Its The End - A Reflection Of The Last 2 Years

Over the past 2 years on my course I have encountered progression both academically and professionally as a designer.

At the start of the 2 years for me it was quite daunting as I was the only one doing Graphics as a 1^st year so straight away I was knocked back a little – new college, new environment and I knew no one and no one else was starting with me as it was. Everyone else was doing a different subject so I didn’t have anyone else to relate to and work together with for projects. I felt that I didn’t at all connect with any other the other 1^st years as much in the first few months and all of the 2^nd years were already friends from their first year so I was somewhat an outsider but as the end of the 1^st year came to a close I definitely started to fit in and find my feet – it took a while but I then started to feel a lot more comfortable and became friends with particular members of the group. I have never found it so hard to make friends! It was strange now looking back at how quiet and closed I was around the others however it has all changed now and I feel that my 2^nd year brought me out of my shell so much that I feel totally comfortable around everyone and do not at all feel an “outsider” as much as I did when I started. I love having friends from similar creative fields and whom have similar interests as my friends outside of the college are not creative people and each have much different interests so it’s nice to have people I can relate to a lot more. I feel that over the past 2 years on this course I have made some strong friendships and connections which I will carry throughout both my future and career. It’s bizarre to say but I feel like the friends I have made in the past 2 years I have a stronger connection with than other friendships I have – this may be because we have similar interests and this course has made me grow up so much more and I have lost contact with old friends I’m not sure but I never thought I would gain such good friendships from this course which I have.

At the start of the course having little or no contact with clients I had no knowledge of how to approach, deal with and work alongside a client. Throughout the 2 years I have been studying on this course I have had many of opportunities to do so as it is a highly client work based course with many live and local briefs coming up weekly therefore I had the chance to meet clients, make contacts and work on their projects. Having this opportunity has enabled me to attain skills which will be transferrable when I have finished my studies and go into work whether it be freelance or in a studio. I now have the skills to approach clients in a professional manner, present my ideas to them and work alongside them efficiently on their projects – this is a valuable skills which I am pleased to have built upon and progressed with as the course has proceeded. By being able to work with clients from the start it has prepared me for when I go into work – I have learnt that working with clients is not a smooth process, they have their own opinions and can change their minds at any point which can set you back and make deadlines even closer with more to do in that time. I have definitely learnt that the client is always right and I am designing for them. Therefore what they say goes and if they change their minds or have changes then I just have to go with that.­ As well as my communication skills improving with clients I feel that it has also improved in general in terms of communicating with people – I feel lots more confident when talking to people and meeting new people. This for me is a huge achievement gaining self confidence in myself and also what I do.

As a designer I have developed my skills when it comes to adapting my work and being versatile with different types of software which I had little or no experience with before this course. I am now fully competent with a range of different software including Illustrator and InDesign which before this course I rarely used due to inexperience and lack in knowledge of how to use them. I have gained these skills through tutorials on my course and also self-taught through reading magazines and online tutorials also. These skills are vital for my development as a designer and will be skills which I can build upon through my further study and graphic design career after.

Although I am predominantly Graphic Design based I have had the chance to merge these skills into other areas such as textiles and just design as a whole. The facilities I have been exposed to on this course have allowed me to use mixed media and other elements within my designs other than purely computerized graphics. I have had the opportunity to use silk screen printing facilities which I have never had access to before, I have been taught how to mix the inks, how to prepare screens and do the prints. This is a great skill to have as it adds another dimension to my designs. I have also had the ability to work with others from other specialist areas to widen the skills used in my projects such as photography, fine art, textiles and many more. As I have been involved in a variety of different projects I have been able to grow and build my professional portfolio which includes many of my most successful projects. By having built a professional portfolio I will now be able to send this to prospective employers to showcase my skills and work to them. This in turn will help me to secure a job, placement or internship.

Even after studying for GCSE’s and A levels and having lots of academic work involved in these including evaluations I have always had a weakness in this area and my evaluations have always been small and not in any way as through as they should have been at that level – this was a weakness that I carried into this course also, not having done anything about it therefore with this being  a very reflection and evaluation orientated course this could have become a problem for me but as the course progressed so did my evaluations. I think that each evaluation that I have done has got better, longer and more thorough/in depth which is great. This is down to the support I have been given, the guidance received and evaluation/reflection methods which we have been taught. It has really helped and paid off. I feel that now I am more confident writing evaluations and that I can write a decent amount which is through and reflects on projects, experiences and skills which I have encountered and obtained. I feel that although I have built upon these skills I know there is still room for improvement in this area so this is something I will continue to work on and develop as my studies progress and I further on into a job.

I think that my most successful projects over the 2 years has been my 2^nd year self-promotion project and the First Steps Derbyshire project. I really enjoyed both of these projects however they are both my most recent projects so this may be why I have chosen them over projects which I did way back in year 1 but I am most pleased with them and they way that I executed them. I was extremely pleased with the 2^nd year self-promotion brief, considering that I started later than others and had a few setbacks it has turned out great! I can see myself using this promotional material as a young designer whereas with my previous branding from the 1^st year I did not like it so I think it is good that I actually like it and will want to keep it considering I usually dismiss my own work and pick fault with it. My new promo material doesn’t as such represent me in terms of imagery etc. as there is not imagery but I like the overall look, feel and consistency of the brand. It all fits together, uses the same font and doesn’t vary between each item. The First Steps eating disorder project was a challenging project as it took a lot of research and I had to make sure that all of the information I provided was legitimate and true to word. I didn’t want to offend anyone so my choice of language and content had to carefully be chosen in order to comply with this. It felt good to have such a responsibility and it was a good project to set me up to what work will be like in a job – there will be lots of briefs which rely on the sort of maturity and sensitivity which I have had to apply for that project. I think that one of my weaker projects was my earlier projects when we first started – I think this may have been because I was just finding my feet, creativity and only just getting into the subject properly. This transition from A level to was a big step therefore my earlier works struggled due to this. Also I think that the way that the course was structured back at the start may have impacted on this as it was a bit here and there for a while. However I can’t just blame it on that, obviously I am going to like my most recent works as now I have progressed, my skills have changed and grown and I have also found the way that I like to work and applied this to my work – I was only finding my feet at first and I hadn’t got the skills I walk away with today.

Overall the past 2 years have been a real learning curve both academically and emotionally as a designer and just as a person. I had no real thoughts as to how I thought it’d pan out when I first started – I never knew how it would shape me as a person, develop me as a designer and how it would make me so much mature. I am seriously surprised how much I have learnt and I honestly don’t feel I would have had the same experience at a university as it would have been a bigger group and probably less live projects and briefs. These are what has helped me through this course having smaller group sizes has allowed everyone to work as a  collaborative when needed and also it has allowed much more time with tutors and more support. The live projects have opened my eyes to working with clients – developing my communication skills extensively, I feel a lot less nervous when it comes to talking to people which now will hugely help me as I further my studies and start my design career. I have developed design skills which were non-existent when I started the course – I had never as such studied Graphic Design it was just something I liked to do and now I feel I come out after 2 years being competent in a majority of areas within the design field which will be of great help and use when it comes to my career whether it be in a studio or as a freelancer. I am really pleased with what I have achieved in 2 years which proves to me that a lot can happen in 2 years and hard work pays off! I am really looking forward to my final year and starting off my career in Graphic Design.

First Steps Project Evaluation

This project was a huge one for me – it was based around such a sensitive subject that I needed to approach it as professionally and considerately as possible. In order to make sure that I did so I arranged a meeting with professionals who deal with eating disorders as their job at a local eating disorder charity “First Steps”. Initially my project was just going to be about eating disorders but I wasn’t sure which way I would take it however after visiting First Steps I managed to gain the projects from them and they gave me a few ideas of what I could do and inspired me to undergo some projects they would be happy to support me with. We discussed what sorts of materials are already out there and how I could produce something completely different and fresh. We spoke about creating an app for the charity – this is something completely new to the market as there’s nothing like this currently available. So this was a definite yes as a project I would take on. Then there was some smaller projects such as a leaflet re-design and an infographic.

So now that I had my projects lined up I needed to make a start on some research – I could use the information gained from the client meeting but I also needed to undergo more extensive and thorough research. I decided to use the internet for this mainly as it is a quick way to access information however I needed to be careful to make sure that the information I was going to look at and use was correct and legitimate. Therefore I decided to stick to well-known and trusted website where I knew the information would be correct and true to word. I used websites such as the First Steps Derbyshire website, BEAT and NHS choices. I knew that by using these I would not need to worry about biased or false information. I found the research process quite quick and easy however I looked on lots of websites which all had roughly the same amount of information on them so I’ve ended up with a huge stack of printed research most of which is the same but from different sources. One thing I found hard when researching was to gather printed material on eating disorders such as leaflets and flyers, booklets etc. These would have been good to have as a resource as I could have looked at the use of colour, layout and how thorough the information was that they used, did they use basic plain text or huge chunks of information? If I was to do research of this extent again I would look wider and use a broader use of sources for gathering information.

Once I had done the research it was pretty straight forward – I mostly stuck to using information which I knew was relevant and the most informative such as types of eating disorders, treatment, support etc. First I made a start on the app designs – due to time constraints I decided that I would only do the designs for the app and if First Steps wanted to pursue the idea at a later date then I would continue but for the time being I focussed on the design. I started off doing some sketches and deciding how I would set it out the app, I had to think about layout, theme, composition and colour. I decided to make 2 sections to the app, one for patients and one for carers. I came to this decision as I wanted it to be supportive to both the patient and the carer – from what I learnt from research I learnt that the carers need lots of support too and sometimes get forgot about over the priority of caring for the patient. So I wanted this app to help and support them just as much as it would for a patient. Once I decided upon layout I just needed to make sketches and digital designs ready to show to the client. I then moved onto the infographic and leaflet re-design – both of these were quick and straight forward tasks which didn’t require lots of preparation planning so I was able to get straight on with these without much planning and initial ideas stages.

I decided to do a project based on eating disorders as it is a huge problem and I was able to take it in many ways. I first got the idea to do a project based on an issue like this from a visit to a university as part of choosing my 3rd year course. The tutor showed me some work from a student which was a huge project and had fantastic results. The student had extensive research which then allowed them to create a really big and successful project which I think was based on fears and phobias. This motivated me and inspired me to do a project of this type as I have often taken part in much smaller projects so I felt it was time to branch out and complete a major project which would push me and be a huge part of my development. One of the main reasons I chose most things for this project such as colours etc. was because of fitting them with current and new material for first steps. For example the colours I chose are identical to the new promotion and branding for First Steps, they used blues and whites so I carried this on to have consistency through all of their material. This was the same with the font – I used current font in order to again maintain consistency. In terms of which information I used, I used information which I felt was relevant and information which people want to find out about eating disorders such as what they are, the types and how they are treated etc., when I researched eating disorders there was lots of information so I had to pick out which information I felt was most relevant for the project and the material I was designing.

I was really pleased with the way everything turned out at the end of the project. I am especially pleased with the app and its layout – I would love to see it as a real app on smartphones, tablets etc., that would be great! One thing that didn't go to plan was client contact – if I am honest I could have contacted them more but at the same time they did not contact me at all so I think this is a fault on both our parts which could easily have been resolved. However throughout the course I have learnt that working with clients can be a difficult and irritating process in terms of communication. I was impressed with the infographic poster which I produced – so much that I decided to have this professionally printed however I had it printed in A3, it would have been best in A1 size but I was happy with the print in A3 just it was a little small.

If I was to improve this project I would have had more contact with the client – I would have set up regular meetings or even just email conversations about my work. I would keep them involved in all of the stages of the design through to final ideas and production. I think that this was not done as officially it was not a project which I was set it come from and initial conversation which then didn’t as such take off in terms of arranging it to be a “real” project. This may be down to myself not keeping in touch or them for this matter also. So I would definitely make sure that I kept in regular contact with my client in the future to ensure that they are aware of all what’s going on. I think this is not only an improvement for this project but a major improvement to myself and the way I work it is something I will need to work on. Another major improvement I need to make in the way I work is my timekeeping methods – I always say I need to create a timetable and manage my time but it never seems to take affect so this is something that definitely needs to take effect in order for me to be able to work more efficiently without the need to rush due to not managing my time properly between projects. An improvement I would make to this project would be that I would like to have taken it further and complete the rebrand of the charity – I have redesigned one flyer but there is other material that could have been updated to fit with their new branding and promo material.

Self Promo Evaluation

I had already done a project like this last year as part of my visual studies so I pretty much knew what I was doing and was able to learn from mistakes from last time – for example printing all of my promo off professionally then not using it! Not a wise idea. So I know not to do this this time. As I had already done a self-promo project last year we had originally planned for me to do something else. We had a few chats about what I could do and I decided I was going to do a book based on 50 or so mini projects – nothing took off from this and before I knew it I had actually forgotten about it amongst all of my other projects so I decided that time was ticking on and perhaps I should do this self-promotion brief as actually I didn’t like my current branding. The fact I forgot to do the project originally planned now looking back concerns me as I know what I’m like and I let things slip so timekeeping and time management is really one of my downfalls which I need to work on for sure!

So now that I decided yes I want to do my self-promo I definitely needed to get a move on considering everyone else had already had a good few weeks on this and many had made a good start on it however a few others were still at my stage of just starting so I didn’t feel so behind which made me feel better – but to be fair I know that once I put my mind to it I can get lots done so I wasn’t at all worried I somewhat felt more worried for some of the others who hadn’t done much even though they had started before me. The annoying part for me was the research – it has to be done but it is the most tedious and long winded part of the design process. Once this was out of the way I was able to get into it – I knew I wanted something different and I was thinking in terms of the “language” of design. Lots of designers use the words hello, hi etc. on their branding such as their CV’s and stuff and I went into the project not liking that but I have now completing the project doing the same thing which is quite funny as I didn’t like it but now I’ve done it myself but I do ask myself now have I done that because of following the trend or because I actually now do like that aspect? And to be fair I actually don’t know why perhaps it was just to follow the trend. But that aside I actually am pleased with the way it has turned out like that. I also wanted to use the phrase that most designers use which is they say things like pop in for a chat and a coffee to talk about projects etc. so I wanted to use this in some sort of way which brought me to the idea of creating a coffee cup and using this as a host for my business card! And this idea just took off and the result is brilliant – so now I had this theme I wanted to follow it so I designed sandwich style bags and promo napkins to go with the while café/coffee theme which I think works great. The whole branding package has a consistent theme, colour scheme and font set so it looks fab!

Now that I had the branding package sorted I needed to work on the website – to be honest I feel I left this a little late so I had to carefully decide what I was going to use to create this site which would be easy and quick enough for me to do in time and was good enough to create a stunning and efficient website. After research and consideration I decided to use Behance Prosite because my work was already on there so there was no upload needed and it allowed me to make the website highly personal to me and my current branding package. I was able to use the same background images and colours as my new stationary which allowed it to be consistent throughout – the only downside was that I was not able to use the same fonts so was restricted to a fairly basic set of fonts off the web builder however I worked with this as there was nothing I could really do about it and in the end I feel the fonts I used work anyway and are clear and crisp for the viewer to read – a complicated/funky font may have been harder to read anyway so maybe this was a good thing that I couldn’t use my own fonts. I was able to add my logo to the site however only to the homepage – I would have liked it on each project page too, perhaps in the top left corner but I wasn’t able to do this on the web builder. But I managed to get it on there at least somewhere on the homepage so it was there – but I would have liked to have it bigger, but again I wasn’t able to do so, so I had to stick to what it could do and I think this works well anyway. All in all the web builder had everything I wanted with a few restrictions however I worked well with these and worked my way around them the best I could and still I feel produced a highly creative and personal website which I think presents my work well.

Overall I am really pleased with the way this project has turned out considering that I started later than others and had a few setbacks it has turned out great! I can see myself using this promotional material as a young designer whereas with my previous branding I did not like it so I think it is good that I actually like it and will want to keep it considering I usually dismiss my own work and pick fault with it – of course there are changes I would make but they are only minor and I can live with them. For myself as a designer I have a few faults which really need changing such as my time keeping which in the past has proven to be a big problem when it comes to deadlines - I get the work done but I tend to leave things until last minute, I don’t as such have a routine which I really need to get into one and fast in order to be efficient with my work.

8-9 May Completing self promo book ready for print

Now that my other book has come I am really excited to print off my self promo book. My website is all ready and now I just need to do a little research and extra pages on the site to make the booklet complete! Its exciting that I am so close to the end now. I am not sure whether I should print off any of the promo material such as the coffee cup wraps etc so I need to think about that ready for next weeks deadline. The book is going to be A5 for this project as I think that the A4 made the font look huge which looked a little silly in my opinion. I would also like this book to be paperback which has a longer turnaround by 2 days which means I will need to send it off asap in order for it to be delivered by Wednesdays hand in date.

09/05/14

I have just completed my booklet and sent it off, it says it takes an extra 2 days turnaround so i'm not sure if it'll come in time. I will just have to send Lance a digital link so that he can see it before the print arrives. I am looking forward to seeing the print as I don't know what the paperback prints come out like so I hope it'll look fab!!!

Booklet has arrived!!!! 7th May

My prints have arrived - i'm soo excited to see them, considering they were supposed to arrive yesterday and no-one was in so they were re-delivered today. They have turned out fab, the booklet looks awesome and professional. They also put a little bag of haribo's in the parcel - was a lovely touch plus i'm a sweetie kind of girl so that topped it off - good prints and sweeties!!! Now that this has arrived I need to sort out the self promo booklet, not sure if this will arrive on time though!! Lauren really wants to see the prints tomorrow so she can send off her work to print from the same printers so I need to take them to show her and Lance tomorrow.

30th April - After Easter Break

BACK TO REALITY!!! So it was back to college today after the Easter break - having been away for the 2nd week i'm still in holiday mode! been used to doing nothing for the past week. I didn't get as much done in the first week of the break so I had lots to do. I needed to finish off my visual design works for both the first steps brief and the self promo brief ready for printing then there was the written pieces - the dreaded 5 year plan and 2 year reflection. I decided first I needed to tackle the design work, written pieces weren't going to take me too long to do so I could leave them a bit longer.

My main aim was to complete the research and development books ready to be printed. I started out completing the First Steps booklet. I had a few pages to add on development and then I needed to write an evaluation which I had been putting off due to my hate for evaluations but once I had done it I was suprised how long it was - for me it was loads! This was then ready to print once I had added the extra pages to the InDesign document and exported it as a PDF. I will be using a website called DoxDirect to print off this booklet.

01/05/14

Today I sent off the First Steps booklet to print along with 10 copies of my CV and 2 A3 prints of the app screen designs - these pages are in the booklet but I am also printing them A3 so that they can be read better. I chose to have the booklet printed wiro bound - I chose a white wiro to match the colour of the booklet. I decided to have a clear cover on the front and double sided pages which were 170gsm thick. I can't wait for it all to arrive!!

27th March YCN Deadline!!!

Soo today was the deadline of the YCN student awards - I needed to submit my designs for the Bear brief by 11:59 tonight which I did in the end after a string of problems!! I know its the day of submission so it will be quite busy on that site but I had no end of problems. I signed up, filled out all of the forms to submit then it came to submitting the work by uploading the relevant files - this would have been easy if the uploader was there!?!? The upload button was not on the screen so I couldn't select the file to upload. I asked Lance why it wasn't there, he didn't know and neither did Steph, it was a mystery, we concluded it may be the flash player needed updating or something like that so we said I should try on laptop when I got home. But I decided to email YCN anyway incase it was a problem and I couldn't upload my work but the contact link wasn't working either. I was in melt down - what if I couldn't submit!!! It was on my mind all day but luckily I got home and it was fine on my laptop! Phewwwww! So that's that sent off now, I hope they like my designs.