OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - OUGD504 Module Self-Reflection

Overall, this module was very challenging, but I feel that I have developed a lot of skills from both briefs. The first brief really developed my knowledge of the physical side of editorial design, as I had to work with a basic commercial printing facility in Leeds. I also feel that I have learnt a lot about the importance of content in publication design, and how this should shape the design treatment taken. I managed my time well with a weekly plan of action and produced a much higher-quality publication than I ever did last year. In future projects, I would like to experiment with some finishes, such as embossing and foiling, as have not got a great knowledge of these areas. Whilst commercial printing ensured that the outcome was to a high-quality, it was quite enfuriating not being able to use custom stock, as it would have been interesting to use a combination of papers for the content. For other publication briefs I am going to try and find a slightly better commercial printers that would accept custom stock.

The second brief was very time consuming, mainly due to the effort put into the motion graphics.

I have done motion graphics before, therefore was fairly experienced when animating the video; however, I have never had to record my own vocals and edit them to suit the video. Amazon was a very difficult site to choose, mainly because it is already hugely successful, with over 300 million users worldwide. In this sense, I wanted to pick such a demanding task to push an outcome that I would not usually attempt. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this project, it has made me realise that motion graphics is not a career path that I want to pursue. The walkthrough video was very time consuming and tedious to make, as After Effects requires a lot of attention to detail. Branding and web design are are aspects that I going to definitely pursue more. I am still happy to do motion graphics; however, not as a specific career choice. 

I am extremely happy with the grade that I received for this brief because it is the highest I have achieved to date. I put in a lot of work for this module and feel that the grade is definitely representable of this. This year I'm definitely going to try and keep up a high standard of work, to ensure that a First is possible going into next year. 

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Printed Pages On Tour x It's Nice That

To celebrate the launch of the Autumn/Winter 2016 issue of Printed Pages, It’s Nice That put on a series of talks and workshops around the UK.  I managed to sign up in advance for the Manchester workshop and was lucky enough to get a spot on November 26th. This talk was run by Ali Hanson, Owen Pritchard and Manda Wilks, three key members of It's Nice That.
Upon arrival I was allowed to meet the other participants, which was really good from a networking perspective as I met quite a few people from different courses and backgrounds.

The workshop started briefly after this. Here, I learnt a rough background behind the talks and what the day was going to consist of. Immediately, we were given some creative tasks to get our brains going. The main task was to produce a series of magazine covers based on a list of words set by the It's Nice That Team. The word that I chose was 'Sauce',

What was so great about the workshop was how quickly we had to work. We were given roughly only an hour or two to come up with an idea and produce the final covers. Working in such an efficient way was quite stressful, but really productive. I managed to create 3 covers that I think vary quite clearly in aesthetic and style. The concept I came up with was an adult magazine that looks at proper 'saucy' food. The covers therefore played with sexual, adult imagery combined with food in some sense to clearly, and immediately, give the reader a sense of what the mag would be about. The three covers that I produced can be seen below.

Some basic tips and feedback was given by the It's Nice That team throughout the workshop. Whilst this was helpful, what was more beneficial was properly getting to know the team after the workshop had ended. A few of us went to the local pub for some drinks with the It's Nice That members. It was great to ask questions about their practice and how they managed to get to the positions they are in. It was more of a chilled conversation, nothing too formal, therefore I did not make notes or write down specific answers. Their insight into the industry was fascinating to hear about however.

I managed to get Ali's personal business card, which I am going to use to contact him when I have produced a piece of editorial work that I think is strong enough. They love being sent publications on a weekly basis, so I am going to try and produce a really high-quality piece of work to see if they could potentially feature it. Ali is a good contact to have also, as It's Nice That is one of the biggest online blogs for promoting editorial work and print.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Collaborative 3D Project

Because one of my objectives is to learn how to create 3D motion graphics, I have started a collaborative project with a friend on the course who shares a similar interest. The project focuses on developing our skills in Cinema 4D, by purely producing posters that have been created in the program. One poster is produced a day, each, which ensures that we continuously learn about the program and push ourselves throughout the year. The 24 posters created to date can be seen below.

Once I feel like I am competent enough with the program I am going to try and produce some animations. This is not too complicated; however, getting the outcomes as desired can be quite tricky, as certain elements are difficult to control. We have made a joint instagram for this project to get the work out there and try and gain some feedback/recognition. Ideally, we are thinking of possibly setting up a design studio at some point in the future. Having a fairly large following and interest in our work before leaving university could help when trying to find clients.

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Study Task 01 - Cross-course Questions

Before working with the animation students I was asked to consider various aspects of my own practice. This was a helpful task as it allowed me to identify areas that I want to improve in, and areas that I should pursue, moving ahead in Level 05. The questions asked are as follows.

5 things I have learned so far on the programme:

◦ Editorial skills
◦ How to use Illustrator properly
◦ A lot of in-depth graphic design considerations
◦ How to present clearly and confidently
◦ Traditional printing methods

5 things that I want to know more about:

◦ 3D
◦ Animation
◦ Marketing
◦ Finishing Methods
◦ Getting into industry

5 skills that you think are your strengths:

◦ Branding
◦ Editorial Design
◦ Motion Graphics
◦ Time Management
◦ Organisation

5 skills that you want to improve:

◦ Production Quality
◦ Typography
◦ Communication in Industry
◦ More diversely skilled
◦ Photography skills

5 practitioners that demonstrate my interests:

◦ Motion Graphics - Manvsmachine
◦ Web Design - Only Studios
◦ 3D Design - Berd
◦ Editorial - Ewelina Orlowska
◦ Branding - Liu Dan

5 website/online resources that demonstrate my area of interest within the creative industries:

◦ https://www.dandad.org
◦ http://www.itsnicethat.com
◦ http://www.peopleofprint.com
◦ https://www.ted.com
◦ https://www.behance.net

OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Here London 2015: Mike Alderson

Manvsmachine has been one of my favourite studios over the past few years, mainly because of their overall graphic style and immensely detailed motion work. Today, I came across Mike Alderson's (head of Manvsmachine) Talk at Here London 2015.



The most surprising aspect of this talk was about how Mike went from doing an apprenticeship in a glass factory at 18 years old to studying graphic design and then completing a moving image design degree. The fact that he did not even know about graphic design when he was 18 highlights how anything is possible with dedication and drive, career wise. As a kid, Mike explains that he used to skateboard wearing a Liverpool kit. People often said 'you can't skateboard wearing your Liverpool kit... you just cant - football and skateboarding are different. You're either a footballer or a skateboarder'. Later in the talk, he used this point to highlight how you don't have to be restricted to a certain design area - it is best to challenge yourself and try and be strong in all areas, rather than just one. This really connects with how I feel at the minute with the course.

Whilst the course is pushing me to go down a specific route, I want to continue to experiment in all areas possible, so that I can have a hugely wide range of skills when taking on briefs out of university. Despite being nowhere near as competent as those working at Manvsmachine, it is no reason for me to not try 3D work and push myself to eventually get to that level. This ethos of working hard, experimenting and not being tied down to one pathway is one that I will continue to follow throughout the course. I will push my skills to ensure that I come out of the degree with a diverse knowledge of print, branding, advertising, 3D work, motion graphics and other areas of interest - it clearly pays off when looking at the work Manvsmachine produce.

Another point that Mike makes is that you should 'Target the clients who understand you, whatever your ethos is, just target them.' As I haven't got a wide client base yet, it is still an important point to remember as more and more commercial/live briefs will be encountered over the next 2 years. This point is mainly highlighting that it is very positive and rewarding to build strong relationships with clients - especially ones where they fully understand your practice. One aspect that I want to achieve this year and over the coming summer is to get in contact with some design studios and start working with more clients, so that I gain some more contacts before graduating. This will be considered when rebranding myself.

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.