Task 4

In this task - i am going to be reviewing and assessing the strength and weaknesses of two design companies of my choice. The first being Fatfish of Melbourne, Australia. And the second Allgood.tv - a local Leeds based design agency.

This way i can compare where i am now (Leeds) to where i wish to live in several years (Australia). This way i can see the positive and negatives of each area.

FatFish - Australia

Strengths

• Modern and fun website (using sound)
• An array of design services (including - web services, flash animation, concept development etc)
• Clear contact details

Weaknesses

• News - not updated since March 08
• Limited information about the actual company
• Studies only in Sydney and Melbourne

Althought the news has not been updated in nearly 24 months, the site offers an online portfolio which gives an idea to the type of work they produce and the work they are hired for.

The welcome to the website is fun, light hearted and straight forward.

"Since ancient times, the fish has been depicted as a symbol of creativity. There's big fish in small ponds. Small fish in big ponds. But the really creative fish are the fatfish."

The design house - as i mentioned is straight to the point and has very high opinion on itself which i find great.

"Whatever our clients requirements, we answer them with energy, attitude and originality. We love design and every job reminds us why we chose this profession in the first place. "

As i noted before on my negatives list - the 'news' area on the website has not been updated for a long period, this could give a potential client the wrong impression. They could ask if the company is still operating or if they are just too slack to update the news on a regular basis.

Allgood Branding - Leeds

Strengths

• Professional website
• Easy to operate
• High experience designers
• Services are very broad

Weaknesses

• Technical website (easy to understand after a while)

This company seems to deliver everything possible in a very professional and brilliant manor.

"About - At allgood, we apply deep understanding and generate inventive ideas that bring our clients results."

Although this agency had only been open for 6/7 years. They have done work for big clients and use a large amount of different media to suite each brief they are given.

"Behind all good are 6 years, 600 projects and many happy clients. Clients who continue to enjoy the benefits of design and ideas, that, for the right reasons, stand out."

The website is brilliant, the portfolio of previous work is a piece of art in itself - well put together and presented. Large known clients and many work using different media - including work for Branding, Digital and Marketing.

Task 3

How will I promote myself – what do they want to hear?

In the initial stages of applying my design too practice. Promoting myself is essential and would normally be done using the promotion side of the 4 Ps - Price, Promotion, Product, Placement.

Product:

I feel i would be seen as a Graphic design package. My 'product' would include such creative aspects as research, problem solving, advertising, branding, realization, conceptualization.

Price:

In one of our Enterprise & Innovation lectures i gained the knowledge too find out my annual outgoings are at a staggering amount of £19,600 a year. Upon graduation, I will be living and working in the areas of London, Leeds or Edinburgh. However reading a forum (forums.freelanceuk.com) about freelance work in Edinburgh i found that a starting rate of £10 an hour was good, but some more established designers were getting around £20-30.

If i wish too persue a lot of my dreams of travel and experiencing the world. Free lance design would be a big factor too my career. With this taken into account, and annual salary of around £23,000 would make me comfortable.

Promotion:

Promotion is essential for any designer too get recognition and work. An obvious way of communication and promotion would be too design and produce business cards and have them printed for handouts. Along side your business card a well presented portfolio (hard copy and digital - which could be shown through a website.) Advertising myself through design magazines and publications with good design background would also be a useful tool.

If i was too work through an already established agency, my guess would be that they have already prepared and set up a promotional area however freelance work could still be done using the business cards and online portfolio.

Placement:

Since starting second year i have been looking into many places too do my placement for the summer of 2010. The usual places, London, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh have all been considered along with New York and L.A - however i decided i would love too gain experience in Australia. On a previous visit too this wonderful country, i knew that was where i wanted too make my life. And getting some sort of experience before i leave college would not only be essential but also amazing! The flights are booked - its a matter of finding a placement now.

Presentation/Tutorial

I am a Graphic designer who offers experience in using different media and software including Illustrator, Photoshop, In-Design, After Affects and Final Cut Pro.

Too promote myself I will continue to contact businesses of interest too build some sort of relationship to work on and possibly in the process gain future potential clients.

I also intend too communicate with my potential clients through the Internet, art galleries and magazine/newspaper advertisements.

I will inform them of my services, experience, past clients and work.

If I am too take my services over seas (different areas and countries) I should be aware of my audience. Along with the audience I need to consider laws and regulations. Competitive design agencies and free lancers.

I see myself heading towards the design area of typography. I feel I have a good level of knowledge and a unique approach towards playing with type. I also feel I can offer services in other media eg: photography, illustration etc.

Photography is another strong area of my work. I have always been into my photography and love playing around with a camera for different affects and compositions.

My ambitions include too experience several placements in Australia at Graphic Design houses that include Lemonade, Kinart and Fatfish.
If possible I also wish too gain some experience at design houses in the UK like WallaceCreate and The Mill – London.

I also feel that gaining experience at a printers would be a worth while experience. Getting a direct insight into how printers work, what they do etc would be very beneficial in the long run.

There are thousands of competitive design companies out there – I plan on advertising a wide range of my skills – specifically focusing on my strengths.

(The end of year show will form some sort of basis too work upon. It will work as free advertising where potential clients would be able too view work and I could gain recognition in the industry.

Task 2

We learn about our potential clients, where too find them, what the look at etc.  

As a designer that considers his strongest areas in typography, advertising and logo design .. my clients will be found all over, looking at all sorts of different media.  

If i was too consider where my clients were too search for me as a designer, I would immediately guess the internet followed by magazines and phone books.  

Even though i know where i could find my client, i must consider any different aspects when it comes too advertising and selling myself as a designer.  For example i will not be selling myself as a promotional graphic designer in such places as the North Pole - a little extreme I know, but you get the idea.  i would be looking at putting myself into areas in the UK such as Manchester, London, Liverpool - constantly growing cities with new ideas being thought of daily. 

The local income of the are where i wish too advertise is also a big mention, if the area in question struggles too keep high street shops open and has pubs closing down, this means there is no real consumer demand - therefor my services would be useless or too expensive and price sensitive.

Another aspect i found interesting in the lecture weirdly was language barriers.  Now being from the Isle of Man - i can bearly speak English let alone French, Italian etc, so if i was too acquire a piece of work from another country ... what would i do with the language problem? This is one area i dont have a clue and feel a chat with Bridget or Fred would not do any harm.  

Task 1

WHO AM I - The designer : WHO ARE THEY - The clients

My skills as a designer lie within logo design, poster design, advertising, photography and illustration using illustrator. I have also become a very enthusiastic typographer.  I have found the workshops with Graham from Visual communication have been very useful and hugely interesting ... I am gaining a massive passion for this area of design.

Above - Some examples of typography in advertising and logo design. 

Above -  some examples of advertising using type.

My skills at the minute are okay, although I plan on developing them more in the briefs we are given over the next two years at university.  This year i am really hoping too find my feet in which area of design i wish too pursuit a career within.  

I hope too gain experience in a design house in London.  After visiting 'The Mill' I knew design was what i wanted as a career.  Having new projects which you can have fun with (granted not all the time) and being able too see what you have created as an end product would be brilliant. 

The cost of living ... oh gosh!

Ok ... so we had yet another Enterprise and Innovation lecture, however this time we had too work out our cost of living.  IE; how much it costs my parents too keep me alive (cheers ma and pa) 

So we have too write down the costs in each box we pay yearly or estimate what we think we will pay once we graduate and wish too live a reasonable life.  I was shocked at my answers ... and it made me more grateful for what I have!

Incase you cant see ... thats a yearly cost of keeping this ginger alive of £18437 ... ouch! 

This lecture was so useful.  It gave me a better understanding of money and what we face paying for when we graduate and actually live our lives as professionals.