up to date statements/ proposals/ forms
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my most recent rationale
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"AN IMAGE DRIVEN INVESTIGATION INTO DESIGN FOR PRINT AND WEB WITH A FOCUS ON INFORMATIVE AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL".

formalising the briefs
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CRIT
first draft boards / missing wallpaper brief
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plan

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print national trust postcards

additional prints-wallpaper

penguin poster

photograph national trust/dickens/penguin

finish d&ad

tomorrow I need to

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pray that the wallpaper tubes will arrive

create a swatch book to print on Monday

prepare postcards for print

design 'make your own card set' (brownies)

mock up tube seat design (again-better)

badge testing
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PLAN

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due to the change of schedual after my talk with Fred I had to rearrange my plans of making the website as I spent the day rethinking the wallpapers and finishing a final design.

I have also decided to leave this until after my final print slot for designs as it is soemthing I an do after I have prepred files for print etc which takes priority.

Dutch moved his deadline forward as did Aaron and Ben so I need to get those small briefs wrapped up today.

I need to think about makingt he additional printsfor the wallpaper

attend Fred's workshop

start the competition brief

I need to buy jumping beans and glitter spray at some point too

TIME MANAGEMENT

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drawing up weekly timetables aren't engough as the deadlines arent reliable due to unsure timescales of completing a piece of work.  I need to start documenting my daily objectives instead to make the deadlines more realistic.

for example.

today.

9:30

 PRINT PREP

10:30

 PRINT SLOT

-national trust 6 A2's

-penguin book jacket

-brownies sticker sheet

-national trust postacrds (if ready)

-4 wallpapers

12:30

 RESEARCH FOR DICKENS BRIEF

 BRAINSTORM BROWNIES WEBSITE

 PLAN WEBSITE

 DESIGN WEBSITE

TALK WITH AMBER OR FRED ABOUT WALLPAPER BRIEF

13:23

spoke to Fred.

I raised a couple of issues regarding my wallpaper brief.  I have set myself to produce ten wallpapers, each exploring another way of image making.  This is exactly what I hope I have done so far, however, I am finding that I am just bashing out pattern now for the wrong reason.  I want to spend more time pushing the pattern and making it a product rather than a student's pattern.

so, after showing Fred the wallpapers I have just printedI was advised to cut it down to 5 and make the wallpapers relate to one another more.  Each needs more work and they need to have some consistancy.  Wheather this is through the colour pallette, scale or an extra such as 'colour it yourself'.

I did feel happy with the 3 I presented and would like to show them in my portfolio as they are, but for this brief I do think it is right to push them further and see what happens.

crit aftermath

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In short my own evaluation of my work involved me talking about feeling comfortable in the fact that I have worked hard and achieved the minimum response to each brief.  However I am fully aware that there is so much more that I could do and despite being EXHAUSTED I need to keep going along the same tracks I am on now. I need to push my briefs out of student standard into co-corporate products that have a place in the outside world.

Brief 1 for example (wallpaper).  I am pleased with the amount of variables of image making that I have put together so far, as well as a ore interesting format of the packaging idea.  however, I need to keep pushing and really bring this brief through to the other end.  I dont want it to be a branding brief but I need to ensure that I pull the wallpapers all together in the way that they are packaged and sold, especially given the fact that the imagery and methods of producing the image are inconsistent.

Brief 2 (brownies) is coming along.  however I feel I have hit a wall after again producing the minimum and now it needing a push to improve it and to make it a real one of a kind product.  I think that i need to stop recycling the imagery as despite them being the only consistent imagery world wide-I cannot rely on them any longer to produce more deliverable in a range.  I d like to push it into another medium.  For example, the brief is about uniting the brownies world wide to celebrate their 100th anniversary.  Why not push it into the 21st century and involve some web-maybe skyping etc to add another element to the response.  

I have a few more smaller briefs been set for me;

wallpaper for Dutch- 80s theme-yet to receive

Dickens cover- artist's impression- for Ben and Aaron

I'd like to do these next week and come back to Brownies to make sure this idea is still a good one...

I also want to get these wallpapers DONE!

 

Overall a good crit. However, it was very clear that it is up to me and my ideas to push these briefs through with as much effort as I have been putting in. I can't slow down, if anything this is the trickiest bit!

progress tutorial with amber

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overall I felt fairly confident compared to past tutorials in the way that I was on a much better track.  I was encouraged to just press on and refer back to the module to ensure I am covering criteria.  I feel much better.

Crit reflection

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-My group seemed to love the International Brownie penpal set.  I got some nice ideas like 'assemble your own card' customised stationary etc.

-the wallpaper critting gave me back the feedback I needed and wanted to hear.  I wasn't happy with the scales on the ice cream wallpaper and they suggested the same thing.  It is just a question of keeping going with that. 3 colour rule?

-packaging wise for wallpaper brief -it was a query of how can I design packaging when IKEA have such a re known identity.  Will I need to conform to this?

Chat with Joe:


Don't be afraid to start the Brownie Stationary set making quite a uniform project as ideas will crop up to make the range more quirky.


AND


Dont design for IKEA and try and fit with the identity. 
Make your own.

Further Reflection of Progress Crit.


After feeling really deflated of enthusiasm for my briefs I decided to change it up a bit and replace a brief with a more relevant and enjoyable replacement.


I have decided to reduce the size of the olympic brief into a smaller brief and replace it with a wallpaper brief.  


As the Olympic book of ideas was the brief which enabled me to 'play' I have decided that why not 'play' whilst doing something that I would get the most out of-ie. wallpaper.


So,  I have now decided to produce a set of posters to demonstrate in my portfolio flamboyant ideas that I can come up with.  That way I have another asset (I hope) in my portfolio whilst not having to deal with the binding details and things that don't interest me taking up most of my time.


I will replace it with a heavy wallpaper brief.  The subject matter-source of 'problem' is unknown at this point-but I will make flipping sure that this is resolved asap as I have NO time to spare.

Reflection






I was given confidence in my design context blog but it seems that I was being pushed into a lot of branding encouragement regarding the Brownies brief.  This is precisely what I didn't want to do and now I am doubting my briefs and not feeling too positive.  


When a 'whatelse' comment was made of my book of 100 illustrations of ideas and a few make your own kits was given I felt sick.  Yes a range is exciting and important but I feel rubbish about spending all my time making a book and thats it because making a book is another thing that I didn't want to invest my time doing this year.


Reflecting on other peoples briefs has also made me doubting and sad.  I found myself having such happy thoughts and excitement and rushes of ideas with Dutch's briefs and not my own.  However, one good thing has come out of this brief.  When throwing a few ideas out for Dutch I have now got another mini brief of designing some 80s inspired wallpaper to feature in his rebranded Blue Rinse shop.  


I think I need to tae control of my briefs-re assess the original thoughts of why I am making anything and throw in some quick pattern designs to keep my design mind happy.  I need to make sure that next term I have some strict wallpaper designing briefs to tick a creative outlet box.  But in the mean time I will try and keep my head screwed on.

  


 TO MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR.  HERE ARE MY BRIEFS AND HERE ARE MY CRIT QUESTIONS.

Brief one- olympics
-I need some more ideas help me!
-what do you think of the book cover design so far?
-if some ideas are put into practice eg. the Olympic paper chain kit-is 50 enough? 

brief two- Watches to promote joining in the brownies 100th year.
 -is the content 9-11 year old friendly on the back of the owl?
-the houses ie the gnomes/imps etc also continue on into animals in some cases.  Shall I include these even though its not consistent-or make my range through spreading onto the guides and rainbows?
-How can I symbolise the gnomes imps elves and pixies without drawing frilly drawings in another way that is more obvious than using triangles to symbolise their different coloured hats?

brief  three- Promote National Trust's Silly Walks
-format scale?  How can I make the folding more interesting?
Does it need to be more interesting?
-How can I make it waterproof-or shall I just research into expensive waterproof stocks and propose it be printed on that?
-the free bee-  The poncho mockups look crap-shall it be one image or a pattern on them?
-Despite the poncho being more relevant-shall I make a tea towel instead as I am actually able to make it and the audience would still appreciate it?


Thankyou! 

 

Talk with Fred;

I need to solve a problem.  It is a bonus to use image in the solution. 

NOT

I need to make nice images and put them onto a un-researched solution. 

also-experiment more with the images I produce.  do not be lazy in order to have a style.

Briefs revisited

    

 What am I going to make?

design strategy presentation