Personal Professional Development & Enterprise: 2011

Saturday, 31 December 2011

Creative CV's Research

To make my CV stand out, it needs to look good, get across who I am and my skills quickly.

I have looked on the internet as well as looking at the examples John showed us, to see some creative CV's to help inspire me to create mine.

This cv looks professional, with lots of information but still simplistic, which is good, as a lot of CV's seem to have too much writing on so may get overlooked. I like the info graphics style way of showing their skills, which could relate to what type of work the person is looking for.

I like these CV's as they seem more fun and interesting than plain white CV's, with a lot of information organised in a way that is interesting to look at, and also showing off the designers illustration and layout skills.

I like the CV on the left as it is simple and short, getting all the information across quickly and not being too distracting. I think having a panel which is quite decorative or interesting next to a simple space for the information is a good way to create a CV which looks good but is easy to read. The one of the left is quite different, with maybe a bit too much going on, but I like how the alignment is different and there are contrasting elements.

This CV is quite different from the others so it stands out. I think printed CV's make much more of an impact rather than emailing your CV, especially if you want to design for print. I will definitely take time considering stock and how my design will print and send my CV rather than emailing it.

These are more examples of simple CV's (above and below), I really like the way a logo, or image to represent the designer is placed next to all the information that is needed, keeping the design clear, clean and easy to use. These all show a good use of layout and organisation of elements.

Tips I have found for creating a good CV:

smashingmagazine

- The whole thing should fit on one page

- Keep it short (leave something to talk about in the interview)

- Don't overdo it with fancy bits, make sure the content doesn't get lost

- Keep it simple and organised

- Don't include a whole history, leave some details off

- Attention to detail should be perfect, everything should be aligned, etc...

- Use a grid

- Design it so it is printable

- Create a PDF copy with links to your website

- Show your interests and personality

- Think outside the box

- Leave out things that aren't relevant to design

- Get lots of people to check over it for mistakes

What to include:

youthedesigner

- Name and contact info

- Mission statement

- Job experience

- Education

- Strengths

- Software Skills

- Design Organisations (if you belong to any)

- Awards

- References (don't include on the CV but say they are available)

Look at my post on my PPD blog to see my development:

My Creative CV

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Enterprise... Extra Research

Here are some websites I will look at to get some extra research, as well as the business studies books I have been reading.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk
http://www.mindtools.com
http://www.businessballs.com
http://www.berr.gov.uk
http://www.designcouncil.org.uk
http://www.dacs.org
http://portal.leeds-art.ac.uk/moodle/file.php/230/sustainablemarketingguide.pdf
https://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ukti/appmanager/ukti/sectors?_nfls=false&_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=sectors_landing

2nd Year So Far...

Review

I thought now would be a good time to reflect on my year in Graphic Design and think about how 2nd year has been going so far and what I need to improve on.

I am looking forward to the image elective, as it feels like the first module where I will be doing something that I feel I am good at.

I still don't feel confident in my work but I know that I am improving, so hopefully one day I will get there.

I still don't completely know what I want to do but I'm exploring my options rather than not paying them any attention.

I am enjoying the current module a lot as it is something completely new to me that I previously didn't think I would be able to do.

I am struggling to stay interested in enterprise, (especially the tasks), as I just want to do my own things such as PPD development.

As with last year, CTS is my strongest area. I find it fascinating and enjoy doing extra research to help me find out more about the topics we have touched on.

Things that I have achieved

I have learnt so much so far this year at such a fast pace, such as:

- OUGD201: Improved illustrator and indesign skills, Correct use of colour, How to print, Better concept building skills, Experimentation with different sized outcomes (packaging, books etc)
- OUGD202: Storyboard, After effects
- Enterprise: Basic business studies skills
- Critical Studies: More independent CTS learning

Strengths in my work include:

- Well thought concepts and planning
- Good experimentation with things like nets, etc.
- Good at explaining ideas
- Clear ideas
- Initiative of trying new things such as letterpress printing
- Better time management and quantity of work compared to last year
- Doing a lot more ppd things, and extra work to get ahead, not just what is set
- Continuous evaluation of work and thinking about how the course is going in general

Things I need to improve on

These are things that were pointed out to me in my feedback from OUGD201, as well as just general things I have already stated that I need to improve on, and more than I have thought of since then.

- Lack of confidence in work
- Lack of motivation
- Not enough experimentation with actual design
- Lack of software skills
- Context needs to be relevant, explained and actually have an impact on the final design
- Need to understand the conditions of creating your own font
- Presentation of work and greater care with photography of final pieces
- Need to not lose motivation so easily due to setbacks

Targets

I think its good to continually look at my targets that I made earlier on in the year to see what I am improving on and what needs working on. I am quite surprised at how much I have actually improved on that I wanted to, so it has made me feel better looking at my targets! The things above that I have written I need to improve on will also work as new targets to look back over when the OUGD202 module is over.

1. To take advantage of the printing facilities, such as screen printing
- I haven't had time to screen print yet, but intend to when it will be relevant to my work

2. To not be lazy and use the resources at Vernon street
- I have letter pressed at Vernon street, and would like to recap on some of the workshops we did last year, such as book binding eventually

3. To be able to ask for help when I need it
- I have got better at this, asking friends and tutors when I need help, but I also should ask software technicians when I need help with software

4. To create a moving image and learn how to use the required software
- Luckily this is what I am doing for my current module so by the end of the module hopefully I will feel confident with after effects

5. To put in to use the new skills I have learnt in inductions
- I feel like I need to recap on these inductions to feel more confident before I can use them in my designs

6. To use initiative and take it upon myself to learn and try new things that what we have been told to
- I have been completing online tutorials to help me learn more

7. To feel more confident and proud about my work, and enter competitions or try to get some freelance work
- I haven't had time to enter any competitions, but in the summer I will concentrate on trying to get some freelance work and work experience

8. To get the most out of every day at college by arriving early and staying late
- I have been arriving earlier instead of staying late which is a compromise, but as it gets lighter I will stay later

9. To update my design context blog more regularly and make sure there is a link between the work I am putting on there and my design practice work
- This is my biggest weakest which for some reason I am struggling to improve on

10. To make my briefs 'live' and actually usable and useful
- My concept building skills are greatly improving so the things that I create are useful

11. Celebrate my favourite work - create a website for others to see
- I have set up websites and social media to display my work, but am yet to feel confident enough to put any work on there

12. To get my work 'out there' - promote myself
13. To sell some work - start with creating an Etsy store, sell a few pieces
14. Discover other websites and forms of social media that could be useful to promote work

- Again, these cannot be achieved until I am confident with my work

Friday, 2 December 2011

Enterprise... Group Business

1st Meeting: 1/12/11

We got together for our first group meeting to talk about what we want to do and how we plan to progress over the coming months... (notes from Marty's blog.)

We started by discussing our strengths and weaknesses as graphic designers to see what we could bring to the group. I think between us we have a good mix of skills and its a good thing that we have different interests and skills; hopefully we will all learn from each other.

Our Group.

Charlie Crosby
Strengths - committed, great at planning, strong design skills on illustrator and confident presentation skills, had work placements
Weaknesses - Indecisive, visual thinker, researching

Lisa Whitaker
Strengths - Excellent background in this area, tenacity, excellent time management, strong at research
Weaknesses - Lives out side Leeds, shy at presentations

Claudia Griffin
Strengths - good with words, intelligent, strong illustrator, organised, easy to get along with
Weaknesses - No career direction, easily not motivated, research

Marty Edwards
Strengths - Confident, good at layouts, visual thinker, good presentation
Weaknesses - Bad organisation, bad punctuality

Plan of Action.

- Individually think about where we want to go and what we want to achieve and be located.
- Gather a business plan and bring to the next meeting.
- Bring research of other business of that we think what we want to be involved in so we can then model ourselves on parts of each business

My Response

I thought a good place to start was thinking of businesses that I admire to use as inspiration.

- Catalogue (Graphic Design) - These two LCA BAGD graduates came in to talk about their business last month and I found the way they work inspiring
- Generation Press (Graphic Design) - Also, these came to visit us and give a talk, and I was impressed by their eco way of working as the environment is something which is important to me.
- Body Shop -
- Google -
- Innocent -

Where I want the business to go:

- I think we need to find our 'unique selling point' and have some sort of service we can offer that others can't

I have started looking at basic business studies books to help me understand setting up our own business. I was involved in young enterprise when I was in high school, so I have a basic knowledge, but definitely need to recap.

Presentation Date: 28/12/12

Monday, 28 November 2011

Business...

Some targets I made at the start of the year:

1. Celebrate my favourite work - create a website for others to see
2. To get my work 'out there' - promote myself
3. To sell some work - start with creating an Etsy store, sell a few pieces
4. Discover other websites and forms of social media that could be useful to promote work

To do these things I need to actually feel confident in myself as a designer and begin to like my own work, I don't know when this will happen but hopefully soon!

I'd like to set up a store to sell prints/my work. I'm still considering which website to use, choices include: bigcartel.com/signup or www.etsy.com

I also think that I need to build a website, as I would prefer to show companies that I want to gain work experience with, and just anyone that I wish to see my work, a website of final pieces that I am happy with rather than my blog, which is very personal and contains far too much information to make it easy to look through. Possible websites:

www.indexhibit.org
cargocollective.com
www.wix.com

Social networking/ other sites to join:

memyart
tumblr
behance
flickr
Create a facebook page for my design work
Create a twitter account

In enterprise I've been looking at ways of promoting myself, so by the end of the year I intend to have created a bit of an identity for myself!

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Re-branding

It's nearly time to start sending out CV's and trying to get placements, so I need to have a creative CV, business card & website that I am actually happy with first!

It seems like an exciting challenge to brand myself and there are many directions I can go with. I want to make it as true to myself as I can, and seen my main interest is in illustration I think this is where I should start.

Idea 1 - Griffin Bird

I've researched the mythical 'Griffin' bird, as I'd like to draw one for my logo.

Experimentation

Idea 2 - Create Own Font

Similar to a project we did right at the beginning of the first year, I'd like to create my own font, this time representing my own personality, hopefully giving clues about who I am as a designer.

So now is the point where I think - do I make it as true to me as possible, or do I do something that I think will appeal to many? I don't really know what the answer is so many it will be best to do both then decide.

Here's something I wrote about myself when deciding on a topic for my 'what is good' in the summer:

Me

Graphic design, illustration, photography, sewing, baking, food, cooking, cakes, clothes, jewellery, fashion, wardrobe, shoes, bags, shopping, make-up, drawing, love, romance, disney, lie-ins, bed, sleeping, girlie girl, organised, creative, ambitious, neat, planning, optimistic, angelic, magazines, books, pattern, prints, homely, illustration, comfy, stressed, busy, purposeful, helping, hardworking, friends & family, wine, beer, cheesy music, stumble upon, doctor who, sci fi, chick flicks, hiking, camping, rock-climbing, scouts, guides, jamborees, geeky, religion, holidays, clever ideas, drinking tea, memories, crafts

Idea 3 - Illustration of Me

To make it as personal as possible I've thought about including an illustration of myself.

Saturday, 26 November 2011

PPD... PGCE Research

After the various PPD tasks and tutorials I have been thinking about what I really want to do after finishing this course. I've been thinking about doing a PGCE, so I've done some research on this to ensure I know what it is about.

Training and Development Agency

Graduate Teach Training Registry

Questions to ask myself:
Art + Design or Design + Technology? = Art and design
Primary, Middle or Secondary? = Secondary (14-19) College age
Where? = LJM

Things to look at:

Speak to a teacher first, gain experience in a school
School Experience Programme; teach first

Why I would want to be a teacher:

The age I would want to teach (14-19 years) is an important stage in a young persons life deciding what they should choose to study at college/university, so it would be rewarding to help them with their decision. I also think young people at this age are more eager to learn, and it would be satisfying to help them with this.

I felt at this age I was unsure about what I wanted to study, as I really enjoyed graphic design, but I hadn't been taught that well about it, so I had to teach myself, which set me back a bit, especially started at university where everybody else seemed like experts. I would like to be a good teacher to ensure others don't have this problem, and are equipped with the skills they need.

I've been a Guide leader for a few years and have also enjoyed working with young people at the Scout Jamboree I attended this year. I also previously worked as a children's party entertainer. I know young people can be hard work but it would be rewarding to help them at this important stage of their lives.

Possible Choices. . .

Well ideally I'd like to live at home so either Manchester, Liverpool or Edge Hill would be most convenient.

LJM - Applied Art and Design

Edge Hill - Applied Art and Design

MMU - Art and Design

I think the Liverpool John Moore's or Edge Hill's Applied Art courses sound most like what I would want to do.

Step 1: Talk to a Teacher

- Talk to friends who are studying to be teachers

- Talk to my previous teachers

- Talk to people who I know are teachers

Step 2: Experience in School

Before I start thinking about applying for anything, I need to gain some experience. In everything I've read about PGCE's a factor to ensure you are accepted is having experience. I could ask about going back to my old High School or College and giving a talk about Graphic Design, or maybe even asking for some work experience for Easter or Summer holidays next year.

I am applying for job 'Mentoring/ Classroom Support Assistant' at Leeds College of Art. I need to write a paragraph which contains information about my experience and skills to help me get a placement or mentoring job. Whether or not I get this job, even the process of applying for it will be useful.

Update... I sent off a paragraph containing my information and have an interview for the job! Again, whether or not I get it all this preparation is useful.

The interview went well, however, there weren't placements available that fitted in with my limited hours of free time. Ill keep trying for something later on in the year.

Step 3: Open Days

The open days aren't til next year now, but its important that I attend them when I can, and read up all the provided information on the internet to make sure I know which course would be right for me.

Monday, 21 November 2011

End of Module Evaluation

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

Through this module I have learnt so much about designing for print, that I now feel confident as a designer for when I need to work with printers. I have learnt these skills from the seminars with Lorenzo, the software skills workshops, the books that I have read, as well as learning as I go along with my designs. I have applied these through my work, meaning that for the first time on this course, my work could be sent to a printer, and I have also demonstrated all that I know in my design for print manual.

I've also improved my software skills, in particular with Indesign and Illustrator. I previously felt like my lack of software skills were making me work slower than others, but now, through doing tutorials, learning at software workshops and through the creation of my work for this module, I have challenged myself, and applied my new skills to my design.

The important of concept building is something I have developed through this module, and consequently, I think this is the best idea I've had so far on the course. I think I have applied these skills well, as I believe I have perfected my concept; I just would have liked more time to perfect my design work.

Ive learnt about the importance of hand drawn design developments, through the logo task. Producing so many different logo designs was a good way to eventually reach a logo that I was happy with. I have applied this skill to lots of my initial design work in the module, but nearer to the end, I began to panic about time, and rushed my design development, which in turn meant that I wasn’t as happy with the design as I know I could be.

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

The research I have done has mainly been through the set tasks, looking at many examples of printed graphic design. It has made me a lot more aware of the print that is out there, and how the choice of finishes and stock and other factors really can enhance a piece of work. This has really made me think about what I would choose if printing the designs for this module at a printers.

Actually going on a print visit and seeing examples of the type of work I am aiming to produce has been a great inspiration and help, making me think about the choices I make.

I've also looked at designs relevant to my theme of guiding. For example, looking for the exact pantone colours used by Girlguiding UK has helped me to create designs which could fit in with what is out there.

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

As mentioned previously, I think my concept is strong because of all the development I did on this, so I will continue in future modules to make sure my concept is perfect, and that I understand it fully, before starting design work. This is something that has let me down in many previously modules so I’m happy that I’ve overcome this.

Continually asking for feedback on my work from other students, and tutors, as well as the amount of crits we have had has made sure that my work has been continually improving, so this is something that I will continue to do, as it has been a previous target I have set for myself.

Week by week evaluation of my work has been a strength to how I have work, ensuring that I keep thinking and reflecting, so that I don’t get stuck at a dead end, as I have with previous modules, so this is definitely something I will continue to do.

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

Although I have learnt a lot, and produced a lot of content, I'm not happy with my final design for this module. This is because I felt rushed for time with all that I had to do, so they weren’t as developed as I would have liked. To address these fully next time, I will spend more time developing my design ideas, rather than rushing to create work for many different formats, as, quality is more important that quantity.

Again, a similar problem to one I have recognized in previous modules, is that I haven't put everything that I have learnt to good use. I risk losing these new found skills, such as letterpress printing, if I don't put them to good use, so in future, I will link the new skills in to my design work.

I think with this module I have done more work than with any of the modules last year, but with everything else going on at the same time like enterprise, PPD, and CTS, I have found time management really hard. This is something I am always working on, but I think I need to prioritize what is done when.

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

-1- There is still more about print production that I want to learn. I went to Vernon Street to learn about letterpress printing, but would have also have liked to have learn how to laser cut. I would like to learn more about the possibilities of digital print, such as how to print stickers, and printing on to unusual stock. I think this could really help to enhance my work and make it more exciting. I would like to re-cap on workshops I had last year such as book binding to improve on my final presentation skills.

-2- Next time, I would focus on getting one format perfect before trying to cover lots of formats, to ensure that I had a design I was happy with.

-3- I would like to improve my photography skills, and book out the photo room in future, to take better photographs of my final pieces, to improve the look of my presentation boards.

-4- I would like to make more time to research, maybe be continually looking at design blogs everyday for inspiration, rather than rushing with research. Making better links from my design context blog to my design practice blog is a target that I set for myself earlier that I haven’t manage to achieve yet.

-5- I would like to set more time aside for developing my designs, as this ‘playing’ about is the most fun part, and so crucial, yet for some reason I have lacked with development on this module. I will greatly improve the look of my final pieces from doing this.

6. How would you grade yourself on the following areas
(5= excellent 4=very good 3=good 2=average 1=poor)
Attendance = 5
Punctuality = 4
Motivation = 2
Commitment = 3
Quantity of work produced = 3
Quality of work produced = 2
Contribution to the group = 4