my business cards that could potentially make them stand out amongst more serious ones.

Lo Siento Studio's business cards, produced by Mucho, acted as another source of inspiration when exploring ideas. For this, a custom stencil was made of their logotype which could then be stenciled onto each business card in a different way each time with different materials and mediums. This would appeal to a lot of other studios and clients, as people enjoy to receive something unique. Using a stamp would potentially have a similar impact as each print would not necessarily be exactly the same, for instance depending on the amount of ink applied to the stamp.

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - Self-branding Presentation

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - Stamp Application

Another application in self-branding would be the stamp itself, as this can be used for a variety of different things, including the other two applications used for this project (notebooks and business cards). Although physically produced to use for my final logo, I decided to also mock-up this stamp to show how it would potentially be used in a more professional manner.

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - Notebook Application and Production

In applying my logo to further applications, I decided to continue playing on the concept of analog techniques and processes, as well as using a process which I have learnt since the start of the course. Bookbinding was a very enjoyable process, which has helped me in producing more professional looking books and zines for various studio briefs and personal work. For this application, I decided to use my new knowledge of bookbinding to produce a set of two notebooks which could be used to promote my self-branding.

The two notebooks which I produced used saddle stitch and Japanese stab-stitch binding methods. Stab-stitch is a method which can be experimented with in creating new and interesting stitch patterns, therefore developing a continuation of unique touches to such application. Using the same stamp produced for my final logo and business cards, this was stamped onto the front of each notebook to promote my self-branding.