Module Self Evaluation

Initially, this module for me seemed the most fun and relaxing of all of the modules given to us this year. I have enjoyed engaging with industry and speaking to people who's work interest me. It was something which I probably wouldn't have the courage to do myself. Talking to Rik Lee was amazing experience mainly because he is a person who's work I admire and been following for a couple of years already. On the beginning, I have struggled to send him an e-mail because I was afraid that he will not reply to me, but he did which made me happy. The interview was quite short, mainly because I didn't want to bore Rik with a massive list of questions because I understand he is quite busy now working for different clients, especially when he just started creating clothing collection with his wife. In the interview, I have asked Rik a question about advice he would give to his younger self he told me that if he could he would 'encourage my younger self to be more confident'. I can really relate to this answer as being a confident person is not my strongest side but now, finishing the second year of Graphic Design, after all of the briefs especially the collaborative practice and a couple of presentations in front of people I feel I have become more confident which I am very happy about it. 

I have tried to really push a lot of my briefs this year sometimes forgetting that I have other briefs to do and thinking that I will still have time to do it later. It was a huge mistake which I have done this year mainly because I have been struggling with the other briefs on the end. Also, my time managing on the beginning wasn't very good, which I am not very proud of. After submitting some huge modules like Cop or Responsive I have started to create a mind map with all the things I need to do to finish a brief/project setting myself a task and targets for each day. This taught me how to manage my time properly to finish other briefs on time without staying for the whole night finishing my work. I am just regretting that I haven't done it in the beginning of the year.

I really liked 'Life's a Pitch' brief and working in groups on how we can promote the individual works of the collective. With Bobonut, we have come up with the idea of creating a box which looks like a book with designed postcards using our work created through our degree. We are pleased with the outcome so now we will try to get our work out there in the real world of Graphic Design. 

This year I have also created an Instagram account using my own photography, this was kind of funny for me at the beginning but the account started gaining lots of followers which gave me lots of motivation. I am receiving lots of positive comments and messages about my photos which makes me very confident about what I am doing. The Instagram account allowed me to try something new for me like working for a company 'IndaHash' using my photography skills. This is related to speaking with a lot of people, engaging with them and promoting products for different companies. Now when my confidence has grown through this year I am not afraid to speak with people and try to engage with them. 

I am looking forward to summer where I really want to focus on my Instagram profile to start uploading more photographs and working with more companies. As well I would like to focus on getting my graphic design work out there via social media and shop which I have created. I want to start selling my designs instead of keeping them only on my computer or in the sketchbook. Furthermore, I am looking forward to the 3rd year and finding my own briefs, focusing on my individual specialism and focusing on my self-branding so that it is more fluid. Also, I need to find a place to go on placement for. 

Creative Report

https://issuu.com/anetasidorko/docs/convert-jpg-to-pdf.net_2017-05-04_1

For my creative report as a layout of each page, I have used illustrations done by Rik Lee. This idea worked well with the interview content and really brought it to life. As crating a presentation using Issuu is the minimum requirement I have decided to develop it more. As Rik Lee is selling lots of posters and gifts cards using his illustrations I thought I might me a good idea to use it to present the interview with him. I have decided to use the idea of a gift card as I feel poster might be too easy to do.

Issuu Publication

Front and Back cover 

Middle Pages

Using thick paper, which is used for gift cards I have printed out a real copy of my gift card with the interview. Here is the outcome of it:

Summer Plans and targets

During this summer holidays I would like to focus more on my work and how can I push it into the real world instead of keeping it only on my computer on in the portfolio. As we won't have any briefs I can spend more time on it. What I would like to focus on?

Instagram Account - Photography

As my Instagram account get so many followers in short period of time and people very appreciated my photography work I feel I should continue it. Also, it allows me to work with different companies like IndaHash or Amazon Associates for now. During the summer holidays, I would like to get accepted and start working for others companies. Photography is my hobby, after finishing my university I am thinking of taking some Photography courses to improve my skills and gain some knowledge about it.

Online Shop - Mitsuvanity 

My next target is to focus on the online shop which I have already created. This will help my work to be seen by others. Using my illustrative skills I would like to design simple things like phone/MacBook cases, some notepads, posters, postcards taking the inspiration from Rik Lee. 

Fiverr 

Fiverr is freelance service marketplace which allows creating and selling different designs to others. I feel it would be a good start and it will allow me to gain some experience while working for different clients and on different briefs. They have a range of interesting categories to chose from like Graphic Design, Digital Marketing, Advertising and more...

Those three are my main targets for this summer holidays which I would like to focus on. 

Life's a Pitch - Final Idea

Designed Box with Postcards

This is the final outcome for our designed idea. We have printed out a set of postcards containing our work like illustrations, photography, typography and chosen quotes from our interview. We have also printed out a page on tracing paper with the information about the box and all my and Bobonut's contact details, so everyone who might be interested in our work might check them out. The only issue which we had was the sticker for the box as it was printed out in A6 size and it was to small for for the front and back cover of the box, eventually we decided to keep the size of the sticker because the white background looks like a frame around designs. 

Distribution: 

Our box can be distributed in book shops like 'Waterstone' and shops like 'Urban Outfiters'. It can also be requested online. As production of the box was quite expensive we have decided that instead of giving the box for free we can try to sell it for small amount of money. 

Overall we are very please with the outcome, as it shows what we wanted to achieve. I think the idea is simple but unique at the same time. If we would have more time on this project we would like to produce an online version of it, so everyone who might be interested purchasing this product might request it to buy it. 

Life's a Pitch - Idea generation

Me and Bobonut have decided to develop our idea of creating a book or catalogue which could be distributed in 'Waterstones' or in 'Urban Outfitters'. Our first idea was to create a book with postcards which each of them could be taken out from the book and posted. The idea seemed easy for designing a book but we thought about costs and different binding methods. As stapling the book is the easiest and cheapest way to bind the book it could not be used this time as we have to many pages to bind together and other binding methods will be to expensive.

Going further with this solution to this brief we have come up with the idea of crating a box instead of the book as it will lower the costs of the production and it will be easy to make. The box will be looking like a book with designed front and back cover. Inside the box there will be a selection of designed postcards.

We have made some notes of the stock and the work which we want to use. Also we have come up with the title and the text which would be used for the back of the cover.

Title: Life's a Postcard

Stock:
A6 Format
Front and Back cover - Designed sticker - glossy paper
Cards - Thick, Matte paper

Designs which we are going to use for postcards:

Aneta:
6 - Tattoo Girls Illustrations
8 - Instagram Photos

Bobonut:
6 - COP Signs
4 - Fish Illustrations from Responsive Brief
2 - Illustrations from Stickers

Together:
6 - Typography designs
4 - Quotes taken from the interviews

Text for the back cover:

A wonderful collection of designed postcards, each featuring a selection of some of the best - loved artwork from Graphic Design students.

Life's a Pitch - group presentation

In groups we had to come up with the idea of how we can promote our work in the real world and prepare the presentation for it. Working with Bobonut we have come up with a range of ideas: 

- to create a real exhibition in any coffee shop/ pub in Leeds with the shop for students - the idea of the shop was taken from the 'Colours May Vary' collective created by Illustration people. The idea would allow us to meet new people interested in our work and get some feedback from different audience. We also thought about sending the invitations through social medias like Facebook for students and friends, by email for professionals.

- to create an online exhibition - catalogue - and send the link to the web page through emails. This would allows us to get feedback from different people around the world, who might not be able attend the real exhibition. Also promoting  by social  media and creating an online web pages become very popular those days so this would help us to gain more audience. 

- to create a catalogue/ book with our chosen work, which could be distributed in book shops like 'Waterstones' in Leeds as well like in coffee shops, galleries of shops like 'Urban Outfitters'. This book/ catalogue could be given out for free or we could take a bit of cash for it. 

Second Year Presentation

1 - Person who inspires me 

2 - My interview 

3 - Instagram - Photography work, Behance and Pinterest 

4 - Work which I have enjoyed this year - Collaborative, Penguin, Design For Screen. 

5 - Summer Plans 

6 - What I would like to focus on next year.