Saturday 8 January 2011

Enterprise and Innovation - TASK 3

Considering my current position in the Graphic design market it would be very difficult for me to stand out from all the other contenders out there. Though someone has got to come out on top. I think to start with my main focus would be getting in contact with various studio's regarding visiting and/or placements within their companies. Getting to know exactly what they do and how they work would be hugely beneficial in eventually finding a job there. Being passionate and knowing your stuff is vital when it comes to talking with potential clients. Business cards and a website – with simple layout of online portfolio seem to go without saying when it comes to promoting yourself. I would need a business card which related directly to me and shows that I would suit the company I am wanting to work for. Considering a previous example in task 2 of the company oxfam, I doubt they would be as interested in my business card as they were in my passion for the charity and what I can bring to them that is different. I think a company like that needs you to be able to do a bit of everything so the portfolio I put forward to them would need to consist of an variation of media within projects.

Enterprise and Innovation - TASK 2 part 2

As all of the companies I have chosen specifically are so different it is easy to compare them Politically, Economically and Socially. Technically I should think that graphic design is very similar throughout the varying companies. Style, cause and thought process may be very different but the way to get there would be extremely similar.

At Tigerprint the main aim is to create something exciting/colourful for the general public of varying ages to purchase. Their website is fun, colourful and inspiring and obviously the way they want to approach things. Still, they work for a huge retail centre, Marks and Spencer, and so professionalism is also very important. Doing things quickly, efficiently and within a small time frame.

Oxfam is very different as design is definitely not the main focus of the company. Rather it is a tool to encourage and inform people of the charity, what they are doing and how to get involved. Of course being inspired to create something different and eye catching is still very important as it is still about catching the eye of the target audience who are hard to pin point with such a huge charity as oxfam.

Sagmeister on the other hand is considerably different to both these companies. Working as a freelance studio using initiative and creative flare to stand out from the rest specifically within the design world. Their website features the awards they have won and shows how they want to be the best of the best when it comes to innovative design.    

Friday 7 January 2011

Enterprise and Innovation TASK 2 - Where are they? How will they find me?





In the post previous to this I have pin pointed a local company - Set in Bradford, Tigerprint. I think this would be my local choice for somewhere to work.

Nationally - possibly a place like oxfam. There are so many oppurtunities for creativity in a charity like Oxfam and a great thing to be involved in. I already love their brand and the design surrounding the charity. There would also be opportunity to work with video, advertising, products, packaging etc etc. Oxfam Great Britain is based in Oxford.

Internationally - Sagmeister Inc. Looks like it would be a great place to work, based in New York.
Although this view is based purely on aesthetics and is very shallow I like to indulge now and again on my dreams.




TIGERPRINT!

I love this website and the company in general seems to shout out to me... plus it is local which is always a bonus. Based in Bradford (a surprise to me) Tigerprint design cards and wrapping for Marks and Spencer.
It is colourful, fun, youthful and the design seems to be extremely inspired. I love it.

Would love to get hold of them and have a look around the studio. Might just give them a bell!

http://tigerprint.typepad.com/tigerprint/


Website design at Very, Graphic Design studio.

Website design is not a field in Graphic design that I have yet looked hard into or even worked on for a project but I do understand the Growth of this sector of Graphic Design and how it is fast becoming the most important way to get things out there.
'Very' a Studio based in London have designed a few websites which made me realise and think that it would be a very good tool to have as a Graphic designer. Again, similarly to TheCheeseRoom they answer a brief given by the clients though they have still managed to leave their mark on the various works they have produced and they stood out for me. Although London is not an ideal location for me, it is interesting to see what is happening.

TheCheeseRoom

I have been looking into a few design studio's... what they do, why they do it.
The cheese Room, although not my favourite, shows how important it is to always know your audience and That it is very important to come to the table with an open mind. The work they have produced is solely client dependant and their ideas seem to flourish from the brief given to them. This is apparent due to the variation in style of design throughout their website.





Although their work is good. It seems quite safe and nothing out of the ordinary. It works well, communicates what it needs to communicate but doesn't excite me.
I think I would love to find a studio which is different, stands out from the rest and maybe works for a specific cause.

Enterprise TASK 1 - Who am I? Who are they?

After looking further into who needs Graphic design and where it is I feel a little more confused as to where I should be based.

Currently I feel I would prefer to work within a company who deals with more than just Graphic Design. For instance within a charity designing their leaflets, mail shots and advertising or within a studio where I can work on a variety of products/projects rather than being focussed on one specific area of Graphic design eg. Web design. Saying this I have recently found a company who design cards and wrapping and this really excited me so there is no doubt that my ideas may change. Still this involved a range a products and variation of design.

Considering this I would need to be willing to listen to what the client wanted, work to a brief and within a deadline. I feel I have been able to prove this through my work so far at university. Of course there is always an importance to know and be able to work independently on the correct design software (illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, After Effects). My knowledge of these programmes is still growing but I feel I am becoming a lot more confident using them to their full potential. This is something I will continue to work hard to progress in as knowing and using the right software correctly can have a huge impact on work.

The client would need me to be able to know the demographic and understand their needs. Through various research processes I would have the knowledge then to create something specifically beneficial for that audience. Again this is something developed through my course and a very important part of creating something suitable. I feel also that the more work I produce now the more I seem to learn about target audience and demographic by looking into existing works in the industry and how others have catered for the needs of their target audience, what has/hasn't worked.