Summative Evaluation:
This module has definitely been my favourite by far at university. I have been able to spread my wings to the outside world and work with interesting, creative and difficult people making my understanding of the trade a lot more in depth.
Working as a professional is both scary and exciting at the same time, to begin with I was very nervous about working in the real world with real people producing real outcomes. However, I found that after the first ones, I grew a lot of confidence and found the work easier to complete.
I have enjoyed working with different kinds of people as I now have experience in a wide range of different clients, the good, the bad and the ugly. Thankfully I had no problems in collecting payment from my clients but I was always very careful and took a deposit to begin the work anyway. As the module deadline grew nearer and nearer I realised that I was starting to charge more for the work I was doing. This is probably a reflection of my confidence in talking to people grew as well as my experience.
Over summer I am going to continue working with clients and gaining myself valuable experience of working with people and completing briefs for real life deadlines (as well as earning some money). With the people I have networked with thanks to this brief and then contacts turning into more contacts with testimonials and recommendations, I have found myself with a waiting list of three full scale branding and identity projects for the summer including Bassment's new look, a bridal boutique opening in Holmfirth in September and possibly a multi-million pound publishing company based in the USA, UK & China.
I am very grateful for the experiences this module has delivered as well as the work I am proud of and mistakes I have learned from.
Design Practice
Alex Dyson
Archives
OUGD505 - Studio Brief 2 - Café Vélo Purchases
After the crit confirmed that everything I had done so far was spot on, I ordered the necessary bits and pieces I needed for the branding.
Also ordered some 540gsm Colorplan Pristine White stock for business cards and opening night invitations (this was along with other stocks for a different brief.
Excluding print costs this was becoming an expensive brief (£82.77) but I feel confident it will all be worth it once it is complete.
OUGD505 - Studio Brief 2 - Café Vélo Critique 1
For the critique on the first day back from Easter, I prepared a series of boards to explain what I had done so far.
I felt the feedback I had received helped me be certain I was going in the right direction with my work as well as a few comments that triggered even more ideas.
I felt the feedback I had received helped me be certain I was going in the right direction with my work as well as a few comments that triggered even more ideas.
OUGD505 - Studio Brief 2 - Café Vélo Designed Products Part 1
In regards to the letterhead I chose a different set of margins to the expected.
With a 1cm border all the way round, and then a further 1cm for contact information on the left to border the left column. At the edge of the logo, the spacing goes 2cm until hitting the address, content and signature. The structure of this is split into hierarchies so it is clear where the content lays.
The business card follows a similar rule but is most effective through it's stock. 350gsm Duplex GF Smith Colorplan Scarlet and Ivory stock with black and white screen printed content and black edge painting.
Later I realised how expensive this would be and my plan changed to just buy normal 540gsm ivory colorplan stock and then screen print over it in red and then in black on the other side.
The open invites would be 100% consistent to the business cards, same stock, same production method just different backing info and a larger size (just short of A5).
Once these were complete, I set up the positives and screen printed the business cards and opening invites.
These were then cut down originally by scalpel (until my arm hurt) and then with a guillotine.
The open invites would be 100% consistent to the business cards, same stock, same production method just different backing info and a larger size (just short of A5).
Once these were complete, I set up the positives and screen printed the business cards and opening invites.
These were then cut down originally by scalpel (until my arm hurt) and then with a guillotine.
OUGD503 - Studio Brief 1 - Individual Practice - Trappedaudio Logo
I was approached by Jack, the founder of an upcoming music events company based in Manchester as he was in need of an identity for his soon to be company. I knew this was going to be a heavy challenge as he was not yet a professional and therefore didn't word things very well which made it difficult to understand what he was actually after.
Example:
"i dont want it too look like that I'm just trying to give you an example ill look for something else to try show you what i mean i dont want to be branded like them i just feel that the way they have down it is something to look at and i feel its quite powerful but ill find something to show you what i mean mate"
However, I accepted, took a deposit and got to work.
This was the first outcome I came out with, To then be told that Trapped Audio was actually one word, Trappedaudio and he didn't like the symbolism.
That being said changed the direction and I tried to 'trap' the words between two lines to make a relevant visual theme.
He then said it looked too plain and asked for one of the letters to be screwed up a bit and split the word in half (making two words?).
He didn't like it being split but he liked the warped O, he asked for the T to also be screwed up.
Then he changed his mind again and wanted the split.
And then realised he wanted it at the same level.
Even though I advised against it, he wanted a sound wave underlining the logo.
He absolutely loved it, which I am glad about, but in a sense I didn't design it, I just followed badly read instructions until coming to a final outcome.
For the Facebook cover photo for his social networking, he said he wanted a random object along with the logo and 'coming soon'. I asked if a hamster cage would be a good idea as it went with the trapped theme and he said to go for it.
I halftoned an image of a hamster cage and placed in in a banner and then he decided he didn't like the sound wave underline.
Once I had changed that back, he told me that a mousetrap would be better than a hamster cage.
He finally liked it so I got the file ready to send along with the logo.
Once he made the final payment for the files I sent them over to him
I will be honest and say I didn't enjoy this brief at all, it seemed like simple logo design for a music based company but it just turned into me wasting a lot of time because of him changing his mind or deciding to do something else. I have definitely learned that communication is an absolutely massive part of each brief and if what is wanted can't be communicated, it's just a guessing game until it is right.
OUGD503 - Studio Brief 1 - Individual Practice - Logan Pictures Logo
An old friend from primary school got in touch and told me that she really loves my work and has been showing her boyfriend on a regular basis, she then went further to explain that he is a videographer and producer and is in need of an identity. She asked for an email address for him to contact me on and it was left at that.
I got an email the next day from the man himself.
A part of me died when I read the wolverine references and tried to think of a professional, yet constructive reply to warn him away from the already thought out concept.
From here on it was nothing but positivity between us with constructive and friendly development to increase my knowledge in what he was wanting and expecting from my skill set.
The company name was narrowed down to Logan Pictures, the style he was wanting was professional, edgy and of a calligraphic background like an example I sent him:
The deposit was sent and we agreed for me to work on the outcomes until I was confident with it and then send him the update.
The first thing I did with the money he gave me was order some calligraphy markers online, this gave me the chance to play with something I wasn't very confident with so would hopefully increase my understanding and practice with hand lettering.
After a few piles of screwed up paper I came to an idea I quite liked. I then developed it on one sheet with the shape, then the sort of outline I'd be wanting to achieve, then with pencil shading to make sure it looked good and then I went for it.
I was really happy with the outcome so took a photo of it and then processed it digitally until it was a corrected vector, still with slight imperfections to keep the hand rendered style.
I then texturised it and added some grain to make it look worn down and used out. This was an element he particularly liked about some previous design work I have already completed. I sent him the outcomes and he was really really happy with it.
I created a colour copy (involving yellow in reference to wolverine's costume to make the client happy), which he loved. And finally I put it on a blurred out photo I had taken a while ago to show him what it would look like in the opening credits of a video.
I got an email the next day from the man himself.
A part of me died when I read the wolverine references and tried to think of a professional, yet constructive reply to warn him away from the already thought out concept.
From here on it was nothing but positivity between us with constructive and friendly development to increase my knowledge in what he was wanting and expecting from my skill set.
The company name was narrowed down to Logan Pictures, the style he was wanting was professional, edgy and of a calligraphic background like an example I sent him:
The deposit was sent and we agreed for me to work on the outcomes until I was confident with it and then send him the update.
The first thing I did with the money he gave me was order some calligraphy markers online, this gave me the chance to play with something I wasn't very confident with so would hopefully increase my understanding and practice with hand lettering.
After a few piles of screwed up paper I came to an idea I quite liked. I then developed it on one sheet with the shape, then the sort of outline I'd be wanting to achieve, then with pencil shading to make sure it looked good and then I went for it.
I was really happy with the outcome so took a photo of it and then processed it digitally until it was a corrected vector, still with slight imperfections to keep the hand rendered style.
I created a colour copy (involving yellow in reference to wolverine's costume to make the client happy), which he loved. And finally I put it on a blurred out photo I had taken a while ago to show him what it would look like in the opening credits of a video.
OUGD503 - Studio Brief 1 - Individual Practice - E:vence Logo
Someone I knew from my spanish class in college got in contact with me asking for identity design for a new project he and several others were working on.
The project was described to me as:
E:vence is a fully customizable, paperless, flyering system developed for music lovers and events promoters alike. Packed full of features it will cost events promoters a fraction of the price of conventional flyers to have the same target reach without having a negative affect on the environment. With easily reachable figures of 40,000 students in Manchester alone, E:vence promises to be the buzz app everyone is talking about in 2015.
I was quite interested by the concept and ask more on the matter to find that the target audience were 18-24 year olds and predominantly students in city environments. The only style guides he said was he wanted it to be purple but was flexible with what tone/shade.
I got to work and produced a series of three quick identity bases to see what direction we were going in. I told him these were the ones but was fully aware there would be alterations and such, this was my way of quickly getting to the point better.
I chose a darker shade of purple to work with an energising feel and be consistent across both print and web. These can be used in any tint.
Once I sent him the PDF, he was really really happy and said he loved the first option but would make some small amendments. He told me that he'd be in touch after discussing it with his partners.
The conclusion ended on exactly what he has said before. He asked if he could see what it looked like with the E in a speech bubble or a circle, he said it was more app like.
This ended up being exactly what they wanted and needed and told me it was done. I prepared the files for print and web, accepted payment and sent over the files.
I personally wasn't very keen on the outcome at all however it was very directional and they were very confident with what the liked and wanted, and for delivering that, I am happy.
The project was described to me as:
E:vence is a fully customizable, paperless, flyering system developed for music lovers and events promoters alike. Packed full of features it will cost events promoters a fraction of the price of conventional flyers to have the same target reach without having a negative affect on the environment. With easily reachable figures of 40,000 students in Manchester alone, E:vence promises to be the buzz app everyone is talking about in 2015.
I was quite interested by the concept and ask more on the matter to find that the target audience were 18-24 year olds and predominantly students in city environments. The only style guides he said was he wanted it to be purple but was flexible with what tone/shade.
I got to work and produced a series of three quick identity bases to see what direction we were going in. I told him these were the ones but was fully aware there would be alterations and such, this was my way of quickly getting to the point better.
I chose a darker shade of purple to work with an energising feel and be consistent across both print and web. These can be used in any tint.
Once I sent him the PDF, he was really really happy and said he loved the first option but would make some small amendments. He told me that he'd be in touch after discussing it with his partners.
The conclusion ended on exactly what he has said before. He asked if he could see what it looked like with the E in a speech bubble or a circle, he said it was more app like.
We both agreed that the speech bubble looked tacky as hell but there still wasn't something quite right, I put it down to the fact that the E was so straight and angular that the contrast was too much in such a round shape, I suggested trying a lowercase e as it is a much more rounded form.
This ended up being exactly what they wanted and needed and told me it was done. I prepared the files for print and web, accepted payment and sent over the files.
I personally wasn't very keen on the outcome at all however it was very directional and they were very confident with what the liked and wanted, and for delivering that, I am happy.
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