OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Evaluation

This was the most successful brief in that it resulted in a job offer that suited personal aims and ambitions. Over the course of this brief a sense of professionalism has been developed and a view of qualification to enter the industry. This has been grounded by a personal initiative to investigate graphic design employment. An overall excitement by the industry has also been maintained by the exploration of disciplines specific to personal interests such as packaging.

Career track Tuesday sessions were the first steps to employment. Sessions attended that covered CV’s, interviews, presentation, confidence and finding a job all contributed towards an eventual job offer. As a result, a CV and portfolio were created that could be sent with confidence, and this confidence was strengthened overall for entering an interview situation.

The overall application was strengthened with a variety of work experience in the area, ensuring there was confidence in ability and awareness on interview. This experience was invaluable in that it taught what a graphic design course cannot teach. Working in the industry is extremely different and having this experience improved overall readiness to begin work. Feedback from placement also suggested overall professionalism and initiative.

Prior to the interviews, substantial preparation was undertaken using personal research and skills learned from the career track session. This meant that each interview was entered with full confidence and arguably helped to solidify the offer. The interviews themselves were also essential practice for the future. On reflection these interviews were very successful.

An initial designers statement of intent helped to focus the aims this year and over the course of the module there is a newfound certainty in these interests. Excitingly, the new job deals with all these interests (editorial, packaging and branding) which is highly motivating and a step in the right direction career and ambition-wise.

One way in which personal development could have been improved is through the development of new design skills. This was an aim for final year, particularly while many resources were still available. Skills such as how to animate vectors and how to create ceramics were amongst these aims, however time constraints meant this was difficult to organise. However, many briefs are now being approached with self-learning in mind, with many focussed on learning a particular skill or technique. This approach has been successful so far and allows self-learning to not intrude on workflow.

Overall, this year has been the most insightful for interests, challenging for job applications but successful in the eventual result. Hard work and initiative has paid off and an excitement for the subject has been grown and maintained.

OUGD603 | DBA - Evaluation

This challenging but engaging brief was an insight into professional pitching and branding. The major strength of the final outcome was it’s conceptual approach. The concept was well informed, creative and executed throughout the branding, products and packaging. This concept would not have come about if it was not for the wide exploration of ideas and options as well as sketches and response to feedback from DBA. Encouragement from the art directors to push the brief further and consider the concept led to the best outcome.

This brief was aided by the general approach of finding a problem from research and identifying the best solution for this. This problem-solution approach to idea generation has helped to focus this brief and many others, directing briefs more clearly overall. Furthermore, the presentation of the solution was strong, ensuring the concept was communicated quickly and clearly through both verbal and visual communication. Preparation as a group for this pitch also ensured it was successful and any questions could be easily answered.

Personally, many software skills were developed during this brief due to the creation of innovative packaging. As digital mock-ups do not exist for all types of product, this meant the 3D designs needed to be clearly mocked up. Development of this skill with regards to perspective and shadows on Adobe Illustrator was incredibly useful. Other Illustrator skills were developed through the application of grains and textures as well as the use of clipping masks meaning skill in the software overall was developed.

This brief could have however been improved with the development of these 3D shapes as DBA suggested that some of the packaging shapes were difficult to understand without explanation. This is expected with this approach being unfamiliar but this skill will certainly be developed into a more professional output.

It would have been ideal to expand the brief further, considering a bigger picture for the brand. For example a campaign may have benefitted the presentation to give the client a picture of how the brand would grow and be implemented. Overall thinking outside the boundaries and deliverables would create a stronger solution.

More in-depth research would have been beneficial to explore more options and develop an understanding of the audience. However with a strong idea early on it was easy to rush into the creation of this. In hindsight, more options would have been explored in depth before settling on an idea. 

Overall this brief was difficult, particularly due to contrasting team dynamics so much encouragement was needed to continue with the brief. However, the outcome was highly successful and could be implemented. Simply presentation needed improvement.

OUGD601 | Studio Brief 01 - Evaluation

This brief was challenging in that it had to be completed in a short space of time for interview, as well as the fact that it’s always difficult to define and communicate the self. However, this time the personal brand was approached with clearer aims in mind, these being to appear professional and creative to potential employers (these being graphic design studios based in Liverpool). With the audience also clear the brief was more focused overall as in previous years ambitions and goals have been unclear for the personal brand.

As a result of this, the outcomes were far more focused and relevant. For example, the use of business cards was dismissed due to never finding the opportunity to use them as much more networking was carried out online. Furthermore, the dismissal of using a logo was useful in that the creation of this had always felt forced and unnatural. Having the confidence to make these decisions benefited the branding overall.

Experience found from this brief in previous years helped to create a better solution and a balance between the two approaches. The difficulty was communicating the self without excluding any types or styles of design. The final branding achieves a neutral balance that can be adapted to a variety of situations without excluding an audience or style. Focusing on the strength in competency and professionalism as an employee felt more appropriate than previous attempts.

This brief benefited from a more stripped back approach by focusing on what was needed/desired to be communicated as well as what employees wanted to see. This minimal thinking was refreshing in that it ensured the process of branding was more straight-forward.

A resourceful and collaborative approach also ensured the successful production of photographs for the personal brand. Seeing the benefits of taking initiative has been insightful and has encouraged a more proactive attitude overall.

Ideally more time would have been spent developing the branding. Although it is appropriate and works for personal aims and ambitions, a personal more creative and conceptual approach would have been preferred in order to wow employers, not just give confidence in my abilities as an employee. It would have also been useful to created specialist printed portfolios and promotion packs as something physical that employers could experience. However, as a job was found before the creation of these there was no longer a need for this.

Overall, although the outcome was successful, appropriate and functional and will likely be used for the next few years, it would have been interesting to explore more options and outcomes with a focus on creative communication.

OUGD603 | Studio Brief 02 - Time Planning Evidence from Extended Practice

• CATS RESEARCH PROJECT

Week 1 - Research 

Week 2 - Research 

Week 3 - Research 

Week 4 - Idea Generation + Planning + Concept creation

Week 5 - Experimentation + Development

Week 6 - Production + Presentation

• CREATIVE PACKAGING

Week 1 - Research and Planning

Week 2 - Research and Idea Generation

Week 3 - Idea Generation & Design Experiments

Week 4 - Mock ups and Experiments (Make Print Booking)

Week 5 - Final Developments, material sourcing (Make Photography Booking)

Week 6 - Final Production

Week 7 - Production, Presentation & Photography. + Spare time. 

• EDITORIAL COLLABORATION

A print slot has been booked for Wednesday 3rd May.

Week 1 - Planning + Research
Week 2 - Research + Experimentation
Week 3 - Development + Final Design
Week 4 - Production + Presentation

• FEATHR

This brief has a similar plan to the other 3 briefs in progress, aiming to be completed the week beginning 20th March.

Week 1 - Research and Planning
Week 2 - Research and Idea Generation
Week 3 - Idea Generation & Design Experiments
Week 4 - Experiments
Week 5 - Experiments (Make Photography Booking)
Week 6 - Developments

Week 7 - Final Design + Mock-up

• NOURISH TIME PLAN

Week 1 (6th-12th March) - Brief Analysis + Research
Week 2 (12th-19th March) - Research + Ideas
Week 3 (20th-26th March) - Research + Ideas
Week 4 (27th March - 2nd April) - Research + Ideas
Week 5 (3rd - 9th April) - Planning/Mock-Ups Initial Experiements
Week 6 (10th-16th April) - Design Development
Week 7 (17th-23rd April) - Design Development
Week 8 (24th-30th April) - Production (Book Print Slots)
Week 9 (1st-7th May) - Production (Print and Photograph)
Week 10 (8th- 14th May) - Extra Time

• PEARSON YCN PLAN

Week 1 (6th - 12th Feb) -Brief Analysis and Research

Week 2 (13th  - 19th Feb) -Continued Research/Idea Gen (Book print slot)

Week 3 (20th - 26th Feb) - (Book print slots) Idea Gen/Experiments/developments.

Week 4 (27th Feb - 5th March) - Final Developments/Production (Book photography studio)

Week 5 (6th - 12th March) -Production

Week 6 (13th - 19th March) - Final Production Personal deadline

23nd March(YCN DEADLINE))

• PENGUIN

Personal Deadline

In the original plan, this brief was to be completed after Christmas. However, with the movement of a live brief, this will now be completed before. The personal deadline for this brief will be the 9th November. Giving a total of 4 weeks for completion. 

Brief Plan

Week 1-Planning, Research

Week 2-Research, Idea Gen, Initial Experiments

Week 3- Experimentation & Development

Week 4-Final Design, Production, Presentation + Evaluation

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Creative Report

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Final Presentation Notes

Rough notes and slides for the design strategy presentation. 

REFLECTION

• I wanted to begin by reflecting on last years design strategy presentation to see if I’ve achieved my aims. I was glad to see that I mostly have.

• I said I wanted to get an internship - I’ve done two since which I’ll talk about later!

• To network to the full - I’ve developed a wealth of contacts across 6 studios, one of which was able to help get my foot in the door for a new job.

• Expand my practice out of uni briefs - I’ve engaged with a variety of live and competition briefs this year including YCN and a live brief from a company I interned at. I have also found that freelance work has come to me, I’ve created album covers, design for a web, business cards and logos.

• Be the designer that I want to be rather than what I think I’m expected to be - I have managed to relax into my own style and interests this year. The freedom of third year has allowed me to explore my own interests.
• 
  

DESIGNERS STATEMENT

• So where am I now and who am I as a designer?

• My designers statement states that ‘ I am a multidisciplinary designer specialising in Graphic Design. My focus is on creative, conceptual and innovative solutions in the areas of branding, packaging and editorial design. I also like to explore concepts through illustration and enjoy to apply a playful element to my designs.’

• Although this was written at the beginning of the year I still feel strongly that these are my areas of interest. I get most excited to work on these projects. These are the areas of graphic design I would like my career to be focussed on.

A BRAND?

• My personal branding this year was very much focussed on job hunting. So my audience was studios in Liverpool  

• I decided to prioritise the presentation of my CV and  digital/printed portfolio in order to send to employers for job applications.

• I wanted a professional appearance that communicated my organisation and attention to detail. I used a serif type to communicate this as it shows personality and creativity as well as professionalism.

• I chose a peach for my branding as I always wanted to communicate my feminine approach to design without overdoing it. I found that my personal branding for last year was far too girly and limited my audience. PERSONAL BRANDING

• No logo, photos instead. Social media focus.

WORK EXPERIENCE REFLECTION

• Work experience has been very valuable and helpful. Teaches you things a graphic design course can’t teach you. In reality it’s very different in industry. I’ve sourced work experience every year of my degree.

• DUKE STUDIOS, Leeds - Not what I expected, but developed confidence in gaining work experience in the future. Developed contacts and confidence overall. Enjoyed engaging with a large pool of creatives. Unfortunately undertaken at a bad time Bad time, few client needs and moving, but useful and fun overall. Grounding for future work experience.

• RED NINJA, Liverpool. Design led tech company often working on health care products Much more intense. 2 months, 1 of which I was the only designer. Involved the reality of long commutes. Lots of responsibility placed on my shoulders, thrown in the deep end. Lots of knowledge was expected of me - self-learning on the job. Friendly staff gave me confidence in my ability stating that I was the best intern they had ever had. Developed illustration skills particularly on a project for the NHS which is one of my best achievements. Also learned how to work with a developer and about user experience in general which is useful to put on my CV. Also gained experience with file organisation and sending files to clients which has informed my own freelance work.

• FABRIK, Liverpool- Smaller agency, involved working with the creative director and senior designer mainly on property development marketing. Live work now seen in Liverpool on hoarding which was useful as attention to detail was required, proud to see it implicated now. Really gained networking skills here as I met someone who used to work for a company where I had applied for a job. Taught me the value of networking. Learned how different companies approach briefs and workflow in general. I was also able to learn some InDesign tricks. I also ended up speaking to some clients on the phone which was difficult and scary but I now feel more prepared for this in future.

 WHAT I’VE LEARNED THIS YEAR

• Self-employment won’t work for me right now. I’d always considered this as an option and was inspired by the likes of Hungry Sandwich club, however, after a year of self-direction I’ve found that I prefer being given deadlines. I work better when people put me under pressure. I’m not motivated to work for myself.

• Confirmation about what my design interests really are - I found my designers statement difficult to write but once I had it down it was clear that that is what I am interested in.

• Technical skills have developed all round. I find this happens naturally with practice. In particular my Illustrator skills have developed and I am seeing this applied to many briefs. I am enjoying the process of taking on a brief with the aim to learn something and being able to apply this to new work is satisfying.

• The value of presentation and how it influences the view of work. I take pride in my presentation skills now and I am for it to not appear as student work but professional work.

• Aside from design, I have learned so much career wise from Career Track tuesdays. Through this I was able to improve my job search, develop a strong CV that I was confident in, develop interview skills and develop an understanding of job applications overall. I believe I would be in a worse position if it weren’t for these sessions - I now feel more confident entering the industry.

 CAREER

• I’m very excited and proud to be able to say I have a graduate job waiting for me in June.

• The job itself is exactly what I desired for after uni - a junior designer position in a large studio in Liverpool called Liquid Agency. The studio work a lot with branding, packaging and editorial which is exactly the kind of work I’m interested in.

• They also deal with other areas which is ideal for me to keep me interested and challenged. As far as I’m aware the creative director assigns projects that she feels you will be most interested in which is also a bonus.

• They also focus on my personal interests - food, drink & fashion which is another bonus!

• I’m excited to become a part of the industry there and be confident in calling myself a professional.

ASPIRATIONS/PROGRESSION

• Ideally I would like to remain within Liquid and progress through the company. I want to feel comfortable working there and enjoy going into work - I’d like to develop strong friendships there too and feel comfortable there socially as well as as an employee.

• I’d like to advance quickly into a mid-weight or even senior design role within the next 3 years and I feel that I am capable of this. My Confidence has been built from previous work experience and I know I will make the appropriate steps towards these goals.

• My ultimate goal is to become an art or creative director. I feel that I would naturally succeed in this role especially with years of experience behind me. I would also enjoy the responsibility of the role.

• Aside from career progression I have other aims. Liquid told me that they tend to approach their clients without being asked for work, so I am welcome to bring great ideas to any of their clients. With Liquid working with the likes of clients such as Warburtons, I would love to bring a great idea to the likes of this company and see that implemented and succeed.

• A further aim is to become a reputable and well known designer within Liverpool. I’d like several companies to know my name and have confidence in recommending me.

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Feedback Evidence NOURISH

MENU

In general the response to the menu was very positive, with only minor changes -

• Reduce gutter
• Try bringing leaves into the rest of the design
• Reduce the width of the column for the 'Our Promise Section' 

DESIGNS SHOWN -

Considering this feedback and personal opinion the menu was improved. The first major change being headers. This was changed to the typographic style of the posters. The reason for this was the fun element of the brand was being lost and the menu appeared too serious. The new playful type means the menu is more exciting to read and it promotes the Nourish brand further. 

Minor layout adjustments were made, however the gutter was not increased as this would be too time consuming and would potentially cause major issues within the layout. As the columns were still readable this was left. 

Leaves were also brought in to replace the circles for a better brand consistency. 

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 01 - Final Personal Branding

My final personal branding has a much more stripped back approach to previous years yet I have found it to be the most successful. The difference in this branding to previous years is firstly this year I have not created a logo. In reflection, no logo has ever fully communicated who I am, and this will always be difficult. I struggled to find places to use a logo where a logo was really required. Furthermore, as my branding naturally developed, there was no place for a logo as it was succeeding without it. The second difference is the lack of business cards. As previously stated, no place was ever found to use these. Promotion on social media appeared to be far more successful and through these platforms I can communicate who I am in much more detail.

Considering these, my branding is a focus on type, colour, composition and guidelines as well as my new personal photographs.

TYPE

The typeface chosen to represent me is Baskerville. This is for several reasons. Firstly, the type communicates everything that I am and everything that I want my employers to interpret. A serif communicates organisation, maturity, professionalism, skill and more. I felt that I needed a sophisticated approach for entrance to industry and this typeface achieved this. Furthermore, the typeface is hugely flexible and adaptable (further attributes I would like to communicate about myself). The range of weights and font styles allow the type to work in any scenario, varying its impact and tone of voice. Finally, the font although formal, does not lack personality. I wanted my creativity and fun personality to be demonstrated through the branding and although formal, Baskerville achieves this - particularly in the style that I have used it.

COLOUR

I had always aimed for my slightly girly personality and style to come through my personal branding without being overwhelming. I feel that in first year, my branding lost sight of this, and in contrast my second year branding was far too feminine, excluding audiences and appearing more illustrative that a communication from a graphic designer.

This year I have achieved a balance between the two with the use of a minimal, more feminine palette. The palette features only 2 colours, white and peach. With peach acting as the primary colour for my self-branding, it does speak of a feminine designer with a girly personality, however it is somewhat tamer than pink or floral patterns. It does not exclude audiences but allows me to communicate myself. This combined with Baskerville in bold reduces the femininity slightly making it appealing to more. I wanted to establish a defining colour for my branding, I didn't want it to make too much of a fuss, so pairing this colour with white (as the occasional grey) allows the colour and content to speak for itself. The simplicity of this new branding communicates quicker and more clearly and achieves the professional appearance desired.

Composition & Guidelines 

Throughout the branding process, I have adopted composition styles for the branding that have been applied consistently throughout. This consistency achieves a well-rounded design that the audience can navigate more clearly.

Styles have included the use of underline to highlight titles and divide content. As well as the use of individual lines to divide paragraphs. There has also been a focus on ensuring all content lines up, with many titles and paragraphs forming into an equal width.

Below are the results of my final brand development. I expect that this will develop during my first year in industry -

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 01 - Photography & Social Media

As a part of growing my network and communication within the graphic design industry, I have been working on developing my social media accounts as this is the most appropriate format for me to connect with the industry and develop contacts within Liverpool. 

For this I have been applying my branding used on my CV and portfolio in a minimalist style. I am aiming to bring my branding together consistently across all three outputs. I have adopted an underlined style using Baskerville in bold italic to make bold statements and headers. This has been the most aesthetically sucessful and also allows me to make statements about myself and my work. This method is also flexible allowing me to use it for social media promotion and on my portfolio.

As another part of my self-promotion I decided to source a photographer to take professional head shots. I felt that high quality photos promoted the professional appearance that my branding aims to communicate, rather than a selfie which feels too personal and handmade. I have used these photos across my social media, in particular LinkedIn, which is the most appropriate place for its use. I am aiming to demonstrate to the world that I am prepared for the industry. 

Twitter Feed

twitter header

One of many head shots 

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Raw Studio Talk

A talk from Raw this afternoon was very interesting. Their moto of 'do good work for nice people' was particularly inspiring and their whole approach and ethos highlighted the importance of knowing who you are as a designer.

Important and inspiring points raised in the talk included -

-If you want to do something, do it! You'll only regret what you didn't do.
-Maintain a life work balance.
-Work for yourself not others.
-Research is very very important.
-Good things take time.
-Have fun and make it up as you go along.

I was particularly inspired by the career path that Rob had followed. Taking the plunge and launching his own studio, but then making the decision to finish this was inspiring. Seeing them develop their own products has been an eye-opener, demonstrating that anything can be done if you put your mind to it. Robs advice will definitely stick with me for the future as I want a career that I want and enjoy rather than one that is manufactured by the industry.

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Developing personal practice - Photography lighting refresher

I recently attended a lighting refresher for photography as I felt that this is an important skill in general, but particularly with final projects coming up that will need to be photographed. I would also like to strengthen this skill so I feel that I can confidently add it to my CV.

I learned lots that I had not known previously from this session including -

• The problem of shadows. The session taught me how to get rid of shadows using the lighting.
• My technical understanding of how to use the lighting kits developed. 
• My general knowledge of how to use a DSLR was improved. 
• I was reminded of how to set up the white balance - a set-up I had forgotten. 
• I also developed a  stronger understanding of the purposes of all the equipment 

Although this refresher was very useful, I still feel very confused by using the manual mode on a DSLR - I am aiming to study this in my own time in order to develop my confidence for setting this up. 

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Interview 2 Reflection + Job Offer!

I was excited to receive the news that I was invited to a second interview. This was an excellent confidence boost and solidified my approach to the previous interview. I was also able to use my previous interview reflection as a way to prepare for this next interview. I had time to prepare for questions I felt that I wasn't prepared for last time.

I was asked to bring my portfolio to see the manager of the studio and the creative director again. This interview was also very relaxed and friendly, again putting me at ease. The manager asked very brief questions relating to my CV and portfolio. I was asked to talk in detail about my favourite piece and both staff were impressed with the thought that had gone into my work. I felt far more confident in the interview overall, perhaps because of being able to get to this stage - this was evident in my body language and tone of voice overall. The interview evolved into a friendly chat which gave me more confidence about the studios attitude.

Later that day I was pleased to find out that I had been offered the job! The creative director spoke about how I had impressed at every stage, through my professionalism, attitude and experience. I have gladly accepted and am currently waiting for my offer letter.

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Interview Reflection

My first job interview was much more relaxed than expected. I spent the day before preparing questions and answers and boosting my confidence in general however this was not needed as much as expected. The interview consisted of a 'Tell us about yourself question" which I was able to answer but not as strongly or confidently as I would have liked. I was however able to discuss how I had sought work experience throughout my time at university and this appeared to impress them. I was then asked to talk through my portfolio which I felt was my strong point. I am proud of the pieces I selected and knew that I could speak confidently and in detail about each. I also received positive reactions from both interviewers (Creative Director and Designer) which carried my confidence through the presentation. I was then asked if I had any questions and this developed into a natural conversation. I aimed to ask questions that demonstrated my research and interest, avoiding questions relating to hours or pay.

Overall, the interview was very positive. I was relaxed by the positive and friendly attitude of the staff and this has encouraged me that the job would be ideal for me if it was offered.

I was informed that a second interview will be taking place with two short listed candidates and I will find out next week whether I have made it to the next stage. Even if I do not make it to the next stage, this process has been very useful in terms of collating a portfolio and interview practice.

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Business Framework

A PPP session covered considerations to make before making a business using a business framework in order to plan and get to grips with the brand. This was very useful from both a personal and designers perspective in that it is a useful structure to be able to take into the future for the potential of setting up a design business, as well as helping to to get to grips for a company that a design could be created for - a better understanding of the business could aid the overall design.

Considerations within this structure included -

1. Value propositions
2. Audience
3. How are you connecting?
4. Customer relationships
5. Why should they work with me?
6. Key Resources
7. Key Partnerships
8. Key Activities
9. Cost Structure

The two part exercise covered both a common business and a design focussed business. Although simple this exercise was very useful in terms of teaching the very basic considerations required before starting a business rather than jumping in to quickly. Having all the requirements broken down into this format was incredibly useful, this template will certainly be taken into the future. 

Business framework for an Event Planner 

Business framework as a designer

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Interview + Portfolio Prep

In preparation for my interview I have been conducting research into the company and kept an eye on their social feeds for any news. As learned from the career track Tuesday sessions, I regularly google the company and click the news tab to keep up to date. Unfortunately, the interviews session is after the date of my interview. Therefore, I have found and used last years interview session on E-studio to prepare myself. From this I found -

FOUND

As a further part of my interview prep I have been researching and preparing answers for common and not-so-common questions as well as noting down why I feel that I am suitable for the job in order to improve my confidence in my ability for the role.

I am also familiarising myself with my CV in preparation for any questions, but also to allow me to apply my experience to any questions.

PORTFOLIO 

The job opportunity prompted the creation of my portfolio. As I had already created a digital portfolio this process was fairly straight-forward. I was able to present my work using a more suitable grid which allowed ideal images sizes to present the work whilst providing breathing space on the page. I chose to not include a description as I expect to be talking about the pieces as I flick through. I tried to apply aspects of my personal brand that I have determined, ensuring it matched my CV. However, this is still in the stages of development.

Tutor Feedback -

• Remove Penguin cover, not best piece of work and illustrator skills are demonstrated elsewhere. 
• Add another work-in-progress page in order to justify section. Can include sketches.
• Otherwise the portfolio is very strong
• Keep divider sections 

I plan to print my portfolio on a thicker matte stock for a professional finish. 

Research sources

http://www.howdesign.com/design-career/interviewquestions/

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 01 - Final portfolio for Print

To create my printed portfolio for the purpose of interviews, I adjusted the grid system of my digital portfolio. The grid was adjusted to function for the display of images as apposed to text as the work will be spoken about verbally rather than read descriptions. The new grid is flexible allowing for a range of layouts such as a grid of 4 images, 1 large image or a variety of sizes. This flexibility is ideal to cater to the range of projects that will be included.

As I was primarily producing the portfolio for a graphic design interview, I focussed the work on projects similar to that of the studio, including packaging and branding projects. I tried to include a range overall, including time scales, style, colour and discipline. I was also strict with myself about which projects to include, aiming to include 8 maximum and reject any that I was not 100% happy with. I also decided to include a work in progress section in order to show my level 6 work and to demonstrate my progress.

I applied my own personal branding to the portfolio on an introductory page with my designers statement, as well as the the work in progress page, and a contact page at the back. This was applied minimally, allowing the work to speak before the branding. The final portfolio will be printed on a high quality matte stock to ensure the quality of the portfolio is maintained and the work is not let down my print quality.

I then sort feedback for the portfolio, asking for feedback on layout, quality, presentation and for any projects that should be removed. The feedback was mostly positive, but as a part of this one project was removed from the portfolio.

Below is the final result -

OUGD602 | Studio Brief 02 - Interview Offer

I recently applied for a position in a Liverpool studio for a Junior Graphic Designer and have now been offered an interview. My application involved sending my digital portfolio, CV and cover letter. As advised from Career Track sessions, I tailored my cover letter to the job specifications and aimed to compliment the studio throughout. I also followed the advised structure.

The job is ideal for me as the studio cover both my interests in graphic design (packaging, branding, editorial, illustration) and personal interests (food, drink, fashion) too. The studio is ideally located in the heart of Liverpool City centre. They also work with a wide mixture of clients including large clients such as Warburtons and smaller, more independent companies. I would enjoy this variety. The studio space is also very inspiring, with a built in bar and a pet dog, I would flourish in this creative environment.

I am currently preparing for interview through the creation of a physical portfolio and question preparation.

OUGD603 | DBA - Final Design & Feedback

A final pitch of our design, thinking and justification...

Slide 1 – Introduction

Slide 2 – Research

We researched what different effects Nootropics have, and the findings were that many have similar effects of coffee.

Slide 3 – Tea & Coffee alternative

This lead to us deciding to create a brand of nootropics based on a tea and coffee alternative. This was because we’ve all had experience not liking coffee but desiring the effects, particularly being busy students some of us have missed out on the social experience of “having a brew”.

Slide 4 – Audience

From this we chose our audience would be students and professionals who don’t enjoy the taste of tea or coffee, and want to take a moment out of their day to unwind with peers and co-workers.

We also wanted our brand to accommodate people who don’t have as much time and need a quick fix.

Slide 5 – Brand personality/values

We wanted our brand to portray a homely, calm, reassuring and warm feel to our busy customers. For helping them get through each moment of their day.

Slide 6 – Brand Logo

This is Luna Brew

The brand design came from our concept of moments in the day where our audience will most likely need our products; this being the morning, afternoon and evening.

Therefore, we created the branding based on what determines these times of day which are the orbits of the earth, moon and around the sun. Our icon not only illustrates this but it also resembles coffee/tea stains.

The name of our brand – Luna Brew – formed itself naturally from our concept and products.

We have used Futura throughout as it best suits our concept because it’s clear across the products (and links back to the space aspect – Luna, earth, moon, sun). However, the type used for the logo is a hand rendered version of Futura, to make it more friendly and approachable, which clearly communicates what we want for Luna Brew as a brand.

Slide 7 – Sachets

Morning afternoon and Evening sachets.

We chose a powder form for our products so that it can dissolve instantly in a drink. It also appears less threatening in this form to tablets, so this again reassures the customers that it is safe.

THE MORNING SACHET

Contains the nootropic Adrafinil this is ‘best for sleepy mornings’ to feel more alert and energised.

THE AFTERNOON SACHET

Contains the nootropic Piractam this is ‘best for the afternoon slog’, perks you up and improves your mood.

THE EVENING SACHET

Contains the nootropic Melatonin this is ‘best for restless evenings’ helping you relax and get a better nights sleep.

FLAVOURS

We chose the flavours Vanilla, Caramel & Chocolate because they resemble hot drinks and suit our warm and reassuring brand personality. Furthermore our audience are more likely to enjoy the taste of these flavours.

PACKAGING DESIGN

The sun/moon illustrations communicate the time of day to take the sachets, the numbers also indicate this in stages.

The sachets also feature illustrations that communicate the flavours , vanilla – vanilla pod, caramel – swirls, chocolate – chocolate segments.

To stand out on the shelf we chose foil to go on our packaging designs. This also achieves easy identification, reassurance in the brand because the foil reflects high quality and portrays our concept while tying in with the current metallic trend.

We included an interactive element on the design; a scratch and sniff, this also allows the consumer to experience the product before buying it.

Slide 8 - Boxes

The sachets would be sold in these boxes, which would typically be bought in any supermarket.

There is also the opportunity here to collaborate with coffee shops, as customers could also add the sachet to their drinks as if it were a syrup or they could order it separately and add it with hot water.

Slide 9 – Bulk Bags

The bulk bags are for suppliers, wholesale or for people who want a larger amount.

The main part of the bulk bag packaging is transparent so you can see the product which adds reassurance and gives customers confidence to buy the products.

Slide 10 – Shots

Our final product is an alternative for those who are on the go. These are pre mixed shots that are ideal for people who don’t have a lot of time to make a hot drink but require the effects that Luna Brew offers. These would be taken cold in the same way as you’d drink a Frappuccino.

Slide 11/12/13 – Website

Finally, we designed a website to communicate the products to the consumers clearly and easily and a platform to develop relations with wholesalers.