Task 1
Based on the principles that have been introduced so far in the Enterprise module, investigate who you are as a creative in relation to who is out there looking for creative talent.
- What skills / interests do you have and how they relate to the needs of your client group?
- What skills are needed and what skills do you want to develop?
- What are your professional/creative aims and how do they relate to the needs of the client group?
It is essential that you make references to the ʻ4 Psʼ which formed the core learning of your first Enterprise Lecture. This is an exercise in applying that theory – it is not appropriate to write about the theory itself. Demonstrate your understanding of it by actually using it.
The results of your research should be posted to your Enterprise blog. and summarised by a 250 word statement/evaluation. You should am to illustrate your opinions with relevant examples of contemporary design practice.
Answer
Possible client groups
- Business/ individual looking to promote their service/designs need graphic designers to create a brand identity
- Music industry need graphic designers to create album artwork and promotional material
- Retailers need graphic designers to create logos, labels, packaging, adverts, promotional material, websites
- Product designers need graphic designers to package their product, and create information and instruction manuals
- In publishing, graphic designers are needed to arrange all the information. They are also needed to illustrate the articles
- In education, graphic designers are needed to design leaflets, books, and other materials to help people learn
- Television/films need graphic designers to create packaging, adverts, promotional materials, as well as digital work for opening scenes, dvds
- Charities need graphic designers to create mailshots and other items that will grab peoples attention to make them get involved
- People challenging corporate companies, such as with adbusters (relating back to what we are learning about in critical studies), need graphic designers to create designs to spread/challenge a message
- Graphic design is everywhere, and is seen so many times everyday, yet it is sometimes unnoticeable, as it may be meant to be. So therefore, there are many client groups who need graphic design.
A client group that reflects my current ambitions is publishing.
Skills / interests I have that are relevant
- I am now able to use Indesign, although my skills are basic, which is the main piece of software used for designing publications
- I am very interested in illustration and think this is one of my strongest talents, and also I am interested in photography. My mix of skills would be relevant as I could put together the whole publication by myself if need be.
- I enjoy writing, and have good english skills, having studied english at A level, as well as last year taking the creative writing elective. This would be relevant when writing, or checking over text that someone else has written for an article.
- I worked in the media team at the 22nd World Scout Jamboree this summer, seeing the steps a real life publication goes through while it is being made, which interested me even further in this area and showed me what it would be like to work in publishing
- In my current graphic design module I have been learning about print, so now I feel confident that I would be able to make sure the format is right, and that I am working in the correct colour modes, and things like this.
[design example]
All Teeth Magazine combines a variety of skills: illustration; photography; typography and editorial to create a modern, interesting publication.
What skills are needed?
- I need to improve my skills in Indesign software, as well as learning about other software that is used in the publishing industry
- I need to increase my own confidence in my work to help me produce work that I feel happy to show so many people, as publishing is such a big thing, with potential for the final design to be seen by many
- The main skills that I would need to develop are not graphic design skills, but skills in dealing with clients. I would need to work on what I have learnt so far in enterprise, such as being able to communicate with the client in a professional, clear, understandable manner and making it clear who I am as a designer, and where I am going, through the use of my mission statement.
- I need to work on my research skills, to learn what the customer wants, to create a successful design for the client
Professional / creative aims and how they are relevant
- My professional and creative aims are not about making lots of money; what is more important to me is creating work that I am happy with, and continually developing my work and learning new things to improve my skills. This is relevant because it is obviously important I produce good quality work for the client.
- I also would like to work ethically and stick to my values of my 'internal' self, which is relevant, as therefore I feel I may be better suited to working for smaller companies, such as creating a publication for an artist, rather than working for commercial companies.
[design example]
thisiscatalogue are a design studio who stay true to their values of working for smaller companies, and have many examples of publishing work they have done
4 P's
Product - My product is my service, which is designing. In publishing, there would be a physical product, which could be a magazine or a book or some other creative way of displaying the information. My creative input would be to arrange all of this information in a creative, easy to understand way, however, I could create the whole article with my mix of skills if need be.
Price - The price I would charge would depend on how much of the content I was to design, and how big the publication would be. Obviously, the more content there was in the publication, the longer it would take to design, so the more I could charge.
Place - The services I offer can be done anywhere. I could work for a publishing company, or I could work freelance, and just send the designs over.
Promotion - I would use different marketing methods to promote myself. I would create a brand identity for myself, and hand out business cards and other such promotional tools wherever possible, such as when networking and if my work was displayed at exhibitions. I could also get in touch with publishing companies that I would like to design for, giving them a copy of my value proposition, so they would get a feel for who I am as a designer. Everything would link back to my website, so the potential clients could see examples of my work and get in touch with me about work.
[design example]
This beautiful book, designed by Thomas Manss and Company, for Fedrigoni paper, answers the clients needs for examples of how can paper can be used in hotels. Attention to detail and special finishing touches make this a luxurious book.
[design example]
This beautiful book, designed by Thomas Manss and Company, for Fedrigoni paper, answers the clients needs for examples of how can paper can be used in hotels. Attention to detail and special finishing touches make this a luxurious book.
Summary
To summarise what I have learnt through this task and from the first enterprise and innovation lecture, I think I do have some of the skills required as a designer to work for the client group I am interested in, publishing and editorial, however there is still much to learn, in particular, the business and enterprise side of this. I have experience of creating publications from last years graphic design work, but I need to continue to improve my software skills, in particular with InDesign, and general design skills. To be able to find work in this area of design, I need to create an identity for myself as a designer, so I can market myself. As well as a visual identity, such as a logo and a website, I need to create a mission statement, and a value proposition, which I will be continuously updating, so that the client group can understand who I am, what I do, and why my service would be the best one to choose for designing their publications. I will then promote myself and my skills to my target client group. I need to have the skills to be able to work well with the client group. I have looked at examples of contemporary graphic design for publishing that I admire, and this inspires me that with continuous development of my designs and skills, I can achieve what I want to, creating work that I am proud of and that follows my values as a designer.
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