Thursday 28 May 2009
Mandala For the Degree Show
Drumbeat work experience- Conclusion
While I was on work experience with Drumbeat, I have learnt many aspects, of what work is really like in a design company. While working at Drumbeat in Manchester, I found the office a lovely place to sit and work, though I did find it a bit quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of the studios in college! I am not sure they have had such a chatterbox in the office, I bet they were happy for the peace and quiet after my work experience ended!
The people in the office were really kind, and you could ask them questions, and they were happy to help. I worked mostly with Tim, with the QR presentation, and also the uploading of images onto the new BUAV website.
I liked how the office had a very relaxed atmosphere, with a pool table and a TV, and the “think tank” there room where there is sofas and a small kitchen to chill out for a bit! The best bit was the hundreds of design books and an archive of creative review magazines, I could have been there for hours, reading all the books.
There are some aspects of my work experience that I wasn’t fond of, and that was the horrible journey into Manchester every day. I think that if I ever get a job in Manchester as a designer, I would have to honestly think about living there, as trying to get into Manchester in rush hour is horrendous!
Working at Drumbeat, I managed to master Illustrator, something that I have wanted to do for a while, and I am really pleased. I have also decided that even though I did enjoy working at Drumbeat that I wouldn’t want to work in one office all the time, I would like to work more free lance, and this would also make my hours more flexible when I have commitments with horses.
Drumbeat work experience
Ministry of SoundMandalas*
The Ministry of Sound Mandala works in many different ways. The brief described The Ministry of Sound” as Authentic, Iconic, Hedonistic, and Maverick. The design of the Mandala is Authentic, as Mandalas have never been used in this way before. The Mandala is also Iconic, as the complexity of the design, and the colours are so different to anything else that has been seen before. The design is Hedonistic and Maverick as the mandala indicates that the Ministry of Sound is almost a religion, the hierarchy of the music world.
Completing this brief, I have learnt several important things. Though working as a group on a project has many advantages, and I usually prefer working in a team, I have enjoyed working on my own on this task. This is because I have been able to produce something that works with the logo on many different levels, something I thought I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own. This has also given me to confidence to work on my own, as sometimes there will be jobs that I will have to work on alone.
I have learnt about my organisation skills, trying to work on this project while participating on other briefs. I felt that The Ministry of Sound Brief was sidelined while I was working on other tasks, and therefore suffered in some ways, for example, I missed the submission deadline for YCN, and I am disappointed as the mandalas are interesting.
The Style Advert is now finished!
The finished advert for style magazine has been finished to a very high standard, and I am very happy with our work. Many components of the advert work well, including the animated teapot at the start, the flashing letters of style, and the animated logo of The Sunday Times at the end. These various components gives our advert its charm. If I would make the advert again, I would film the drawing of letters, instead of trying to use istop motion, as I feel as this is the weakest part of the advert.
I have learnt many things, by doing this brief. Firstly, that whatever your idea is, don’t get put off by the fact that your skills are limited in certain areas. You can ask someone to work with you, like I did, or learn the skills as you work on the task. Also when tackling a large brief, working as a team means that you can ease the work load, as well as increasing the work productivity, and not making life unbearable for yourself! I have also learnt new skills, by learning the basics of After Effects, by making this advert.
Business Cards
I have designed and printed my business cards for the final degree show, on the 29th May 2009. This was critical, as prospect employees and clients will be there looking at my work on the opening night, and I needed something that I could give them that had all my details on.
I think that my business card reflects my overall style of work, and are clean and fresh. I have had 50 cards made for the opening night, and will soon order a large bulk order as 50 cards will not last long.
WASCO brief
This brief was to redesign a leaflet and a logo for Wales Association of Self Catering Operators. The old leaflet looked extremely out of date, and WASCO wanted a fresh, up to date brochure, with a new logo.
I only had two days to design this leaflet, and this was a good test for me to work under pressure, having already several other briefs to complete. I started with the logo, and selected a vector image of a house with green hills. I changed the colour slightly, to a nicer colour green, and taking away the drop shadow, and added text underneath the logo.
I carried on the green theme throughout the leaflet, as I thought that this would link the brochure to the logo well. I also managed to fit in all the content, including the membership form onto the leaflet, which was one of the requirements of the brief.
I have recently found out that I won the brief. WASCO have since come back with several elements of the leaflet that needs to be changed. In completing this brief, I have learnt how to use new tools on Illustrator, and In Design.
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