To be continued…

This unit has been helpful in teaching me a lot about myself and personal branding, getting me ready to step into the real world after uni and progress my career. I am happy with the final outcome of the material I have produced and believe it meets industry standard. I have been applying for contracted work for people who are looking for graphic designers to produce leaflets, logos, etc. As well as gaining contacts in the field.

There are a few minor things that I wish continue on with after the hand-in of this project as an extension:

• Purchase professionally printed business cards (Moo.com).
• Print multiple copies of the CV at a higher quality.
• Create a digital version of my CV. This will be used for when the folded CV can’t be presented physically, therefore, I need a digital version to send via email.
• Continue to regularly update my website, adding new projects.

Personal Branding

Business Card

CV

Professional Feedback: Portfolio

I sent my business card, CV, and portfolio in an email to a bunch of graphic design agencies nationwide in order to gain feedback on the quality of my work. Describing the project and the ideas behind each design, I wanted to hear their honest opinion on whether they would see something like this in industry. From the 14 emails to different companies I sent out, I only received 3 responses: http://oysterdesign.co.uk/, http://designamite.co.uk/ and
http://110percent.co.uk/

This part focuses on my online portfolio:

• They all liked the clean style the website had adopted.
• Try to keep the colour scheme consistent throughout, even tiny details such as text colour.
• Feedback on the masthead, updating sizes and placement to work better.
• There were also comments praising the standard of work on the website.
• Keep updating with new projects, potentially remove older ones as more go on.

Professional Feedback: CV

I sent my business card, CV, and portfolio in an email to a bunch of graphic design agencies nationwide in order to gain feedback on the quality of my work. Describing the project and the ideas behind each design, I wanted to hear their honest opinion on whether they would see something like this in industry. From the 14 emails to different companies I sent out, I only received 3 responses: http://oysterdesign.co.uk/, http://designamite.co.uk/ and
http://110percent.co.uk/

This part looks into the feedback received for my CV:

• They really liked the folded leaflet concept. It was described as a narrative, going through it in stages. Also referring to it as fresh and different, meaning people are more likely to pick it up.
• I was told the ‘About me’ section wasn’t up-to-scratch, and told it would be wise to change it so it sells myself better.
• A few blank spaces to fill up. (Except the area where the business card goes, but that was explained to them.)
• Liked how it worked well with the business card.
• They all liked the overall design, describing it as very neat and effective, gets all of the relevant information across in a unique style.

Professional Feedback: Business Card

I sent my business card, CV, and portfolio in an email to a bunch of graphic design agencies nationwide in order to gain feedback on the quality of my work. Describing the project and the ideas behind each design, I wanted to hear their honest opinion on whether they would see something like this in industry. From the 14 emails to different companies I sent out, I only received 3 responses: http://oysterdesign.co.uk/, http://designamite.co.uk/ and http://110percent.co.uk/

This part describes the responses I got for the feedback on my business card designs.

• Overall, the feedback was good. They where all impressed with the design, liking the simplicity and style. They said it definitely catches the attention of the eye with the bright orange, but isn’t to sharp.
• I was informed to change the text colour from a light grey to a darker grey, keeping consistent throughout. This was mainly for printing reasons, as they stated it would print better.

My Adobe InDesign experience

As an avid graphic designer I have mastered Adobe Illustrator, conquered Adobe Photoshop and practising my skills on Adobe After Effects. However, I have only ever been faced with Adobe InDesign a handful of times… In order to succeed in the graphic design industry it is imperative to adapt, challenging yourself and learning new software to increase usability and skills.

I was faced with the test of giving InDesign a thorough use when creating my CV, and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised!

Business Card: Research

Here I will be exploring the many ways you can approach creating a business card, with many possibilities, its all about selling yourself in a quick moment. A business card is used to tell people what you’re about and offer the consumer your contact details for later communication. For graphic designers this is a perfect way to show people your style of work and sell your service in a small 5x8cm piece of card. I want my business card to stand out and be an extension of my profile, so I looked into the best way of achieving this.

Business Card: Process

The business card is a useful tool in introducing yourself and leaving a lasting impression on someone. The difference between having your card thrown straight into the bin or kept in the drawer, is design. As a graphic designer, design is the foremost important aspect of developing a business card, it can be utilised as a demonstration of your style and talent. This post goes through the process of how I made mine…