OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Reflecting On Level 4

Aims - Looking back at last year, a lot of the aims that I had then are still very current in terms of what pathway I want to follow. Publication design is one aspect that still really appeals to me. I really enjoyed learning about the production of them and rules that should applied last year. Looking at the work completed, the last piece of work made (the Liberty Park guide) was actually very well done in terms of the production quality and choice in stock. This year, however; I would like to focus on really developing my skills and knowledge; in particular, focusing on production quality to ensure that my outcomes look as professional as possible. Furthermore, I would like to have an in-depth understanding of how to use finishes and coatings, as this is one aspect I still have no clue about.

Over the Summer, I completed some branding work for a large client and some motion graphics work for various music event companies. I am currently quite heavily involved in putting various events on in Leeds, and this aspect of branding nights/making promo videos is one area that I would like to continue pursuing. I am quite confident using Adobe After Effects when it comes to promo videos; however, I still do not know how to produce 3D work. From a young age I have been fascinated by animation, but have never really understood how to use the programs or learn them. In my spare time I'm going to try and learn programs like Cinema 4D, to take my design work to a higher level.

One key aim that I have this year is to begin venturing into the industry by reaching out to studios, getting placements and building my contacts up. I was not entirely happy with the final outcome that I produced in the self branding module last year because I felt that the production was not at a good enough level to send out to clients. For this reason, I am going to try and develop my personal branding this year so that I can send out a package that I am proud of to various studios and creatives. Unfortunately, my Macbook hard drive completely water damaged last year, which meant that I completely lost my website. This year, I definitely need to create a new website that has some purpose in terms of targeting design studios.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Summer Work

After Level 4 was completed I began working on some branding jobs at Bannenberg & Rowell Design. The job involved producing exterior signage and logo designs for various superyacht owners. I have previously done the exterior signage for one boat; therefore, new the rough layout of what was expected. However, the brief set this time was slightly more vague, requiring a lot more freedom on my part to play around and develop ideas.

The importance of research became clear when working on projects with such important clients. As I did not know the clients personally and had not even spoken to them, design treatment had to be based solely on the research made in relation to the yacht name and theme. Due to confidentiality, I cannot show any of the work completed. One of the logos has been accepted and will be on the exterior of the yacht, whilst the other has not been presented yet.

Working for such big clients was quite daunting and pressurising, especially as I was the only graphic designer in-house. Despite this, the process learnt on the course last year helped to time plan outcomes that were effective in the end for the client. Personally, I have found that I find briefs more enjoyable when there is a stricter brief, as I feel like I am doing the right thing as opposed to when given more freedom. This is one aspect that I need to adapt to over the coming year, so that I feel comfortable with all types of briefs thrown at me.



Alongside doing some pure branding work, I also worked on some freelance jobs, which had a complete focus on motion graphics. This was useful to keep my skills in Adobe After Effects up to date - this will be especially useful for the design on screen brief later this year, which focuses on UX design. Bringing my interest in music together with graphic design work is one aspect that I would like to continue pursuing in the future. Whilst I charge a fairly low commission for these promo videos (roughly £15-£20), they can be done within an hour/2 max, which is fairly reasonable. The main challenge that I want to set myself now is to work out how to produce 3D animations and renders, as these are much more complex and less competitive than flat motion graphics. 2 of the promo videos made can be seen below.