PPP: Placement Feedback

Neil Ramsden McCadden Feedback

"Well done on a great week Alex - team loved you and you were a joy to have in McCadden!! Keep in touch!" - Neil (Creative Director)

Samantha Burke The Clothing Lounge Feedback

The feedback from The Clothing Lounge can be added as a recommendation to my CV. This feedback is a good longer term industry placement so would also make a useful reference. Feedback from both placements were positive I will await further opportunities at McCadden after graduation. There is a possibility Neil Ramsden will attend The University End of Year Show as discussed during placement. This would be a great opportunity for him to see my work and with some possibility of recruitment. Other designers at McCadden were recruited this way through University of Ulster's End of Year Show. 

Crit : Self Initiated and Research Brief 13/02/20

Feedback:

• Narrow down what you want to research 
• Research should educate people with the best platform of communication
• Can research solve or help with a problem that exists?
• What is the appropriate format to solve a problem 
• Collaboration involves working with rather than for
• Problem: How to identify and resolve dachshund health issues 
• How can assistive products such as ramps be promoted 
• The concept should lead the design process

To summarise based on feedback provided the Application design is a self initiated project and the research project will be an extension of this and aim to resolve and inform dog owners of the symptoms and what to do if your dachshund starts to experience IVDD symptoms the most common health problem associated with the breed. A leaflet is the appropriate format in terms of research into what already exists such as dog health blogs, websites, other dog owners stories. 

Concept: To inform and educate dog owners on IVDD including the causes, symptoms and optional treatments or therapy. 

Problem: No physical focused information on IVDD available to pet owners.

Solution: Not to resolve but to educate owners on what to look out for, what to do and what it is in a clear and visually appealing manner. 

Best platform of communication: A printed leaflet, this problem in this format does not exist already instead information can be found mainly online via blogs and websites. A leaflet is most suitable for it's context as the leaflet will most likely be found in a Veterinary Clinic Reception.

Further Development

PPP: Updating Business cards

In order for the personal brand to remain consistant across all platforms it was essential to update my existing business cards to more refined brand guidelines. The new design consists of the headline logo and secondary logo this includes and image based and typographic logo. A typographic logo was developed to create an adaptable brand for wider usage both digitally and print based. However it was mainly developed due to the personal brand needing to be more clearly associated with my full name as the other logo  only uses initials. Further development changed the back of the card to work in contrast to the front with a white background but remains consistent with the monochrome colour scheme. Another development was the inclusion of updated details including my website www.aldesignconsulting.com. 

PRODUCTION: 

The business cards will be externally printed using MOO with a matt stock and clear spot varnish applied to the logo on the front of the card. This gives the brand the high-end finish it aims to portray. 

PPP: Press Coverage

What is the impact of generating press coverage can have?
Power of press generating any press

Challenge - Try and get some sort of press coverage this academic year.

Methods 
- Print - magazine 
- Online - reliable sources e.g. It's Nice That 
- Social - Instagram standalone accounts (thebrandidentity, graphicindex, collectgraphics)

• Start Instagram account using hashtags for submissions
• Use tagging and hashtags where possible possible, people, brand
• Instagram is good but can make work interactions more social than formal
• Separating disciplines e.g. illustration and graphics 
• Social trends and design challenges timing is everything 
• Control narrative who you are, what you do
• Research is the key to success 
• Identify what the publisher wants to get featured 
• Spotlight feature - Intern 
• Make it easy to share sending it to an exact specification 
• Have a growth mindset - use press coverage as an opportunity
• Create a coherent set of pieces
• Case study - Michael William Lester - Character building 
• Writing a fictional feature is good practice for writing a solid press release.

Task: Write a fictional feature about yourself, take your favourite project so far.

Feature content:

Alexandra Lane's stunning portfolio demonstrates skill far beyond her years. Spanning branding, editorial design, stationary and UX design, the Northern Ireland-based designer combines classic and often a monochrome colour scheme in minimal compositions that are completely irresistible to the eye. Her masterful command of image and space is playful yet restrained, yielding work that is simultaneously creative in a refined discipline focus.

This level of care and control extends beyond Alexandra’s enchanting visuals and into her underlying ideas, giving her work a “conceptual depth greater than just its design and production.” Central to Alexandra’s process is ensuring that there is “a reason behind every decision whether it’s apparent to the audience or not.” The combination of conceptual thoughtfulness and minimalism is beautifully embodied in projects like ‘Wedding Stationary’, the contrast of a script and serif typeface creates a contemporary design relevant to context trends.  

Having graduated from Leeds Arts University last year, Alexandra reflects on how the experience shaped her outlook on graphic design. Particularly influential was the University’s professionalism and links to industry. “Lecturers are always encouraging the students to network and makes the most of the facilities” she recalls. “Printing techniques, paper choices, and binding techniques were considered early in the conceptual phases of projects, resulting in more engaging tactile outcomes.”

Despite looking back fondly on her time living and studying in the Leeds, Alexandra is happy to be in Northern Ireland where, for her, the relatively smaller design scene offers more opportunities for newcomers. “There are lots of good studios in Belfast, although this is the starting point and I hope to travel and work in London or America in two years time, with the hopeful mindset of new opportunities and challenges.” We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for some exciting updates on Alexandra's career and future work soon.

Press Release:

Internal Collaboration: First Meeting & Research

THE MEETING

Type of Branding: An identity to be applied across a range of deliverables including printed matter and social media. Business cards and post cards.

Deliverables: Brand Identity in the form of a logo, business card and postcards.

Colour scheme: Muted warm colours - orange and green, pastel colours

Style/Tone of voice: Metaphorical, poetic, sociological, minimal

Deadline: Before 18th March

Plan of Action: Logo mockups and tests for review on Monday. 

Below shows the initial stages of this brief coming up with a variety of logos aiming to visualise the tone of voice set. Tests of the logos mocked up with the colour scheme and a creative pattern extracted from the Photography student's work. These are only quick initial mock ups the next meeting will refine the identity before moving onto other deliverables. 

LOGO VARIATIONS

COLOUR SCHEME

BRANDING IN CONTEXT

Research Brief : Refining Research to a creative solution

As an extension to the self-initiated brief the research brief is a focused expansion of this brief. The aim of the brief is to use research to inform audiences and raise awareness in terms of Dachshund health problem the most common being IVDD other including spotting the symptoms, causes, treatment or therapy options. 

Research: 

What is intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)?

• Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is the most common spinal disease in dogs and is also seen occasionally in cats. The most common spinal surgery performed in the dog is for intervertebral disc disease.
• Intervertebral discs are fibrocartilaginous cushions between the vertebrae (except the first two cervical vertebrae) that allow movement, are supportive and act as shock absorbers. 
• They consist of a fibrous outer rim, the annulus fibrosis, and a jelly like centre, the nucleus pulposus. intervertebral disc degeneration results in diminished shock-absorbing capacity, and can ultimately lead to disc herniation and spinal cord compression.

Causes 

• Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is an age-related, degenerative condition. However certain, ‘at-risk’ dogs (chondrodystrophic breeds and crosses) can suffer disc problems from when they are young adult dogs. 
• Disc degeneration is thought to occur because of loss of the disc to “hold water” becoming dehydrated. Chondrodystrophic dogs, which characteristically have disproportionably short and curved limbs, for example, the Basset Hound, Dachshund, Lucas Terriers, Sealyhams and Shih Tzus. 
• Thus chondrodystrophoid dogs suffer early degenerative changes in the disc making them likely to herniate. When intervertebral discs of chondrodystrophic dogs degenerate, they can calcify making the discs visible on radiographs.

IVDD for Dachshunds 

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is by far the most common health problem in UK Dachshunds: around 1 in 4 may be affected at some stage in their lives. Whilst many recover well in time, there is significant risk of permanent damage so severe it is life changing or threatening.  On this website, you can find out more about the causes, symptoms, treatments, expense, how to reduce the risks, plus details of our IVDD screening initiative. 

Why are Dachshunds at risk?

Did you know the Dachshund is a short-legged breed, not a long-backed one? It's the genetics of short legs that pre-dispose Dachshunds to back disease. 

All dogs' discs degenerate with age; they lose water, become more fibrous and sometimes mineralised. Degeneration of a Dachshund's discs happens at a much younger age than in dogs with normal length legs. Read more about calcified discs. 

The two main types of disc disease are known as Hansen Type 1 and Type 2. Dachshunds suffer from Type 1. 

Prevention

It’s always best if you can prevent a disc from bulging/bursting in the first place. With IVDD, discs become more susceptible to bursting over time as the outer fibrous layer hardens and loses its elasticity. Bursting usually occurs from some sort of impact or sharp movement, like wrestling, jumping off or over things, stairs, an injury, etc.

Here are some good tips on how to prevent an injury:

• Keep your dog strong! A strong back puts less stress on the discs themselves to absorb impacts.
• Don’t let your dog do stairs! Here at Crusoe’s house, we have baby gates set up at the top and bottom of all staircases.
• Use ramps for couches and beds.

What already exists?

- Stories based on existing Dachshund owners experience with IVDD

- Websites with online information - https://www.dachshund-ivdd.uk/ 

- Dog health blogs 

What's missing?

A physical informative approach focused on IVDD - this could be useful for dog owners and could be placed in context at Veterinary clinics. 

Further development

Through identifying a refined common problem among the dachshund breed IVDD. As well as research identifying what formats already exists, there are no focused physical informative material for owners at the minute and putting the leaflet in context by placing a leaflet in Veterinary clinics would be useful for dog owners to have both as an informative preventive measure where possible. The leaflet can also show there are some symptoms to look out for as well as some solutions. 

Teen Vogue: Research

Louise Orwin: Oh Yes Oh No 

• This is a show about having sexual fantasies that don’t align with your politics. It’s about trying to understanding what you want, and wondering how the hell to ask for it.
• Oh Yes Oh No invites you on a surreal joyride through femme sexuality and violence. Made exclusively with the candid input of those willing to talk openly and honestly about their sex life, including survivors of sexual trauma, Louise is unafraid to ask the difficult questions as she interrogates identity, consent and power play.
• Featuring explicit XXX, Barbie’n’Ken role-play, a heady mix of pop culture references, and original sound design by Alicia Jane Turner, the show explores sexuality and who gets to have a say in it. 
• This show is for anyone who has ever struggled to find their sexual voice, or questioned the sexual culture they were brought up in. It asks who gets to speak, who gets to have a voice, and ultimately aims to give a voice back to those who have had their voices and bodies taken from them.
• How can you re-claim your voice and your body when these things have been stripped from you? And how do you navigate a landscape of hyper-sexuality and increasing sex positivity when the mere act of asking for what you want can be the hardest thing? 
• Oh Yes Oh No dares to speak about a subject which is rarely addressed publicly, especially in the wake of #MeToo.

Dipsea

• Sexy audio stories that spark your imagination and get you in the mood 
• An application that focuses on sexuality interests, at any moment through sound 
• Can connect a wide audience due to the digital context
• Application is available at the convenience of the user - mobile
• The design uses bold colour contrast and illustrations to visualise the theme. 

Emma Watson OMG Yes

• A website or digital platform revealing scientific information
• Videos of experience help to make the subject relate to an audience
• Aims to target a range of people including women, men and couples
• Honest approach in videos 
• Techniques and experiences will these shared honestly.

Teen Vogue: Initial Idea

Concept

The concept aims to tackle issues surrounding sexual culture and sexual violence. Even in sexual culture today women are still somewhat submissive to men which could be linked as a contributing factor to sexual violence. Women who have experienced sexual violence find it difficult to find their voice. Barbie is used as she is recognised as a pop culture icon and can target a wide audience whilst visualising the idea without it being perceived as too explicit for younger audiences. The concept will be visualised over a series of six images. 

WHAT DO I WANT?!

Script

1.      You are here because you want to be here

We will say this is consensual

2.    I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do

3.    You want to do this don’t you

There will be question marks and there will be exclamation marks

4.    What do I want?

It’s been so long since I asked myself what I want

5.    Remember it’s just you and me

We’re all just trying to have a good time here

6.    you seemed like you were up for it before

PPP: Self Promotion Vogue Custom CV

After the briefing my strategy is to work for a high-end editorial fashion magazine such as Vogue. Using Vogue's typography and introducing myself and experience surrounding fashion I designed a custom made CV. The CV is inspired and references Lucy Donagh's custom CV. The typeface and content relating to accessories and shoes makes the design fitting of Vogue and relates the design both to the context and client, Vogue. My skillset is showcased by the inclusion of my own fashion illustrations. To gain appeal this would be uploaded to LinkedIn with a post including relevant hashtags and tagging Vogue in the post itself. 

Reference

Development

PPP: Self Promotion

• How to use a University project to launch your career
• 'An unpaid internship in London costs £1019 a month.'
• High quality, high risk

What do you get from an internship 3 key elements:

• Experience 
• Contacts 
• Mentorship

• Make your own experience 
• "I'll give you two days, you give me one back." (in the form of mentorship) - Nomadic Designer
• Determine what you want to know through mentorship
• Turn heroes into collaborators 
• 'Cool Bus' a mobile Graphic Design Studio
• Saving from summer jobs to set you up
• Consider alternatives to unpaid internships e.g. travelling 
• How can you build up your personal profile 
• Personal interests into professional ambition
• Make enemies gain fans - book
• When you make something no one hates no one loves it 
• To stand out can you engage with employers through another format e.g. a video
• How can you demonstrate skills through this format
• Platforms e.g. Linked in and social media to enhance connections.
• How effective could this be visually 
• 'The Pop Up Agency' 48 hours to go from brief to pitch 
• A project can be the basis of a sustainable business
• Business accelerator programme - supporting business propositions and new ideas
• Use University to experiment and dream big 
• 'iwanttoworkfornike', 'supporterspro' 'iwanttoworkfor' Instagrams
• How can what's trending influence design success
• Personal projects can pay off short and long term 
• Proactive in getting out there 
• Tap in directly to creators, interests snd passions 
• Things that you love, world needs it, paid and your good at it (Ikigai)
• Mindfulness is vital 
• Nice to feel your work has real purpose
• Always value in being yourself
• 'Lucy Donagh' - custom made CV LinkedIn 
• Tailor this to your client 
• Timing - engage with content feed
• Context - LinkedIn filled with recruiters 
• Platform - reach wider audiences through hashtags 
• Tone of voice - matched with the client light not serious
• How can a project get you closer to your vision
• Develop a concept for a project to launch your career
• Strategy is always context dependent 

The Task: Develop a concept for a project to launch your career

My approach:

Custom made CV

Who I want to work for?

Vogue 

How do I want to reach them?

Through a custom made CV focused on fashion

Context?

Magazine/ Editorial

Research Brief: Dachshund App Production

This is a good development to show the app in context and visualise the finished prototype. However, further refinement will work on the navigation in correspondence with the human interface guidelines which IOS applications are advised to follow. All Apple applications will follow these guidelines. Further development and research will incorporate these guidelines into the design e.g. back button generally appears on the top left. 

The Human Interface guidelines will make the design more appropriate and relevant to considerations surrounding design for screen. These guidelines are also created to make the application easiest for the user and applicable to a wide audience as the guidelines also consider those with disabilities.

Further Action

• Apply Human interface guidelines to applications navigation system 
• Apply Human interface guidelines to design considerations where possible

Lookbook Feedback: Silent Crit

Feedback 

The page layouts could be more experimental as this is more engaging than having them all the same. 

Play around with breaking up images overlapping 2 or 3 on a page but use the same grid system throughout. 

Typeface works well with the concept and feminine aesthetic 

Why square pages? Larger print out feels uncomfortable to hold smaller works.

Why have framed and full bleed can have both but feels a little inconsistent

Philosophy and typeface work well together visually creates a high-end brand 

Bigger publication is alot more considered

- How would you bind it?

- Typeface hierarchy is nice

I like how you have made it look high-end and premium photography and typography fit really well.

Look at tissue paper and foiled logo

Photography fits well with type 

Experiment further with layout and how imagery is scaled 

Experiment with placement of type over imagery

Look into high end fashion packaging 

Black and white theme works well 

The ribbon is a nice touch - fits with the brand and is visually strong 

Could u bind with ribbon?

The type is definitely synonymous with the brand and it's products, but it could be pushed further, making it more distinct from other brands of the same style/product.

The composition works well on the book with ribbon and the images being cropped 

Composition works well with the typeface perhaps strengthen the brand identity with having the name on it's own page with no imagery. 

Type works well with the brand and the layout extra details like the ribbon enhance the design and add a luxurious feel

Thicker paper stock would suit this publication

To summarise general feedback suggested greater exploration and challenge existing layout through experimentation. Perhaps this could include the incorporation of text and imagery and challenging a grid system. Although feedback also highlighted the typeface finishing touches like the ribbon create a high-end luxurious feel to the brand. Elements like the typeface visually translate and represent the brand effectively. Based on feedback I explored further experimentation based on layout, stock and binding. Below is the development of layout based on feedback provided during this crit. 

Development after Crit