30 September 2009
21 September 2009
Back for a final year.....
Going back after summer is always a daunting time and i know this year there is going to be even more pressure as it is my final year. Alongside university briefs i will need to create my own website, contact people in the industry that i would like to produce work for or with, produce an interview ready portfolio and carry on with my personal work. I think at some point, personal work and uni work will merge into one and make things easier, but for now they are separate things that need to be addressed in different ways. Over this summer i have contacted a few designers in relation to my work, my dissertation and just purely for chats. I think this will need to be an ongoing thing throughout my final year, so i can build up some contacts and relationships with potential employers and maybe even future clients! I will also need to find some more work experience through university holidays, before i finish my final year, to help me decide the direction i want to go in design. On another note, I dont want all my hard work over summer on my personal mrYen blog (promoting my shop, getting work created for it and building up followers and contacts) to be wasted so i will try and keep it going alongside university blogs/briefs/deadlines. Lets see how this year works out.......
Creative Startup Toolkit
I love the design of this guide for creative start up businesses. It is an educational tool for entrepreneurs and graduates that are based in the creative sector and consists of four booklets covering everything from accounting to marketing your business and inside the booklets are branded stickers and foldout worksheets. Images from this website. (images can be clicked to take you to the website)
16 September 2009
Hand drawn Typography inspiration
I have recently come across Linzie hunter's hand drawn typography and i think it is amazing. These designs are something i would love to create myself. I would like to try my hand at creating an illustration for an editorial piece or something serious like how to invest....
3 September 2009
A-Z of Birds - Illustration
Something i have been working on over summer - an A-Z of Birds that i have put into an A6 booklet. {more summer updates coming soon}
2 September 2009
Summer blog
Check out the summer blog i have been posting on, here
You will find birds, doodles, illustrations, work experience diary posts, hand drawn typography, collaged typography, dissertation research and some inspirational links and images.
Enjoy!
You will find birds, doodles, illustrations, work experience diary posts, hand drawn typography, collaged typography, dissertation research and some inspirational links and images.
Enjoy!
Hand Drawn Typography
I have loved typography for a while now and when i had the chance to study it at University for a few months, i took that chance but it wasn't what i expected. It was serious, hard nosed straight talking type. No hand drawn, no experimental type and no playing with letters and typefaces. It was a few months of solid layout, alignment, simple decisions and subtle changes with type, along with cold, hard facts, rules, regulations and restrictions. So once i had the basics down it was the old adage of "rules are meant to be broken" So having learnt a few rules im now ready to break a few! I recently bought the book (that has been on my amazon book wish list for a while now!) "Hand Job - a catalog of hand drawn type", by Michael Perry and have realised this is the kind of typography i originally fell in love with and so i will be sticking with this for a while!
29 August 2009
Bookmarks!
So many bookmarks, so little time!
When browsing the internet for gems of inspiration i always find alot of things i would like to have a go at creating myself and alot of things that inspire me, so i just click the bookmark tab and thats it saved for me later on when i want to refer to it again, when i want to blog something or when i need to reference it. wrong. I might have bookmarked it but i always forget about it and i have decided it is time to create categories to put things into, give things tags so all related things are safe together and sort my bookmarks out!
So i did this mammoth task today and it took a good few hours to do, i will be updating this blog with my latest findings from the last two months now as soon as i get a quiet evening.
When browsing the internet for gems of inspiration i always find alot of things i would like to have a go at creating myself and alot of things that inspire me, so i just click the bookmark tab and thats it saved for me later on when i want to refer to it again, when i want to blog something or when i need to reference it. wrong. I might have bookmarked it but i always forget about it and i have decided it is time to create categories to put things into, give things tags so all related things are safe together and sort my bookmarks out!
So i did this mammoth task today and it took a good few hours to do, i will be updating this blog with my latest findings from the last two months now as soon as i get a quiet evening.
Work Experience......
This summer i did a three week placement at the Leeds Guide magazine, which i really enjoyed !
I kept a blog diary, uploaded some scans of my work in the magazine and uploaded some photos of a brochure i created for Opera in the Park (client - Leeds city council) which you can see here on my summer blog.
PLUS - i got interviewed for the magazine and had photos of me and my apartment in it too!
I kept a blog diary, uploaded some scans of my work in the magazine and uploaded some photos of a brochure i created for Opera in the Park (client - Leeds city council) which you can see here on my summer blog.
PLUS - i got interviewed for the magazine and had photos of me and my apartment in it too!
17 August 2009
Long time, No see.
I have seriously neglected this blog for a long time now and it is time to start it up again. I have been constantly searching for inspiration, designers who are producing similar things to what i myself would like to produce and designers who use similar materials, techniques and processes to what i use and admire.
I will be updating with:
My Dissertation topic and the feedback i got for it.
Links of Inspiration. (mostly paper based or print/typography based)
Links of people who use paper and create things that i love.
Links of design and illustration i find inspiring.
My summer blogging over at my mrYen blog, the etsy shop for that blogs creations and what I've been doing over there.
And finally ...
Updates on briefs i will be doing and why (such as illustration briefs that will develop my drawing skills more and my Leeds guide for work experience that i chose to do to get more skills in layout and typography)
I will be updating with:
My Dissertation topic and the feedback i got for it.
Links of Inspiration. (mostly paper based or print/typography based)
Links of people who use paper and create things that i love.
Links of design and illustration i find inspiring.
My summer blogging over at my mrYen blog, the etsy shop for that blogs creations and what I've been doing over there.
And finally ...
Updates on briefs i will be doing and why (such as illustration briefs that will develop my drawing skills more and my Leeds guide for work experience that i chose to do to get more skills in layout and typography)
9 June 2009
End of year Evaluation
1. What skills have you developed through this year and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
This year i have greatly developed my illustration skills, using traditional media and my newly favoured media, using paper. I have started to experiment more with paper in my own time as well as creating things for certain briefs, like the O2 YCN brief. I think i have applied these newly learned skills in an effective way as i think the O2 brief was a success, using origami in a useful and creative way. I also think my postcards from the edge were successful as i think they fulfilled the brief in an unusual way that would appeal to my target audience. I feel i have made improvement on my type and layout skills also, through doing the typography elective module and through making myself focus on briefs that are based on type and layout i have faced my weaknesses and have started making an improvement on these.
2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?
When generating work i have started to illustrate things with paper cut designs or by using illustrator. I have also started to set up separate blogs for each brief, which can be easily updated and are more accessible to the reader, as everything is in the same place. Using paper or illustrator to generate ideas has helped me get my ideas out quicker and when using illustrator in particular, it has helped me to quickly make small test pieces and slight variations., where as using paper has helped me to fully explore a single idea and carefully consider every decision as if i do something wrong i have to start the whole thing again. I think contacting designers for feedback on my work and a work placement was very informative and helpful. I wish i would have done this sooner, that way i could have been more prepared when sending my portfolio out for experience placements.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I think my strengths at the moment are my illustration skills, my concepts and ideas, my blog of visual research and blogs that record my development during a project. I have put all these aspects, as well as the briefs i think were successful into a digital and printed portfolio that i can send out to designers and companies to look for work experience. These portfolios will help me capitalise on my strengths as i can get my work out in to the public and get a different, professional opinion on it, that will help me create more professional work and work that has more credibility in the public. A big strength of mine, i think, is my paper cutting skills and i think i have developed these skills greatly. This is something i would like to utilise in the third year and apply to my future briefs.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?
Weaknesses that i have identified are my type and layout skills. I think doing the typography elective module has helped me understand the basics more, i just need time to put these understandings into practice. As i know these are major skills needed for a graphic designer, and this is where i am lacking in skill, i have decided to use my work experience placement to help overcome these weaknesses by getting a placement at a magazine, where i will focus on only type and layout. I think doing this will be of great benefit to me as a designer in the long run, as i will have professional help and opinions on what i am doing wrong and how to change which should hopefully develop my understanding of type and layout.
5. Identify five things that you would do different and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
1. Create more publications in response to briefs as this is something i would like to focus more on in the third year. This is also something i will be looking into when researching my dissertation as i am focusing on the value of handmade publications.
2. Utilise the skills i already have to create work for briefs instead of always looking to develop new skills. I feel this would help me solidify the skills i already have instead of knowing a little bit about everything, as i would like to have a clearer specialism in the third year.
3. I would put more effort into creating my own time management techniques and planning further in advance for things like when to finish a brief or when to have work ready for print, to give me time to rectify any issues that could appear.
4. I would make more of an effort to keep more of a record of my development work as i progress through each brief, this way i will have the opportunity to fully explore ideas and evaluate what works more effectivley than other ideas.
5. I would look more at designs already out there and try to get feedback from professional designers/companies as i think this professional advice is invaluable and will be a great help to get an outside opinion on something i am working on so i can alter and tailor my designs in a more professional manner.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
Attendance = 4
Punctuality = 5
Motivation = 4
Commitment = 4
Quantity of work produced = 4
Quality of work produced = 4
Contribution to the group = 3
This year i have greatly developed my illustration skills, using traditional media and my newly favoured media, using paper. I have started to experiment more with paper in my own time as well as creating things for certain briefs, like the O2 YCN brief. I think i have applied these newly learned skills in an effective way as i think the O2 brief was a success, using origami in a useful and creative way. I also think my postcards from the edge were successful as i think they fulfilled the brief in an unusual way that would appeal to my target audience. I feel i have made improvement on my type and layout skills also, through doing the typography elective module and through making myself focus on briefs that are based on type and layout i have faced my weaknesses and have started making an improvement on these.
2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?
When generating work i have started to illustrate things with paper cut designs or by using illustrator. I have also started to set up separate blogs for each brief, which can be easily updated and are more accessible to the reader, as everything is in the same place. Using paper or illustrator to generate ideas has helped me get my ideas out quicker and when using illustrator in particular, it has helped me to quickly make small test pieces and slight variations., where as using paper has helped me to fully explore a single idea and carefully consider every decision as if i do something wrong i have to start the whole thing again. I think contacting designers for feedback on my work and a work placement was very informative and helpful. I wish i would have done this sooner, that way i could have been more prepared when sending my portfolio out for experience placements.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I think my strengths at the moment are my illustration skills, my concepts and ideas, my blog of visual research and blogs that record my development during a project. I have put all these aspects, as well as the briefs i think were successful into a digital and printed portfolio that i can send out to designers and companies to look for work experience. These portfolios will help me capitalise on my strengths as i can get my work out in to the public and get a different, professional opinion on it, that will help me create more professional work and work that has more credibility in the public. A big strength of mine, i think, is my paper cutting skills and i think i have developed these skills greatly. This is something i would like to utilise in the third year and apply to my future briefs.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?
Weaknesses that i have identified are my type and layout skills. I think doing the typography elective module has helped me understand the basics more, i just need time to put these understandings into practice. As i know these are major skills needed for a graphic designer, and this is where i am lacking in skill, i have decided to use my work experience placement to help overcome these weaknesses by getting a placement at a magazine, where i will focus on only type and layout. I think doing this will be of great benefit to me as a designer in the long run, as i will have professional help and opinions on what i am doing wrong and how to change which should hopefully develop my understanding of type and layout.
5. Identify five things that you would do different and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
1. Create more publications in response to briefs as this is something i would like to focus more on in the third year. This is also something i will be looking into when researching my dissertation as i am focusing on the value of handmade publications.
2. Utilise the skills i already have to create work for briefs instead of always looking to develop new skills. I feel this would help me solidify the skills i already have instead of knowing a little bit about everything, as i would like to have a clearer specialism in the third year.
3. I would put more effort into creating my own time management techniques and planning further in advance for things like when to finish a brief or when to have work ready for print, to give me time to rectify any issues that could appear.
4. I would make more of an effort to keep more of a record of my development work as i progress through each brief, this way i will have the opportunity to fully explore ideas and evaluate what works more effectivley than other ideas.
5. I would look more at designs already out there and try to get feedback from professional designers/companies as i think this professional advice is invaluable and will be a great help to get an outside opinion on something i am working on so i can alter and tailor my designs in a more professional manner.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
Attendance = 4
Punctuality = 5
Motivation = 4
Commitment = 4
Quantity of work produced = 4
Quality of work produced = 4
Contribution to the group = 3
new paper cut quote!
Here is another of my paper cut quotes for the Alice in Wonderland Series i am starting!
25 May 2009
Recent personal work...
I have started a series of hand cut designs using typography and focusing on quotes from Alice in Wonderland. I have decided that as i want to create a series of hand cut quotes on paper which look simple and elegant, that i could use quotes that were slightly absurd and strange, to contradict the style/aesthetic of the design. The first quote i have created is the quote " What is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations" and i have more quotes lined up to start cutting!
13 May 2009
4 May 2009
infographics
This link is to some amazing examples of infographics that are really interesting. I think its amazing how design can be applied to things that would usually be bland and mundane to show them in a visually engaging way, that both displays the information to its best while also being aesthetically pleasing. Below are my favourite examples from the link above.
27 April 2009
TigerPrint Spring Floral Competition.
Below are my entries that i have submitted to TigerPrint's recent competition for a spring floral design that focuses on mothers day or easter. You can find them here on their website and you can check out the rest of the designs too.
26 April 2009
24 April 2009
17 April 2009
coca cola beijing
I love the graphics and illustrations in this, it reminds me so much of Japanese T.V.
8 April 2009
David Pearson
I was looking through random blogs that i follow and found a link to this website. All this book imagery is perfect! i love book design so much, and as its the Easter holidays i have time to make some of my own books/notebooks. I love the consistency and repetition of these images below and i would love to have a collection of these books....
I also love how you can see the development of the logo.
I also love how you can see the development of the logo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)