Insight into the distribution of work
Identify / document / record / evaluate at least ten different examples of designers and studios making available samples of their work based on the methods that we have been looking at. Say why you've chosen them - make a personal reflection. Don't just use examples that you have found online. Does it communicate the quality of their work? Are the samples successful or unsuccessful?
Do a brief SWOT analysis for each of these, look at the threats for using this type of media etc.
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This task will hopefully give me some inspiration and ideas for what I should produce to send out to companies to try and get some work experience, and also to give out to people in the hope of getting some freelance work. Here are the things that I will consider:
Strengths: What are the advantages?
Weaknesses: How does it place it at a disadvantage?
Opportunities: How can this improve performance?
Threats: What elements in the external environment could cause problems?
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This task will hopefully give me some inspiration and ideas for what I should produce to send out to companies to try and get some work experience, and also to give out to people in the hope of getting some freelance work. Here are the things that I will consider:
Strengths: What are the advantages?
Weaknesses: How does it place it at a disadvantage?
Opportunities: How can this improve performance?
Threats: What elements in the external environment could cause problems?
1.
Studio Belly Timber
I found out about this business when I visited the Unit with my enterprise group when considering where we would locate our business. I picked up this leaflet containing a business card as I was attracted to the design and also because I wanted to find out more about our potential competitors. The leaflet works as a self explanatory way of promoting the business as there might not always be someone about at the location to talk to people.
Having an actual leaflet showing pieces of work is a good idea in my eyes, as you don't always have a laptop with you where you can view a website. When I am promoting myself to try and get some freelance work or to gain a work experience placement, I think I will work in the same way by producing a leaflet or some sort of publication with a few samples of my work, which can then link on to my website with lots more information.
I found out about this business when I visited the Unit with my enterprise group when considering where we would locate our business. I picked up this leaflet containing a business card as I was attracted to the design and also because I wanted to find out more about our potential competitors. The leaflet works as a self explanatory way of promoting the business as there might not always be someone about at the location to talk to people.
Having an actual leaflet showing pieces of work is a good idea in my eyes, as you don't always have a laptop with you where you can view a website. When I am promoting myself to try and get some freelance work or to gain a work experience placement, I think I will work in the same way by producing a leaflet or some sort of publication with a few samples of my work, which can then link on to my website with lots more information.
S / self explanatory way of promoting, accessible anytime, can keep hold of it, can be posted/handed out/left to be picked up
W / people may just bin as they don't want to keep unnecessary things, expensive to print, no guarantee it will work
O / promotes the company, shows their services, gives the viewer an idea of who they are and what they do
T / people care about waste so may not want to pick this up if they don't think they'll keep it, may not be picked up by the target audience
W / people may just bin as they don't want to keep unnecessary things, expensive to print, no guarantee it will work
O / promotes the company, shows their services, gives the viewer an idea of who they are and what they do
T / people care about waste so may not want to pick this up if they don't think they'll keep it, may not be picked up by the target audience
2.
LEEDS UNI END OF YEAR SHOW
This is an example of a business card I picked up from the graphic design section of Leeds Uni end of year show last year. While it might not be the best piece of design, it is a good idea, and I kept hold of it, and obviously must have worked if I still remembered it straight away when thinking about this task nearly a year later. Like I said with the above example, I am thinking of putting together some mini type of leaflet with samples of work to hand out, and this could be a good idea, as it works both as a business card and a mini portfolio, so that there aren't loads of little pieces of paper to get lost.
S / unique idea, stood out from the rest of the cards available, gives a lot more information than other business cards, people like things like this that they can open up, interesting
W / hand made feel may not seem as professional as printed luxurious cards, expensive and time consuming to produce
O / stands out so may be memorable helping this person to get business over the other graduates, can lead on to more work as you remember what the work is like of the card you have picked up
T / not as many being produced because of the time and cost may mean that if these are picked up by the wrong people they are wasted
3.
LCA END OF YEAR SHOW
Here are lots of business cards I picked up from our degree shows in the past few years. Business cards are the most obvious way of quickly showing a sample of your work. There are loads of different examples, which I have looked at when thinking about creating my business cards
S/ Lots of people collect business cards so will keep them, all contact details in one place
W/ Business cards don't always relate to the work of the designer, and people may forget why they have picked the card up, cards are small and may get lost
O/ Professionals who are wanting to hire would attend the types of events where these business cards are given out, are easy to give to people at networking events you have been speaking to so they can remember your details
T/ There are so many designers out there all with business cards, yours risks getting lost amongst the rest, may end up getting binned
4.
Luke Skinner's example of self promotion was featured in computer arts magazine. It's a fun pack that was sent out with graphic design related puzzles in it for a unique way of showcasing his design style in an attempt to get work from companies he appreciated, standing out from the other methods of self promotion they must receive all the time.
S/ Unique idea, interesting, sense of humour with it, shows a variety of design styles from editorial to type to illustration, memorable, fun
W/ Doesn't contain contact details apart from website address, expensive to make and send
O/ Could get work from it to create other editorial work, promotes the designer and his website
T/ Idea could be stolen by others, as it is advertised in computer arts magazines and reblogged online
Example pages:
5.
Here is an example I found while searching online of a newspaper creating to advertise the services of a design studio and what they can do for your business.
S/ Shows a strong sense of the studio's style of design, containing both type and image, gives a clear idea of the services they offer, different idea than just showing the potential client a website
W/ May be expensive and time consuming to get out
O/ May get business from those who didn't know they were looking for this studio before they receive a piece like this showing them what good it can do
T/ Is only available in print format so may not reach the targeted audience, methods of self-promotion that can be easily accessed on things such as iPads may be more appropriate today
6.
Another example I found while searching for methods of self-promotion, this kit created by this design studio for their clients to try and get more business from them, features lots of different methods of promotion, showcasing a range of skills. This looks like it would be very expensive to produce but may prove a good investment if they get business in return. I think I would do something like this a bit later on in my career, when I have a bit of money to invest in self-promotion, and I already have a few clients who I could sent this out to to try and promote myself further.
S/ Shows a variety of skills, and is well presented, giving an idea of the style of the studio, contains useful things such as a pencil and notebook that will be kept, so are a constant reminder of the studio, is a interesting and unique idea that is memorable and will make the company stick in the minds of the recipient, printed on to high quality stocks shows the quality the studio work towards
W/ Would cost a lot of money to make, so there is a risk that more would be spent than is gained from this, and would also take a long time to design
O/ The useful items that will be kept are constant reminders, and all the information is a reminder to the clients why they chose this company and should chose them again, and can recommend them on to others
T/ This kit has been promoted online so would be easy for others to steal the idea, it may cost more to make and send than the custom it will lead to
S/ Shows a variety of skills, and is well presented, giving an idea of the style of the studio, contains useful things such as a pencil and notebook that will be kept, so are a constant reminder of the studio, is a interesting and unique idea that is memorable and will make the company stick in the minds of the recipient, printed on to high quality stocks shows the quality the studio work towards
W/ Would cost a lot of money to make, so there is a risk that more would be spent than is gained from this, and would also take a long time to design
O/ The useful items that will be kept are constant reminders, and all the information is a reminder to the clients why they chose this company and should chose them again, and can recommend them on to others
T/ This kit has been promoted online so would be easy for others to steal the idea, it may cost more to make and send than the custom it will lead to
7.
Here is an example of how social media can be used for self-promotion, with the example of Analogue in Leeds. This is something I have set up for myself but haven't updated, so is something I need to get around to doing this soon.
S/ Nearly everyone uses social media, so its really easy to access this information, and pages can be recommended to friends, so everything is easily promoted, can continually update with the latest news to keep fans and potential customers up to date with what is going on, can show photos of work, you can subscribe so are continually reminded about the work automatically without having to keep checking back
W/ There are so many self-promotional sites of studios and designers that people may have seen enough, or may be following loads and so not really pay any attention, they take a lot of time to maintain and can sometimes be seen as a waste of time
O/ To appeal to a wider audience to get work from different clients, to keep updated to get work from existing clients, and to network with other designs so possibly can collaborate
T/ Easily accesible to everyone, and containing high quality images of work, which may mean that work can be stolen, or the work may be shared with others but without the link back so that the work is being appreciated by others but without the correct credit being given
Facebook
twitter
These methods of social media link back to the website, which in turn, contains a section linking back to the social media.
8.
Having a website is one of the most obvious methods of self-promotion (once you have somehow directed people to that website!) And here I am looking at the website of one of the design agencies in Leeds that I like. I don't know how to do it just yet, but by the end of summer I aim to have my own website, which will link in with my social media and be regularly updated.
S/ Easily accessible, can link to social media, can contain lots of information and images, easy to use, can be accessed on phones, iPads, and other media, links to contact details
W/ Some people prefer printed things, people might not keep checking back
O/ Shows all the studio's skills, so is their best chance of getting new work
T/ Contains high quality images so may be easy to steal work, the work may be shared with others but without the link back so that the work is being appreciated by others but without the correct credit being given
9.
Online work exhibits, such as on behance, are another way of promoting yourself as a designer. This is another thing I keep meaning to set up and link in with my other methods of social media. On behance, I've found a designer showing off their example of self-promotion, so out of this site they are promoting themselves in more than one way!
S/ An easy way to show a portfolio of your work, can get your self promoted out there to an audience who may not see your work otherwise, can link in with your other forms of social media
W/ There is a limit to how much you control about the design and the settings of the online portfolio as it is not owned by you, and therefore copyright details may be confusing
O/ As this site is often accessed be designers, there is the opportunity for collaborative work, and to network with other professionals
T/ Behance is mainly accessed by designers, rather than the type of people who may be your potential clients, so it may be a waste of time, and may mean that your style of work is copied by other up and coming designers as this is a place they come to for inspiration
10.
By producing something that is actually useful to sell, customers can find you and then find a link to your website to see more of your work. These wedding invitations were found on the first page of etsy when searching for graphic design, and then because I liked their style, it lead me on to visiting the artists website.
Over summer I am thinking about setting up an etsy to sell some prints. Hopefully if people find me on this and like me they would go on to look at my website and keep updated.
S/ An opportunity to promote yourself while making money, if people like it they will keep checking back
W/ Very time consuming and may not make a lot of profit initially
O/ Could gain clients from people different to your target audience, people may ask for commissions after seeing something they like
T/ Others looking to make money may steal your ideas to sell on themselves, there is a lot of competition on sites like this so you may go unnoticed
11.
Creating a show reel is an especially useful way of promoting yourself if you create moving image work. Here is an example I found while searching on vimeo. They are quite interesting so people may enjoy watching showreels more than they would like looking through websites.
S/ A good way to demonstrate your skills while promoting yourself, is interesting, and can be embedded on to blogs or linked on social media to get as many views as you can
W/ Take a long time to make and would quickly get old as you produce new work
O/ Can be found on websites like vimeo to attract potential clients, can lead people on to wanting you to make moving images for them
T/ Easily accessible by many so your ideas may be copied, may get re-blogged and not linked back to you so would be pointless
This video then links you on to the website of the designer, which I might not have found otherwise.
12.
Getting your work featured in magazines is another way to promote yourself and show off your style. I have taken these photographs of illustrations and examples of work found in computer arts magazines, as well as on the free disc you get with the magazine being a video about a particular design studio. I would love to submit some of my work to magazines to see if I could get a mention.
S/ These magazines are well distributed so you are getting your work seen by loads of people, while getting paid for it, and people keep these types of magazines, so may look back and see you at a later date
W/ May get lost amongst all the other designers in these types of magazines, may be appreciated but not lead to business
O/ Other designers may see your work and want to collaborate with you, or may share your work with others helping you to get more customers
T/ As this is read by other designers who may be in the same position of you, you may not be reaching your target audience, and may be allowing your ideas to be copied as so many read this
13.
Having a promotional gift is a way to self-promote, a bit like in the example of the kit I have shown above. For our enterprise group, we made promotional orange juice bottles, which would be given at the business breakfasts we would attend. They would be a unique and interesting way to get people in the business talking about us, and they may take them home and keep thinking about us, and would make us more memorable. Here I am thinking about how promotional gifts in general can be useful to promote.
At the moment I can't really afford to create promotional gifts to give out seeing as I have no custom, but it is something I would consider in the future.
S/ Talking point, memorable, unique ideas, people might keep them if they are useful, fun, different to just looking at a website
W/ Cost a lot of money and may not result in business, not good for the environment so may not relate to your policies, might take a lot of time to make, if sending out would need to consider postage costs
O/ Show what you can do to get potential work and be remembered
T/ People may just take the gift and forget about you, or may steal your idea to use for themselves
14. mail shot
Creating a mailshot is another obvious way to promote myself and is something I will be doing soon. This example shows work examples and information while becoming a piece of work itself. It was created by the designer with the idea of getting interviews and was successful in doing so.
S/ Shows the quality of skills, shows that they know how to design for print, interesting, people like to receive things like this that can open out
W/ May contain too much writing and so the agencies might not read it and might just place it aside, might not reach who is was intended for and might get ignored
O/ There is the opportunity for an interview or a job offer
T/ As with all things like this, the threat is all the other competitors who may create something similar, so it may be pointless and your mail shot may get lost with all the others
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