OUGD502 - SB03 - Presentation and Script

OUGD502

SB03

Presentation and Script

 Hi I'm Lorna, I'm here to talk to you today about my work, what inspires me, my current view on the creative industry and how I plan to gain experience.

First, I would like to show you some of my favourite work I have produced this year. This image shows the logo and t-shirts I have produced this year for Leeds University Union Swimming and Water Polo team. This was the most successful design I have produced as I have managed to make a profit off of it. I made t-shirts and sold them back to the club. This has given me the experience of working with a client and running a business.

This is an example of work of which I like aspects off. I was not happy with the end result as it needed a lot more development but I think the illustrations are successful on their own. I learnt a lot about adding texture to illustrations and animation during this module. ( even if the animation wasn't very successful.)

These images are from an app I designed for young competitive swimmers. I really like how this one turned out, the layout, colour scheme and illustrations all work well together. This project helped me get to grips with Adobe XD and it is by far my most popular project on Behance. 

For my creative review I interviewed 3 creatives. The reason I have three is because I reached out to four creatives that I admire, thinking I would be lucky to get a response from one, where in fact three got back to me. 

 Joshua is an American designer based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His work specialises in bold and detailed illustration combined with an organic sense of typography. He has worked with clients like Ralph Lauren and Sony Music. I contacted him through a form on his website and he was very quick to get back to me and very will ing to help.

 Chris McClean is a graphic designer and successful director who has won multiple awards for his short films. His work includes brand, music, reportage, adventure and personal films. 

I came across Chris' work through Back Wash Magazine. This is a surf publication focused on the shores off the west coast of Ireland and the North Sea. 
Chris took a lot more chasing than Joshua Noom. In fact I think I pestered him so much he had to tell me to be patient and that he would get back to me as soon as he had a moment. 

Finally I contacted LAND. LAND is an Austin based studio rub by Ryan Rhodes and Caleb Everitt. There website says they aim to use visual communication as a tool to transcend style and time. For this interview Ryan answered the questions.

Sadly, I am not keeping in touch with the creatives that I interviewed. I really am not sure how to keep a relationship going and I worry I come across as annoying. 

I have taken inspiration from a lot of things this year, here are some examples.

Last year during this presentation I said I wanted to read more, and I have. Ive read Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. This book was actually suggested by Ryan Rhodes from LAND. It is written by the founder of Patagonia and tells the story of how Patagonia came to be a business and their manifesto. It talks a lot about how important quality is and how he doesn't believe in following trends. This book was really helpful for COP and informed a lot of my outcomes for that module. The second book is actually a magazine that my house mate picked up for me. Its about surfing but I really like that layout, stock and photography used.

Another source of inspiration comes from architecture. This photo was taken in Madrid. I really love how architecture varies from city to city and gives a place such a distinct feel. The details are the most attractive part to me. 

I have also been lucky enough to do quite a lot of travelling this year. This photo was taken at Cape Town's International Airport. I think travelling is really important as it informs your work as a designer. I also think travelling gives such a deeper and truer understanding of a culture and the people that live there. For example I was aware of apartheid but I had no idea about the massive affect it had and still has on South Africa, it has most defiantly shaped and defined the nation. I also had some idea of how beautiful the place is, but photos don't do it justice. 

Finally I have been hugely inspired by photography this year. I have always loved film photography but this year I finally bit the bullet and invested in a DSLR. I have learnt a lot about exposure and composition. I found reading 'Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs' by Henry Carroll very helpful and I have watched a lot of tutorials on YouTube and SkillShare. I'm excited to keep practising and trying new things and hopefully start taking great photos.

I would like to get a placement over the summer but have been unsuccessful as of yet. Over Christmas I set my goals really high and sent letters Australian studios in Melbourne. Mainly because I really want to see Australia and this would have been a great excuse to go and potentially stay with my cousin who lives out there. Unfortunately very few studios got back to me and if they did it was to say they didn't have the capacity to have me. I am now in the middle of contacting studios in Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Glasgow. I would really like to spend time perfecting my CV and portfolio before seriously presenting to work to potential employers. 

Over summer I would like a whole week away from my laptop. I want to avoid Illustrator for a little while. I would like to work on self branding and portfolio and start reading for COP 3. I would also like to get some more travelling under my belt and spend as much time on a beach (any beach) as possible. I'm also excited about developing my photography skills. But ultimately over summer I need to make some money, so it looks like spending my fourth summer stacking shelves. 

Thank you very much for listening.
Are there any questions?