OUGD502 - Module Evaluation

This year, the PPP module has really forced me to output myself into the creative industry. I have developed many profiles on popular websites in order to try and promote my work and create opportunities for myself. I have definitely taken the reins and produced a successful rebranding that effectively conveys my personality and my beliefs in design and I feel that I have definitely grown as a designer, learning more and more of what I like and don't particularly like along the way.

Taking Care of Business was definitely a difficult module to complete, and it was definitely a struggle to get everyone on the same page. Due to the holidays in between the module, it was imperative that we got together throughout the holidays to discuss the work we needed to make and to make sure we were adhering to the correct design style. It was also difficult to organise ourselves with such a large group of people, a group I have friendships with which I also found was not the best idea as when I had criticism I would withhold it at times in order to preserve the feelings between me and my friends.

The part of the module I found most valuable was the Creative Report. I was able to gain so many insights into peoples' experiences with the creative industry which definitely gave me confidence and meant I was able to see where I am now and what I can do to advance my career. A big part of my future plans I owe to this module, as I have discovered from talking to Tim Wan that I would like to do a year aboard in Italy for a project called Fabrica. I would definitely never have found this opportunity had it not been for talking to Tim and I definitely owe him for opening my eyes to how big the world really is, and how there are more opportunities than you would think in the industry. 

Overall, this module has been extremely rewarding and I have enjoyed rebranding myself and creating a proper online persona that I can actively update and become connected with industry professionals that will hopefully after university, see me as an equal. I have also gained placements for the summer through sending my mailer to a number of studios which I wouldn't have thought of had it not been for the extensive research I undertook in rebranding myself.

OUGD502 - Creative Report [SB1] - Gaining an Internet Presence

In order to advance myself as a designer, I believe it's extremely important to gain a following and to create some exposure for my work before I have left the course. This is important to have opportunities available to me before I leave, and to create some potential job opportunities for me (or future placements throughout the course).

The first thing I made was a Behance. Behance is a website for creatives to share their work and to view others' work alike. You are able to comment and like projects you enjoy, and show support to your favourite designers. Behance is a very popular website, with most established studios having one and this means it is a great way to be noticed. This is what my Behance looks like right now:

Obviously I don't have much exposure yet, but as I continue posting I think I will be able to amass quite a following which will definitely help me in my future career.

Next, I made a LinkedIn. I think this is very important as LinkedIn is known as the social media for employers and professionals, so it was imperative that I made an account. I have already joined a group for graphic design that helped with my creative report, so I can already see the value in the website.

I have upgraded my profile to Expert level which means there is enough information on there to effectively communicate who I am and what I wish to achieve. I am gaining new connections everyday and it is definitely interesting to chat to the LCA Alumni about what they did after leaving the course.

Lastly, I have created my own website to show my portfolio that I intend to actively update after every major project I undertake. The company I used is called cargocollective which is a company focused on creatives and creating websites with value, which is why there is an application process to even acquire an account with them. Here is my website:

I currently only have my rebranding project on the website, but I am currently working to get some product photography of my Responsive briefs and to get them up there, so I can show employers my work quickly and easily, like a digital CV.

OUGD502 - Creative Report [SB1] - Gail Bichler: How I got here

I found an interesting article on Gail Bichler (the head designer for the New York Times) and how she got to where she is today on It's Nice That. I really like some of the iconic covers of the New York Times, and being obsessed with everything New York it's a really interesting article on Gail's experiences within New York. Below are some of the amazing covers her and her team have created.

She will be appearing at Here 2016, a symposium run annually by It's Nice That with a range of influential speakers and creatives that I intend to attend later on in the year.

OUGD502 - Creative Report [SB1] - Google Creative Lab 5

I came across an interesting application for the Google Creative Lab which is a paid internship spanning over a year, working for Google. You could be a designer, coder, writer, filmmaker or even a wildcard, anything is accepted. However, they have a very interesting application that pushes creativity to the limits. For instance, here is the first stage of the application:

Instead of the conventional process of recieving a bunch of cover letters and CVs and choosing between them, Google instead give you their homepage, and just ask you to do something cool with it.

You then have to submit a form to them for the rest of your work. I think this is a really interesting way of seeing how creative people can be and it wades the original creatives out from the masses of creatives in todays' industry. I think this is one of the best application forms I have seen and I intend to apply for it in the near future.

OUGD502 - Creative Report [SB1] - Who to ask?

Tim Wan

Hi Christopher, 

Thanks for reaching out, always nice to hear from fellow LCA folks. 

How are you finding the course? 

So re: your question about working abroad... 

The experience not only helped me, but it enriched my whole approach and outlook to everything, I totally recommend and can go on for hours about it, from the people you meet, the cultural diversity, the change in lifestyle, the different design principles and sensibilities...  

I went about it through going to a place called Fabrica in Italy. There I met some amazing people, did some cool stuff and had a great life changing 2 years. I recommend you look into it. Let me know if there are any specific questions or things you want answering. 

Hope that helps. 

RE: samples of my work — website to be updated soon! :D But I do mostly editorial, working on books, magazines and printed matter.

All the best, 

Tim Wan

Graphic Design & Art Direction

timwan.co.uk

+44 (0)7845 359 129

hello@timwan.co.uk

Tim was very helpful in talking about his experiences abroad as I am interested in living abroad after finishing university. He talked about an institution called Fabrica which is a design studio that offers a year of training in exchange for you to work for them for the year. It is based in Treviso, Italy and I am very interested in applying for this next year, so after university I can go straight there and continue to learn how to become a successful designer and get a year of industry experience. 

However, apart from short answers I was not able to get a proper response from designers in industry, so I decided to ask in a more informal setting to attract designers that didn't feel they were forced to answer questions.

I decided to look at the reddit for graphic design and ask there, which would attract a broad audience of graphic design hopefuls and industry professionals. 

I got some really good responses from my questions online, and I thought it would be really interesting to get some perspectives from designers that are both amateur and professional to get an insight into how different people work. Here are a couple of the responses I got.

I think my creative report will definitely be unique in the amount of answers I got from different people. I think this will also present graphic design in a different light, as the responses are relatively anonymous so there is no pressure to "look good" or lie to seem more professional.

OUGD502 - Final Business Card & Mailer - [SB2]

I think my new rebrand hits the mark on reflecting me as an individual. Its clear, concise and shows good use of typography and layout, two things I am really interested in. I would've liked to use photography too but I feel that would incorrectly represent me as I'm definitely not a photographer. The tongue-in-cheek presentation of my information in my mailer I feel will leave a lasting memory on the employers who end up reading it, and I employ subtle design to effectively demonstrate my employability skills.

I am not sure how long this new branding will last, but it will be sent out to a range of employers for placements this summer and I hope to get some good feedback from them. 

OUGD502 - Rebranding Myself [SB2]

Rebranding

Key aims to this rebranding:

• Reflect my personality
• Friendly
• Informal
• Design savvy
• Fits my current style
• Professional
• Industry standard
• Original

What are the three main elements I want to convey?

• Effective design solutions
• Informal & Friendly
• Easy to find important information e.g contact

Examples

Simple, to the point and effective in its' presentation. This is an example I really think conveys the correct information in a way that is fresh and unique. Sure to leave a lasting memory in the readers' head. Use of photography and type is really interesting.

I like the use of the arabic to create a memorable logo that has clear conceptual thinking behind it. Demonstrates how creative a designer Firas is and how he can create work that is "outside the box". Also demonstrates his excellent typographical skills. I could definitely do something like this as I am interested in asian design, but would that limit me?

Similar style to me, interesting that she made a mailer instead of a typical business card that doesn't give much information. Clear editorial experience demonstrated and gives a personal touch to the reader. However, I feel it gives away too much information about the person which I would rather talk about in person. I could perhaps meet in the middle of a business card and this?

Logo Drafts

Digital Drafts

I really like this page, I feel it demonstrates editorial experience without showing off or creating an outlandish concept. I also think changing the readers' eye path is an easy way to engage the reader and show them my design is something other than the usual. The phrase "Five reasons you should hire me" shows confidence and opens up persuasion with employers, something that I feel is very important when setting yourself aside from the rest of the graphic design jobseekers.

Business Card Drafts

Interesting, but doesn't reflect me and how I like to do things.

Potential one man studio, interesting concept but would prefer to brand myself instead of a company.

First syllable of my name in Japanese, as Japanese design influences me strongly. However, I don't want to brand myself as a "guy who likes Japanese design" as I'm more than that.

I think this correctly represents me as an informal individual that enjoys working with type. Simple & clean, represents me well.

Shows all my information in a clear & concise way, easy to read and easy to contact.

OUGD502 - Creative Report [SB1] - OUGD504 End of Module Evaluation

This is the end of module evaluation of OUGD504 I recieved. I was very pleased with the outcome of this module but I felt there were some easy ways I could've boosted my grade had I paid more attention to justifying my work. I feel that I met the criteria creatively, but when it came to the written work I was lacking.

I was disappointed that I didn't get over 70% but had a close look at why I achieved 63% and what I could do to improve my grades in the future.

I think the main points to take away from this module would be to describe my work without letting my personal feelings become involved. I need to take a more distanced approach, as if I was reviewing this work and I had never seen it before. I failed to correctly address each aim and apply them to my tasks, and this dragged my grade down as I hadn't justified why my work meets the brief set, and what it does well and not so well. If I do this in the future, I am sure to bring my grades up.

OUGD502 - Creative Report [SB1] - Placement Searching

I have been searching for a placement for the summer (or for part of the summer) for the past couple of months. I have had some very exciting replies from a few studios so far but I will continue to look for the most relevant and beneficial placements available to me. Here are some of the placements I have been able to get a reply from.

Very Studio

Very studio is a very (no pun intended) interesting studio in the types of work they take on. Their projects are extremely varied and I feel this would be helpful to me because I think getting thrown in the deep end on projects can be the most helpful way to pick up new skills and ways of thinking. I was offered a two week placement with them throughout August which would be really amazing for me as they are based in a design-centric part of London, and I would love to work in the area.

3fishinatree

3fishinatree is definitely an interesting studio (if the name is anything to go by). They are primarily based in web design which has been an interest of mine for a few years, but I have found it difficult to delve into the world of web design with so much to learn about every different process that goes on. I feel gaining this knowledge would be helpful to become a more rounded designer and increase my employability in a company. I've been offered a three week placement with them which is very exciting, and I have known the founder Ricky for a couple of years which makes it more interesting, as I can show him what I've learnt in the last year or two of university.

The Archipelago

The archipelago, based in Leeds, is a small studio comprised of a handful of creatives interested in print design. Their style is very similar to mine which caught my eye and I visited their studio for a chat and to talk about their processes they go through being one of the smaller companies. I don't think I'd be able to get a placement with them due to their small size but I still think it would be good to keep in touch with them as they seem to be quickly expanding in Leeds.

OUGD502 - Taking Care of Business - Presentation