OUGD602 PPP 03 Brief 01 Self Branding Workshop Notes: DIY Identity

This workshop was mainly structured around discussion. We were asked to think about what we would want our self branding to do and why.
Two words that stood out for me were 'explain' and 'Interact'. This is because the major thing that I want to achieve with my self branding is to explain my process, style and approach to design work. The main aspects of this being the way I am a very social worker (I like to work alongside if not with others and do my best work when I work like this) hens the word 'interact'.

However, an idea that soon appeared in a lot of peoples branding was how the audience of your self branding can fluctuate depending on the work you do. Sometimes it might be other designers and other times it might be clients that want freelance design work done.

For me this manifests its self in my chalk boarding. The things that I want to present to independent cafes tat might want a chalkboard done is completely different to that which I would want to present to possible employers. For example, to cafes I would want to communicate that chalkboard design and creation is my main priority and skill. However, to a studio I would need to communicate both my individuality as a designer and my flexibility of skill.

These intended messages dictate directly the format the self promotion is in. We talked about interactive deign and how this could be a good way to achieve a long lasting effect on whoever receives you branded mercy or promotional material.

After this workshop I have definitely decided to use the idea I developed in the DR. Me workshop in my PPP self branding because it manages to address all these issues whilst still expressing me as a person and designer. I could however, develop this idea into a chalkboard oriented design set that could be used for my chalkboard freelance design promotion.

OUGD603 and OUGD602 Extended Practice Brief 01 SU Work Part 2 Elections Visiting Footprint

After talking with the SU about the possibility of using Risograph printing for the elections campaign Billie and I looked into fotprint printers in Leeds as one of the main Risograph printers we were aware of. When we loked at their website we had our concerns about the scale of the job we would have for them, but thught it worth getting in touch to talk through the project and pssible pricing.

I emailed James who it turns out used to be a students at LCA and we aranged for Billie and myself to visit them to talk everything through on Friday the 16th of October.

However, after a lengthy walk to their location out in chapeltown we arrived to find that James was ill and no one could talk through our project with us. I offered to leave my number so we could be contacted mor directly than email but they said that email would be enough.

After looking at their set up and how unprofessional they seem to be I really think that this owuld be the  wrong job for them. We have too much of a tight deadline and to much to print for the small scale set up they have. I think we will go on to research some other options for printers but pssibly maintain the risograph texure because it is smething the SU and myself were so set on.

OUGD602 PPP 3 Visiting Professional and Brief Dr. Me

Dr. Me had a long talk about the way they got to where they are today.

The major take away was how they addressed self promotion and how that got them jobs when they were just starting out.

The brief they set for the day and further if we chose to take it further was to create a piece of design of our choice that cmmunicated us as designers. Then after today to take it and turn it into a mailer for studios and other oprtunities, to draw attention to us and our work.

I started by looking at the kind of places i wanted to appeal to and my practice. The two main cross overs were a hands on approach and a social design process.

This got me thinking about the people in the studio around me and how the people in your environment shape your design.

I already collect quotes and things that people say that make me laugh or I simply want to remember. I want to take some of these to make visuals that studios and designers might want to put up in their studio simply becasue they make them laugh.

One of my favourite quotes I have collected so far is from Dec "oh my god chrome, stop being such a bitch!"

I wanted to make more than just a poster, I got thinking about my brand Elittlebeth design and how I could make something small like maybe a designed little book of post its with these quotes on.

To play on the comedy of the quote I wanted to creat a contrast between the content and the aesthetic. The first words lead me to the idea of using blackletter calligraphy (like in religious texts) becuase that combined with the "oh my god" at the beginning make the end of the quote all the more funny. I started with a flat brush and ink to play with the scale and see how the layout and lettering would develop.

After a lot of struggling with drawing up a grid each time for the lettering, I made up a digital grid and printed out multiple sheets to work on rather than waisting good paper.

I looked at working at a smaller scale to see how it could actualy work on a post it.

I really like this design and this is what I had produced by the end of the day. However, because of two other extended practice briefs that I am focusing on this week along with my COP 3 I am not sending in a finished design to DR.Me on Friday. I will pick up this brief later on in the year though becuase I can see it is a valuable thing for me to do and could even work to get me some work experience. I will maybe look to do it in a week or two.

I HAVE PICKED UP THIS BRIEF ON MY DESIGN PRACTICE BLOG

OUGD603 & OUGD602 Extended Practice Reflection First CommercialChalkboard

I have recently done my first real life application chalkboard. There are a few things I have taken away from this. The major one is that I would like to do more of these. They are quite grueling, especiall when they are this size, but to step away at the end and know I did that with my hands and my mind and nothing else, is a wonderful feeling that I want to keep having.

There are also some tips that I want to employ next time I do one of these:

- Take breaks.

I did seven hours solid work on this including the clean down and by the end my hands were shaking with exhaustion. I need to learn that pausing for a sip of coffee is not a break.

-Do exercises both for your back and hands.

Again, this is just a tiering process, you really can't sit in the same awkward attitude for too long without it having a negative affect.

-Stay flexable.

No matter how carefully you plan the board it will always slightly fluctuate due to something unforseen, don't worry bout these changes too much, they make the board what it is.

I am going on to approach more independent cafes about chlkboards and this time I am going to be brave and ask for payment!

OUGD603 Extended Practice Live Brief and Reasons for not InteractingWith It

Visual Art and Music Briefing:

The Fresh Yorshire Aires is an initiative mixing and connecting the two areas of visual arts and music. 

It is starting out as an online exhibition that is open to any visual piece in relation to music or sound in any way.

They will then be used to stimulate the creation of some improvised music pieces. 

The brief if to find a way to brand and create a publication from the content of the exhibition. It needs to be functional but also aesthetically pleasing and be an interesting object in its self. 

Reasons for not engaging with brief:

This would be a long term collaborative brief which would monopolise a lot of my time throughout the year.mi already have my work with the students union to do this. I do not need another. Also I find it hard to discern a distinct purpose for this whole initiative, it just doesn't seem to cross over into any of my interest areas.

OUGD602 PPP Organising and Planning Around all Modules

It has been slowly creeping up on me, just how much I am going to have to juggle this year, no one is going to chase me to be organised and I need to take control now before it is too much to take control of.

So, I have started to use my calendar app as a separate thing to my google calendar and college workshops and classes. This way it looks far more manageable and I prefer having timetables college events separate to the work I need to do in my own time.

I started with a google docs to split down the work in each module that I need to do and then colour coded for urgency (the scary thing is the pink is stuff that needs doing this month). This is a document that will change as the year progresses but it is a good starting point for a working doc.

At the beginning of each day I look at my two calendars and put together a to do list.

The main aspects of this to do list are then colour coded by module relivance and written into my dairy. Hopefully this system of multiple formats reminding me to do things will stop me from forgetting anything. It only takes 5 mins in the morning to sort out now that it is up and running so, let the trial period commence!

OUGD602 Made You Look at the Hyde Park Picture House

As Part of my Research for my COP 3 work I went to see a documentary and Q and A with the director at the Hyde Park Picture House. It was a look into the Graphic Arts field and the DIY status of simply making things in such a digital age and why and how it still holds a place in our culture.

It was an incredibly inspiring evening and it really got me thinking about my plans for the year. Throughout the documentary people were talking about doing the things tat they would do in their spare time as their main earning skill. When I think about it, my thing that I do in my spare time is lettering. So, why then am i spending all my time this year spreading myself around and doing lots of stuff just to prove that I can do it? 

There is an element of fear in just saying, 'i want to do lettering and typography' because it feels like I am cutting myself off from opportunities. However, I also think that I should spend the precious time I have left on this course doing things that I want to try and do later but may not have the freedom to do so. When people talk about portfolios people say, do the work that you want to do more of and I think that is exactly what I am going to try and do.

Before this I had already done my presentation for my intentions for the year and written out my briefs. However, I think I am going to re-visit and re-work these to make sure I am doing the work that I want to do more of. Specifically lettering and typography, with a focus on craft processes.

Below are the briefs I had Planned to do and the presentation that went with them.

Third Year Design Briefs from Crystalbeth

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Third year from Crystalbeth

OUGD602 PPP Evaluating Last Self Branding

My previous years personal branding has soon started to loose its charm. I really feel that it no longer represents me as a designer. The biggest warning came when I was putting together my Dalton Maag application and having this logo at the top of a load I samples of my work. It just didn't fit.

There are lots of reasons, upon revisiting this work, that it doe t represent me:

-Digital format (I am not a digital designer, I may dabble but it is not what I want to focus on)

-Lack of colour (I use and enjoy using colour in my work, and not a minimal black and white designer)

-Over ornamented (a little ornamentation is good but I feel this has too much and has become fussy and busy)

What I need to consider for my new self branding:

- Keep the name (despite the visuals of my last brand I do think the name represents me, there is a pun and it has the right, slightly self depreciating tone)

- Hand made feel (to reflect my hand made work)

- Possibilities for application (physical applications that are different and eye catching)

I guess the next step is to start drawing and isolate the tone of voice that I want to create with this identity.