Friday 4 December 2015

OUGD402
Studio Brief 02
Personal Branding influences











OUGD402
Personal Grid

In this task we had a brief introduction into Adobe Indesign and how to set our own personal grids up, this was helpful as it will be beneficial to have a consistent design boards and presentation style to have, plus now now I have my own grid layout It'll save me more time when laying work out.



Sunday 8 November 2015

OUGD402
Why am I here - What do I want to learn?

Identify and explain 5 reasons why you chose to study on the course

The course has an excellent employment rate, this was a big factor in my decision to study at LCA.
The number of successful applicants was another reason for choosing to study at LCA, by being in a smaller class compared to various other courses who exceed over 200 students, enables me to get the most out of my degree. 
The colleges reputation not only nationally but internationally is why I chose to come here, it is the highest ranked Arts and Design institution in a number of academic tables, so it speaks for itself really.
Being in a specialised art college was always the aim, at other universities I wouldn't be in a close knit community with other creatives, but by studying at LCA it provides the means to easily. 
The course has a creative skillset tick, which is awarded to institutions who best prepare students for the world of work. This links with the employment rate point because the ultimate outcome of the degree is get a job once graduating and this course is the best chance of that in my opinion. 


Identify and explain 5 things that you want to learn during your time on the course

To learn the rules behind Graphic Design, as I didn't study this subject beforehand everything is all a rather new concept to me.
Learn and understand print methods and processes, not only the latest print techniques but traditional methods too.
Where the industry will be at once I graduate, I want to be prepared for any change in the industry before I've graduated and then apply what I've learned. 
Maybe single out a potential research path, I could choose a certain subject matter and develop during my time on the course.
I want to possibly pinpoint a specific area of design I want to practice in, at this current moment in time I'm heavily interested in Editorial design so this could possibly be an option. 


Identify and explain 5 things that you think are your strengths 

I can operate softwares such as After Effects and Cinema 4D, which personally I think is a good skill to have as a graphic designer. 
Balancing my work and managing time is another strength I believe I have, I prefer to spread work out than just focusing on one piece at a time, by doing this I have a more open mind when doing work. 
When generating ideas I think I can work with very little and still find a solution.
Spotting 'nice' things, whether this be in design or just walking along the street, I often point out anything I find eye catching which somehow I class as a strength, maybe its just being observant. 
Being positive, I always try to be positive to help myself but also others around me.

Identify and explain 5 things that you would like to improve 

Im not familiar with the software Indesign, so I'd like to learn the ins and outs of this software. 
I need to start making the most out of the resources around me, whether that be the library or the print rooms at college.
I'm capable of describing others work but when describing my own work, sometimes I don't have the backing / confidence in it. This may be down to being picky with my own work.
I'm currently improving on this but as I'm new to Graphic design, I need to learn the correct terminology.
When researching,dig deeper than what is being presented to me. 

Identify and explain 5 things that inspire you

Living in a city inspires me, before I moved to Leeds I lived in a city as well but I find the pace of a city motivates / inspires me. 
Looking to the future and always having something planned inspires me to achieve, If I have something planned whether it be a holiday or just a small event, it is always something to look forward to. 
Design itself inspires me, looking at inspirational pieces of design knowing that i'm currently studying this subject inspires me.
Always being unto date with current affairs /  culture can help inspire me. 


Identify 5 examples of design that demonstrate your fields of creative interest

Editorial Design
Album Artwork
Minimal Graphic Design
Modern architecture 

Electronic Music 






Sunday 1 November 2015

Time planning / Making time to daydream
OUGD402

Today was all about the importance of time planning and how to structure time to fulfil our time at University. We had to put together a timeplan for the week, by doing this I realised my time is precious and I should plan my days more often. Not only did we talk about the importance of time within our own practice but also in the professional practices, about how larger agencies have planning departments but smaller agencies have to plan for themselves. 

As another part of the task we had to research into apps that can help us manage our time, I looked into RescueTime, what I got from the website is that 'RescueTime helps you understand your daily habits so you can focus and be more productive.' How it works is that it tracks time spent on applications and websites, giving you an accurate picture of your day then gives you detailed reports and data based on your activity. I won't personally be using RescueTime as Apple notes what I'm using at this time, suits my needs and is free of charge.



Thursday 22 October 2015

OUGD402

This task was all about having a know how about all current affairs around us locally,nationally and internationally. Attending events can be a great way to get your name out there as a designer but also its helpful to keep you socially / culturally updated. The task was to create a listings for November,noting down important events that could be helpful to other members of the class. My list has a personal touch because of certain music events and interests of mine but I did try to vary the events from music, film, food and exhibitions.





































Monday 19 October 2015

OUGD402
Brian Eno lecture

This was a small task in which we simply had to listen  to an hour long BBC lecture, conducted by Brian Eno. Beforehand I had basic knowledge of Brian Eno, I knew of tracks such as 'An Ending' and his collaborations with Coldplay but nonetheless nothing to base a strong opinion on, however this lecture gave a great insight to his creative thoughts and processes which I found profoundly inspiring.

He mentioned subject matters such as culture, the creative industries in the UK but one comment he made which I noted down is "Art gives us the chance to have feelings for things that are dangerous" with a piece of art you can draw up certain emotions then be able to switch off completely. This gave me the idea that art can be a release for people. Just from listening to that small lecture, I now have an understanding and perception into other affairs and issues which could help in a later date.


Saturday 17 October 2015

OUGD402
Inspiration

The point of this seminar was to broaden our horizons on inspirations and using inspirations on a daily basis. The seminar started by Penny naming her top ten inspirations, I knew of a few like Dazed & Confused, TED Talks and Radio 4. After the presentation we had to note down ten things that inspire us and present them in a mind map.






























One of my personal inspirations in which I noted down is Muting The Noise. Which is an independent record store in Berlin, it is ran by Innervisions label another inspiration of mine. The store has an online blog in which it uploads the newest music releases,clothing and prints associated with Innvervisions. I often check the blog daily to check up on new tracks that I can't find anywhere else online. Another part of the task was to take note of another ten inspirations that other members of class mentioned then research into them.



The secret life of Walter Mitty
Cereal Magazine
Tim Burton
Third man records
Katie Scott
Another escape
Design taxi
Big fish designs
Paul Heys
Standing elements



Sunday 11 October 2015

OUGD402
Study Task One - Getting to know people

The task was to research into a design studio and present a 3 minute visual and verbal presentation to the class. We also had to take notes on each of the twelve studios. Face design was the studio chosen for my group.

Face
Face is a super supermodernist studio based in Monterrey,Mexico. Its specialises in Identity, branding  and web. Set up in 2006 by Rik Bracho and Ricardo Tejeda, the studio has since excelled in providing clients honest branding projects that last the test of time. The client list includes Hardpop, Size Records and Hellow Festival. The studio is small,overall ten designers all adding a different skill set that help make Face unique.

























AHHA Studio
This studio was set up in 2011 in Lisbon by two friends at university who initially set it up as a bit of fun but it now works on projects throughout the world. Minimal designs make them unique but then again they design interior design as well, so it shows a real variety of design. The studio has an ever changing list of collaborators to help give the client a compelling brand message.




Sagmeister & Walsh
Sagmeister & Walsh is a NYC based design firm that creates identities, commercials,websites,apps, films, books and objects for clients. Stefan Sagmeister has worked for clients such as the The Rolling Stones, The Talking Heads, Lou Reed and The Guggenheim Museum so he's certainly a well known designer having exhibitions in Paris, Tokyo and Berlin to name a few. His partner within the company is Jessica Walsh, her work has won awards such as the Type Directors Club. The story behind the partnership is that Jessica was an intern at Sagmeister but Steffan didn't want her leaving for another studio because of her talents so he offered her a partnership within the company.

































Hey Studio
Hey is based in Barcelona and specialises in Brand identity, Editorial design and Illustration. What makes Hey what they are is geometry, colour and typography. Set up in 2007, Hey studio has had clients such Apple, Vodafone, Turkish Airlines and CBS. I like how Hey studio set up an online shop in 2014 to share designs and inspirations, out of the studios I've been looking at not many have online shops. 






















Hey Days
Hey days is a Norwegian Studio based in Oslo, they work with big and small agencies to develop visual identities and digital solutions. Hey Days goes outside the studio to to embrace a wide network of creatives such as Photographers, Copywriters and Illustrators to help work with client work. Hey Days is now one of the leading Graphic Design studios in Norway and believe it is down to tight communication throughout the projects. 





Lust 
Lust is a multi disciplined graphic design practice set up in Netherlands in 1996. The most interesting part of Lust is the LustLab which is a new form of research and development, it aims to observe, invent and produce. The outcomes of LustLab vary from communication tools, installations and physical objects. I would describe this studio as overlapping as it outcomes all seem to differ and are always trying to explore new pathways. 
































Studio Dumbar
Studio Dumbar describes its work as visual branding and online branding, the meaning of this is that they create visible expression of a brand or organisation. Its an international studio with a base in the Netherlands but also offices in South Korea. The client list is vast from governments to cultural and non profit.  
































Build
Founded in 2001 by Michael and Nicky Place, they aim to communicate stories and a ethos through strong narratives. They produce work on multiple channels and present talks worldwide to share their views and stories on brand identity, art direction and graphic design. Clients include Nike, Microsoft and Virgin.


















Elmwood
"We are the worlds most effective brand design consultancy" Those are words taken from Elmwood's website. Its a big claim but it seems Elmwood has the awards, reputation and client list to back that up. What makes Elmwood unique is they aim be the only ones what do, what they do.

















Bleed
Bleed is based in Oslo and Vienna and it aims to represent a mix of cultures and disclpines to challenge todays conventions around art, visual language, media and identity. Here's a few points from its manifesto
- Be different
- Take Chances
- Have fun
- Be nice













Dessein
Clients have described Dessein as clear, fresh, modern and contemporary. That is just a few of the positives about Dessein that clients had to comment on. After 25 years in design Dessein has been able to deliver great value to businesses that make a difference, conveying messages of values and ethics.

























Wolff Olins
Wolf Olins is a global design agency who have designers, strategists, technologists, programme managers and educators all around the world to deliver a meaningful change to their clients. Clients include London 2012 Olympics, EE and Aol.