Presentation Slide One Hello Slide Two Summary of my summer. Worked at Argos, enjoyed myself, contacted studios and made a few visits, started designing greetings cards, did some dissertation research. Slide Three Studios I contacted. Aidan Nolan Design in Huddersfield, The Archipelago in Leeds, Everyday Something and spoke to Toby Triumph at YCN Awards. Took a while to organise visits as they were very busy. Got some great advice from them, been told to stay in contact with them throughout third year and can ask them for any help if needed. Slide Four Got speaking to Toby Triumph at the YCN Awards at the beginning of September. Sat next to him and he gave some great advice. Toby was from York and moved to London to become a Freelancer. Told how it took a while to become established. Best piece of advice he gave me was to keep my plates spinning. Always make sure you keep on at designing, networking, promoting myself etc Slide Five Aidan Nolan was the first designer I met with for a chat. Spoke a lot about how he started up his business. Had started a business with another graduate after uni then decided to set up on his own. I asked him how he gets around designers block, he told me to think of a sandwich. If you know something that works well together then use that idea as a base and then add new things to make it more interesting. He said he liked to think of bacon sandwiches Slide Six I ended up speaking to Mike Lewis at The Archipelago for a few hours, we got lost in conversation about his experiences and stories of other designers he knew. He told me how he had no idea what sort of designer he wanted to be in his third year which is how I am feeling now. He graduated from vis com at LCA about 10 years ago. We were talking about part time jobs too and he told me to make sure I don’t get stuck at Argos as he nearly got stuck at a betting shop once he graduated. He worked for a few studios and then decided to go solo. Best piece of advice he gave was to try and be good at everything it will make me more employable than someone who is amazing at one particular thing Slide Seven I have recently opened an Etsy shop as I wanted to start selling greetings cards. I enjoy making them and I wanted to see if there was anything in it for my designs. It is something different and something for me to do outside of uni work, although I would like to interlink them soon
Slide Eight I have some design opportunities coming up and already in place. Just small things at the moment from friends and family but none the less real clients. I am doing some work for my boyfriends colleague and then invites for various occasions Slide Nine I have tried to make my briefs work across a range of different areas so that I can develop my skills to help me build a strong portfolio. A few that I am really keen on working on are the VW Beetle promotion and the branding and promotion of a confectionary brand. I think there is a lot I can do with just these two. Slide Ten For my dissertation I will be looking at sex in advertising and whether it actually helps sell a product. I have always found this quite interesting so thought id write 8 thousand words on it! I have taken about 7 books from the library and managed to flick through them. I’m not to lie, I haven’t really thought to much about the dissertation. But obviously I need to pretty soon Slide Eleven So what is my plan. Well one of the biggest things I need to do is make sure I stay in contact with designers and studios I have spoken to as this may help me once I graduate. I also need to start contacting more and see if I can arrange placements I need to make sure I develop my skills in all areas to make sure I end up with the best portfolio I can. This means following my own briefs and not taking short cuts or safe options with deliverables I need to start making opportunities for myself in regards to promoting myself and getting my work out there. This includes updating behance, selling on Etsy and asking around to see if people need anything doing Make sure I create amazing work to go in my portfolio. I want and need it to be the best that it can. This will come from trying new things but ensuring everything is now done to a professional level Most importantly I want to find out what I am really good at and capitalise on this as well as develop all other skills. Slide Twelve Skills I want to develop through third year, screen printing as I haven’t done much of it whilst ive been at uni. Illustrator and InDesign skills because I want to get better at them both. Editorial and Layout design as I want to learn more so I can use them effectively within my work. Slide Thirteen And to end on a very high note YCN Student Awards was amazing. I had such a great time and still cant believe me and Lisa were commended! This will be my personal inspiration and motivation throughout third year. I know I can do it and I know I can do it good!
Slide Fourteen Thank you