Creative Report

Printed Zine

The decision to digitally produce and hand bind the publication was informed by my own personal interests. This has allowed me to further practice my interest in editorial design as well as having the opportunity to collaborate with an illustrator. 

The decision to hand bind the publication was informed by the relationship that I have built on with the creatives involved in this project. Using this binding method reflects my personal interests and engagement with the creatives. The publication is going to be sent to the creatives involved to show them what I have done with the interview content as well as to show off the illustrations produced by Katie. 

503 End of Module Self Evaluation

Through completing this module my communication, confidence and collaborating skills are the key areas that have been tested and have subsequently improved. This has been through primary research such as talking through ideas/designs with the target audience for the Greenall’s Gin brief as well as working cross-course in response to the Bear brief. 

Through completing studio brief 01 I was able to explore a more personal style that involved the inclusion of graphic design and illustration. This was an important aspect that was considered when selecting the briefs to ensure that the brief allowed for my design interests to be explored as well as experimenting with new methods such as collage (Penguin) and vector drawing (Papyrus).

Although the chosen briefs were open in their requirements it has meant that I have been able to explore my skills in brief interpretation, illustration and expanding the concept outside of what the brief states. This was particularly relevant in the collaboration response to the YCN Bear brief and was one of the main reasons why we selected the brief. 

Although including an illustration form in each response was not always relevant, it was a direction explored in each of the individual competition briefs. This has taught me to always explore alternative directions in response to a brief and to ensure that the most appropriate solution is identified through self analysis and peer/target audience feedback. The completion of the YCN Greenall’s Gin brief demonstrated the importance of gaining and understanding of the target audience and receiving their feedback on designs. This is something that I would like to bring in to my practice more as it not only produces a response that is relevant to the client but that appeals to the target audience too.

Through developing my confidence in my all round design,communication skills and my time management through completing short and long time frame time briefs in studio brief 01, I was able to transfer these skills through the completion of studio brief 02. Working in collaboration has taught me the importance of communicating with other creatives as well as learning how to take on the opinion of others when making design decisions. We managed our time through a group calendar which is a method I am already used to through completing other briefs. We also communicated through shared messaging conversation which meant questions were able to be asked/meet ups could be easily organised. This benefited my practice as I was able to stay on track on what the other creatives were doing as well as being able to receive feedback/pass on messages. On the other hand this does not reflect a more professional collaboration as this would involve more communication through email. This is different to the collaboration process for this brief as we mostly worked on the project in person and therefore were able to verbally communicate our ideas/design decisions with each other. As I have identified the differences between types of collaboration, it is an area I would like to explore more to develop my skills in working with various creatives on a project. 

When working in collaborative practice I have discovered that my role lends more to art direction rather than being an active designer in the competition of the work. This is a role that I would like to experience more through other collaboration briefs. 

Rick Ferguson - Presentation Skills

I learnt of this presentation workshop through the university emails. This event was held by Rick Ferguson and focused on the initial skills of completing an engaging and professional presentation. 
From the session I learnt the importance of body language, tone of voice and eye contact when presenting. Although these may be obvious elements to think of when presenting, I was not fully aware of the impact that they could have on the audience's engagement. 

Having a slouchy body posture gives off an unprofessional appearance as well as giving the person the more unorganised appearance. This is something that was demonstrated in the presentation and therefore the implications of body posture were experienced in both ways. Standing tall and using relevant hand gestures is much more engaging for the audience. This is further reinforced through the use of changes in tone of voice. Emphasis on certain words can demonstrate importance and maintain the attention of the audience. Maintaining engagement with the audience can also be achieved through the use of eye contact. 

Attending this session has been highly influential and has given me a more developed understanding of key skills involved in presenting. These are skills that I hope to be able to practice and use when presenting Studio Brief 02. 

Collaboration Reflection

As this collaboration process has been different from others, it has taught me a number of different skills as well as highlighting the importance of others. One of the main issues that was encountered through this process was time frame communication. Although we had discussed maintaining weekly communication, this did not go as well as hoped. On the day scheduled to print the zine, I was aware that Katie had finished the illustrations however had not yet sent them to me. This meant that I was not able to finalise the overall layout of the zine and it will therefore require further adjustments and a second print. This could have been overcome by the illustrations being received before the print date and therefore appropriate adjustments could have been made before the print appointment. This also meant that experimentation with printing on tracing paper was not achieved due to the illustrations not being received in time. 

On a more positive side, this collaboration has taught me how to discuss my views and ideas with another creative and to visualise their interpretation. This was also achieved through discussing Katies illustration ideas and process. This meant that I was also able to have an input in the work that she was completing. 

Girl Gang Leeds

From being a member of Girl Gang Leeds, I regularly receive updates of upcoming events and exhibitions that they are hosting. One of their most recent events was an exhibition held at The Brunswick, featuring all female artists. It wa inspiring to see the work of female creatives displayed in purely female exhibition and represented the passion and creativity of the city. From attending the event I got to speak to a number of the artists who were involved in the exhibition. Through conversation it was inspiring to hear how influential the exhibition experience had been to each of the individuals (Emma Saynor, Hannah Brown). This has encouraged me to aspire to be involved in/organise my own exhibition in the continuation of my practice.