OUGD602 - End of Module Evaluation

OUGD602

OUGD602 – Personal and Professional Practice Module Evaluation

I have created a brand that reflects me as a designer and a person as it is indicative of my style while including imagery relating to my interests. This module has pushed me to consider my own branding more deeply and shown me how to apply it across multiple collateral including CV, cover letters and portfolio. This makes me look like a much more rounded and professional creative to potential employers.

This year I completed three work placements. They all came about in very different ways. The first was much more traditional and was gained by applying online. The seconded was a much more drawn out process that involved meeting several times and many emails before a work placement was granted. The final work placement was through sending a poster to the studio. This received a great response and the creative director immediately suggested that I should participate in a work placement. PPP gave me direction to apply for these placements. It was very helpful when emails didn’t get any response.

PPP also gave me the confidence to apply for internships at companies I would never have dreamed of such as Apple. Although I didn’t get the job, I did get quite far within the interview process. That experience along with what I have learnt throughout this module through seminars and visiting professionals has gave me the confidence to apply for jobs in the future.

My short-term goal is to gain a 3 to 4 month paid internship at Agency TK where I recently completed a work placement. I hope to keep a good relationship with the creative director and approach him about an internship when I invite him and the studio to the End of Year Show. I then hope to go travelling in 2020 for as long as possible. I hope to work on my practice while travelling by improving my illustration skills and doing some freelance work. I feel like PPP has given me the skills I need to maintain a freelance practice. This includes a greater understanding of tax and business management.

OUGD602 - Agency TK Email Thread

OUGD602 

Agency TK Email Thread

OUGD602 - Born + Raised Email Thread

OUGD602

Born + Raised Email Thread

OUGD602 - Skills Evaluation

OUGD602 

Skills Evaluation

Experienced at:
Presenting to an audience
Answering live briefs
Stage design and scenic art
large scale production

Technical Skills

Proficient in working with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. Experienced with After Effects, XD, LightRoom and Premiere Pro. 

Customer Awareness

Gained through 5 years of working as a Customer Assistant at Tesco, providing an awareness of packaging, point of sale and marketing trends.

Teamwork

Through competitive swimming and group work within university and work experience, I have learnt to work well with a team to achieve an end goal. At Boardmasters Festival, when working with the team at Decordia I learned how to navigate issues and resolve them in a short timeframe as part of a team. 

Leadership

Through my job as a swimming teacher and volunteer coach, I have learnt how to take control of situations and deal with difficult behaviour calmly and professionally. 

Problem Solving

Answering briefs as a freelance designer has taught me how to approach and solve problems creatively. 

Numeracy

A background in physics means I’m comfortable working with numbers and can easily apply that precise approach to design tasks.

Communication

Presenting my work in front of clients and professionals has shown me the importance of being able to communicate clearly and effectively. 

Time Management

As a freelance designer, I have developed a number of strategies that allow me to manage multiple projects at once. I’m able to consistently deliver on time thanks to effective planning and productivity methods. 

Planning

When working as a swimming teacher I learnt the importance of planning sessions in order to progress my students. 

Research

My practice and responses are built on research conducted for clients, to create appropriate and well-grounded responses. 

Evaluation
Over the last year, I have become much more confident in After Effects and Photoshop and have gained even more skills in illustrator. Brief such as the 60 second documentary gave me the opportunity to use Premiere Pro for the first time. I have gained a lot of knowledge on how to use Lightroom by documenting my final outcomes to a professional finish. I find the most useful way to learn new techniques on these softwares is to use YouTube videos and practising. Setting challenges like the 30 days of a design challenge or the 36 days of type challenge are the best was to learn skills in a short amount of time as you are held accountable through social media platforms like Instagram. 
Work experience in studio environments has improved my communication, both verbally and over email. The Extended practice module has helped to improve my time management skills as it was largely self-directed with many deadlines that needed to be met. This required both long term and short term planning. 

OUGD602 - Positioning Statement

OUGD602

Positioning Statement

I am a graphic designer and illustrator. I have experience in adobe suite software’s, app design and branding. My strengths include a well-developed understanding of typography, strong use of colour and animation ability.  I’m looking for an opportunity to turn my knowledge and passion for design to solve problems creatively in a studio environment.