Time to Get Online: Response to Feedback

Learning Objectives: 6A2, 6C2

Based on advice received I've redesigned my website on Ready-mag to make it easier to navigate, changing the colours and adding a menu for quick access to certain projects (see figure 1). I've decided to rethink the website a little as upon reflection of my initial site I feel my work could be showcased better. I've also gained a better understanding of Ready-mag since my initial site making it easier to navigate and create a separate page for each project (see figures 1-2). Adding a slideshow on the loading page allows for a quick view of my work, each brief organised in the order of the menu (see figure 1). The layout of each page follows the layout of the loading page to create consistency throughout the site. Furthermore having my name and links at the top rather than fixed to the side of the website works better as its more visible as users are used to looking at the top of a website for information. It also frames the the site more as all information is featured below the line which divides the navigation bar and the rest of the site (see figures 1-5). In relation to the work featured the same images and rationals have been used with my gifs being corrected to be slower and more user friendly. This variation is more reserved/traditional than the previous sight however the use of colour adds an intersting element to the site allowing it to standout against traditional site whilst still being easy to navigate. Furthermore the layout allows each brief to be presented in a professional and easily digestable manner.

Website

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

How to Get Paid

Learning Objectives: 6A2

Within this workshop we looked at how much we'd charge a client for different jobs:

How much would you charge for a logo for a student business?
£50-100

How much would you charge for an Indie mag design?
£250-300

How much would you charge for branding a festival?
£1000

This exercise was intersting as I realised I was undercharging once we discussed what others would charge based on experience and time spent on a brief. This discussion helped me realise that clients are paying for experience, knowledge and education therefore confidence is key as perception is important when charging clients, as you need to have confidence in what you do. Therefore to help identify what I need to charge in future we looked at monthly costs to help identify the minimum I would need to make as a freelancer. However the actual amount I'd want to make would be around 3x more than my outgoings to help cover costs and balance income out over the months to cover varying work flow. A key aspect of charging clients is setting a deadline and delivering on that date, asking for 50% upfront also important before starting so not having to wait until end to be paid. 

Monthly Outgoings: £635
Weekly budget - £60 
Rent - £380 
Creative Cloud - £14.50 

Ideally would want to make £1900-£2000 per month 
Another tool suggested to help price freelancers is yourrate.co which helps freelancers work out their rates. 

Contracts and Chasing Payments:
An important part of freelancing is contracts and getting paid on time. 
Contract:

• List deliverable in detail 
• Price and delivery 
• how much £ and when to be paid 
• Rights:
• once delivered client owns work 
• authorship/credit - client owns work but still must credit designer 
• Illustrations:
• renewal fees
• logo sold on yr long term, therefore must be renewed for continued use 
• 50% of original fee
• Cancellations 
• if cancelled or unused still must be paid in full 
• Artist Creative vision 

Tips:

• sending email from an 'accountant' using bold and red, 'accounts@company.com' 

Invoicing:
Include:

• name 
• invoice number
• date
• client 
• reference number 
• Detailed costs 
• Title 
• Item 1
• Item 2 etc.
• Terms 
• Total 

Invoice-generator can also help

If freelancing need to register for self assessment for tax - gov.co.uk unique tax reference number 

Check VAT - over £70k 

GLUG: Xibit

Learning Outcomes: 6A2 and 6B2

Glug-xibit - event 

How creative practitioners are inspired by own personal collections 

Glug club - discounts  

Getty - 40% Getty images glug20 

Melanie hough Getty images 

Ideas are to objectives as constellations are to stars Walter Benjamin 

Curating is enlivening stuff, collections

Founded in 1854 - London stereoscopic 

1500 collections 

Jpg by email rather than prints by posts allows images to be accessible 

Archived and collection 

Not really the collector more caretaker 

Collectors trying to leave trace of themselves 

History before history 

Unpacking history of images can learn about people involved which adds value to the images 

Maker of photograph brings image to life 

Collections of last frames? End of film 

Start as object- story of object image as subject for social changes - Yosemite protection 

Aesthetic point of view- visual juxtaposed 

Shoes photographic ambition 

Images going into other collections 

Getty achieve 

Adam Allsuch Boardman - AAAB illustration

An illustrated history of filmmaking 

Home on grange 

Collections - information 

Game modding - making games prettier 

Infographics for modding communities 

Manage large amounts of assets - textures, images 

All of the tin tin book 

9 months foundation and ba illustration at Lau 

In-depth collection of picture house 

Joiner photography - documenting as muoch spatial information as possible 

Modled whole building in sketch 

Picture house into illustration book

Vegan based on reading and imagery surrounding film 

Collecting raw information and quantify 

Refined colours over time 

Pinterest - reference imagery 

How objects changed over number of years 

It’s ok to go backwards don’t have to over complicate things 

Home on Lagrange build a space station 

Card game 

Research based on 1970s space utopia 

Looked into audiobooks and podcasts 

Research helps avoid creative block collect information

Created a data bank of rules: colours, people, cars etc 

Helps keep designs consistent 

Experiments became a collection

Health response to media your consuming in a creative way 

Other collections:

Communicated flat explanations 

Explore interests 

After effects 

Space mountains - collections of facts

AAAD 

Oli Bentley - split studio 

These northern Types:

• Exhibition of 16 typographic artworks and writing 
• Bunch of books in 1 book 
• Explored different materials and processes 

Starting point:

• Proud of being northern wanted do typographic project 
• Big questions came up 
• What it means to be from a place 
• Is it important to be from somewhere 
• Northern provided a lens to explore issues that effect all 

Liberating process of going backwards 

Reverse identity exploding things apart 

Many identities 

Curating questions, investigating the right thing 

Didn’t want to define northern but what it means to be from the north 

Started Looking at:

• Born and bread proper northern through an through 
• Used old maps and responded to crest typographically 
• The idea of the other 

Talking to people 

• Old people home 
• Sat and talked to ruby - northern sole what made her norther 
• Loose bits of ourselves - memory 
• Cultural memory loss 
• Melted lead type of Ruby’s words 
• Printed from melted type 

Typeface for the north 

• Largest letterpress in world 
• Based on cross section if steal 
• People didn’t feel like begging heard - big poster so felt heard 
• Helped by engineers as type was laser cut and welded 

Northern separate to Englishness 

Printed on England flag with sound installation 

No nonsense northern

Low threshold for bullshit 

Profound - bullshit 

Wheel of fortune 

Attachment to place 

Launch for the north set in London 

Legal application to trademark the north 

Northern identity is a myth 

Place based identity is a myth 

Make sure it’s positive and progressive 

How Oli Felt throughout:

• Imposter syndrome 
• Terror of going of on lim 
• Less scared to put yourself out there 

These Northern Types books 

Laura wellington:

Co founder and director of duke studios 

75 resident companies 

Print - collection 

150 prints 

Started with mum - artists printing company 

Worked at factory 4 

Collection is a journey 

Jonny Akers Bristol 

No brow 

Loop arts fair - leeds marshals mill

Laura Wellington 

Instagram Professionals Talk

Learning Objectives: 6B2, 6A2, 6D2

In order to started brainstorming ideas of who we would want to bring into uni the group (Emma, Lizzie, Kat, Ali, Dani and I) started looking at designers and studios we like ourselves to identify if any get work via their Instagram.

Initial ideas:

• Benjamin Craven
• Meme Gold 
• not necessarily a designer 
• Split Studio - Oli Bentley 
• doesn't get work from Instagram 
• AIGA Eye on Design 
• Kenneth Vanoverbeke 
• Aaron Lowell Denton 
• Roboto Food - Eve Warren 
• PrintedGoods 

Meme Gold - 9k

Meme Gold 

Benjamin Craven 10k

Printed Goods 35k 

Chosen Printed Goods:
Printed Goods is a collaborative project between two twin brothers based in Bristol. 

"Founded Printed Goods as a collaborative creative project with the ambition to combine our practice as designers with our passion for high-quality lifestyle products."

"With an intuitive, aesthetically-driven approaches and bold, graphic style, we now design and produce a range of unique printed, clothes and home accessories."

Ethos: "to bring art to the everyday"

"We have collaborated with a number of large brands including Dr Martens, Peroni, Earl of East London and Mr Porter and our designs have been featured in a variety of publications, from It's Nice That to FT Magazine."

Final Presentation:

Time To Get Online Feedback

Learning Objectives: 6C2 6A2

Time To get online general feedback:

• Image quality
• Image Consistency 
• Better Copy 
• descriptions about projects
• Site Structure that's Intuitive 
• continous scroll? 

Individual Feedback:

Elements of work really well, others need a re-think or different approach. The background colour makes everything look seamless and slick. I think the type is complimentary and the overlays are cool. Industry advice GIF is too fast. A navigation tool such as a menu or click to top bottom would aid usability of the site as its a little too long at the moment. 

Self-Promo

Learning Objectives: 6B2, 6A2, 6D2

Instagram:
powerful platform for creative professionals
not primary focus but helpful tool

Task:
Work in groups to identify specialist/ professional who can help
Must email a compelling case as to why the professional would be helpful:

• Visuals 
• Stats 
• Story 

Considerations:

• Who is the person/studio (background) 
• How big is their following?
• What makes their content engaging?
• Does their Instagram win them work?
• What do you think you could learn from them?
• What would you like to ask them?
• Stick to UK if possible 

Formats:

• pdf/deck
• formal presentation rather than just text in an email 

Pitching/Networking

Learning Objectives:
6C2
6D2

Talk about your work effectively:

• communication is essential part of skill set 
• confidence and clarity 
• can add value to average work 
• build it up 
• Most good designers/ those who have achieve a lot are good communicators 

Communication - strategies and advice :

• Pitching 
• elevated pitch - no visuals 
• pitching an idea in under 1 minute, clear and concise 
• sentence:
• what: core idea? whats the project about 
• how: how does it work? fundamental aspects, output 
• why: why it works? concept, purpose, 
• networking:
• hunter.io 
• Submissions:
•  consider 
• audience 

Elevated Pitch: football flag 

• What
• football flag commenting on fan culture based on the atmosphere created by fans.
• Football flag based on fan culture
• How 
• flag uses an article which rated the atmosphere created by fans of teams within the premier league within their home ground. 
• ranks fans based on atmosphere using a 4-4-2 formation 
• Why 
• to encourage more fans to chant at football matches by inciting their natural rivalry they feel against the opposing teams within the league. 
• encourages fans to chant by targeting the rivalry within the premier league. 

Football flag commenting on fan culture which ranks fans based on atmosphere using a 4-4-2 formation to encourage fans to chant by targeting the rivalry within the premier league. 

Simon Sinek - TED TALK:

• brands can tell you:
• what they do 
• can tell you how 
•  Apple disrupts things as they can tell consumers why, started with why-purpose 
• created a USP against the competition 
• creates a consumer culture/ desire / emotional brand connection 
• innovation is key 

Email addresses:

• hunter.io 
• Google- verbatim (use to help verify) 
• best guess - to: 
• second guesses: bcc 
• think carefully about structure, keep it quick (elevator pitch)
• keep it clear and concise - have a clear message - make a request 
• try and elevate to face to face meeting as soon as possible 
• keep it interesting, light and engaging - gif?
• try social media if all else fails - slide into the dms 
• start earlier - time zone relevant 

TASK 1: Getting Online

Learning Objectives: 6C2, 6A2

In order to showcase my work I decided to create a new website that was more unconventional than my existing site that I made during summer (see figure 1). Ready-mag has been used as I like the navigational tools used within some of the examples I found online (see figure 2). In relation to the work I plan on featuring within my portfolio all photos have been taken and rationals written as there used within my other website. However a key consideration when creating my new site was consistency, trying to make different briefs look like a cohesive and consistent body of work despite each outcome being different. This lead to the use of black backgrounds surrounding the imagery as this is how I showcase a lot of work on Instagram, allowing not only for consistency on my website but across my online platforms (see figures 3-4). Although I initially liked Ready-mag I found it difficult to navigate as a completely new page could be created on the free version therefore I decided to create an infinite scroll based site. This allowed me to showcase all my work on one page with a small rational for each (see figures 3-6), giving the impression of a page for project as you can only see one project per scroll. The use of pink and blue create an interesting and engaging contrast which instantly stands out against traditional portfolio sites similar to the one I currently have (see figure 1).  Featuring a quote related to each brief alongside the photos also adds a more playful aspect to the website, giving it an additional unusual element. In order to allow easy contact I've linked both my Instagram and email so viewers can click and be taken directly to an email or my Instagram. 

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Web Clinic

Learning Objectives:
6C2
6D2

Sites to take inspiration from:
Soren Danileson

• soren.works

Is displaying consistency in your work more important than showing everything

• context in more important than consistency 
• swap and change projects depending on what your applying for 
• up to you how much you feature 
• syddharth.com 
• simple about page 
• fabrik (look at) 
• look professional 3 or 6 even number 
• keep in mind how will look on phone as well as desktop 
• josephlebus.co.uk 
• clairekoster.com 
• typography based 
• navigation easy 
• transparent overlay
•  fanqiaowang.com 

Mail to link:

• cmd k
• mailto: email address 

PDF Portfolio

In order to start contacting studios for internships, I've developed a pdf portfolio that matches the aesthetic of my website as I felt a pdf is more likely to get opened as all the information is contained within the one email. I've included a short statement of who I am as a designer/what my focus is in order to communicate more of my approach within the portfolio rather than focusing on the finish outcome. Furthermore I've included short summaries of each brief chosen, explaining the approach and concept behind each outcome. I've finished with my Instagram and email so they can see more if needed on Instagram and also contact me. Ending on my contact information is likely to remind them to reply. 

Task 1: Website/Self-Promo

Learning Objective: 6C2 6D2

Submission Date:

29/11/18 - 15:00 

Task:
Two weeks to get a personal website live

• Portfolio 
• or what suits your practice 
• Behance - doesn't count 
• Be mindful of photos 

Must Have:

• consistent application of personal branding 
• curated selection of your work 
• present your best work 
• doesn't have to include everything you've ever done 
• an engaging bio 
• keep professional, interesting 
• personality, interests
• think about audience and clients 
• Include contact details and socials 
• keep professional 
• All links must function 
• inbound and outbound 
• Give projects context with intriguing copy 
• show process 
• clients, brief, what you wanted to solve 

Web Clinic - Friday 23rd November 

Helpful sites:

• Squarespace 
• Persona.co 
• Cargo Collective 
• Readymag

Visioning and planning: Building your future and managing your time

Learning Objectives: 6A2
Visioning:
'a way to live a life of choice, not chance'

Aim:
a picture of success looks like at a particular point in the future, described with enough richness of detail that you'll know when you've arrived'

Vision should be:

• Inspiring
• Detailed 
• Documented 
• Communicated 
• Little Scary 

'a vision without execution is a hallucination' - Thomas Edison 

if you don't push yourself to go beyond your comfort zone, how will you ever overachieve?
Your vision inspires and informs the actions that bring you closer to your goal

You can break a vision, no matter how big, into smaller, manageable actions and tasks

This morning:
First draft of vision
Rules:

• set your vision five or ten years in future 
• start by writing the date 
• Present tense, where you are at that time 
• Professional and Personal - average day, schedule, work 
• cover everything that defines success to you 

9/11/2018

Its November 2023 and I’m living in New York in my own flat, working within a small studio a few days a week as an art director having previously worked in Liverpool and Manchester. I’m working on a mix of projects some driven by social issues, but other client driven briefs in order bring money into the studio. 

Outside of work I’m undertaking personal projects both freelance and for fun, selling prints, cards online. I’m happy and content with where I am and where I want to be, focused on doing things that I enjoy rather than the things I think I should be doing. I’m earning a sufficient amount to sustain living in New York for the next few years with visits home, trying to save £300 per month to fund trips home/holidays. 

I have a good work life balance, working 8am - 6pm with weekends off exploring the city and doing personal projects. I have enough time for work, socialising and keeping fit with different activities, boxing and gym. I’ve met new people, making more of an effort to socialise to maintain new friendships, going to gigs and trying new places/bars with friends. I’m regularly attending design events within the city to increase my creative network and meet new people. 

Contacting Studios: Fieldwork

I discovered Fieldwork on Instagram as they came up as a suggestion of people to follow whilst I was looking at studios in Manchester. I really liked the work I saw on Instagram so explored their website to find out more about them and their work (see figures 1-4). I felt their studio values made them very approachable due to their focus on improvement and collaboration, making the studio seem more welcoming and friendly than other studios with a more corporate driven approach to their website (see figure 1).  Upon looking at their work I was particularly fond of their brand identity for Voltalab due to the simplicity backed by a strong concept (see figures 2-4). I used this project as a talking point within my email as I wanted to learn more about the project and enquire about work experience (see figure 5). No reply was received which on reflection could be due to the short nature of the email. I wanted to keep the email short and have a clear ask (work experience) however more information about myself, skills and personality could have been added to show the research I had put in. The short nature of the email makes it appear rushed which is something I hadn't considered at the time. Therefore in future I need to elaborate more to show my interest, but referencing certain details rather than just the project name. 

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5