OUGD602 - Personal Professional Practice Evaluation

During the course of the Personal Professional Practice module, I felt that there were several valuable assets to my practice made throughout the year. This included the ways in which to present my ongoing practice and self branding, contact industry professionals and understand who I am as a graphic designer. At the beginning of the course, I found it particularly difficult to pinpoint exactly where my practice would lie, in terms of career prospects. This was because my portfolio was so varied in its projects, that it made my practice open to different opportunities, without direction.

However, after initially designing a website structure early on, I found that some of the work I would need to produce would have to appeal more to the interest of potential employers and less to my own personal preference. As a result, my practice began to change over the months until I found a direction in which to take it. This meant taking inspiration from the studios I had worked with and the designers that gave advice to me based on their own experience. The result of this was a portfolio that became more tailored to the studios and agencies that I had taken an interest in. Therefore, the potential employers I would make contact with in the next few months would be able to see how my portfolio reflects my graphic design abilities and personality.

One thing that I did not enjoy was the consideration of a website, as this was a convoluted process when thinking about who my audience would be. Therefore, I instead chose to set up a Behance portfolio for the meantime while I look for a position at a design studio. However, if I am able to produce a more steady income then investing in a website may help to improve the presentation of my portfolio and reflect a more professional approach to my practice.

For the personal branding project, I felt that I was able to extend my options after the course. For example, creating tax return and proposal letters was one way to prepare me for the financial side of client handling. This could prove to be a useful asset to my practice, as it will allow me to work freelance during the period between graduation and a position at a design studio. Therefore, I will also be able to consider how my services are priced and how this will correspond with the needs of a client.

Having come into contact with graphic designers in the industry, I feel more confident in my ability to present myself as a design and reflect the specialties, as well as the interests I have within the creative sector. This will prove useful for future interviews and potentially presentations of my own design concepts.