Group Tutorial Feedback

So, after last weeks work shops I have neglected to think about my new rationale and statement of intent - simply because of other demands. So I went to this tutorial a little under prepared, but with a good idea of what I wanted to get out of it.

I've become bored with my position statement, so we had a go at re-writing that, and the discussions we had revolved around being specific but not restricting yourself. So where I had things like 'Type layout' - means that if I'm not doing type layout, people are going to wonder why? And in that respect, type layout is almost a given that doesn't need to be specified - Same with motion graphics really.

Also, I've finally cracked how to fit motion graphics into my practice without it becoming all consuming. I'm going to use it as part of the digital proposal side of my practice, using samples where appropriate, and small clips like animated logos or storyboards. I think this satisfies my need to get some motion graphics into my portfolio without getting so sucked in that I neglect other, far more important areas. There is just not enough time to learn the software, I am not a technical expert and I don't want to be!

As a group we came up with some changes that need to be made (see below) and my psotion statement became suddely very complex. So now it's just a case of simplifying these elements into something a little more understandable!
Breakdown:

• Corporate ID
• Branding
• Digital proposal
• Print
• Proposal of Range (specifically aiming at the clear delivery of ideas to clients)
• Concept and Application

Position Statement 20th Jan 2011

"Corporate identity & branding with emphasis on concept, application, proposals & delivery of ideas to client."


Don't like the corporate identity bit... and I think there may be too many words there that mean very similar things, but they all feel right at this stage.
To break it down further:

Concept = Building a brand that is more than a literal translation of the company or what it does.

Application = Brands can fall under any any areas of application - editorial, packaging or motion graphics, anything to create a varied portfolio and show a range of skills.

Proposals = Digital and print based proposals for ranges and distribution as this saves time learning software that I do not need to learn.

Delivery = Presenting these proposals clearly and effectively. This is all about the presentation of ideas in a way that gets the right information across. I see this as a very important aspect of my practice, and one that is largely ignored.

Creative Milk Round

Will and I spent the most of the day finalising our design directions for submission tomorrow morning. We basically took on each direction ourselves, but as we sat next to each other all day we were able to discuss what we were doing - so kind of collaborative, kind of not!
The bulk of the 'corporate' one was Will, and the more 'creative' one was my good self.

I took a few bits from some of the vintage illustrations and posters we had looked at last week. The script font was an absolute must - and the start burst made a few appearances as well. As this was a quick turn around brief I relied heavily on all the little techniques I already knew - I like to do this every once in a while as it reminds me of all the things I've learnt over the years and how I can produce something of a decent standard when pushed for time.

Development
Once I'd got the three or four elements that I knew I was going to use, it was simply a case of trial and error - arranging them in a way that worked with the format.

Deliverables
A3 Poster

E-Flyer

Twitter Background

Twitter Icon

Submission Boards

It was really nice to see a project through from start to printed boards in a day, even though the finished designs could be better (they could always be better though right?) I'm really happy with what we turned around today.
And it was a real pleasure to work with Will again - been a while since we collaborated!

Creative Milk Round

Will and I started the Creative Milk Round brief today.  We came up with a range of desgin directions, potential taglines and imagery, cut them all out and began sticking them down to build a picture of how each direction might look. Quite a nice way of working actually, and something we've never really done before.
Anyway, this is the resulting mood board - separated with headings of what we saw as potential design directions. (outlined in red)

The two we have decided to take forward are the "vintage illustration"(More fun) and "abstract/conceptual" (More corporate).
We felt these two directions had elements that we could relate back to our rationales, as we both want to emphasise the branding aspect of this as much as possible.

Workshops

Position Statement  13th Jan 2011

"Conceptual branding with an interest in type layout and a specialisation in motion graphics"

The workshops yesterday were really helpful, not half as confusing as I first thought they might be.
I had spent the last week or so reflecting on what I'd done in the previous module - and areas of interest for the coming module, but even with that forethought it was difficult to decide on themes and subjects. I'm happy with my position statement, and the design disciplines that I intent to put into practice over the next few months, so the emphasis really is on trying to decipher themes and subjects to apply these disciplines to. Having said that there are some interesting areas noted down here...

• Limited Colour
• 3D Space
• Collections/ranges
• Fashion/retail
• Sound/music

The second half of the workshop basically forced us to make connections between these two areas, which was not only extremely helpful - but also pretty fun!
It made me start to consider briefs that I wouldn't have even thought of had I not made these connections - and I'm not saying any of the statements set out below are finalised, but it's certainly a spring board for further development.
I'm going to revise all of this over the weekend anyway, I think I need to take a step back from it for now and actually get on with some designing.