"Corporate identity & branding with emphasis on concept, application, proposals & delivery of ideas to client."
I wrote this position statement back at the start of the year, and for the most part it still stands. I was not so much interested in a specific area of deliverables, rather a broader spectrum of design that focused on the client / designer relationship - the delivery of ideas. This gave me plenty of scope to do what I wanted but still gave me a target to work towards so projects didn't become lost. Looking back I realise that I should have stuck to this more strictly - as some of my projects did start to flounder in places. I also think that perhaps it could be a little more specific in places and this is something I will review in future. Overall I think this position statement sets me up well to work with and for other people, not discounting any deliverable but instead focussing on how to get my ideas across in the best possible way.
The actual project work for this module has been below my usual standard. I think there have been some good briefs and great ideas, but they have been executed poorly and not exploited as thoroughly as they should be. This has been due to a general lack of enthusiasm that I think many of us have suffered and is only natural when coming to the end of such a demanding 3 years. Obviously this is no excuse for poor work, but I think explains why my projects have not been up to scratch.
If I could start again from the beginning of the year I would do the following things. I would have dropped the graphic novel brief earlier - and instead produced a range of promotional material and branding, as well as a marketing strategy as this was one of the clients needs. I would have spent more time on the Creative Milk Round brief in its early stages, as this could have been a great portfolio piece had the actual design been of better quality. I would have been more direct in approach to the KTP brief, as I let other things like budget get in the way of producing something to a good standard.
As a result of this I would have had more time at the beginning of the year to get a head start with my other briefs - as they suffered because of my late start.
Overall I'm a little disappointed with what I have produced, but the experience has been absolutely invaluable. I think more so than any other module this has been a time for learning from mistakes, and I now feel happy to leave the course knowing that I'm well equipped to deal with the many issues a designer faces on a daily basis. I do feel that my portfolio is lacking in a few areas however, and this is something I shall address in the coming weeks in the lead up to the end of year show. I'm disappointed with the quality of work, but it is clear to me why my standard have slumped, and exactly what I need to do in future to rectify this.
