Business cards - revisited

I have finally got chance to edit my business cards and get the layout nailed! I have slightly changed the colour and have changed the typeface for the back but i am now really happy with them and they look much better printed on the coated matt stock rather than the uncoated stock i had before.

Stone Soup - Day 3

OK so after the wonderful 2 hour journey in to York today with the beautiful snow, I arrived with 3 minuets to spare and quickly had a cup of tea in my hand.

So I started off with having a talk with Ben and talked about where I am up to and getting on with. I showed him the leaflet and the concept of it being interactive and getting people to move the leaflet to navigate through it, but it wasn't quite working right so i had another go with the layout and how it would work as well as a few type issues that had arose.

Halfway through the leaflet, Ben threw me a quick turn over live brief to re design a button and banner on the imove website, so i didn't this within an hour or so and got it sent of back to Ben who set it to the client.

I then got back to the leaflet where I showed Ben and Andy a few adjustments that i had made to see what they thought. We decided that it still wasn't quite working, the images made more of an impact when they were sat together rather than on their own, so i started playing around with different layouts and formats instead.

By the end of the day i got some great layouts and now its just getting them all put together and mocked up on Friday, so should turn out really great.

Stone Soup - Day 2

Today was a really busy day in the Stone Soup studio as they had a photo shoot and meetings with clients so Ben was out for most of the day, so i got on with work from Monday developing ideas and producing mock ups and visuals for them.

Both Andy and Rhian were in the studios all day so i got a chance to talk to them, i also pitched my designs to them at the end of the day which was great to see what they thought and get their feedback. I have so far produced an interactive leaflet and some ideas for ambient advertising but its just difficult to keep within the budget.

It wasnt a massivly productive day which was quite annoying as i really want to exceed at stone soup and wow them, but think today was just an off day so hopefully ill be back on for Monday.

The day did finish on a high as we finished early and went to the pub, there was an intern who was finishing today so was good to meet the whole team as there is whole group of people downstairs who deal with public relations and promotions.

Rejuvenate Productions Visit

Today is the day when I and going into Rejuvenate Productions in Leeds to talk about what they do and what I do and see how I could fit into their team. 

Leon who co-owns the business with Richard and Joel showed me around and talked to me about what they do and the considerations with working with web. This was really useful as something i had never considered such as working to a grid (which seems obvious) but it wasn't something i had thought about before.Also he talked to me about typography and how point size shouldn't be under 12 and considering the screen resolutions that people view sites. 

It was great to see it from this side of the business, Leon is the only designer in house so all the sites are designed by him but he use to build sites so he understands what is needed. He took me through his process of designing a website starting with a navigation map which was again such an obvious thing to do but i had never had thought of it. 

I also took in my portfolio again for them to have a look through which they really liked some of the pieces, so they have said they would defiantly be interested in throwing a few design jobs my way which would be great, but they also said that if i want to send any designs into them to have a look through then they would be happy to do this. 

All in all it was a pretty great day really. Really feel like im starting to get the contacts that i need.

Stone Soup - Day 1

Today was my first day at Stone Soup for my Intern ship, i am the first of 4 to go down from the college and so i had no idea what to expect and was really nervous about what i would be doing and if i could actually deliver.
BUT
It all turned out brilliantly, we first ran through my portfolio and then Ben gave me a project that they have been developing for the past 6 months and have another 1.5 years of the contract left, so its a pretty hefty project.

It's for the arts council in conjunction with the 2012 Olympics getting people aware of events and get them moving. It's called imove and, and basically its a campaign to get people moving and to blur the lines between art and sport.

Ben gave me the outlines and limitations of the brief and I set to work with it just coming up with concepts and ideas to develop further. It was a different way of working as all the contend was provided and it was putting it together into a resolution that had the most impact or that could be most useful. Also I had a budget of £500 for a quantity of 5,000 so i had to be careful with any design finishes or techniques that would push this budget up.

By the end of the day i ran through with Ben what i had been doing and he seem to like what he saw. Out of the 4 concepts i had been working on, im going to be developing on Friday and even though there were a few mistakes when using the logos and sponsors, the concepts were strong.

Cant wait for Friday :D

Rejuvenate Productions

I have some how been unbelievably lucky with my housemate who works at Rejuvenate Productions, a web design/developing company. i happen to mention to Chris that we were doing a Web design module and how i wasn't getting out of it what i hope, so he kindly put in a word for me with his boss and took in my portfolio for them to see. 

Basically i don't want to develop websites on to the web, i simply want to design them (which we don't focus on within the web design workshops) and so Rejuvenate would be prepared to let me design some of their sites under supervision of Chris and some of the team so that i can gain an understanding of design for web. As I will be doing this along side Chris (a web designer/developer) i will fully understand what is possible and what rules and restrictions there are. 

So here are a few examples of some of the sites that Rejuvenate Productions have design and developed that are my personal favourite and just show what a great team they are.

Duffield Printers Visit

My visit to Duffield Printers last week was so useful, I learned so much about printers and how they work and the process they go through when a design comes through.

I was able to pick the mind of Jon Mcgill who works primarily with preparing design to go to print and preparing the plates. He showed me the whole process and what software they use and the problems they encounter with designs. One thing i didn't realise was how flexible they can be once a design has been sent through, they can change a document size, change RGB images automatically in to CMYK (not that this is something i should rely on) but it was good to see how much they can actually do that side of things.

Another point which i found extremely useful was how designings specify any print finishes they want and i was surprised that most of it is actually done face to face at a meeting with them where you specify what you want and what stock and finishes and then it all gets sent onto a form.

I then spend a while with Clive Elston who took me around the print factory and explained to me what it was about them that was environmentally friendly with the stocks and materials they use.

All in all it was a great day and I'm really great full that they took time out their day to show me around and answer my questions.

Giles Cook Studio Visit

My Studio Visit to see Giles Cooke went really well and i got quite a lot out of it. after finding the place, which is in the old filming studios in Faresly, I was introduced to Giles and we had a chat. 

The studio he works in is on the bottom floor of the old Sunny Bank Mills and they are great studios, the whole building is being refurbished into studios for small and medium firms. Giles hires space from 'Powerhouse Photography' who work on the bottom floor so he has a corner of the room where he works. It seems quite idealistic really, having your own space to yourself with just what you need but still surround with people who are creative and who can be there for a chatter.

Anyway, so I managed to ask Giles about what the procedure was when first contact with a client which was really helpful as its this side of the industry i don't quite understand but he was happy to help, but he was also just as interested in my end of things. He wanted to know how education was within the design sector and what we get taught, how efficiently we were being prepared for the industry in terms of software skills.

He also showed me around the Powerhouse Photography Studio which was great to see and a nice reference that i have made. I was also able to see the rest of the building and all the empty space that they are refurnishing for studios and it really is such fantastic space (not to mention i got to see the old floor of the Woolpack). This would be a great space for any designs looking to set up a small studio business so i will defiantly keep this in mind.

Duffield Printers Leeds

I live just up the road from 'Duffield Printers' on Kirkstall road and i have driven past it hundreds of times and have been meaning to contact them for ages. So i finally did it this week and lucky they got back to me and were very interested in me coming down for a visit when i rang them up. They are quite a small printers and they are ethically driven to use environmentally friendly materials and processes. 

I'm currently a 3rd year Graphic Design student at the Leeds College of Art and so I'm very interested in the printing process. Its important for me to understand the print end of industry as to design appropriately and make sure that documents are set up right and we both understand what is being printed.

I'm also really interested in coming to see Duffield Printers as you deal with sustainability and less harmful processes and materials, which I also feel is an important issue today. 

I understand that you are very busy but i would love to come down for half a day or so and come and see how your business works. I want to gain and understanding of the process from first receiving a design to the finishes applied to them.

If there is any chance that someone would be able to spare a few hours to show me around i would greatly appreciate it. 

Thank you very much

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HI Rebecca,

Re your e-mail, we would be pleased to see you anytime to suit

Please ring me to arrange

Regards  

Clive Elston

Stone Soup Work Experience

We got an email from Amber this week about placements at 'Stone Soup' design agency, this would be a great opportunity to get some professional experience with these guys. They work with print, layout and a real attention to details such as print finishes and stock. Even from seeing a small selection of their portfolio I get a real sense of their approach to design and feel i could really learn a lot from them, and hopefully they would gain something from me aswell.

I submitted this small portfolio of two pieces of my work that i though would best show what im about as a designer aswell as being appeal to them and lucky he loved the work that i had sent. So we will be arranging a time next week so that i can go over to their studio and we can a have a chat and hopefully will see where it goes from there.

Jonathan Smith - Glue Marketing

Jonathan Smith came in today to talk to us about business and getting jobs after we graduate, some of the main things that i picked up on while he was talking were these :

• Design yourself a creative CV and when appropriate add personality rather than just the dry facts and figures.
• Always carry a portfolio with you, weather this is on CD or USB or paper based, just something that you can easily pass on to someone if the chance comes about.
• If there are any part time courses to develop your skills then this is great to put on you CV and any extra skills or qualifications will separate you from the rest.
• Find out a bit about the company you are applying for a job at, why do you like them, why do you want to work for them and why are you appropriate to their team.
• Networking is essential, attend Creative Networks and get your name out there and start talking to the right people.
• Sign up to 'LinkedIn' as this is a site for networking online with other professionals, have all CV uploaded and a small portfolio so people can look through your work.
• Think about freelance, the best time to set up a business is now. Getting the right group of people together that compliment each other. You have nothing to loose right now so do it.

So far i have signed up to LinkedIn as this was also mentioned by John Watters, so if you want to see my profile go here.
Im also part of the Creative Networks team so i go to these networking events as staff but i have done a bit if networking aswell.


When john came in he also set us a quick brief to design a corporate flyer for 'The Loft Leeds' and a creative Christmas card. He gave us about an hour and a half to come up with something for the flyer and it was interesting working so quick but i managed to get an idea quick and developed it a little before showing him.

Here is my first attempts (and keep in mind that i hadn't mastered Illustrator CS5 at this point)

Over the weekend we had change to finish this up and to design the christmas card but the main thing was not to spend ages on this. He wants to see what we can do with a quick turn over so i gave it my best shot and even though they are not the best designs i could have done they are DONE which is the important thing. As Fred says "its not what you can do, its what you can do to the deadline".

So here are the final designs that were sent of to John.

The flyer

The Christmas card

Giles Cook - Conversation

I contacted Giles cook this morning and he got back to me straight away, I was really glad to read that he has invited me over to his studio to chat to him and look through my portfolio. Its great that he can take the time out his business to talk to me and help me out after just one email, it really shows how genuine some designers can be. So hopefully will be popping in next week sometime, very exciting.

Hello 

I've been on your website and I am really interested in the work that you do, your very clean crisp approach is something I admire.

I understand that you are very busy but I have put a link to my portfolio blog and would love to hear anything you have to say. I want to gain a more professional insight into my work so if you could give me any feedback or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. If you could also suggest other designers/company’s that might be interest in my work that would be very helpful as well.

http://rebeccaligginsportfolio.blogspot.com/

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you very much 

Rebecca Liggins

BA (Hons) Graphic Design

Leeds College of Art

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Hi Rebecca,

Many thanks for the mail you sent, always good to hear from other people in the industry. I have been working now for over 15 years and you can easily fall into doing the same type of work, for a similar type of client, so it is always nice to see what people are doing when they come out of college.

Your work is nice, very illustrative, and interesting with some great touches. Your next challenge is to find a market you could operate in to use your skills, what drives you to do what you want to do, do you want to stick to an illustrative style, or aim for a more corporate direction? it's a case of looking where you want to get to.

If it is of use to you are welcome to pop in to the studio for a chat sometime, just give me a bit of notice! 

I really like the letters you had cut and turned into badges, what are they made of?

Regards

Giles

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Thanks for your quick reply Giles, 

The brooches are lazer cut from perspex, so quick and easy to make but people seem to love them which is great.

Would love to pop down to you studio for a chat, would be very useful to see a professional studio at work as that's one think they cant teach us, even if they try. Is there any days that are better for you or shall I just pop down at any point (with notice of course) 

Thanks again Giles 

Regards 

Rebecca Liggins

BA (Hons) Graphic Design

Leeds College of Art

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Hi Rebecca

no probs. I am not a traditional studio, as I work as myself often remotely with bigger companys - it was a lifestyle choice a few years ago. I have worked in bigger agencies, but got a bit fed up with it.  I am based in the old YTV Emmerdale / Heartbeat TV studio in Farsley Leeds, I rent space out of a large commercial photographer here which is good - nice to have other people around!

Fridays are pretty good, they tend to be a bit quieter. Would be happy to look through your folio and chat.

Giles

Christopher Brand - Conversation

For my dissertation i have been looking into book covers and the designers behind them. from this i contacted some graphic designers who design book covers and here is the response that i got from Christopher Brand.

Hello Christopher, 

I really like your work as a book cover designer, I have been looking through your website and been reading articles such as the interview, yourself and Paul Buckley did for 'The Casual Optimist' and would love to ask you a few questions. 

Well a bit of context first, I am a 3rd year Graphic Design student in Leeds, where I am currently researching for my dissertation. I am very intrigued by the design of the book cover and so I am using my dissertation to delve into the art of it and find out about the designers behind them. 

If I could ask you a few questions about your practice I would love to get your insight and personal experiences in this industry. 

When you are designing a book cover, how much contact do you have with the author, if any? Do they find it important to oversee the whole process or are you pretty much able to have free reign over the design? 

This may be a silly question but do you ever read the books before you design for them?

I'v been looking at 'Glover's Mistake' by Nick Laird in particular and wondered what was the process when you started designing this book cover? 

As a designer, have you ever re-designed any book covers or are they all first edition designs? 
I know you are very busy, but any input you could give me would be much appreciated.
Thank you so much for your time.

Rebecca Liggins

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Hi Rebecca,

It's nice to hear from you, thanks for getting in touch. Let me try to answer your questions for you:

1. You almost never deal directly with an author. The author works with an editor of the book and the publisher of the book. Those two people work for the publishing house. There is also an art director who works at the publishing house and he/she is the person who works directly with designers. The Art director will maybe get some suggestions from an author before the process of designing a cover starts or throughout the process, but for the most part the cover is run by the author at the end of the process, once the art director, editor and publisher all decide on the cover. Some authors have the rights for cover approval built into their contracts, so they could reject your cover at the end of the process, author authors don't have that ability.

2. It's really important to read fiction. For the most part I would say you cant really design a cover without reading the book. Something could happen in the last 20 pages that could change everything for the cover. But, for nonfiction, I don't think it's always as important. You can get away with reading a little bit or researching the subject matter.

3. You can read a little bit about this cover here : www.faceoutbooks.com. I talked about the process in an interview there.

4. As a book cover you will find yourself redesigning a lot of book covers. I've worked on some classics that have dozens of different covers. A lot of times covers will be redesigned when a book goes from hardcover to paperback, especially if a book doesn't sell as well as the publisher was hoping that it would, then they like to blame it on the cover and they will try a new one. 

It's nice to see you taking an interest in book covers though. They can be a lot of fun. Over here, they are kind of a little niche in graphic design where you have to specialize in them to get the work. If you're interested in getting into book covers then I suggest you try to look for an internship at a publishing house or with someone who is designing them on a freelance basis. 

Good luck with your studies.

Best,
Chris

Handmade III

Really looking forward to Handmade III next Sunday and these are a few of the cards that i will be selling. 

Even though we are really busy at the moment at Uni, im really looking forward to this. Its a great way to get my name out there and make a few pennies. 

These are just a few of the designs that i will be taking with me on the Sunday. Made one for my friends birthday and he loved it so decided to make a few more and see what people think of them. Its nice to do some design just for myself thats quick and retentively painless, that people are going to see.

Creative Networks

Last night I joined the Creative Networks team at Leeds College of Art, thanks to my sister Aidie who is already part of the team and showed me the ropes.
It was a busy event with over 170 people attending to see guest speaker Chris Osburn talk 'from streets to tweets'.

I had the job of event photographer and camera man and so got to meet the Chris Osburn and the 3 pitchers that advertised their businesses before the talk. It was great to talk to these professionals in this environment and even though i wasnt there to network, i did manage to exchange business cards with one of the pitchers. 

I found Chris's talk very relevant to my own practice and really useful on how to use social media to promote yourself and get out there. One thing i found important was how he tags his work. The more tags you have the more hits your more likely to have, and it made me think about how i tag my work on blogger, behance and flickr which i will be re thinking now. 

Thanks Chris

Re thinking my direction

Who am I?


Editorial layout and typography for print and web with interest in packaging design.


Photography
- Use to document my work and to capture content for my designs.

Technical Typography
- Use in layouts within publications, body copy to a grid.

Typeface
- Designing and using typefaces.

Editorial
- Use layout skills to design a page of text and image.

Print
- Designing for print, different stocks finishes

Web Design
- Being involved in designing for the web, websites and understanding formats and usability.

Packaging.
- Designing onto nets, how it fits together and experimenting with different folds.


Ok this might seem really simple but this has helped me to identify the areas i have skills in and that i want to progress with rather than trying to develop other skills in other areas.


I want

- I want to produce publications with exciting layouts.

- I want to produce interesting packaging with a type based design.

- I want to produce typefaces that can be used within publications.

-I want to produce usable websites for users.

-I want to understand how print runs work properly.



After all this, i feel that i am a bit more focused on what i want to do and where i want to go, so now its off to look over those briefs of mine and see where they come in!

PPD Presentation

After todays presentation i have had a sort of wake up call.

Iv realised after last weeks session, i still haven't really decided on the kind of designer i am! I really struggled last week as there are so many areas of interest that i wanted to look into, but now i have finally realised that even if i have an interest in some areas it doesn't mean i have to develop in it!

for example, i'm really interest in branding, i think its important part of design and something that would be useful, but as everyone keeps saying, you don't want to be 'a jack of all trades and a master of none' so now its about realising where my skills lye.

I know that this is what Fred has been trying to drill in to us for the past few weeks but for some reason it clicked today, so i need some major rethinking.

Open publication - Free publishing - More graphic design

Self Identity

We had a pin up session this morning with everyone's business cards and was great to see how everyone had approached it, there were a few really different ones where people had changed the format and the stock. I have say though im pretty happy with mine, and i think it stands out.

Will have to see what people say tomorrow.