As the presentation content was something that I had chosen myself through personal interest and knowledge, I felt confident and relaxed when presenting to the group. Although it is not advised to use a powerpoint presentation, through presenting previously I have learnt that I deliver more effectively through having notes on Presenter View rather than having a piece of paper in my hands. Holding something like a water bottle or a pen gives me something to 'play' with when talking which calms my nerves. If I were to hold a piece of paper the audience would be able to see me shaking and therefore would make me feel more nervous.
The presentation was on the synopsis of the film Cool Runnings which was presented in a range of GIFs which were presented with a border of white space. This meant that due to the poor quality of the projector, the images were still clear to see. In the feedback after the presentation this method of presenting received positive comments as it amused the audience and added positivity to the room. During the presentation this also meant that when I looked up I was met with smiling faces which helped me relax and boosted my confidence when talking.
Another feedback comment was that there was a clear ending to the presentation. This was through adding my own personal summary of the deeper meaning behind the film. This is an important technique to use in other presentations as it leaves a good last impression rather than having to verbally announce that it is the end of the presentation.
Completing the Penguin Random House competition to design a book cover for In Cold Blood - Truman Capote has highlighted that this is an area of deign where my interests lie. This is due to the openness that is available when designing a book cover, it allows for a range of different mediums to be experiment with. This is something that appeals to me as a designer as I am not limited to one style. Therefore the opportunity to experiment with digital illustration, typography and more traditional print designs such as using screen printing, collage and mono printing are all areas that can be explored in response to designing a book jacket. It has also highlighted that have an understanding of the tone of voice of the book as well as having background knowledge of the author are also important when producing an informed and appropriate response.
This is an area of design that I would like to interact further with through competitions and contacting illustrators.designers who work with book jacket design. Getting involved with competitions will built my experience with this area of design as well as allowing time and purpose to practising the skills involved.
There has been various discussions had over naming ourselves. Through speaking to other creatives and relatives who have started their own business, we have learned that the name must reflect who we are and what we do. From this the name, Norwood Print has been chosen. Norwood is the street that the three members of the business live on and is where a lot of the designs will be produced, in terms of bookbinding, card printing etc. The 'Print' aspect to the name tells the audience that we print our own designs. This will further be explained through our bio on social media and on the Etsy shop. This is an important aspect to include as through speaking with other creatives, it has been highlighted that what makes our business idea/plan unique is that we are going to be traditionally printing each design.
On identifying Donut Press as a studio that I would like to contact and from having worked on some invitation designs of my own, I emailed the studio. From contacting Donut Press and expressing my interest in their work, I received a very enthusiastic response within the same day. Through exchanging various emails, I have arranged to meet with the Stephanie, the main creative involved in Donut Press. Before meeting I hope to organise some initial questions to ask that will hopefully lead to a casual chat about Donut Press and the new organisation that I have been invited to attend.
The target audience of the business is difficult to initially determine as it is something that will develop with the business. However, as we are branding ourselves as a 'gift and stationary' business then the target audience will primarily be buyers of stationary and gift products. More specifically this leads to those who support local businesses and who appreciate the handmade style of products. As each design will be slightly different due to the printing method, they will also attract an audience who prefer to buy unique and one off products.
As the products are going to be initially sold through Etsy, this will be the main target audience. From this the brand will hopefully develop. It is important to look at other Etsy businesses who are of a similar nature to Norwood Print to analyse their work/pricing/image/packaging. This will indicate how we can make our brand unique and as independent as possible.
The City Talking is a magazine that I have identified, whose work of which I used as inspiration for OUGD504 Studio Brief 01. I wanted to find out more about the editorial process that the team go through when putting together each issue and whether it would be possible to do a placement with them.
Initially I have contacted The City Talking through email, where I have been exchanging a number of emails with one of the writers, Jenn O'Brien. Through expressing my interest in their work and the editorial process, she went on to tell me that the design studio Rabbit Hole produced the brand guidelines and templates for them to use for each issue of the magazine. She also said that there is an 'in-house designer' at The City Talking which she could put me in touch with. Jenn also informed me of the opening week that the magazine are going to be holding once they get their new projects underway.
The opening week is an event that I have requested to be up to date with as this would allow me to experience the environment that the team work in, as well as opening up the opportunity to interact with members of the team.
Through having a growing interest in illustration and book making and from being requested to make cards and other stationery pieces for friends, I am in the process of starting a business with two photography peers. The experience for producing work for a client is something that we are becoming more and more used to and have discovered that a profit can be made from this. The production of the products to sell through Etsy will also allow me to practise my skills in traditional print and further learn how to engage with the business market and the target audience.
To research more into what's involved in starting a business and to determine whether the products would have a market, I aim to speak to other creatives (such as Donut Press and Cambridge Imprint) as well as researching local markets to attend.
Discussions have been had around the products that we are initially going to focus on. Through speaking to individuals who have started their own business, we have learnt that having a limit to how much stock we initially produce is important. This is due to determining whether there is a market for what we are producing, as well as being the beginning of starting an income. It is unnecessary to create hundreds of notebooks if only a handful are going to be sold!
The current aim is to produce hand printed and bound notebooks as well as a series of birthday and thank you cards. The business will then expand and adjust accordingly.
As part of my personal practise I have been working on some illustrations which are then being used within an invitation design. From starting this I hope to be able to build a portfolio of different designs that would be able to be shown to a client. These are designs that I post to my creative Instagram account to showcase my work and to demonstrate the style that I am currently practising in.
Katey & Josephine are a creative pair who started their own business in 2012 which later took off in 2015 where they started to apply their designs to home products. Based near Wakefield, Yorkshire they produce pattern designs through stitching, collaging, drawing and scanning. These patterns are then reworked digitally to create the final designs which are then printed by various UK based businesses. From recently experimenting with pattern design digitally and with traditional printing, learning about the techniques that K&J use would benefit my learning by having the knowledge of creatives who have been practising the skills much longer than I have.
Like most creatives, K&J have an online presence through; Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Through browsing through their social media it is evident that they upload current images of pieces that they are working on, as well as posting about events that they are attending/ are a part of. As it has been the Christmas period, they have not had a presence on their social media profiles for over a month. Another way of contacting them is through their 'Get in touch' page on their website. However due to the festive period now being over, they may have a backlog of emails to read through therefore a response may take longer than expected. Another way of contacting the studio is through sending them something in the post. As pattern design is something that I am experimenting with, it would be more personal to send a card in the most with a short message in, expressing my interest to visit the studio.
Journal is another Leeds based design studio that I discovered through Instagram. Like Catalogue, they have a varied area of creative that they produce for clients; working on branding to illustration projects, as well as website design and packaging. Although they describe themselves as a branding design studio, their work evidently shows their consideration of the brand and therefore the appropriate media used to demonstrate the brands values and purpose.
One of particular interest to my practise is the work completed for the National Trust. I was initially drawn to this project through the client as the National Trust is an organisation that I have grown up knowing, as well as living close to a number of different sights. Through exploring this project I learnt that each piece that they produced 'required a unique creative solution'. This consideration draws me further in to this design studio as having a varied skill set is something that I relate to and enjoy bringing into my work. It is evident through this project that the studio does not feel limited to one area of creative and that finding the most appropriate outcome for their client is of the most importance.
