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.
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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.