D and AD Quaker Oats

I originally started this brief with Danielle before she went of on her own doing stuff so I thought I’d try offer work with someone else instead, along came Joe 🙂

We like the quality and feel of the end result for this project, and feel that it definitely would work in the  real world as an actual product, both in design and functionality terms. Having said that we also feel that it could definitely have been better, maybe a little more non-conventional or convey the idea behind our microwave on the go pot more than we did, the final boards we created to send of to DandAD didn’t really convey this and might be why we didn’t fare so well when it came to the judging process.

The main positives to come out of this project was that myself and Joe made a good creative team and have decided to work together again in the near future and that we kept good time management throughout. We both worked well as team, both doing our fair share of the work maintaining.

Work Experience @ Design and Print – Day 3

Day 3

Steve isn’t even in today and  no one has any idea of what to do with me! I was meant to get work to do today as well argghh they knew I was coming this week for ages why haven’t they sorted anything out :(.

I guess ill get on with D&AD again at least I’m going to finish it this way 🙂

Work Experience @ Design and Print – Day 2

Day 2

In the big mac room again today met with Carmen another member of the design team here. She was nice and helpful and interested in my work she gave me a few pointers but was overall impressed in the quality of my work. (I’m sure she thought I was there from school). Still had no work to do so I have been playing around in Quark reintroducing myself to it as I haven’t used it since college over 3 years ago!

Just had dinner now back in the mac room still nothing to do :(, but im on a roll with the D&AD work so I guess it’s not all bad, but I would like an idea of how they work and what they do, even if i sit and watch them, it’s as if im not here or they don’t care im here 😦 I feel like ive been shoved in the corner and forgotten about.

Work Experience @ Design and Print – Day 1

Day 1

Met with Steve at 9am had a quick chat about uni and where I see myself in 5 years and just a general chat about design. He took me on a tour of the building showing me all the equipment and fire exits. The have some pretty cool machines here some were massive and very noisy!!!

Met with two of the design team, Kirsty and Kate, Kate used to study here at NWSAD so we chatted for a while about the course and lecturers.

I was soon transferred to the larger mac room as there was a spare computer I could use. Steve sat me down logged me in and said to have a play with the software although I had already mentioned to him that I use the software everyday back in uni, so i decided to get on with some work for uni and the Quaker Oats D&AD brief as the deadline is next week argggghhhhh! Throughout the day i was introduced to some more of the design team Dawn and Mandy.

Creative Futures Week March 1-3 2010

Getting a Job in Design 10am

The talk supplied lots of useful tips which I took note of:-

• never assume in any area of design
• make 3D mock ups of ideas to validate them
• keep all skills current, you never know when the next job will be
• design is all about creativity

Creativity + professionalism+skills+knowledge

ALL these are needed to become a successful designer

Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) Chris Ramsden http://www.csd.org.uk

look into:

1. ergonomics
2. semiotics        }science side of design -very interesting stuff
3. psychology

‘never make assumptions in design’

• artist
• designer    }all communicators
• illustrator

ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT TURNS YOU ON ABOUT DESIGN THIS WILL ALWAYS KEEP YOU MOTIVATED

become a member of CSD – they have helpful resources

TOP TIPS

• be passionate
• be good communicator
• be creative
• be flexible
• be helpful and supportive
• be tolerant
• be available
• be punctual
• be smart
• be polite
• be respectful
• be understanding
• be resourceful
• be interesting/ be interested
• be seen
• be a good listener
• be professional
• be vigilant
• be relentless
• think laterally
• work on a CV, portfolio, identity
• get experience
• have a plan
• keep up to date
• keep learning
• believe in yourself
• engage with professional body

some of these points might be obvious but can easily be forgotten

What does an employer/ client want to see?: Portfolios and CV’s 11.30am

A ‘thoughtful presentation’ from James Graham -thoughtful ( a small agency in Manchester)

their presentation was excellent, really useful interesting and engaging. they showed videos if some of the leading graphic designers and the advice they’d give to graduates in search of jobs etc.

Greg Quentin

Q. What does a graduate need when entering the GD industry?

A. PERSISTENCE

Adrian Shaughnessy

Q. What does a graduate need when entering the GD industry?

A. Always be prepared to learn, you don’t stop learning once you’ve left uni.

Micheal Johnson

Q. What is the best to send an employer when applying for a job?

A. An attachment to an email for your own website, or a PDF that’s under 5mg is a good idea so the interviewer can look through it.

Patrick Baglee

Q. What is the best way to approach an interview for a design job?

A. Make sure you are interested rather than interesting sit up straight when with an employer, explain work clearly.

Paula Scher

Q. What does a graduate need when entering the GD industry?

A. Graduates should go for jobs they can learn a lot from, because everything you do now will not affect the rest of your life, mistakes are allowed.

James Corazzo

Q. What does a graduate need when entering the GD industry?

A. A graduate needs to have self believe and not let people get them down because you will be told you are not good enough at some stage in your career

Stefan Sagmeister

Q. what is the best amount of work to have in a portfolio?

A. Average of 12

Adrian Shaughnessy

Q. what about skills?

A. yes skills are good to have on programmes but if you have th knowledge then your ok.

Johnathan Baldwin

Q. What does a graduate need when entering the GD industry?

A. They need to think about connections, what could design have to do with a certain subject? they need to get out there and go places and learn things and advantage of it and finally they can’t just stick to what they know and are comfortable with, they need to challenge themselves.

The talk also provided other pointers and advice

– email is the most preferred way of communication. send an email with an attachment after a few days of no reply follow-up with a phone call.

make sure you contact the right people make emails tailored to each person/ company you contact. be professional don’t say ‘Hello!’ as your subject

be useful coffee ‘ I will make tea- make it often and willingly’

‘Im nice to have around, be an asset to the team I know I have a lot to learn but im willing/ prepared to learn and open-minded’

interview – between 15-30 mins when finished pack away and leave dont overstay your welcome or talk to long – be remembered for the right reasons

find out which studio you want to work with, start dialogue today make a list of 5 or 6

PDF with 6 or 7 pieces of work> think about layout and typography

Prepare an A3 bookstyle portfolio.

how many pieces?

-Stefan Seigmeister 10-20

-Hilman Curtis 8-10

-Johnson Banks dozen or so

-Bienut 10

Styles of Portfolio

• wirebound
• screwbook – easy to adapt
• spiral bound
• cardboard box presentation box

More advice

read the newspaper – know whats going on – well read not clever

have intellegence about design

open mind and willingness to learn

have a great positive attitude and passion for ideas

ability to understand how/why we have certain ideas