Boomer's PPD Blog

As part of the personal project i'm working on with a couple of friends for the t-shirt company Fallen Heart Clothing I re-worked a logo that had been sketched out originally and then printed onto vinyl a set of stickers for use as promotional material. I've also set up an online shop with some very basic designs on that can be bought should you wish!Basically what you do is create your designs (in RGB format) and upload them as PNG's onto your online shop. Then you choose your products and where you want your design. Simples. It's quite limited in that you only have a 10" by 10" square on the front or back (or a 4" by 4" pocket) but they print anything you want and there's a whole host of products from t-shirts to hoodies to hats, bags, clocks and even video cameras.

Stickers:



Now i've rushed a few of these designs but for me this is definately the easiest way for me to see how my product might look online and on t-shirts, and its a great tool for me to correspond with my friends in business about new ideas and possible directions.
And so if you go on my online shop you'll be greeted by this wonderful sight...



And then if you fancy a particular shirt, this is how the t-shirts look on the cafepress website to order...




And that, my friends, is the bomb.

For me, business cards seem to be where the most interesting leeway lies in design terms, and I think they can be really interesting and unique, something quite special. So I want to put a bit more focus into mine when it comes to identity design and stuff.

Business cards don't have to be flat and boring - they can have some unique properties that relate to the subject matter. I want mine to have something interactive with it.

Simple logo design and layout.


Interactivity.




Contextual link

The main skills i have developed this module are my software skills with after effects and dvd studio. I really think that i have come to grips with the software and its uses, and its seems to come really easily to me. I've spent a lot of time working within the software, and although my final idents are fairly simple, i hope that comes through. This software is definately something i would like to explore more and use in future projects.

I've really enjoyed working with motion graphics, and if ever on this course i were to find a subject to look further into and further my work in it would be this. Film and moving image is a big part of my personal and now professional life/work and it comes naturally to me.

Also i have been much better at uploading and using my blog in the way it's meant to be used than in any other project i have done, to an extent that for once i don't feel like it'll be a hinderance to my final grade. This might be due to the digital nature of the work (both practice and context) and that it is then simpler to upload etc, but whatever the reason i have definately improved greatly in this area.

In a similar respect i've been much better at dedicating time and efforts consistently throughout the brief to the work at hand and not getting distracted. There's still room for improvement in the first, say, 2 weeks, but generally my organisation has been much better.

Because of the digital work, and because i already have a great affinity for film, research has been much easier. I have been able to draw on past/prior knowledge of film/film media and not necessarily have to research new items, which has been a big help. A lot of the pacing, sound and general aesthetic in what i did has been drawn from/inspired by stuff i'd already seen. It makes me realise that i need to been constantly 'updating' my own knowledge of graphic design so in future i won't have to go searching new items.

One problem with my work has been (again?) the 'design for' aspect. I still struggle to get out all my ideas on paper before selecting which to continue with. I tend to have a few ideas and sift through them in my head, developing them on the way, and when they get onto paper, they then get taken forward. The silent movie brief is a case in point - i couldn't help myself developing all the storyboards i drew, and similarily those i didnt do for the idents brief i still want to develop. I think the answer to this is obvious, however i'm not convinced that my way of working is necessarily 'wrong'.

5 things i would do differently next time -
1) get more ideas on paper before setting about developing them
2) not be scared of changing half way through. Fortunately this time i followed my instincts and continued to develop, where previously i have just got stuck then forged on with something i wasnt happy with.
3) my dvd packaging suffered as being left to last, and while not the main focus of the brief, could still have been much done a lot better. In future i'll need to give thought to the 'small' things in good time to do them as much justice as the main brief itself.
4) make sure everything is up on the blog. Even now, knowing i have done better in this than in the past, it still feels like there is work done that i've not put up.
5) continually going back to the module/brief criteria to make sure i'm fullfilling them correctly. i think its fair to say i didn't do this really at all during the last brief, which could help me get a better mark.

attendance - 5
punctuality - 5
motivation - 4
commitment -4
quantity of work - 4
quality of work - 3
contribution to the group - 3

1. As mentioned in previous tasks my past childish exploits into t-shirt design have moved on to actual work for small clothing companies and I see myself pursuing this for a long time to come.

2. However it is a growing industry with the range and quality of t-shirt designs increasing continuously and I fully understand my work is cut out, but having both knowledge and experience of the market I feel I can contribute positively.

3. I don’t see myself as being specialist in one form or method, which is something that is both good and bad – I would like to have more focus but am glad that I can work in many different areas.

4. I see myself working both freelance and as part of a creative design team

5. I think that I work well with others in creative groups and so would relish the opportunity to join a creative team to gain experience and a strong portfolio

6. I would prefer to work locally/within the country. I definitely wouldn’t refuse international work, but I would prefer to stay within the country as I love the English sensibilities, humour and culture.

7. This current module, though only a week and a half old, has seemed fairly effortless to get into, and I would like to push my efforts into digital media further beyond this module, though I’m sure I’ll be changing my tune after weeks on after effects.

8. One of my skills is idea generation and not just the production of work so I would like to be a part of the initial creative and not just the overall production

9. I see myself eventually heading a design agency, either of my own or not, and leading a team of creatives – designers, advertisers and more.

10. I would like at some point to write and direct films, either features, shorts or adverts, but either way I would like to move into motion pictures.

So just looking at some creative cv's and portfolios to get an idea of the kind of thing I'd like to do when it comes to my own personal identity...

This seems to quite an "in" thing to do - big, bold, simple text, all in capitals. It's a bit done, but I still like it ha.






From the brash and the bold to the clean and the simple. What I like about this one isn't so much the data delivery, but the form of the folder itself. It's definately different, maybe a little complicated, but overall nice and clean. Now this really addresses the notion of what a creative cv can be, and even though its not fantastically interesting, it just shows that a cv doesn't have to be some kind of flat, 2D, A4 piece of paper.



And something bit different, a lot more corporate looking but effective in its function.



Going almost completely against what I said about flat 2D cv's is that not all plain A4 cv's need be boring and dull. A little bit of ingenuity and interesting design and layout can make a big difference and make it look engaging and involving.




And I just really love this, while its actually really complicated and quite difficult to decipher its way cool and lots of fun. Good amount of infographics going on.

So this is taken from my Enterprise blog but it directly affects my PPD work I think

How will I promote myself – what do they want to hear?

These tasks are proving ever more difficult without knowing exactly what kind of designer I am/would like to be. I understand now is not the time to be pigeon-holing myself, but maybe I should be more focused? Maybe its good to be ambiguous for now? I guess time will tell. However I think I can adequately fulfill this task without such a focus, though some important factors such as whether I promote for print or screen might be important later on.


Marketing Communication Mix

Using the 6 methodologies in the marketing communication mix, here are the ones that I feel I would apply to my personal professional practice. As a new designer and not a brand or business I would be looking for, as my potential clients, design agencies or companies looking for freelance work or new employees.

Personal Selling

For any new and aspiring designer it is important to not only get your name out there, but your face as well. While a website of work examples may be useful, more importantly would be for me to physically meet/track/find potential clients, so they can meet me and view my portfolio personally. Whether successful or not in terms of paid work, hopefully I would impress/pursue them enough to be considered in future or recommended to others, and build a personal relationship with the client.

Advertising

As a designer this would be more relevant for previous work used in advertising, which potential clients would see and then contact me through past employers. It is rarely, if ever, used for personal designer promotion.

Direct Marketing

This is a very important aspect of a graphic designers personal promotion, especially freelancers/unemployed and searching. If used successfully it can be used as a fantastic first point of contact with potential clients where first impressions last. Innovative and interesting greetings cards/business cards/personalised packages well designed can stick in the mind. Personally I would, especially starting out in the business, focus on making use of this kind of promotion.

The Internet

Obviously a massively useful tool in todays society there are many ways in which it can be used efficiently and effectively, starting with web design. A well structured, easy to navigate and good looking website can be invaluable to any business, and for a new designer trying to attract potential clients. Another bonus is it is a 24 hour tool with a portfolio that can be viewed at any time, where a personal meeting for example, would last a short amount of time.

So I guess this would be the best place to start a PPD blog...I have a friend who has recently contacted me asking if I wanted to be involved in a new clothing line business he was starting, coming in as Chief Designer (sounds good doesn't it). Obviously I said yes. We met, discussed ideas and direction and this is the half-finished business plan he sent me. The plan is to get the name out by Christmas, do some promotional work with a view to being ready to sell by summer. Now, he's a bit of a flake, so I'm not pinning all my hopes on it but it sounds exciting to me.



There's a website too, though its just one page so far: