19 November 2012

3 Things Task

Strengths 

Ideas generation
Copywriting
Branding/Identity

Weaknesses 

Finish and execution of work isn't of a very high standard, which is something I am determined to improve this year.
I am not very experimental or innovative in the way I design, I tend to play it safe.
Time management and motivation is still a big one. I tend to have some decent(ish) ideas, then pay no attention until the last minute when it's too late to do something with them, and then turn in something that I'm not entirely proud of. I've started to notice this year my focus is improving, but I still wish I was more motivated and organised.


Goals for the year

To be shortlisted for a competition brief.
To get a placement with a design studio I love.
To produce work I'd be pleased to show in my portfolio.

Wishes

To live and work in Paris and America for at least a year, being surrounded by amazing food, art and design. I pretty much want the life of either Rachel Khoo or her American equivalent, which I can't think of right now. I've been a bit of a wimp during my life, vowing never to fly anywhere because of my fear of heights, but I need to stop letting it hold me back.

To have my own screenprint/ letterpress studio/ gallery/ cafe/ book shop/ creative space that would be open to anyone with a love of print and design, a little bit like Cornerhouse in Manchester, or Phoenix Square in Leicester. I feel like this would be a great way to combine all of my ridiculous and numerous aspirations in life.

To dance with Beyonce and walk down the catwalk with Tyra Banks. If I did those two things then I think I could die happy.







13 November 2012

Marketing Lecture

What is Marketing?


Identify customer needs to develop new products.

Develop pricing strategies

Promote products to a target audience

Identify distribution networks

Add value to products through customer benefits

Monitor the performance of products


The 4 Ps

Product - An item that satisfies a consumers needs or wants and is a good or a service.

Price - The amount a customer pays.

Promotion - Represents all methods of communication that a market may use to provide information to different parties.

Place - Refers to providing the product at a place or in a context which is convenient for a consumer to access.

The relationship between these is the key to successful marketing.

87% of design businesses have employ fewer than 10 people.

16% of design companies are in Northern England

23% are based in London

57% of design companies collaborate with other companies on client briefs

28% designers are freelance.

















A successful business is not necessarily a profitable business.

In order to be successful as a graphic designer you need to be aware of entrepreneurship.

















Only 5% of the UK are entrepeneurs.

What kind of creative are you?





















Ideas and Opportunities

What is an idea?
Anything, anywhere
Always random, seldom materialises, and is rarely successful.

We have approximately 5000 ideas in the space of 24hrs.
To go with an idea, you need an opportunity. Opportunities are fundamentally different, and require you are in the right place at the right time.
For example, Davinci was considered a genius, and had big ideas, ones that we actually use now, such as helicopters, parachutes etc. But the conditions were never right.
The politicians saw no benefit to his suggestions, there was no stable economy to support these ideas, there was no real need for them at the time, and the technology of the time was far too primitive to recreate his ideas successfully.
Politics, Economy, Social, Technological - all factors that need to be taken into account for an idea/opportunity to work. PEST Analysis

Opportunities -
Trends
Technology develops
Political change
Boom and Slump in the Economy
Human Need
Problems
Research

During our economic slump, mid sized businesses failed due to their financial infrastructure  whilst big business managed to ride it out, but small businesses were the ones that grew during the period.




12 November 2012

5 Studios Task

Studios/Companies I feel I have have synergy with

http://heystudio.es













Hey Studio, based in Barcelona, are a small studio with an impressive portfolio of some fantastic modern, youthful and edgy graphic design. They seem to have a great sense of humour which is portrayed in their work, which i feel fits with my personality as I love being able to use humour through graphic design.

http://www.heredesign.co.uk/




















Here Design have designed some of the most lovely, sophisticated looking cook books I have ever seen, and since I love food and graphic design, I hope I could fit in well there. Aside from having a similar love of cook books, their designs are stylish, modern and interesting.

http://www.25ah.se/projects/












Based in Stockholm, 25AH are a small design agency with a fresh, youthful and fun design style which I appreciate and would love my work to look like.

http://designcue.com







Design Cue are mainly about branding and identity, which is one area I am really interested in and want to develop as I have enjoyed it in the past. Design Cue are modern and youthful, and don't stick to one main aesthetic style in their work which I feel is similar to my design work.

http://constructlondon.com/






Construct London are a design studio which primarily serves the fashion industry, creating some gorgeous luxury designs that are visually interesting, interactive and tactile. They have a very clear, luxury design direction, and this is something I would love to experience and work with. The work they have created for Mulberry is also fun and cool, which is something I wish to achieve with my own work.

http://www.mulberry.com/












Although not primarily a graphic design studio, the fashion graphics that the design team of Mulberry produce for Fashion Week, such as invites, and their look books and other promotional material are always tactile, stylish and fun. They have a very British sense of humour and personality which I connect with when I see their products.


Choosing just one out of these studios that I feel would be most synergetic with my personality is difficult because I think that I am all over the place in terms of where I would like to work and what I would like to do, but narrowing it down, its between either Here Design, 25AH or Construct London.

Here Design would probably be my main choice if pushed, because the work that they create, although delivered across several different platforms, seems to be mainly focussed on editorial and branding identity, which are two areas I have a real love for and want to explore further in my practice. Realistically, when I graduate I would most likely stay in England, so the location is also a factor in this choice, as they are based in London which is somewhere that is easily accessible, and is also a great place to be a part of, especially from a designer's point of view.
The work they create is a mix of fun, vibrant and sophisticated, and they have a range of impressive small/mid sized clients that means that they can experiment with their work and create something stylish and creative.





Methods I Could Utilise to Contact Them

Email is the advised method of contact, despite many studios receiving hundreds a day, so as suggested the email title should be attention grabbing.
Telephone as most Studio contact lists offer phone numbers, although this could be quite an awkward practice, and there is always a large chance of rejection by them simply hanging up the phone. 

Social Networking as a way to follow them, get in contact if they prompt it, but also to put forward your own links for them to click on and explore your work or communicate with you. 

Sending a CV/Mailer through the post that is visually intriguing/innovative/interesting that they would be inclined to open and read. 

Through Networking Events they may attend, they can be approached and you can then use this as an opportunity to self promote, and also to discuss their practice and design studio. 

Be bold and go and knock on their door, as Simon mentioned he used to do the same thing at a design agency. 







1 November 2012

The Business of Design Task

Designed by Turner Duckworth for Waitrose own brand basics. 
Sector - Waitrose is a private sector company, which is owned by The John Lewis Partnership, which are a national company that runs both Waitrose and John Lewis stores. 
Audience - Until recently, the quality and price of Waitrose products meant that the audience was mainly an affluent one - middle class, educated, professional adults with a disposable income. The locations of stores also meant this was the case, as their main presence was in the south of the country. Now they have a second audience they want to attract, which is a family consumer with less disposable income. They now have a larger presence in less affluent parts of Britain, and they have also introduced  an essentials brand which Turner Duckworth designed for. 
In terms of whether these products attract the key audience which is the family consumer they must sell their brand and products to, I believe they do this successfully. The packaging appeals to their broadening target audience by retaining elements of high quality design such as the photography and typefaces but still remaining fairly simple, and the products also demonstrate clearly what the product is.

Designer unknown, for Droits Des Non Fumeurs
Droits Des Non Femeurs or 'The Rights of Non Smokers' is, from what I can gather from their website, is a third sector/service sector company which is a not for profit organisation that aims to protect the rights of non smokers and inform and assist them in finding out about tobacco legislations. 
The audience for Droits Des Non Fumeurs is primarily a french adult, non smoker, although they also hope to prevent younger adults from smoking, and obviously they are able to assist people wanting to quit. 
The advert presented here, that reads something along the lines of, 'Smoking makes you a slave to tobacco' has obviously been created to shock, more than to reach out to it's primary audience. It is more aimed at young adults, as shown through the fact that the models in the ads are teenagers. The advert does not display in full what the company does, and instead seeks to invite people to find out more about them by displaying only their logo and their website, as if to intrigue people. As a publicity stunt for the company it works well, but it does nothing to inform or educate their primary audience. 






















Wayfinding designed for the NHS Kentish Town Health Centre by Studio Myerscough.
The NHS is an important part of the public sector, providing free health care for Britain. The Kentish Town Health Centre is a small centre occupied by GPs. The audience for the NHS is incredibly broad, and includes British children and adults, regardless of income or other defining factors, but the target audience for this Health Centre is obviously only residents of Kentish Town. 
The way finding is appropriate and successful in communicating a positive atmosphere to the target audience, who can often find doctors offices and health centres intimidating and clinical. 

 
The official logo for Rio 2016, by Tatil, designed for The Olympics. 
The Olympics Committee commissioned the Rio 2016 branding and identity, and is a range of organisations that are spread across both the public and private sectors. They are a non-governmental organisation. 
The target audience of the IOC is an international one that reaches out to both adults and children with an interest in both playing and watching sports. The Rio 2016 logo has a target audience of both the people of Rio, but also an international audience that will be attracted to come to Rio to watch the games. The branding is meant to represent the host city, create interest in the games and ensure people travel to Rio, therefore boosting their economy. 


Privacy International are a not for profit organisation that encourages the rights of the people, informing them about privacy and free speech. They are part of the third sector, as they provide a service to people under a registered charity, and do not make money from this. The target audience for this organisation is international, as they tackle issues of privacy rights globally, and primarily adults of both genders, who are more likely to have worries about their rights and also have more access to technology. The branding of the company is successful in reaching out the audience, and letting them know what they are about through the design. The design is also simple enough to reach their broad audience.