David MacLellan - Semester 2 PDF

David MacLellan Semester 2 Portfolio

In view of what you have produced so far: 1. Type of brief: What type of project do you feel you best respond to – is it a “tight brief” with very clear guidelines and demands or an “open” brief where the outcomes are far more open and unspecified?

I respond best to open briefs, the outcomes may be far open and unspecified but they allow you to stretch and experiment with different styles. Looking at different things like textures, typefaces and sizing of the final outcome.

2. Integral elements: Are there integral elements that often form key elements within your work – in other words does photography play an important part in you work or is it typography or illustration or hand drawn lettering or a text and image relationship. What have you identified and how do you wish to develop this?

I haven’t a very noticable integreal element they would often form key elements within my work, it could possibly be my use of strong, bright colours within my work.

3. Success: What are your strengths? Where have you been most successful? What do you think was the reason for that positive experience?

My strengths have been within packaging design

which were used in the D&AD brief, this is possibly because I doubted myself when it came to packaging and I found myself enjoying. This allowed me to get more into the brief giving it my best.

4. Problems: Where have the problems arisen; have you been able to overcome them?

Problems have arisen through the fact that I often doubt if i am going in the right direction with a brief.

I often forget to ask for advice and criticism to make sure I don’t venture off with my ideas.

5. Personality: What are you interested in, what are you about? Do you feel you have been able to introduce your personality and interests in your work. In what creative direction do you want to proceed?

I am a big believer in very bright colours, I’ve not had to introduce my personality and interests in my work as I tried to keep my work mostly aimed at the clients and not myself.

D&AD Whisky Packaging

Personal Manifesto

Meltdown Festival Posters

Photography Booklet

University of Cumbria Logo

1. Which brief did you choose and what opportunities and con­straints did you identify in relation to the brief? Which aspects of your initial research have influenced your design work?

I chose the whisky packaging brief. Within the brief I had to identify how I wanted the whisky to be seen and bought. I had to think if I wanted to be obscure and design something surreal for the whisky or keep the idea design and market something people wouldn’t be intimidated to buy. The whisky was suppose to take it away from it’s masculine roots and to make it universally enjoyed. I looked into mainly female branding aspects and some gender neutral ones.

2. Explain the concept you have come up with?

The concept I had gone for was to be subtley feminine within my colour choices but to keep it close to the natural aspects of the whisky. The box was designed with hand-drawn florals, but within closer inspection the florals were plants and flowers which are scottish.

3. Do you feel you have successfully met the creative demands of the brief? Indicate how you have done this or where the flawed decisions have adversely affected the design solution.

I had intentionally wanted to make the packaging a lot more feminine, but by toning it down it allowed it to be enjoyed more by also the metrosexual male without allowing him to feel uncomfortable when

buying said item. The only problem was that I wish I had managed to make a mock up of both the box and bottles within, but because of the sizes of the bottles I was unsure where to find bottles with a similar to design to the one I had in mind.

Keep the colour scheme and style similar.

Cumbria University

of

Cumbria University

of

Cumbria University of

Cumbria Cumbria Cumbria University of

University of

University of

1. What ideas were you trying to communicate through your written manifesto?

My main idea was to keep my manifesto quite lighthearted, but still being very personal. I find that music helps me through a lot, and so by relating my points to songs that again were from different parts of my life seemed perfect.

2. Explain how you translated your written concept into a visual artifact? Explain how you feel you have done justice to your concept. If you haven’t, tell us what improvements you would make?

My final point was about music being good for you.

As I find music a big part of my life, it only seemed logical to make a playlist that related to my points.

The songs I had chosen were songs I liked and enjoyed, some even linking to a part of my life. Again I related my colour scheme to being very light-hearted.

3. Having written and designed your manifesto, how do you think can: use it to inform/direct your process? to bring your own agenda to design problems? to suggest directions for future exploration?

Firstly I think by playing the songs related to my manifesto may help feed my creativity. My manifest will remind me to always keep true to myself, it will remind me to always challenge myself and explore more new options and tecniques.

1. Influence is everywhere; you just need to know how to harvest it.

2. You are not the same person you were last year, if anything you are a year wiser.

3. Treat your mind like your stomach, feed them!

4. Take a break once in a while.

5. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

6. If you can get away with it, do it.

7. Ask questions.

8. Forget your eraser. Embrace your mistakes.

9. Have fun with what you do.

10. Never accept losing without an explanation.

11. Expect and accept criticism.

12. Music is like chicken soup, both are good for the soul.

fixed punctuation

online texture, looked too flat on print.

a selection of coloured CDs for inside sleeve

a selection of coloured CDs for inside sleeve

1. How will you develop and broaden your technical abilities?

I will develop and broaden my technical abilities by always learning about new things Adobe are adding to their line of Creative Suites. I will find new ways to update my website, keeping things updated, finding ways of expressing myself via my website.

2. How will you develop and broaden you knowledge of contemporary practice in relation to your own interests?

As most people from this generation I am very up to date with my social networks, with these people will link, reblog and retweet about new techniques, new ideas and inspirations which I will always venture into and take note. With websites like youtube and similar, I can also self teach myself many new techniques.

3. How will you nurture and develop you current strengths?

As with anything, I will always ask for criti-

cism for my work and try and better my skills through having my design skills being looked at by a fresh eye.

4. Where do you need to strengthen your game and more importantly how are you going to make this happen. What action needs to take place?

I need to strengthen my game in a lot including web design and editorial. I will look into researching and getting inspired by other editorials and websites. I will see if I could imitate and nurture new ideas and learn what makes their design so good.

Contact details

contact@david-m.co.uk

http://www.david.co.uk http://davidmdesigns.tumblr.com http://www.twitter.com/davidmdesigns