Module Introduction
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Branding Analysis
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As a group we were given two differently packaged products that we compared in terms of how they come across to a consumer. The results were useful and interesting as the information I have found out can now be applied to the promotional materials I make to portray to image/ brand I want to create for myself.
I think a consumer would see the black background of the first to be a more indulgent chocolate as the finish on it is smarter. The red background is a lot brighter making me think it is aimed at a different, possibly younger audience.
The topography is a quite major part in the composition of both the products. There's a very obvious difference between them. Keeping in tone with the black background, the typography of the first is a lot simpler and more graphic with the gradient of colour running over it, making it stand out more therefore possibly grabbing the consumers attention more so than the second. Against the red background, the white typography isn't quite as striking, however, it had been more creatively thought and keeps in tone with the red pop of the background.
Both have the nutritional information on the front so that it is clear for the audience and provides all the necessary information. The second one however, does have the Rainforest Alliance logo which does contrast well with the red making it an obvious addition and may make the consumer feel better about their purchase.
We can conclude that both of these are obviously a Tesco brand of chocolate so we can more than likely think that neither are to be too expensive or luxurious but the as said, it is the other elements that will make us think differently about these aspects.
The actual writing on the packets is giving us different kinds of information. The first is very obviously factual and this is made very apparent with all the capitals of the large percentage at the very top. The second one gives some more descriptive information once again suggesting different audiences.
When being displayed in the actual store, I think they'd be at different heights when on the shelves. The red one being lower down as I think it's be directed towards a younger audience and the other being higher up aimed towards an older consumer that would consider the facts given.
To sum, the different elements such as colour, image quality and presentation, typography and compassion are very important factors when putting across a certain image to an audience. I am wanting to work in a more editorial fashion so I shall have to do research further into other materials created to promote oneself on this area so that I can have all of these contributing factors come together successfully so that the brand I create for myself is suitable.
Business Cards Analysis
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There are different elements I will need to consider when creating my own business cards. The way in which I want to print them, whether this be digitally, screen printing, or letterpress, so that different outcomes cam be produced. For example, screen printing and letter pressing will allow there to be an embossed effect running through my business cards and the colours I use won't be as limiting as I'll be able to mix and layer the myself and also use pearlescent colours too. Whereas if I digitally print them I won't be able to have access to these qualities for the end result however, I may be able to have more complex designs that I'll be able to easily edit on Photoshop. I have photographed existing business cards that involve a few of these processes so that I can see how and why they work and I can also look at some presentation methods I may not have considered before. I'll also see what information will be important to include in them.
The delicacy of the small, hand made envelope is a very appealing presentation method as it adds another element to make it more memorable. The design on the card shows off the kind of work they produce as it overruns the card. The information is quite limited as it only includes a website and instant contact information but this may mean that the rest of this information is on the website. The colours of the of the envelope compared to that of the cards give a contrasting finish making it stand out more. The fact that it is in an envelope may mean that because the information isn't presented upon the initial observation of the card it isn't going to make the impact it needs with the instant information that would be included inside. Something I shall have to consider when it comes to my own presentation.
The format for this card isn't what you'd expect it in the traditional sense. The dimensions are different and it is presented in a card like way. It is clearly stated who the card belongs to with the sticker on the front. The kind of work they create is also obvious inside the card. There is however, very limited information available. This being only an email address. I see this as being something that would compromise its memorability. Having no website would mean that whoever see's the card will not have access to more of the work they create. I would rather that it be a more conventional business card with more information and a better thought out design and composition, rather than something that is only slightly different to the more traditional business card.
These do not meet the traditional business card dimensions but I would say that they are the most successful of all I have looked at as they have useful information on them which I would say makes them lot more useful to a potential client. All of them have at least an email address and a website provided so easy access to any necessary means of communication or access to any other work they have created, making for a memorable business card. I think the fact that they are smaller compared to the traditional dimensions make them more handy in terms of keeping them stored, however, I think a conventionally sized business card may be a better choice as they are able to be kept in a card slot in a purse or wallet. This is going to make it very accessible if it is a card that is memorable and one to be kept by potential clients.
Website Building
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There will be quite a few different elements I shall need to be considering if I am to produce a successful website for myself. First of all I will be deciding whether I am going to use my own name or if I will change it to something else that better presents myself and my work. This will then reflect in the domain name that I choose for myself. Choosing a site to build my own website on shall be an important decision as I will need to decide which host I want to use and then if I'd want to link to a site such a tumblr which I am already familiar with. The consideration of prices for having a domain name will be dependant on which host I decide to use. I will therefore continue with research around this area to see what will be best for me in terms of what design I shall create. I shall also need to be considering business cards and any other promotional material I create and how the two correlate together as I want to create consistent designs that are recognisably associated together.
Collective Briefs
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Working in groups, today we were presented with 3 different briefs that we all have to have completed to a certain standard by 3pm. The 3 briefs included producing a pop up christmas card, a christmas themed gif and branding a new business. We had to communicate well as a group so our ideas came together in a fashion that meant our final outcome met the brief we were given. I had the task, with another, to complete the branding of the new business however, we all kept each other up to date with the progress of the individual briefs.
We did first begin discussing all of the briefs and any initial ideas we had which we all then finalised so we could then produce the designs and final outcomes.
The idea for our gift was to have penguins wearing festive accessories and walking into a wintery scene. This was a new way of working for the part of our group that worked on this but the end result was along the lines of what we had envisioned and was indeed a gif. The shapes and colours were consistent throughout the gif with a fairly good finish. I think with some more research and experimentation, together we could have a slightly smoother finish to it.
For the christmas card we all agreed that using a theme based around Krampus would be a slightly different take on the festive card. Prototypes were made to see how the pop up mechanism would work in conjunction with the design created.
The two working on this task then went on to create a more final outcome with the appropriate colours and dimensions.
It was an interesting process to see how all the different elements came to together of the final piece as the planning for it was a little more complex than our other briefs for today. The contrast in the different materials and drawing techniques used was useful to see as it allowed the team to come together and work in a way we may not have done before ash we have to consider the ways in which the individuals work and then adapt to process and outcomes slightly to fit the brief but still keeping true to the style of work each person produces. This is a lesson I'll be able to take into the professional and when creating my portfolio as for example I may have a certain briefs with some restricting needs so I shall have to solve the puzzle so I am able to have my work presented in a way that works for me and my style and for the brief too.
I was working on the creation of promotional material for a new business called Index. A small book shop that sells self published items, comics, zines and alternative press. The brief required for my team and I to produced uncluttered, textured business cards with a typewriter font and had contrasting bold colours.
We came up with some ideas that made it obvious what exactly Index is.
We thought that having a pop of red with a black and white contrast running through the whole design would give the bold contract that the brief required. The client wished for it to be very obvious that the fact Index was a book was very apparent in our designs. We therefore decided to created a small, business card sized book to run with this theme. It is something a little different from the traditional business card and makes it a little more exciting. We gave a couple of options for both the logo and the business card itself. With the the design I created, I went on to produce a further design that was more finalised.
I thought the addition of the book like paper in the background brought the theme of the whole design together a little more. I tried to simplify the design slightly as the client wished for it be uncluttered. All essential information is given and for ease of storage it would still be able to be kept in a card slot in a purse or wallet when folded in half. I think with more work I could make it less cluttered still so that it fits even more so within the brief guidelines.
This task was something I have not done before in terms of dividing up tasks between a group. I found it be useful and insightful for when working in a professional role. Taking everyones ideas and thoughts into consideration and although smaller groups within the group were working separately we were keeping up to date with each other progress so that everything could come together for the final presentation of the work. I am able to take these new skills I have acquired into future tasks and briefs I face as well as into the professional world.
Site vs. Site
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Finding a platform to sell work, print work or make people aware of a project is an important part when it comes to an illustrator or any creative promoting their work. However, finding the correct one that will best benefit the artist can be critical in terms of the promotional value it will provide you and the profits that can be gained from it too. Today we look at the sites that do these things to compare them and discover what works, what doesn't and how they work. We were given Society6 and Zazzle to compare. They are both a print on demand site which mean the seller can upload their work onto the chosen piece of merchandise and have it instantly sold through the site.
In terms of presentation I'd personally say that Society6 is a lot cleaner and that everything fits together in an easier fashion. It's brighter, clear product information and imagery and it is very easy to navigate. All of the information we needed to access was readily available and easy to find. Information needed was also available on Zazzle but not to as much extent. Some of the things we found out about Society6 could not be found out about Zazzle.
For both sites however, they are free to start up and upload work which is going to be a good selling point when deciding what would be best for the artist. Society6 does allow the artist to sell their work without giving up control of your rights which for an artist is going to be a valuable thing to keep. Zazzle does not offer this information making us think that it would not be true for them. Neither of the sites offer any promotional values so if I was to use either, then it would be entirely up to me to drive an audience directly to the site so that I could make the sales I'd need. Society6 does however, allow the user to connect to a Facebook or Twitter account so this may be a helpful device when driving an audience through.
The amount of available products varies between the two. Zazzle has a huge variety than could be seen as too much. I think the fact that Society6 has a slightly more limited array pf products makes it feel like that items that are produced are of a higher quality with a lot more care and thought going into them which for a customer would make me think they'd lean more towards Society6.
We looked at some customer reviews to see how well received products were and the main point of Zazzle's reviews were that customers were waiting longer than expected for the items they had bought. This could then reflect badly on the creator of the items and mean that their audience is lessened. We did discover that finding who the actual artists of each products was not available to us straight away/ at all. This would make me doubt the point from earlier of being able to keep control of the right the artist has on their work, again making me lean toward Society6.
Whilst both sites are very well known and widely used after looking further into the information provided we felt that Society6 would be a better choice as it is free to set up, the artist stays in control of their rights and that credit for who created the designs is very obvious.
The rest of the class looked at other sites to compare them as well that also involved print on demand, networking, pitching ideas and selling work.
Some similar results were found for the other sites depending on what they were for and how they are used. If I was to use any of these kinds of sites then further research would be needed as as we found today the positives can outweigh that of another. It'd be important to have all of the information needed to be able to make an informed decision about these things. Based on the area of work I wish to go into I feel these platforms are not what I shall need at current however, already having this information will allow me to make an easier decision in the future as I now know more about how they work and where would be a better choice. I can however, look at the platform that allow me to simply showcase the work I produce, such as Tumblr or Dribbble and compare these sites in the same manner so that I can reach similar conclusions.
My Business cards
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As my practice has developed along with the different experimental processes I have tried, so have the designs for my own business cards. I tried a few different combinations along the way to work with the way I am presenting myself and my work at a certain time. It has lead me to a finalised design that best presents me and my practice. I took into consideration the findings I had made after analysing other business cards so that I could then produce a well executed and thought about design for myself.
The front of this is very plain and there is too much white space giving the impression it hasn't been thought about as much as it could. Whilst the back of this design shows my work off to an extent, my practice has developed from this so this no longer best represents my practice. I also prefer to not have a typed font and have one I have designed myself but with the busy background a typography design would have been another element to crowd the image.
With this design I have created my own lettering which is what I wanted on my last design. I have still involved some imagery too but compositionally it still isn't right for me as it isn't as vibrant and exciting as I'd want it to be. When I designed the font I made a set font so that two of the same letters would look exactly the same. Whilst this is still something I want to use, it doesn't have the confidence that a more spontaneous typographic piece could. This way of working would then better represent my work and practice which is the aim of my business cards, to give a small insight into what it is that I do. Colour consideration is what I want to look at more too as this can bring the piece together to give off the professional finish that I want.
The typography on the front of this design is the spontaneous, confident look I want with my work so it was a case of experimenting with the composition to settle on a final outcome. For the back I chose to use the typography from my previous design as when it comes to the important information I want it to be clear for any potential clients that receive my business card.
Editorial Illustration
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I did some research on editorial illustration and found some useful information around this subject which I have compiled together.
1) Focus Your Portfolio
When compiling my portfolio I should put work in it that I definitely want to show. Having something in it that i'm not completely happy with could reflect badly on the portfolio as a whole. If editorial illustrations is what i want to go into, then I should show at least 10 good pieces within my portfolio. I will therefore be looking at existing newspapers and magazines so that I am able to build up this area of my portfolio.
2) Address List of Possible Clients
I should be looking for potential future clients that are involved in the area of work that i am interested in so that I can get the commissions I will actually be wanting to do.The Association of Illustrators sell 'The Editorial Directory,' which is an up to date resource of companies that commission editorial illustration. If I was to look for clients that weren't one off things and more of a design company then I should seek ones that make work that is along the lines of what I do.
3)Mail & Meet
Sending sample work in the post to potential clients would be a good way to get noticed as they have some tangible which would be something they would less likely forget. Upon them receiving your work, a follow up phone call or email a few days later would help to build a personal relationship which could be an invitation to meet them and show more of your work.
4) Be Flexible
Being flexible and as client friendly as possible should be an approach taken with all clients. You are able to build a better name for yourself as other potential clients will know that you are someone good to work with. Being flexible will also mean that your client will want to have an input with some of the design process and you will have to let them as it is them you are producing and them that knows the magazine or newspaper best.
5) Keep in Touch
Keeping your potential clients and existing ones up to date with what you're doing will let them know what it is you're producing and are a proactive illustrator who seeks work and is also networking where possible. If however, you have had no commissions, then brief yourself, look for articles in magazines that you could create something for. As long as you are producing work then you are able to build and develop your portfolio to let your clients know what you're doing.
I can now take these bits of information and apply them to my practice so that I can produce a successful portfolio and keep a client list and networking schedule going.
Promotional Items
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When it came to my promotional items I wanted them to correlate well with my business cards so I involved typography that matched parts of my business cards. Therefore, when I send them out as a collective, it will be clear that they are all mine and then the business card can be easily referenced.
I chose postcards with a design on the front an no information about myself. This can then mean that when it is sent out with the business there is a still a link between the two via the designs.
I printed A3 posters with lettering I designed that is once again, reflected in my business cards so they can all link together.
As a set of three, business cards, postcards and posters, they all come together well with the linking typography and bright colours. Having these tangible pieces, as I previously found out in some research, will make a client more likely to keep them and then to contact me.
I will be printing more items that will also correlate well with what I have already produced so that I can show some other style of type that I have produced and possibly some imagery too.
Website
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My website has a clean, controlled and organised finish to it, with only the images on show so that they can be perused at the audiences or potential clients leisure.
I have only showcased final pieces that I would show in a portfolio and that I am completely happy with so that one piece doesn't compromise the rest of the site. I have provided links to appropriate pages such as my instagram, twitter and information on how to easily contact me if any commission based work were to occur. It also allows the audience to see development in my work and different types of pieces. However, I can change this if necessary depending on how much my work and practice were to develop in the future.
I decided to use tumblr at my platform as I am very familiar with it and have had this website for quite some time so I have developed its appearance to professionalise it for my potential clients as I think this will be a big help in bringing in new clients and audiences. Once again the work I have displayed here, correlates well with my other promotional items as they are featured on the site and other pieces showcase a similar style in other final pieces.
Portfolio
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I was very selective with the pieces I printed for my portfolio much like when it comes to my website. I began with work that best summed up what it is that I'm interested in and carried on to show what I can do well and have a penchant for.
I will however, be improving my portfolio and the presentation of it by having all pieces either landscape or portrait so that it is an easier experience for whomever may be perusing it. I shall also be purchasing another holder for my work that has a more professional finish so that my professionalism within the industry can continue through my portfolio and all other promotional items.
Much like my website I am able to easily develop and chop and change to order or the pieces and what pieces actually go in so that it can develop alongside my practice.
Clients
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I have researched potential clients that I can see myself being involved with. They revolve around independent magazines, design agencies and greetings card companies.
I see myself working in an editorial illustration industry as my work is quite interchangeable when it comes to a theme so I am an adaptable illustrator with a recognisable style. I shall be doing further research of clients and looking for art directors in home, lifestyle, fashion, beauty magazines as I can see my work being used in these kinds of publications. I can therefore build up my client list and will then be able to send out more work to more people increasing my exposure and chances of being able to work with the clients.
Module Evaluation
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Initially with this module I identified the areas of work I wanted to go into, this being editorial and design and as I have developed my work and the promotional items I have produced, I see this being confirmed more and more. Seeing my work develop with this process has given me more confidence in my practice and how I shall pursue my career. This shall now begin with the sending out of my promotional items and coming into contact with my researched potential clients so as to gain exposure and let people know what it is that I do as an illustrator.
I am now able to bring this confidence into the showing of my work and keep an identity for myself in terms of the consistency through all areas of what I produce, be that my website, promotional items, business cards and portfolio.
I shall be continuing with the maintaining of all of these areas so as to keep my work current and to constantly developing with my practice and having fresh work displayed regularly which i can inform my clients about so that they too, are up to date with what I am doing.
The development of my practice throughout this module has been a valuable experience in terms of gaining a more professional outward facing presence and becoming more confident in how I shall continue afterwards. I can take this new experience and knowledge and now put it into practice with contacting got potential client, sending out work and seeking art directors of magazines as well as continuing to develop my practice as a whole and keeping up to date with what is already happening within the industry.
Bibliography
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1) Society 6. (2015). Society 6. Available: https://society6.com. Last accessed 10th Dec 2015.
2) Zazzle. (2000). Zazzle. Available: http://www.zazzle.co.uk. Last accessed 10th Dec 2015.
3)Anna Wray. (2013). 5 Steps to Becoming an Editorial Illustrator.Available: http://www.creativebloq.com/career/become-editorial-illustrator-121310155. Last accessed 12th Feb 2016.
4) Britsol Independent Publishers. (2013). BIP. Available: http://www.wearebip.co.uk. Last accessed 20th Feb 2016.
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