It was a really inspirational experience, I just wish I could have been there longer.
I learnt so much in that one week, about myself, where I might what to be in a year, the way I work and my abilities.
It took a while for things to get moving. The first day I got to know the two guys I was going to spend the week working with, what kind of work they had going on and how they were responding to briefs. I also put together some sample packs of the paper stock that they use, that were then sent out to potential clients.
The second day, they set me off on some tutorials using the software which they use. I've only really ever used the Adobe software, but they used something called Freehand MX, which is kind of like an older version of Illustrator and Photoshop combined. It's a program which Adobe has bought, and is trying to replace and remove. But these guys were stuck in there ways, but too be honest it was a really nice program to use, things were much more straight forward.
I then got set two live briefs (unfortunately I wasn't able to keep any of the work I'd produced, which is so annoying!!!)
The first was a business card for a builder, including a logo design. But the client wasn't too fussed about the logo design because he wasn't wanting to spend much money on the artwork. But I did one anyway.
The second was a logo design for a freelance marketing lady. She already had something in mind. Something to do with the shape of the river's bend near her house in Goole, where she worked from, so she wanted to incorporate something using that idea. It was a nice idea, but I was also encouraged to give the client other options, away from her initial idea, without the river bend.
With both of these briefs I produced about 3 or 4 ideas that were emailed off to them, they then decided what they liked, what they didnt etc....and it got altered until they were happy and in the end, for both clients, my designs were sent off to print.
With each design, for the colours I had to refer to the pantone colour chart that they provided. Having this in front of me made it so much easier when selecting colours.
Towards the end of the week, they set me a larger brief, one that I could print off and they would provide for my portfolio. It wasn't a live brief though, which, in a way made it slightly easier, cos then I didn't constantly have to worry what someone else might think (which i know, is not what I should be thinking, at all!)
The brief was to design a logo for a photography comapany called "Northern Wave - photography), then to design a letterhead, A5 promo postcard and a business card.
I started out with some simple doodles
And by the end of the day this is the logo that I designed.
I was encouraged not to dismiss any ideas I might have just because I didn't know how to do it using the software. If I wanted to do something that I wouldn't normally do, I had to draw it, then either Sam or Andy explained the best ways I might go about doing it.
Using the logo, I then created a business card (on the right, showing the back and the front) and a compliment slip. There is also a letterhead aswell, similar layout to the compliment slip.
The A5 postcard, both sides.
I'm really happy with the work I was able to produce. I'm going to get in touch with them, and see if it's possible to get them to send me some the other work I produced, including another compliment slip for a gardener.
The one thing I have learn, is that I need to learn to understand what OTHER people might like, not just what I think is right or pretty. The client is who I've got to sell my idea to!
No comments:
Post a Comment