Evaluation

In summary I have found a lot of the module challenging but in reflection I am proud of what I have achieved. Studio Brief 1 was difficult as I found it hard initially to know who to contact and how to go about it. I then struggled when it came to people not responding to me. I found it very disheartening when people didn’t respond to my emails and messages as it made me feel as though I was pestering them. However when I finally did get a response from Kate Mottershaw it encouraged me to email more people. Despite only getting 1 response I will not hesitate in future to message professionals I have an interest in and will potentially do more of this over summer.  

As for Studio Brief 2, I really enjoyed this and found it a lot less daunting than the other two tasks. I have done a lot of group/ collaborative work this year and it has helped me a lot as it was something I wasn't very confident with last year. I didn’t have much of an active role in the designing for the way finding as my main job was to present the idea which I was ok with. I wanted to seize the opportunity to gain some presenting experience as it is something I struggle with. 

After how well the presentation went for Studio Brief 2 I wasn’t too worried about presenting myself for Studio Brief 3. It is a lot more daunting presenting alone however I felt very confident in what I was presenting and had practice a lot before hand to make sure I was on time. I did end up going first in my group which I wasn’t prepared for however I did like getting it out of the way. I really enjoyed watching other peoples presentations and found it interesting to see the different techniques and methods people use when it comes to presenting. 

Overall I think my presenting skills have improved a lot over the year as I have managed to get a lot of experience on the topic. I also think pushing myself out of my comfort zone, such as volunteering in the primary school, has helped boost my confidence and made me happy to talk in front of a large group. 

Next year I wish to focus more on my personal branding and it is something I will try and develop over summer as I think it is an important part of who I am as a designer and will help me define myself. 

Daniel Hopwood

For my creative report I didn't want to look solely at graphic designers/ illustrators. I have a keen interest in interior design and decided to try contact someone in the field.


One of my favourite interior designers is Daniel Hopwood who is a judge on the great interior design challenge. In 1993 Daniel founded an interior design practice in London and has many contacts ranging from architects, landscapers and managers. The studio's aim is to remain small so that Daniel can be involved in every project, offering clients a highly creative, practical and personal service. All of the staff in his studio are fun qualified and trusted by Daniel.





















Questions for Daniel:

What is a typical day in the life of an interior designer like?
How much input from clients do you receive?
How do you keep up to date with current trends?

Creative Report -ISSUU

Final PPP presentation

Notes from presentation: Slide 1: Intro: As a person I would describe myself as a dog lover and a food lover, I love baking especially making cakes. I said last year that I was hoping to somehow incorporate this into my design work and I have managed to do so. For the publication brief I gave Megan a brief which required her to create a traybake cook book. I also created a baking related app aimed at new bakers/ people wanting to fit in baking within their bust schedule. I have found working on projects that I personally can relate to has helped me a lot as I can imagine myself as a user and enjoy researching into the topic. Another thing I said I wanted to do more of last year was bring more illustrations into my work which I have managed to achieve. Slide 2: As I am surrounded by Graphic designers on a daily basis I decided to look at interviewing someone from a different creative discipline to see how things alter for them compared to us. For my creative report I spoke to Kate Mottershaw, a graduate from Leeds University last year. I found it interesting to talk to someone who is of a similar age to me and is so successful as it encourages me to push myself. I found her on instagram after seeing some work she did for a bakery I follow and used this as a way of starting conversation with her. Slide 3: Over all I found the creative report challenging as I didnt know who to get in contact with at first and struggled finding an appropriate way to approach them. I messaged lots of people and didn't get any responses so at one point I did give up and was very disheartened. Once I got a response from Kate it encouraged me to message more people. I learnt that having good conversation opener about something personal to the designer works well as it did with kate. I contacted a lot of people from different areas in particularly illustrators and interior designers. Slide 4: Pitching an idea: Im not really a big fan of presenting and find it a daunting task therefore having someone up there to present with me is one of the things I really liked about this brief. I find presenting with someone makes me panic less and relax more as I know I have someone to back me up if I forget what to say. It was interesting to have such an open brief and open budget however it did result in a lot of different and overly ambitious ideas. The only downside to working in a group on such an open brief was trying to get ideas across and executed in the way in which we desired as a team. Sometimes work produced by certain members was a bit different to how we expected it to look and in reflection communication may have been lacking. Slide 5: Primary School: When I finish this degree I wish to do a PGCE in primary education. I currently volunteer at a primary school in huddersfield to get some experience in the field to make sure it is something I definitely want to go into. I really enjoy working at the school and find it a nice break from doing uni work but it means I still do something productive with my time. Slide 6: Summer: Over summer my plans are to relax mainly. As well as carry on working in primary school to gain more experience. I also plan on looking more into universities that offer the course I am wanting to do and potentially go to some open days and book some sessions that may help with teaching. Slide 7: I really enjoy going to events around Leeds and enjoy how much there is going on and how busy it is. I get a real buzz off the atmosphere and find it really inspiring. I in particularly love going to light night and it is something I look forward to visiting every year. Slide 8: New skills: I have recently been on some photoshoots with my friend who is a Fashion Promotion student at Huddersfield University. I've found it really interesting seeing what goes on behind the scenes and experiencing the life of someone doing a different degree to me. I hope to do more of this next year and develop these skills.

Creative Report - Final

Kate Mottershaw is a freelance graphic designer/ illustrator from Lancashire. I was first attracted to her work when I saw the designs she had done for a bakery I follow on instagram, she created a really fun and unique mural/ chalkboard in their bakery which was unlike anything I had ever really seen before. It has a very strong doodling nature to it and looked so natural and free, as does a lot of her work. 

I contacted Kate through facebook messenger and I know this is one of her preferred ways for clients to get in touch therefore thought it would be my best option and make her more likely to reply. I was a bit nervous when contacting the creatives I have done purely because I felt like a pest and that they wouldn't have time for me. However Kate's response put my mind at ease as she was very grateful and felt honoured that I had chosen her to do my report on. As she is a recent graduate from Leeds University I think she was more understanding and mentioned that she had to do something similar when writing her dissertation and found it challenging. 

I asked her only five questions as I though a short amount of questions would be less daunting and make her (as well as any other people I contacted) more likely to reply. I tried to make the questions pretty open so that I would receive a lot of information from her. I asked what made her become a freelance designer and if she would recommend it to someone after they graduate. Her response was that she always knew she wanted to create things and when she was doing her degree at Leeds University she was pushed into a form of making that she wasn't very comfortable with. Due to this she dedicated time to drawing and creating things in a style she loved as a hobby, she then began to upload these pieces onto social media which got quite a bit of attention. She managed to form a little business from this and sold hand drawn, personalised gifts. She named her instagram 'Kate Illustrate' and began to accumulate a strong following. She said that it was really satisfying for her as she no longer had to follow rules or be told what to do, she was making work she loved and people were appreciating it and would tell anyone to go for it and become freelance. 

What I really like about Kate's instagram is how it not only contains her finished work she shows the process and behind the scenes of her doing it as well. I asked her how she maintained such a strong instagram following and if she had any tips. She said It is a lot of hard work as it requires her to keep up with the latest trends to make sure she is posting what people want to see. She also recommends having an interesting instagram story to encourage people to then click on her profile and view more of her work. She said to also make friends with people local to you that also have a small business as they will be more likely to support you and shout you out on their instagram. 

In terms of inspiration Kate said that her biggest inspiration is an artist called Rory Dobner, someone I had never personally heard of before however after finding out about him I really love his work. She has been a huge fan of his since she was 16 and got the opportunity to meet him and explore behind the scenes of how he works last year. I also asked about how she deals with creative block and she said that she works very fast and takes on a lot of work so doesn't really have much time to stop however if she needs a break then she uploads things onto social media as then she is still doing something productive. 

I also asked about how she has found the transition from university to freelance. To this she replied that she really misses being at uni and would love to go back to the lifestyle she had back then but is also really happy about how far she has come and how successful she is now. She built the foundations of her business throughout her final year of university and has managed to develop it further now she is no longer a student. 

Linzie Hunter

Info from her website:

Originally from Scotland, Linzie now lives in Peckham, South London. A graduate of Glasgow University, she was a theatre stage manager before studying illustration at Chelsea College of Art and Design.  Her hand-lettering and illustrations have appeared in books, magazines and advertising campaigns internationally.

Her client list includes: Apple, Nike, Barnes and Noble, Macys, BBC, Marks and Spencer, Hallmark, Harper Collins, Random House, The Guardian, Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal.

Questions sent to Linzie:

Linzie

Good Afternoon, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your work? I’m a graphic design student at Leeds Arts Uni and we have been encouraged to talk to other creatives to get more of an idea about life after uni and life as a creative etc. 

There’s just 5 questions and I would be really appreciative if you would take your time to answer them for me. 

1. What made you decide to be freelance and would you recommend going down this route to others?

2. Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you cope with creative blocks?

3. Do you have any regrets in life in terms of your creative career?

4. If you could give your younger self one key bit of advice what would it be?

5. If you weren’t a freelance illustrator what can you imagine yourself doing?

Thanks for taking your time to read my message. 

Kind Regards

Lucy Gibson

Chris Chatterton

Info on Chris's website

Chris Chatterton is an author and illustrator from County Durham, England. He has a background in graphic design and corporate / commercial animation. His passion for illustration has led him to pursue a career as a freelance artist working for a wide array of clients.

Chris loves all things creative and geeky.

CLIENTS INCLUDE:

• Macmillan Publishing
• Egmont
• Igloo Books
• Little Tiger Press
• Scholastic
• Caterpillar Books
• Trefl

• CBBC
• Orange Bus
• PB Imaging
• Future & Co
• Digital Surveys
• The Mustard Corporation
• Tag Games

Questions sent to Chris 

Good Afternoon, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your work? I’m a graphic design student at Leeds Arts Uni and we have been encouraged to talk to other creatives to get more of an idea about life after uni and life as a creative etc. 

There’s just 5 questions and I would be really appreciative if you would take your time to answer them for me. 

1. What made you decide to be freelance and would you recommend going down this route to others?

2. Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you cope with creative blocks?

3. How did you get into illustration and what advice do you have for transitioning from graphic design into more illustrative based work?

4. What got you into writing and illustrating children’s books?

5. If you could give your younger self one key bit of advice what would it be?

Thanks for taking your time to read my message. 

Kind Regards

Lucy Gibson

Ellie Chappell

Ellie is currently working as a freelance illustrator based in Leeds, UK. 

She works across many creative platforms including editorial, greetings cards, murals and large scale art as well as writing and delivering creative workshops. 

Ellie is mostly inspired by people, places and objects and enjoys experimenting with watercolour, markers and expressive line work.

message sent to Ellie

Good Afternoon, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your work? I’m studying graphic design at Leeds Arts Uni and we have been encouraged (by John) to talk to other creatives to get more of an idea about life after uni and life as a creative etc.

There’s just 5 questions and I would be really appreciative if you would take your time to answer them for me. 

1. What made you decide to be freelance and would you recommend going down this route to others?

2. Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you cope with creative block?

3. How did you get into illustration and how have you found working in the ‘real world’ in comparison to uni?

4. Do you have any tips/ advice for getting your name out there?

5. If you could give your younger self one key bit of advice what would it be?

Thanks for taking your time to read my message. 

Kind Regards

Lucy Gibson

Unfortunately she never replied to me however I did find it interesting looking at her work and history. 

Kate Illustrate - research

Kate's description on her website = 

 I'm Kate, a 20 something freelance Illustrator and Graphic Designer, currently doodling my way through Lancashire. As clichéd as it may sound, I've always been interested in art and creating pretty things since I was a little girl. I'd be the one in the back of the class that's mesmerised by something 'fascinating' outside the window rather than listening to a presentation about how rocks are formed *yawn*.

I went through education focusing solely on wanting to be an Artist or some sort of Graphic Designer. So, I worked my bottom off and ended up graduating in Art and Design at the University of Leeds. I developed my own style a year after graduating and what was named 'Kate's Portfolio' turned into 'Kate Illustrate'. A simple hobby flourishing into the BEST career. 

I suppose that's a brief about how I got to where I am today. I could tell you everything and anything you wanted to know about me within work or outside of work. But to quickly summarise who I am as a person – I'm an avid tea drinker who moves like Shakira with an unhealthy obsession with kittens. I mean, what else is there to know? 

Kate's work=

Blackboards & Murals.

When I say blackboards and murals, I mean that I offer a variety of different services within the same category (from wall art to window design.) I love creating murals- they add character to a small space in such an extravagant way. I have  scribbled over the walls and windows of a variety of independent businesses and locations. 

Custom Letter Drawings.

I offer a range of custom drawings. My most popular drawings are my "Personalised Letters" and "Couple Letters".
(I like to think they're a trade-mark Kate Illustrate doodle)

They're the perfect gift for any occasion and can be customised with a splash of colour and filled with a number of different things to make them that little bit more special. 

Pup Pawtrait

(I was so happy with myself when I came up with that...)

It's quite self explanatory really, but I love drawing your furry friends. I have drawn up a number of Pups and Kitties using black ink on paper. 

If you like what you see and you're interested in getting a portrait for your fur baby, please follow the link below for more information.

Wedding Stationery.

Your wedding stationery should be as special and unique as you and your wedding. I offer a range of hand crafted, personal and original ideas:

• Wedding Invitations
• Seating Plan
• Place Cards 
• Table Number/ Names 
• Personalised Wedding Props

Brand Identity. 

Need a logo, business card or a design to create a unique brand identity?

Then, I'm the person you should turn to!

I can guarantee that nobody will have a brand identity like yours. Each logo and business card is unique to you as I make sure that everything I do reflects your company perfectly. 

Kate Illustrate

My message:

Good Afternoon, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your work? I’m a graphic design student at Leeds Arts Uni and we have been encouraged to talk to other creatives to get more of an idea about life after uni and life as a creative etc. I’m obsessed with your work and came across you a while ago from the work you did at Finch Bakery.

There’s just 5 questions and I would be really appreciative if you would take your time to answer them for me. 

1. What made you decide to be freelance and would you recommend going down this route to others?

2. Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you cope with creative block?

3. How did you get into illustration and how have you found working in the ‘real world’ in comparison to uni?

4. Do you have any tips/ advice for getting your name out there?

5. If you could give your younger self one key bit of advice what would it be?

Thanks for taking your time to read my message. 

Kind Regards

Lucy Gibson

Kate's response

Hi Lucy, thank you so much for getting in touch! I'm actually honoured that you thought of me- I know how annoying it is to try and get people to answer you for these kind of things too.. it took me months for my dissertation!!

1. Throughout education, I've always wanted to create things. I was an Art Student at the University of Leeds and I was pushed into a form of making that I wasn't very comfortable with. So, alongside my degree, I made sure that I continued drawing and creating things in the style that I loved and uploaded every piece onto social media. From this, I formed a tiny business of selling hand-drawn personalised gifts- My portfolio blossomed into Kate Illustrate. It's a very satisfying thought that you don't necessarily need to follow the rules or be told how to work and to just do exactly what you love. So, yes- I would inspire anybody to just go for it. 

2. My inspiration changes all the time as I'm forever scrolling through Pinterest and flicking through books. But, I would say that my biggest inspiration is an Artist called Rory Dobner. I've been fan-girling over him since the age of 16 and I had the pleasure to meet him and explore the behind the scenes of how he worked last year. His drawing and his lifestyle is immaculate. 

I take on a lot of work as I'm pretty fast at what I do. So, I either go onto something else or I procrastinate for half an hour by uploading content on my social media accounts.

3. I kind of answered how I got into Uni on the first question but I've always been a glorified doodler. Art was always my favourite subject and even when I wasn't at school or Uni, I'd be joining Arty Events and shows to make sure that my work was being seen. I've always been an Art geek. I miss Uni. I would love to go back to the lifestyle that I had during university but at the end of the day, I wasn't succeeding in the way that I am now. I built the foundations of my little business throughout my final year of university and developed it further since, which has gotten me to where I am today (hopefully, by next year I will have grown even more.) 

4. It's hard work. I try to keep up to date with the latest trends on social media quite a lot and try to make sure that my content feed is visually attractive to make the viewer stop and hopefully have a look through my page- for example, I will always have quite a fun and colourful Instagram story which HOPEFULLY gets the viewers attention. 

Other than that, make friends with everybody who is local to you and that is doing the same thing as you, it's amazing to see so many local independent businesses who support others and work as a team! 

I hope I haven't waffled on too much. I know I can do! Thank you again Lucy, I hope this has helped!

Presentation

We felt it would be professional to have a 'standard layout' for each slide of the presentation. We added lines to the top and bottom of the page to frame the content on each slide.

We also added the theme in the top left hand corner of each slide.

This added an element of continuity and professionalism.



We chose to also always place the text in the bottom right hand corner. The main reason for this was the background image naturally had a 'space' that was clear and showed type really well.





We decided to have 5 different sections to briefly explain our wayfinding system;

-The concept
-The idea
-How it works
-Why?
-Inspiration



We wanted to keep the presentation quite short and brief to keep people engaged - a long and boring slideshow would simply bore people and turn their minds off!

Presentation design

We decided that we wanted the presentation to really reflect and represent the neon theme.

We started playing around with ways we could create a neon-style typeface.

This example was created in Illustrator using a drop shadow/glow effect. 

We also felt the best way forward would be to have a neon-filled image as the background for the whole presentation. We came across this one of a neon-themed cafe/shop called Let There Be Neona and we felt it would be ideal to best demonstrate our idea.

We had to make the image slightly darker in order for the text to show up against it.

After some experimentation, we settled on a bright green colour as this looked best visually against the image.

We also came to a group decision to call the theme 'Neon Jungle'. We felt this was a fun and quirky way of quickly explaining what our theme for the building was about.

Although the neon-style typeface was great for titles and headers, we decided we needed a more readable typeface for the smaller text, so we settled on Lucida Console as a secondary typeface. We felt this best represented the theme due to its digital style.

Neon Design

Alongside the neon tube wayfinding system, the rest of the building will be neon-based.

This means that there will be lots of neon signs and other neon elements around the building.


Neon windows and door frames;





There will be custom-made signs outside each of the studios, telling you what the studio is and the room number.


Similar to this sort of thing, but obviously saying things like 'Graphic Design' or 'Illustration'.
 


In the cafe/lobby/main areas there will be other fun/funky/quirky neon elements that will just be fun and playful extra aesthetics.





Example - fun wall installations and art displays