OUGD502 - Module Evaluation

Once the aims and ambitions were identified at the beginning of level 5, it was possible to understand the direction to pursue which would best represent my character through my work. Throughout the duration of the responsive modules, it was possible to build up a body of work that could be used in my portfolio and would demonstrate my interests, strengths and reflective practice. Having learnt how to present the work to audiences, it became easier to demonstrate an understanding of the context and appropriation of design choices. This would prove to be useful knowledge, as it would be beneficial to the interviews with industry professionals in the future.

There were times during level 5, when working collaboratively would be considered necessary as well as beneficial. One instance of this would be the group presentation that proposed a way finding system for LAU. By assigning roles among the group, we were able to establish the same goal using different ideas and consulting one another on ways that the presentation should look. Working in this way was beneficial to my practice, as it gave an idea of how it may be like to work as a team for a client and how presenting the work would require meticulous planning and appropriate design choices.

One of the aims of level 5 was to find out how to contact industry professionals and network to different agencies or studios. In doing so, LinkedIn proved to be a useful platform to not only find people within the same industry but to also use the profile as a way to promote yourself to contacts. This proved to be successful once contact was made with CreativeRace studio and an interview was arranged. In preparation for the interview, several questions were devised as a way to gather feedback that could help me understand the professional world of graphic design. It also proved to be useful information to use when writing a report on an industry professional and how they may influence future choices.

Overall, personal professional practice has given the opportunity to explore new ways to make contacts, how to tailor work for specific clients and how to present yourself successfully. As a result, it has been possible to secure work experience with the studio CreativeRace during the summer period. This will in turn be beneficial to my practice as it will allow me to see how a studio might work, how creatives communicate with one another and how I may be able to network with professionals.

OUGD502 - SB3 - PPP self reflection presentation FEEDBACK

After presenting the reflective presentation to the group, I was able to receive feedback on ways that my practice can be improved further in future. The inclusion of my personal interests and output were particularly well received and were highlighted as a strong point of my practice. The could be useful to take into account when presenting my portfolio to other clients in future. It was also said that the reflective journey was well established. However, the presentation could have been made more personal and insightful by creating an aesthetic for the audience to see on each slide and less focus on each brief on the course. Instead, the presentation could have focused more on the ways in which PPP has informed my practice and how it may benefit my future.

Overall, I was able to learn how to present the ideas in a way which managed time appropriately and took the viewers on a journey through my discoveries of graphic design, over the last 12 months. In future, it would be beneficial to rehearse the presentation more and to think about how the audience may respond to the ideas, as well as the questions they may have.

OUGD502 - SB3 - PPP self reflection presentation

After writing my creative report about my experience at CreativeRace studio and my time with Simon Thorpe, I was able to establish what aims I had for the future. This was important to include in the self reflection presentation, as it would show the journey I have been on over the last academic year and how my ambitions changed as a result. The presentation starts off by showing where I had began to experience freelance through summer 2017. It would then go on to show how the other modules provided opportunities to expand my practice and learn new skills.

To finish, the presentation would identify the strengths of my practice and how these would be applied to my career and the plans I have for the coming months. As Simon Thorpe had suggested to me, the best way to present to an audience is to take the viewers on a journey that intrigues them and lets them know who you are as a creative. By including my interests and how they are reflected in my creative output, the audience will then understand why I choose to follow the particular career path.

 The first slide shows my interest in hiphop and rap music. These examples are my personal works of art in the form of album covers, displayed on my Instagram account.

The second slide shows my personal clothing brand that had been set up over the summer. This would take the viewer on the journey through my experience with wholesale printing and marketing through social media.

 The third slide shows some of the contacts that I made when seeking advice on how to market my brand.

 The fourth slide shows the different websites I had used to sell the clothing and the way in which I customised the style of the websites. These were then linked to social media accounts to make it easier for customers to find the products.

The next two slides explain how the first module of the year gave the opportunity to work with potential clients and how a brief is interpreted.

 OUGD503, gave the opportunity to experience several briefs at once and working collaboratively with a partner on a professional brief.

 The next slide shows how I had contacted Nathan Miller for feedback on the micro genre project and how his opinion influenced my project.

 As a result of the previous slide, the next slide show how I was contacted by someone to create an album cover similar to the designs shown on my Instagram. This would be a good example of the freelance work I was doing.

This slide shows the final module and the way in which it was used to receive feedback from peers as well as feedback from Simon Thorpe during the interview.

It was also important to include the contacts I had made as a result of LinkedIn and the studio I had chosen to use for the creative report.

The final slide would summarise my time on the course, the experiences made during level 5 and the plans for the future. This includes the 2 weeks work experience with CreativeRace and networking with employees of the company.

OUGD502 - SB3 - PPP self reflection presentation PLAN

In preparation for the presentation, it was beneficial to plan out how the ideas would be presented. This would be done by making notes on each section and giving brief descriptions of each, so that it could easily be rehearsed and practiced before the day of presenting.

Notes

OUGD502 - SB1 - Creative Report

https://issuu.com/alexanderpankhurst/docs/creative_report.docx

To understand exactly who I am as a creative and a graphic design practitioner, I began an investigation that would determine how my interests and aims in life could be pursued in the career path I am on. Throughout level 5 of the graphic design course, there were several opportunities that would help me to understand the world of graphic design, the way in which to present my ideas and how to break into the thriving design industry.

Before the end of summer 2017, I was able to begin work on my own brand identity and create meaningful and exciting designs that would be marketed to specific audiences on Instagram. Through creating this identity, I hoped that it would provide me with insight into the ways that networking and marketing can be useful ways to build a brand. I knew that social media marketing was something I enjoyed, as I could use a platform I was familiar with to promote my designs to audiences that were interested in them. I also contacted other similar brands on social media for advice on ways to market my work and bring in new audiences.

One of the aims I had for the coming year was to use level 5 as a way to further understand the graphic design industry and how my own interests could be pursued through it. After contacting Simon Thorpe of CreativeRace in Leeds, I was able to arrange a meeting to gather feedback on my presentation skills and portfolio. The CreativeRace studio is based at No.1, Leeds and provides positions to over 180 employees. In preparation for the meeting with Simon I came up with several questions that would ultimately identify personal aims and ways to find work in the creative industry.

When asking Simon what it was that made him want to be a designer, he explained that from a young age he enjoyed creating logos and identities of album covers. This was something I myself was able to identify with, as my portfolio showed recent work for a local band's identity. He went on to say that CreativeRace was something that appealed to him after working as a freelance for a while, during the years following graduation. He explained how the sociable environment of the studio was something he enjoyed and it meant that more focus on projects could be assigned among people at the studio.

When asked where he might see himself in 5 years time, he said that the industry is too unpredictable to guess. Having worked with a string of other companies, Simon said he found himself at CreativeRace after turning down a 3-month contract. This showed me how the choices that you make as a designer may also impact where you base your practice. He went on to say that ideally he would like to use his experience at CreativeRace to one day build his own company. I then went on to ask about what employers look for in a person’s portfolio and the advice on ways to break into the industry. He then told me that tailoring your portfolio to an individual company is important, using your best work first as a way to grab the viewer's attention. He continued by saying that it may take several attempts to find the job you are looking for, but once you do you will likely get the experience you need to progress further in your career.

Upon presenting my portfolio and my work to Simon, he said that the branding I had pursued was something I passionately enjoyed and that further attempts at it would be appealing to employers. After hearing this, I began to realise that the brand identity I had created was something that may help me to progress during level 6, as it was my most enjoyable aspect of design and something that felt personal to me. As a result of the interview with Simon, I was also offered work experience at the studio during the summer period. From here, I believe that networking at CreativeRace and finding further inspiration for my brand will benefit my practice for the near future.

OUGD502 - SB1 - Interview with Simon Thorpe at CreativeRace

In preparation for writing the report on an industry professional, I met with Simon Thorpe from CreativeRace, based at No.1 Leeds. During the time I spent with him, I was able to gather information about ways to break into the design industry and how professional agencies will look for particular candidates based on their portfolio.

A series of questions were prepared for the interview with Simon, which would help to gather feedback and understand what life would be like as a graphic designer after graduation.

Question 1: What is it that made you want to become a designer?

Simon - Being heavily into music, drawing identities and logos at a young age. He also says he would look through different album covers for inspiration. Intro was one company that appealed to him for their work on album covers.

Question 2: What was appealing to you about CreativeRace in particular?

Simon - After finding work with a series of freelance clients, Simon went on to work at CreativeRace because it was a very sociable environment and a 3 month assignment had recently been turned down. 

Question 3: What advice would you give to someone who is trying to break into the industry?

Simon - Try not to be disheartened by set backs and competition. Make sure you make contacts with people and get more interviews that show your portfolio. While trying to get a work placement, Ben Casey offered Simon work at The Chase in Manchester, during his search for a placement and experience. Part of working with someone is about meeting new contacts that they know. Tailor your portfolio to the employer you are applying to.

Question 4: What elements of a portfolio do you think are most important to employers?

Simon - It is better to be specific to a particular company you are applying to. Start with the most impactful work at the start of the portfolio, to grab the viewers attention. The example Simon used was his rebranding of Andrex, in which he used photographs of the iconic puppy to explain the context and then from that explain the process of the project. 

Question 5: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Simon - It is hard to determine where you would be as the industry is constantly evolving and your ambitions may also change as a result. You could work for an agency for a while, then decide that it isn't for you, so you may then decide to return to freelancing. Simon the went on to explain his own ambitions, in which he would like to become the boss of CreativeRace or start his own company as a result of his experience at the company. 

Question 6: What do you think went well in my portfolio and what would need to be improved?

Simon - Talking about the things you were interested in was clearly shown when presenting your ideas, however I think it is important to give the audience a story to follow when presenting. Start by identifying the outcome and then the progress to that outcome, with the connections to marketing, branding etc. 

OUGD502 - SB1 - Creative Report Plan

After looking for work at different studios that could potentially help to network, I came across the Leeds based studio CreativeRace. This studio was appealing as it has different high street brands and noticeable companies as its clients. This includes ASDA, Evans cycles and Greggs, all of which require highly professional designers who know how to target their audience.

After contacting the studio, I was able to make contact with graphic designer Simon Thorpe. We then arranged a day to meet at the studio, so that my portfolio could be should to him and the rest of the team at CreativeRace. In preparation for the meeting, it will be important to gather some questions to ask Simon, so that further evidence of professional contact can be added to the report.

Questions

• What is it that made you want to become a designer?
• What was appealing to you about CreativeRace in particular?
• What advice would you give to someone who is trying to break into the industry themselves?
• What elements of a portfolio do you think are most important to employers?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
• How would you describe the first few months working at CreativeRace and what did you learn from them?

Portfolio questions

• What things do you think went well in my portfolio?
• What things do you think need improving?
• Is the approach appropriate?
• What things do employers look for in a graduates portfolio?