PPP: October 2012

This is the 5 reasons task which we did last year but now our responses and reasonings should probably be different.

5 reasons you chose the programme

1. The courses reputation, as the course is still only young, it's reputation and success couldn't go un noticed.

The fact that many of the graduating years have won new blood and/ or gone into quite respected positions in some respected studios. It makes me think that obviously this course is written to create the elite of the industry and the success rate proves that.

2. Improve idea generation skills.

As before i started this programme I had nothing to do with the graphic design industry, it has meant i have had 4 years where graphics was not really a part of my life, this means that I felt like I was behind with my visual creation skills but thought that this cause could offer me the support and time i need to improve my techniques of idea generation.

3. Take advantage of facilities in the college.

i knew that there would be great opportunities for me to learn and master skills that I would not have the opportunity to use without paying alot of money, the course gives you space to explore with print techniques or production of designs that may not just be printed onto A4 piece of paper.

in this second year I really do need to take advantage of these facilities and this is the only way I will get confident with them.

4. Network and collaborate with other designers.

Going to any graphic design course will allow you to network and socialise with specialists in your chosen field, but as this course explains that it also focuses around collaborative and group work, it will allow me to truly understand how to work with a team or an individual to make the most out of each others individual skills and create a strong graphic team.

5. Find out about aspects of design that I had no idea about.

The one thing that also drew me to this programme is the fact the smallest details of graphic design are focused onto give us as much in depth knowledge as possible, so we can transfer easily into a working graphic designer without having to start from scratch in certain areas.

5 things I want to learn

1. Learn how to become a professional graphic designer.

i know it is an obvious response, but without having experience of working in the field, i sometimes worry that I don't really know what I am getting myself into, this course will hopefully hone my skills and improve my graphic knowledge so the transition between doing the degree and actually working in a professional studio won't be too different.

2. Print techniques and process

As I said earlier this is an advantage to the programme but I do need to take advantage of it, making sure I experiment and become confident with printing in various different ways, as well as researching and exploring industrial printing techniques so i don't just stay in my comfort zone.

3. How to confidently use software as a tool.

My confidence is still lacking when using design software, but like anything I have found the more I experiment and explore each program the better and more confident i become and ultimately the more confident I am with my designs as I am better at accurately translating my thoughts into physical products.

4. How to present my work confidently and professionally

due to my life experiences up until now, I often find i am very confident when socialising or talking to people, either on an individual or group basis, however last year I realised the importance of being confident when presenting and making sure you know exactly what you are talking about and why you are talking about it.
it's easy to just try and ramble your way through a presentation, but if i actually enjoy / care about what I am presenting find i naturally remember facts and figures without having to panic and read notes.
The more i do this again the more confident i will become in selling myself as a designer.

5. How to generate interesting ideas/ concepts for every brief.

I want to make sure that when I am asked to do work for a client both I and them will be confident that a good idea / concept will be produced, i don't want to have designs that I am not proud / happy with.

5 skills that you think are your strengths

1. Confident in Networking

As i said before I am generally good a making friends, which in any industry I think it's an advantage but especially in graphic design, maybe not a design skill but I think it is a personality trait that may help in the future.

2.I try to experiment with ideas

I have found many members of the course seem to have certain styles in their designs which are inspired by their favorite graphic design, however I haven't found a particular style that I would love to settle down in yet so I am experimenting as much as possible which will help with versatility.

3. Presenting

I definitely am not 100% confident with it at all but I think with repetition I will make a confident presenter of my work and ideas, this will be tested this year as we have been told to expect presentations thrown at us left right and center.

4. I would like to think i am helpful in crits.

I enjoy crits as it gives us a chance to get hands on with each others work, it is surprising how in a class so small you have no idea what some people are working on, so it is a good opportunity to help and give advice, I appreciate good feedback as I learn something from every piece of criticism, so in return i try to give it back like how I would like to receive, and I generally get a feeling that people take on my suggestions and have several times incorporated the idea into their design.

5. I have quite a realistic outlook

this is sometimes a hindrance but it also helps me to critically look at designs and decide what actually is needed from a product, this does not mean that I have no imagination or dreams, I just feel it helps to always know which direction you are going.

6. Photography

I really do love photography but always seem to forget it when I am thinking of design concepts, I think their can be some fantastic things done with photographs and it is often easier than creating from scratch on illustrator or photoshop.

5 things i would like to improve.

1. Software skills

I sometimes sit back after going through the initial design stages and struggle to think how I am going to take it to the next level, I find i am sometimes hindered by my software skills. but I find the more i play and experiment the more i eventually learn

I also want to learn more how to inter use photoshop and illustrator, I sometimes want to edit in both pieces of software and can never remember how.

2. Improve hand drawn illustration

i am from a family of hobby artists who all seem to have a natural ability with just paper and pen, I however struggle quite a lot with my drawing skills, i would really love to use illustration in my designs but I often find it easier to drawn the object straight into illustrator, i am improving as the terms continue but I would really like to improve in this area.

3.Time Management

Again as always I am still slowly working on this area, I know exactly what i should do about it but still find it difficult to put them into practice, but it is getting better and as i get to know the course more the more confident and prepared i am.

4. Organisation

I need to start creating organised systems for individual briefs so i am always in control of what i am doing, where i am doing it and why I am doing it, i have found at some points without having proper organisation i have lost pieces of information that I later need, therefore giving myself more work.

5.Take more advantage of college facilities.

i aim to increase my confidence with my designs thisyear, and not just limit them to paper and digital print, i want to try and use the screen print facilities alot this year so i really get confident with them as it is an area i reallyfeel I would be interested in but lack the confidence to go and get on with it.

I also want to try designing with different materials ,taking advantage of the laser cutter and wood workshop.

5 ways you will evaluate your progress

1. Blogging

Keeping a record of all my work and evaluations as well as research will definetly help me evaluate my progress, i can already see an improvement in the first year after looking back at previous work I have learnt a lot.

2.Keeping records of crit feedback

This can always make you learn from your mistakes as well as getting someone else's view on a design, you can evaluate if your design ideas are working by getting and taking on bored good constructive criticism

3.Feedback from a non designer.

I have found if i ask people outside of the course who may have nothing to do with design for their feedback I feel i get an honest response as they know nothing about it at all apart from whether they like it or don't like it or understand it or don't understand it.

4. Self evaluation

at the start of the course I found this a little more difficult than I do now as i wasn't sure if their was a right or wrong answer, I have found by doing more blogging and self evaluation that I now find it quite easy to get my thoughts out in words, it is a good physical diary of my journey and experiences.

5. Grades

Obviously grades are a good indication of how you are doing in relation to the courses intentions, it now gets a little more serious as the grades go towards our final mark but it is a good opportunity to get on top of everything from an early point.

5 Questions you want to find the answer to

1. What do i want to specialise in?

This one is a subject that I am always a little worried about, especially seeing others on the course be so passionate about certain areas of graphic design, I haven't found that area yet that i specialise in or want to take further, i enjoy all the design we do but am still not sure about where i would like t be once the course has finished.

2. How can I improve my hand drawn illustration skills?

I would really like to incorporate more illustrations into my work but don't have the confidence when drawing, I often find it difficult to get exactly what i want on the page in front of me.

3. What are the general prices graphic designers charge for specifc works?

I am looking forward to finding out some business sides to a graphic designers life, it will give me more confidence selling myself and my work if I knew what it would be worth to a client.

4. How can I become a master on Adobe Creative Suite

I think I know the answer to this question but I have no idea how you would manage to do exactly what you want on any of the adobe programs, i kno enough to scrape through but I really want to learn more.

5. How do i screen print

I know we had the basic induction last year but i REALLY want to get in the print workshop and get my hands dirty this year and i want to get used to it so i dont have to go asking for help every time I'm in their, I intend to go in their some point soon and just ask someone to walk me through the process so I can familiarise myself with the process.

5 things that inspire you

1. The Sun

I know it's a silly one but English weather really doesn't help with my work ethic, I find that if it is grey and miserable (like it usually is) my motivation is much less but when the sun is out and its warm it just lifts me and makes me a much chirpier and creative thinker.

2. Researching designers

I always get really inspired when on blogs or designers websites, whether that because I think I can do a better job or because I think I would like to be like them, but it always gets me in a designing mood.

3. Competition briefs

I feel that I get much more motivated when their is a competitive edge to a brief, I find i often get more excited about competition or live briefs than I should.

4. Money

I know it's a bad one but anyone who says money isn't inspirational is a liar, I would love to have lots of money and live a comfortable life and often find that the prospect of money spurs me on more than anything.

5. Final product

When I am at the end stages of a brief and am either creating or holding the finished product i find then it was all worth it, unless I don't like it and want to alter it then it spurs me on to either improve or to rethink.

10 examples of design that illustrate your fields of creative interest