Learn the Hard Way

Starting this course I knew it wouldn’t be easy for a start my first fear was fitting in as I live the furthest away and I thought that I would be with people who already new each other. This wasn’t the case and I think I fit in well. I am glad to have made new friends among the group and do not think that it matters who’s group I am in next year in the team project.

This could be linked with the fear of not being as good as everyone else. I started this course with little design knowledge and I felt that there would be people better than me, and there are. This, now, no longer makes me feel anxious, it gives me the determination to be the best there is.

Another fear was learning the software I knew that I would be required to learn software that I wouldn’t normally use e.g. PageMaker. This is a big step from anything I have ever used and it felt daunting at first to use. However over the first year I can now say I can use it well enough to complete the tasks so I feel I have enough technical proficiency in this.

One software I desperately wanted to learn was Photoshop which, in my eyes, is a truly amazing software package, however it is very easy to get ‘lost in the moment’ when using it and I found out that you can start with nothing and finish with something and be completely oblivious to what happened in the middle. Banned words in Photoshop include Lens Flare, and for someone else Twirl. I feel that I have learnt this well and I did take the time to try out tutorials for my own learning from the website www.tutorialized.com.

Starting the course I had experience in the software package Dreamweaver and from the previous foundation degree scored the highest in a Vendor Skills Qualification of 63%, pass mark 70%, set up by the course leader, closely followed by the next person at around 20%.

I was surprised to see that Flash was not part of this year. Next year it looks like there will be a six month long assignment in Flash. I have some ideas of what I want to do but I will need to take all aspects into consideration and my current abilities in the software. I am not however going too create an assignment, which is too easy, as I want to push myself to my full potential. On the other hand I don’t want to make the assignment too big so that it is too big to handle.

This course allowed me to create my first website. I was pleased with the overall outcome of it, even though I got a referral the first time. The reason for this was because of images that hadn’t been compressed to the fullest. Having learned from this mistake my Ambient World style guide was a lot better, and created in CSS, which is another achievement.

Deadlines were another fear of mine as I sometimes leave things to the last minute. I haven’t missed one in my train of thought, but a referral seems to count as a missed deadline according to the course leader. I did feel a bit down about referring this assignment but I understood why and got it to a pass.

Self Study started off as a bit slow, I will admit that to start with I may not have put in as much as was required but towards the end of the year I found my self doing more than needed. I could see this as either a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand it showed I was dedicated to the course wanting to get the most out of it, but on the other side it showed that maybe I was doing more towards the end fearing I hadn’t done enough. I would like to think that it was because I wanted to de better.

Tied in with this would be timekeeping. So far I have not been late for college (of my own fault). My time planning in the beginning was not very good at all. I felt that I couldn’t plan ahead of the assignment deadline, and recording what I had done. I have done a lot better in this last assignment and it is no longer a real issue. I now create an overall plan of the assignment and what needs to be done on a calendar like form. Then plan each week a week in advance.

Assignment Sheets. As being part of the ‘Chipmunks’ group we were often tested on the learning outcomes of the assignments. For example “What’s 4.1?” which mostly up in either silence or a random series of words forming the wrong answer. This has taught our group at least to memorise them off by heart in fear of a ‘pop quiz’ from Steve.

And for anyone wondering what 4.1 is it’s “Use a range of idea generating techniques creatively” but you should know that.

Maybe the biggest fear I have is presentations and something that is becoming gradually easier apparently in the 2nd year we’ll have a presentation every month, which to start with sounded absolutely terrifying but now seems like a good idea. I think this stems from a lack of confidence when speaking and I tend to speed up and merge the words into one big one. The second presentation I think was slightly better than the first because I had planned it more but not practised as much as I could have. Nerves are an issue as well as I can get nervous when put on the spot.

As the design industry is driven by communication, both verbal and creatively, it is something I will need to strengthen and is strengthening all the time.

A1 Sketchblog
This is the first time I have written a blog. Another new thing was keeping a sketchbook. I found that the sketchblog got neglected and it shouldn’t have. I think this is because I did not fully understand the assignment sheet mark criteria. I think I could have found more influences to put in the sketchbook but I think that I have attained a pass for it.

With the blog I tried from about week 4 to have a theme for the blog titles and these were references to Marvel characters, some of them lyrics from songs from soundtracks. For example ‘Learn the Hard Way’ is a song from Daredevil.

A2 That’s the Plan
The first assessed assignment was quite easy now compared to the later assignments. This was our first encounter with PageMaker and to start with it was daunting but over time it got easier and I can now say that I have a greater understanding of the software.

A3 Back to BASIC
This is the first website we created for a website that was going to be built. It did feel a bit repetitive to the A2 assignment but this time the content needed to be supplied. Finding free image sites was a hard task in itself. The content was easy to write as most of the technical terms I knew from previous courses.

A4 Picture This
The first real use of Photoshop, the restoration was quite possibly the second hardest assignment to complete. We had to restore an image from its battered scanned form to a good colour image. I think this was the assignment I was dreading handing in and getting the mark back. However I passed it and felt good about doing so. The main concern was not being able to get rid of the imperfections and this was an example of lack of technical proficiency.

A5 Builder
Taking the website plan from A3 we had to create the website. I have to say I thought that the website would look completely different from the screen design but I was pleased to see it didn’t. I was a bit stunned to hear that it had been referred but I know the reasons why and managed to make the required changes.

A6 Revert to Type
This assignment allowed me to see how important the right font is. Before I would have just placed a font type anywhere without regard but now I have the knowledge about where to put it, what alignment, what size and leading etc.

It also included a presentation which I felt went better than those on previous courses.

A7 The Fax of Life
The biggest assignment to date started with the basic challenge of creating a logo for the record label ‘Ambient World’. I think that I may have taken a bit too long in the process. The style guide is the best website I have created so far and the corporate identity part was completed. The CD artwork itself was a simple task but I managed to make the CD inlay 5mm too small on both sides. I cannot even begin to explain how I managed this either but I am glad that it was pointed out before it was too late.

Overall I think I have learnt more than I have on any other course. This knowledge has made me feel a lot more confident about becoming a designer.

I am looking forward to the next year of the course especially working in a team environment I am also looking forward to the self-assessed assignment. I have never had to write an assignment myself and although it sounds a little scary it seems a good way to develop planning skills further.

I am also looking forward to working with Flash; I like using the software so I feel that I will be able to do better in this assignment.

Looking back now I think I have definitely improved from my first website plan I created. From what I have learnt there is definitely some improvement that is noticeable and I feel that this is the right career path for me.

As for next year a few goals I would like to attain are:

• Firstly to pass the first year and get on the next
• To achieve at least 3 merits
• To improve my ideas generation process - e.g, more use of colour earlier on, more volume in ideas (thumbs, roughs, detailed etc)
• To create and utilise a productive time planning form
• To use InDesign instead of PageMaker as a page layout tool

And finally...

• To never give up and never surrender!

Meanwhile on the Von Doom Space Station...

Well assignment day is looming ever so near and I am on track to finishing. With only the booklet to finish and to PageMaker the final documents with bleed marks. Lastly a pre flight document is required and to finish my evaluation.

I finally finished my CD Inlay and CD Label after a 'Skirmish' with Photoshop and wasting £1.20 in printing credit. However I did finish with a CD Inlay that I was happy with. If your printing with PageMaker and find your tiffs to be of a poor quality (like I did) there is an option in the Options menu under Print to adjust this. Using this changed the output quality of mine from fuzzy to really sharp edges.

The Inlay has been finished completely with the PageMaker file completed. I am worried that the booklet may take longer than I want it to but I have a week to come up with a design and create it. I can still tweak it next Wednesday.

Over the next week I plan to get this booklet finished and thus the evaluation for the overall CD design.

Having the bulk of the work complete has taken a weight off of my mind and even though the thought of slacking off is there I have resisited.

** AND FINALLY SPIDER-MAN 3 IS OUT TOMORROW **

Look I Don't Make Those Mistakes Anymore...

I think overall the last few weeks have been very productive having managed to complete the Style Guide (barring a few changes) and the referral work on the builder website. There was slight panic on Thursday afternoon when I was trying to hand it in because when it was being looked at no changes were evident. This was due to poor file structuring. I do feel slightly stupid as I changed the file sizes on my memory stick but changed the white space issue on the college network.

I finally started to create the CD this week using the words from the track listing and title of the cd to try and give me ideas. I have yet to create something concrete but I am getting there.

I came back this week thinking that I was slightly behind but from the feedback group and other people it seems that I have done a lot more than I thought. Having the Style Guide completed was a target for coming back to college as was the CO-ID. Having finished them all it has lifted a weight off my shoulders.

I have only a few changes to do to my surprise so this weeks task is to complete the Style Guide changes and the CD Label as this will be the easiest hopefully. I want to create a simple CD Label maybe just a plain back and then concentrate on the main CD Sleeve and Inlay. It's just a constant battle with Photoshop so far to get the right desired effect and I do feel a bit stupid because I did have a good attempt except I forgot to up the DPI to 300.

No Time off for the Heroes!

As requested here is the white version of the Logo. Finally managed to convert it to one single outlined shape. I do think that this is the better of the two designs. In the end the decision to stay away from the 'circular' logo was probably the best.

Holiday time and i'm working harder to get things finished and trying to bring down the mountain of work left to do. The hardest thing so far has been the scaling of the letter to fit the website style guide. Everytime I did it the image quality wasn't very good. Anyway in the end I've managed to come up with a better image and the plan for now is to get the rest of the Style Guide finished for this Saturday so I can start to develop the CD designs in my Sketchbook.

The Style Guide (or some of it) is ready to view on www.chris-towell.co.uk/units/ambient-world

Logo Finished, Time for a Jubilee

Task 1 is now almost if not completely finished and I have a logo. All I need to do is convert my two letters to become a single outline shape. This is my final idea. The next big task to be finished by the end of the holiday is the Style Guide and all the creative work to go with it. Sounds a lot? Not really as it is a case of create the rules and then stick to them. A new feature brought to this week was a 'Crit Session'. This involved me putting my four logos on the wall and then discussing, then having my peers tell me which one they thought was the best and this is below. I am a bit indecisive about whether to use a white background or the blue (Pantone 628).

I had originally made a baby mistake and that was putting a too small keyline on the outside. As the logo is shrunk, to go on a business card for example, and the keyline is lost. Having been told about this I should have really remembered but I guess you just sometimes learn by getting it wrong.

Time planning has improved a lot for me and I feel that a merit is closer than I hoped. Which is something I really hope to get one as I have put a lot of work in so far.

I started to design the Business Card but have been advised that it is a more efficient way to do the Style Guide rules first then all the other things fall into place. I have chosen to do a simpler design for this as it is more on the Styles than how it looks. I am attempting to complete it in full CSS including the layout and this is proving to be easier than expected. I have had a few problems with cross browser compatibility but these have been resolved with a few more wise words from the CSS Guru, Craig.

Assignments back and I have got a referral on one and a pass on the other, if anything I thought they'd be the other way around. I am however really happy to have passed Revert to Type as I don't have to do the Presentation again.

Anyway this holiday I'm going to have to forage about for some extra bits of research e.g. Letterheads and Email Templates as I don't really know what goes on an email template. I also need a few 'spacey' themed CD labels/covers as well to give me some inspiration.

Going at it with all Guns Blazing

After receiving passes for the other assignments I have been putting more effort into the initial sketchbook 'Ideas Generation' and have to say I think I have got some good ideas. The next task is to dwindle them down 4 for next weeks lesson where we will be showing them to the group. I need to develop a colour scheme for this logo and decide what fonts will be used and how.

I have to say I have a bit of work to do before Wednesday and am a bit nervous about finding out what other people think of my ideas but I guess this is a pretty standard thing in this industry so it is a case of 'Get over it' or 'Get out'. I hope to think that I am in the first group and am looking forward to the display session.

I think that I have gone with a relatively easy concept and one that is probably a bit obvious but this is my first ever logo that I have created. Having only just had the ratio click in my head of 2:1 or 1:1 I think the designs I have created have 'accidentally' been made to fit the ratio.

I do hope to have the logo finished for the end of next week so I can start the screen designs for the website/online style guide. I want to go for a landscape website this time as the previous 2 designed wer e portrait and had to be scrolled.

Sketchbook. Now this hasn't been neglected so to speak just a bit underestimated into what actually needed to be done. With the assignment sheet firmly in hand I will need to thoroughly look through to make sure the criteria is met. I can say that some is met so it is not going to be a complete over-haul but there are sections that lack somewhat and could be changed.

The feedback meeting, however quiet it was, has really opened my eyes to what is required for us to pass the year and the even startling news that 'Passes just aren't good enough'. Deep down I knew this was true and hopefully this will be a turning point for me. There is a difference between saying and doing but im not someone who applied for the course just for the sake of it. I want a career out of this job and I know I can do better.

Rebranding my Secret Identity

The week started with a visit from another ex-student from the course but from a different area of the design spectrum. Working for Real Radio, Marc Bowers, came to give us an insight into his work and daily life. He is charged with the creation of the online publications on the Real Radio website. From the past two visits it seems that the sketch book will eventually be lost to memory at the end of this course, the opposite which I expected to happen. Having had a visit from a design studio worker and a designer for a sole company I think I would rather work in the design company, although I would also like to see my project from start to finish as you would working for a single client.

I think I have received the best assignment, if not the largest, of this year. The assignment is split into 4 tasks and looks set to be a heavy design one. To start with I was a bit at a loss as to what a Corporate Identity actually entailed but after the heavy lecturing I now know. So for this assignment I need to design from scratch a logo for a company. Having done this I need to show exactly how it will be used in every way thought possibly (well maybe not every way) including letterheads and business cards and present it in the form of an online style guide.

That done I need to re-release a selected CD from a Artist and music Genre I literally haven't heard of. Chosen from the list was a CD called 'In Starless Space' by 'David Reeves'. The idea behind this is so that we can start to develop ideas without listening to it and as it won't be our cup of tea it is a good example into a scenario where you have to create something you'd rather not... Still this does not mean that i'm not looking forward to the whole designing of the CD parts.

Another new process would be the Pre-flight document, which sadly does not involve a lavish holiday away on a plane. (Far from it...) This is the document that goes of to a printer specifying every little detail about the CD Label, Book and Inlay.

AND to finish we need to evaluate the whole process from start to finish...

It also looks like there will not be much holidaying for a while according to my time planning overall sheet. Most of the holiday is dedicated to the website style guide, but I guess you can't design everything that you'd 'want' to design.