Current business cards

So that's how my business card is looking at the moment, because of my position statement and my skillset, I thought it was relevant and useful to have an alias which i could use as a branding tool; (hence the Skwid logo) I'll put up a post about the logo  after this post.

I went for simplicity when it came to colour just for the cost and ease of printing it. I got a business card for Stone Soup which is an agency in York and looking at theirs made me realise a few things about my own which I need to change - just in terms of the physical card itsself and its function and aesthetic.

• Point size can be notched down from 9pt, to 7pt, would create more space on the card, which is useful.
• Information Hierarchy Needs to be re adjusted, possibly adding extra details, or maybe even taking a few away.
• The actual stock needs more careful consideration. Its currently on mountboard, which is a bit beasty and isnt all that easy to fit in your wallet, and even harder to fit a stack in your pocket. So a lighter stock is preferable. I also want to shop around for a nice paper stock, there will be a paper stock that is the right weight that is interesting and has qualities that could help reflect/ communicate my skills and abilities as a designer.

The logo also needs refining but I will leave this subject to another post. I also didnt align the cards properly for duplex printing so there was a slight overlap which meant I had to loose a bit of length on the cards. So next time I think a bleed will be a good idea just to add extra security.

This card has been a springboard for ideas when it comes to my identity, and has also given me a clearer idea of how I'm going to brand my portfolio - which needs sending in 1 week from today. So that is my deadline for my current identity. obviously web design is out of the question right now, so Ill be waiting for the web design taught sessions to help strengthen the possibilities for my online prescence.

Chat soon,

SKWID - Illustrator, designer.

god that felt good.

Whats In Your Food? Poosible Brief

An interest of mine that I would like to become a more structured line of inquiry is on the topic of the origins of the food I eat. This is down to a few reasons, such as reading a few books in the holidays about health and eating, and also after watching a documentary which challenges the origins of food called food inc. So, Here's the idea.


Whats in Your food?
- Promotional campaign for the upcoming release of food inc. to DVD.

Context
Food Inc is a documentary film about where modern day american food comes from, Directed by Robert Kenner. If this Documentary was promoted well enough in the UK, but also promoted in the right context, (Which will obviously differ due to this being England) it would gain the public awareness it sorely deserves.

[Reasons for choosing to write this brief/ percieved problems]

Iwould want to make British people, or more directly, people from Leeds question the origins of the food they eat. I'm not sure how much of a problem unknown food origins are in the UK because I am aware that there are alot of regulations and treaties in place protecting animal and plant welfare of the farms of those who supply to large chain supermarkets. Obviously this project would have to take a turn away form the supermarket, but could still question some areas of it, and also question other companies like the big M that is always seemingly in perriferal vision. I could possibly look at what goes into GM foods and the welfare of food being supplied to restaurants more specifically fast food places.

Also, one big problem ive forecasted for this:
I could get sued. It depends who I look into really and how much I would find out based on what I already know. Yeah, could be a potential shitstorm.

Rough idea for the brief

Create a campaign, raising awareness about the origins of food here in the UK. Campaign would also act as a promotional campaign for food inc. This could be in the form of:

• Online campaign
• Posters/flyers (print)
• A publication
• Motion Graphic - I probably wont go here.

So that is it so far. Im not sure about the longevity of the brief so I'm looking forward to talking it over in the brief writing sessions.

Reply

Creative spark have got back to me asking for me to send a portfolio off to them. As it stands at the moment, Im not sure as to what to put in there at the moment, my strongest work hasnt been done yet so to speak.

But yeah I just wanted to post that up here because it means Ive got a line of communication open between me and a design company. It's steps in the right direction.

Self promotion brief

Title                                                       

Get yourself out there boy!

Context

As I am now in control of my destiny, its really important for me to have all the platforms that a designer has in order to sell his wares, these being a branded identity and website, business cards, a creative CV and such.

The Brief

Design yourself a logo that is reflective of your own work and practise and apply this to a range of promotional materials such as a website and business cards.

Considerations                                                         Deliverables

The branded identity needs to                               1X Logo with a range of branded

Represent the designer                                            Products.

Also needs to convey the right image the

Designer wants to present of himself

To others.

Jade Print

I just emailed Jade Print to see if I could go for a visit too. Heres a link out to their website.

http://www.jadeprint.com/

Creative Spark

I have just emailed creative spark enquiring about a visit. Here's a link to their website:

http://www.creativespark.co.uk/

two briefs, im unsure about doing them...

Breifs that Im thinking about starting at the beginning of the term to almost ease myself back into the swing of things, they would be quick briefs like a week long each at most (1 could possibly be a live brief, im currently talking to the clients in question) but I would only actually do 1 of these briefs:

BRIEF 1

Brief title
Jehst promotional visual language

Context
Jehst is a Uk MC with a background in literature, whos lyrics often evoke strange and interesting mental imagery.

Brief

Visually communicate Jehst lyrics, design and create 5 posters which communicate interesting lyrics from 5 different Jehst songs.

Considerations                                                          Deliverables

What print methods could be used                            5 posters and a body of research and

to achieve the best result.                                          Development work.

What visual approach will you take to

Achieve the best results.

Scale/ Frame/ Format

Paper Stocks.

BRIEF 2

Brief title:
Freyed knot promotion


Context
Freyed knot are a Bradford based hip hop/ funk band who have had two album releases and perform accross europe, but they need to be promoted!


Brief
Design and produce a series of promotional posters for the band Freyed knot.

Considerations
What is your method of delivery?
What media will you use?
Who is your audience?
What is your tone of voice?

Deliverables
A series of promotional posters and a body of backup research and development work.

Branded identity for JJlong Brief

Title                                                       

JLong - Identity

Context

JJLong is a surface pattern designer who has recently decided to establish a website and a means of distribution for her work, she needs a branded identity designing in order for her to do so.

The Brief

Design and produce a branded identity for JJLong - This will include producing branded promotional materials and epherma such as gift tags, postcards, business cards and web content.

Considerations                                                         Deliverables

The branded identity needs to                                     1X Logo with a range of branded

Represent the designer and her products                     Products.

Also needs to convey the right image the

Designer wants to present of herself

To others.

What is the budget? What will these

Restrictions allow you to do?

Submission based Zine

This will not be a main brief and is more of a supplementary brief, seen as how the dealine for the entry is in May, there is not rush here, and it is only 1 or 2 illustrations. But the point is, I want to make the things i submit really good because this zine is a great oppertunity to showcase my work.

The Brief
Submit an entry for zine: Designer Violence, this season's topic being - smut...? it is optional to submit more than one entry. The more entries submitted, the greater the chance of having work showcased.

Deliverables
1 or more illustrative entries


Considerations
Tone of voice?
Approach?

As I said before this is just a mini brief, but there are a few mini briefs that I want to complete during this term, such as the zine ben has set up and submitting t shirt designs for the two website found in my research last year.

Nebula Publication Brief

As i said in a previous brief, I want to use type and layout to produce a publication, my chosen topic being space and more specifically, nebulas. I dont think people know that much about Nebulae, and they should because they are a beautiful and very powerful force of nature. I think its also good to know about things that are bigger than us.


Brief Title - Nebulae Publication

Context
In recent times and with the allowances of new technology, astronomers are looking to the heavens and recording more information about space than ever before. One avenue of this information is focused on Nebulae, but, what is a Nebula?

The Brief
Design and produce a supplementary publication for a magazine (you decide which context fits best within this.) This publication needs to inform interested people about Nebulae, what they are, why they happen, what they are made of etc. You may interpret this visuallt however you like.


Considerations
What is your tone of voice?
Who is your audience?
What is the context?
What disciplines will you be using - for example, illustration, data visualisation...


Deilverables
1x Nebulae publication
A body of supporting work
A body of supporting research clearly showing the information that has been used and collected.

Bonsai care package Brief

In the next few posts I will be elaborating on the briefs I have chosen to work on and why. With these briefs I aim to pinpoint where my strengths lie and use them to their full potential. So here is the first, I am doing the brief list in no particular order of preferance or anything else. Before I talk about the briefs I want to talk about the skills I want to use and what I want to persue throughout third year.


Refining my digital illustration and print skills into more realised products
Using type and layout
collating information and visualising it into design
Creating images using concepts which arent my own
Promoting myself and others using design

Brief Title - Bonsai Care Pack

Context

The art of Bonsai is an ancient horticultural Art form. Bonsai tree literally translates into tree in a pot, but in order to successfully grow a bonsai tree into a valuable and beautiful miniature tree is much more challenging than this alone. There is a complex and specific way to do this, you need to design an all in one care guide that informs people interested in growing/ have begun growing a bonsai tree, and provide for them the means to do so.

Brief

Design an informative pack or guide specifically the horticultural art of bonsai in response to information gathered about Bonsai Care.

This project should be completed with a body of research and supporting work which shows your line of inquiry into the subject.

Considerations                                                          Deliverables

What tools and equipment is needed                          1 Bonsai Care pack/ care kit and a body

to care for a Bonsai tree?                                           and a body of supporting research and

                                                                                 work.

What format could the guide take?

e.g. Motion graphic, packaging etc.

Who are the target audience and

What is the tone of voice?

With this brief I have pinpointed a problem within Bonsai growing, which is that you cant find a pack like this anywhere, and if there is a pack like this, it is not easy to find! I think this will make for an interesting packaging/ publication project.