Contacting a Graphic Design Professional (Simon E3)

I got in touch with a Graphic Designer who works at E3 in Manchester. I had been looking at apply for an internship for a while here. This is a condensed version of our conversation.

http://www.e3creative.co.uk/

Q1. Have you got any internships going at the moment?
A1. Sorry but we don't have any unfortunately, we're currently undergoing a big rebuild of the companies infrastructure, plus with all the massively tight deadlines we have for the next upcoming months we can't provide the resources to allow any work experience for the next 5-6 months.

But here are some other companies to look into;
Code computer love
AHOY
creative spark
Cube3
Or
We are empire

Q2. What do you look for in a Portfolio?
A2. If you present 2 portfolios to an agency, one of experiments with typography and one with a mix of illustrations, typography, logos, icons, UX...etc. they are more likely going to look at the second one. Demonstrating a mixture of skills is so much better than a singular.

When looking at portfolios, we just look for just fresh work and experience. There's nothing more disappointing when you see someone's portfolio and it's an advert they did at the beginning of college 4+ years ago! Always keep your work up to date with the times! Sport is usually a great thing to work on because for example one guy we took on decided to work on some
Also when displaying work, always mock it up and put it in a lifestyle setting. Just showing poster ads on their own on a big price of blank paper is boring, alongside it make sure you mock it up on things like billboards.,,etc. For example when we pitch for new projects and work up an initial concept we always present it in a lifestyle shot of someone holding an iPad, and most of the time we also work up a mobile concept too, to show that were thinking of things from all angles!
It's also great to see things you've done on your own time, such as font experimentation, illustrations, logos and ideas you've had at home...etc

Q3. Which Software do you use/should I be able to use?
A3. Photoshop or fireworks, illustrator and InDesign are usually the main 3. InDesign is for doing any print layouts such as brochures leaflets letterheads...
Q4. I have 2/3 briefs left to do, what would you recommend to focus on?
A4. I'd say anything digital with the way things are going so any desktop, tablet or mobile you have.unsure emoticon

Triptych Brief

Brief

A peer asked the class to get involved with a brief that he had written for his Extended Practice. We were to create a poster which would be displayed within a set of three, triptych. I decided to ask two other members of my class to work as a group and decide on more of a theme for our posters.

What is Triptych

Theme/Concept

I was in a group with two other of my peers, Jessica Johnson and Lucy Stronach. We all agreed that focussing on line and shape would be rather interesting. It would allow the work to appear part of a theme/group whilst also featuring personal variation. This works within the theme of 'Triptych'.

My Final Design

Above, you can see that I combined line, shape and colour together to create something within our agreed theme/concept. I used triangles within the design to visually represent 'three', triptych.
 Along with shape I also used three colours which in fact created more of a variation as I reduced the opacity as the reveal and create more shades when overlaid with other colours.

Social Media

Work listed as follows;

Taylor Pycroft

Lucy Stronach

Jessica Johnson

Influence and Experience

Being involved with this brief gave me the experience of working to someone else's deadline as well as working within a group, yet creating various designs, as though we were a creative collective.

 I quite enjoyed the way that this brief worked out and am grateful for this experience. It has revealed how well I can work in this way which is similar to how studio's, in the real Graphic Design industry, work also.

Pressision Printing Visit

 

Pressision have started to print using white ink. They are one of the first and only printers that are doing this. The only way of doing this before hand is to screen print.

  
  
Both of these cards above are duplexed and foiled on the front, one in gold and the other in silver
 The back of the cards are left blank, which allows the company to just digitally print the details of the employee on the back as and when needed. This technique is much more cost effective.
  
Both of these designs are embossed and spot varnished. This creates a more textured, professional looking business cards.

  
  
Pressision have used a technique coined 'sandwiching', where three coloured layers of card (grey, fuchsia, grey) are pressed together to create a band of colour around the outer cards.
 They have also printed using white ink which allows potential customers to see they can do this.

OUGD602: PPP: Study Task: Context You

Brief

Our brief was to think about who we are and how things within our general life affect our Graphic Design work.

We were to think about;
- Ethical and sustainability - (I wouldn't work for specific companies)
- Communities
- I like to enjoy my work, obviously, and tend only to take jobs that I will enjoy!
- I prefer to work alone- I don't enjoy voicing my opinion to people that I do not know since I start to get nervous about how others will perceive me
- Personal (Family and friends are very, very important- love to do work that will mean a lot to people- individuals- nostalgia)
- I don't know what I prefer to do just yet within GD, I am still exploring!
- Connecting with a certain group
- Music
- Fitness
- Baking (Cake & Food)
- Making friends and contacts

My Outcome

I chose to bake a brownie since

- I thought it would be pretty funny- Humour is essential

- Chocolate gives me the will to blog- Sugar rush is needed

- I love to bake (and eat), especially desert

- It reflects my sweet tooth and personality (Sometimes)

- The enjoyment I get from eating and baking is also how I feel I should see my Graphic Design work

- Baking/cooking reminds me of family. This makes it feel personal, which a reflection of how I like to work; I prefer to design something that someone will really appreciate. For example, one of my briefs this year is to design etc my cousins wedding, another is to design and print my Families personal Christmas wrapping paper

- The ‘serving for 1’ represents my love of working alone

- Yet there is always a way to increase the recipe to cater for more people/groups/families

- This brownie is made without any animal products, this reflects my love of animals and my moral views

- Using a green background on this little card reflects my ‘green’ lifestyle in all aspects. I recycle, eat healthily (bar the odd brownie) and actively try to make a difference when it comes to the Earth. For instance I am against Fracking and try to attend any activist marches and meets as I can.

 In addition to this, I felt that it was essential that I mention that I like order, making lists and following them as they are written. This is similar to how a recipe works.

I have started to enjoy my work as much as I love baking and eating.

In short,

- I love to bake my cake and eat it -

12 Word Quote

Our next task was to write down, in 12 words, something that relates to, or works with your task outcome.

I chose to write out a Mary Berry quote as she is someone that is famous for her baking, she is a baking inspiration. This particular quote links with my work and personality quite well as it is rather cheeky and funny and yet I too, on occasion, find myself unable to sleep with worry or excitement about an ongoing project.

Work Experience: FX Signs and Stickers

Experience

Over summer, I contacted many studio's in my home town enquiring about possible placements.

 I managed to contact a local company named 'FX Signs and Stickers' and was employed (payed work) immediately.

This company focuses on designing and printing professional products such as;

- Banners (for all occasions

- Shop Signage

- Window Art (Vinyl)

- Wall Art (Vinyl)

- Posters

- PVC Banners for Events

- Stickers

- Ceramic Mug Printing

- Thermal Flask Printing

- Car Vinyl/Stickers

- Health & Safety Signage

- Business Cards/Logo Designs

(Images not available as they would not give me permission)

I worked alongside another designer for a month. During this time I gained knowledge of their new software, techniques, products, designs, the business and our clients. After the first month, I then worked alone for a further month as the head designer. I worked with current and new clients, bringing fresh ideas, designs and partners to the company.

Whilst working for FX, I re-designed their business cards, flyers and banner brochure for our partners to create a more professional appearance, yet the design is not exactly what I would have chosen, I simply worked with the owner of the company who was insistent on a particular (unprofessional looking) design.

Although these are not as I would have designed myself, they look much more professional and aesthetically pleasing than the older ones.

(Images not available as they would not give me permission)

Additional Work;

Continual Work

Although I am moving back to Leeds for university, the company would still like to work with me. It has been agreed that I will have access to their accounts and emails as to continue occasional work with them. From this I will gain more experience and income.

 I am hoping that from this I will gain clients of my own as I am already, after a month, being asked for personally.

Wedding Photography/Photoshop

Whilst working for FX, I also worked with a local professional photographer. I taught him the basics of Photoshop. He has asked me to aid him when doing a Wedding job, where I will simply be editing the images. This will, again, be paid work.

Carnage Cricket Bat Designs & Typeface

My company has a yearly contract with Carnage, a cricket bat company. Each year they return to have their branding/stickers on their bats re-designed. I have been tasked with doing this as I am classed as the head designer until I leave. I am going to use this as one of my client briefs for Design Practice.

Design I Like : Leeds Museum Art Exhibition

These designs were influenced my music and graffiti. They combine these together to create these interesting, bold typographical designs.

 The influence of the music is reflected by using a circular disk to print/design onto.

Colour also plays a larger role here. The bright, neon and black contrast against each other in order to stand out against, if it was to be actual graffiti, walls/fences etc. All of these design aspects work together to create a bold and interesting variation of designs.

 

  

This work made me realise that colour can be used to contrast and be a reference, for example, the neons link back to graffiti and 'rave' even, this then relates to an era. The different styles of graffiti are also linked to various times.

 In addition, showcasing such designs in a museum relates to the constant conversation of whether graffiti is destructive or a piece of art. Surely, in this case, it is seen as art.

Design I Like: Spiralink Studio Influence: Dot Technique

Spiralink Studio Influence: Dot Technique

Recently, I have started to follow more people on social media. The designs above are from my Instagram feed by 'Spiralink Studio'.

 Using my love of pattern, shape and minimalism in hand with the images above, I designed the below images.

I wanted to combine my love for lines with the technique of 'bubbling' from Spiralink Studio's. This is how my work turned out.

I started by sketching the curved shapes, inspired by corn and continued to 'bubble' within them. Lastly, I added the feathered effect around the border, inspired again, from corn.

Design I Like: Liverpool World Museum

  

These images really stood out to me amongst the rest of the exhibitions within the museum.

 They are similar to that seen within collages as they appear to incorporate and combine various design aspects such as colour, texture, shape and image. They seem to be rather abstract pieces and although each is different from the rest, they work well as a set of designs.

 Each explores colour and movement in a slightly different way allowing the audience to interpret each in their own way.

This is inspiring and shows me that you can really experiment when creating a set of designs. They can all differ greatly, as sen above, and yet as long as you have a strong concept, they can be identified to be one project, simply explored in many ways.

Design I Like: LCA Final Third Year Exhibition: My Favourite Work

Third Year Exhibition: My Favourite Work

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above are some images of my favourite, inspirational work that I saw from the 3rd years final exhibition (2015). All of this work stood out to me amongst the others and I think I have started to realise what kind of work and design I am drawn to and would like to create.

 Looking at the above imagery, most of them are very minimal, handmade/hand-drawn/illustrative and simple. Yet they are detailed and some are pattern-like/repetitive.

Design I Like: Bents: Product Packaging Design

Bents

I wanted to blog about these products which have inspired me a great deal when designing packaging for a brief. The colours and illustrations, especially the first set, below, have influenced my work a great deal.

Snack Packaging

The brand, 'Cartwright & Butler' are known for being a 'vintage', classy and minimal. Their packaging and type reflects this well, as using serif fonts provides an upmarket appearence whilst also feeling important. Serif fonts are used in books, newspapers and other documentation as they are seen to be more readible and legible compared to other font families. The decoration (serifs) provide detail and intricacy to the text, creating an expensive, highbrow feel.

 As for the colours used, the pastel themed pallette creates an elegant, 'Homemade' feel. This is simply as when we think of 'homemade' foods, our minds tend to drift to a housewife preparing dinner for her family in a countryside cottage, which are typically decorated in such pastel colours seen above. These are simple connotations linked with the colours and label 'homemade'.

The windows are used to allow the potential customers to view the physical goods within. This allows them to imagine using/eating this particular product. This technique works when selling most goods as we are visual creatures.

 The shape of the windows create interest and provides a running theme throughout the brand. The food within creates a pattern through the shaped window, relating again, to this vintage, classy minimal, yet homemade feel and theme throughout.

Beer Bottle Branding

The simple use of brightly coloured bands, ensures that this brand is more prominent. Each flavour is colour coded making it easier for the audience to quickly grab their favourite one. This, along with the overall bright design, would help with sales within a store.

 I really am drawn to the minimal designs, simply using type and colour and this particular brand stood out to me right away. Their branding is obviously working.

The simple use of colour and illustration catching the customers attention and creates an intruiging packaging design. The detail within the illustration makes us naturally want to investigate and look more closely at the bottle. As we are reading, the flavours and brand may than intice us to try this one rather than out regular brand.
 Although the illustration is detailed, it is in 1 colours (and stock) allowing the colour band which displays the name and flavour to be the more prominent area of the bottle. This balance creates an aesthetically pleasing product and is not too overpowering and overcrowded.

Wine & Juice Branding

The simplicity of the branding above, the white text on frosted glass, provides a minimal, classy appearance. The bright colours representing each flavour, is in fact, the colour of the liquid contained within the bottles. These colours will help the audience identify the specific flavour that they are looking for with one glance. This speeds up the buying process. These bold colours and prominent amongst the other brands in this particular aisle in the store. This will increase sales as people are drawn to this companies product first of all.
 Although the type used is simply white and stands alone, the script typeface adds detail and intricacy, strengthening the classy appearance whilst also delivering a more 'human' and friendly aesthetic, as the text appears handwritten. This juxtaposes the very unnatural, vibrant, bright colours of the liquid itself.
 The components used create a balance of minimal, classy and fun to provide an interesting, experimental and fun product.


These bottle designs, top shelf, really grabbed my attention. The overcrowded, 'fruity', illustrative style connotes something fresh, healthy and tasty. I actually bought this drink (top left bottle) to try, but more so, to keep the bottle.
 The design is interesting within itself and combines the above ideas with repetition and geometric style patterns, especially around the neck. These all connote such things as travel, money.