The 5 key questions that I have researched over the past 10 weeks are:
Who am I – who are they ?
Where are they – How will they find me ?
How will I promote myself – what do they want to hear ?
Who else is out there – how good are they ?
From this research here are 10 short but informative statements that identify my distinctive ‘positioning’ as a Graphic Designer:
1. My ambition for when I graduate, is to join a successful design company and indulge in editorial layouts and typography.
2. I would prefer to work in an open environment which contains a wide range of skilled people, for example, illustrators, photographers.
3. I would like to jump at the opportunity to work part time as freelance Graphic Designer, this would be alongside a full time job.
4. I hope that one day I have to courage to work primarily as freelance Graphic Designer, or to start up my own business.
5. I intend to go abroad, hopefully to New York but maybe Australia as I have family over there, and work for up to a year to gain experience and recognition.
6. I consider my skills in software such as Photoshop, Illustrator etc, to be of a high standard. I also tend to grasp new software fairly quickly.
7. I would like to gain a wide range of local, national and European based clients, containing successful businesses as well as the small ones.
8. My main source of communication would be e-mail, as this proves the most successful and fastest method of communication across borders.
9. I will continue to host an Online Portfolio as I feel this is one of the best ways to promote myself, and will keep it updated with new projects.
10. I intend to be over ambitious throughout all of my career.
How will I promote myself – What do they want to hear?
Whether I become a freelance graphic designer when I graduate, or go into a business, I need to learn how to promote myself and get myself noticed. I will need to let people know who I am, and the areas on Graphic Design I specialise in.
If I was to become a freelance Graphic Designer, I would need to be constantly getting in contact with businesses and building up relationships with potential clients. General chats on the phone, as well as organising face-to-face meetings where I could potentially hand out my business card and gain contacts. Getting my work out there in exhibitions/fairs etc would also prove useful in getting myself noticed. I could not only sell my products, but also my services.
When applying for a job, something that I will need to take great consideration of is my CV. Having a well laid out creative CV could not only be what determines whether I get the job or not, but could also be something that if it's not what they're looking for, can pass along to someone who is looking.
The Internet is now very popular, and is even the main source of contact for some businesses. It is a great place to show your work through an Online Portfolio (website), which is something I am currently working on www.heatherbradley.co.uk. Not only does it allow me to show my work, it can include shopping facilities, which if successful, could allow me to create a profit from it. Having a well laid out and attractive webiste could allow me to gain clients. In terms of promoting this website, it would be something that would be on the back on my business card.
Making myself a member on websites such as Behance.net (http://www.behance.net/HeatherBradley) and other websites where I can create a portfolio, allows me to get noticed as designers/business members search on there on a weekly basis looking for employees.
In terms of a business card, this again would have to be well laid out and look attractive. It should somewhat show my skills and encourage designers to want to see more.
These are all things I should be beginning to do now, not just when I graduate. Building up an image and gaining contacts is something that would put me in a better position, not only when I graduate, but also when looking for work experience throughout this year and the next.
If I was to become a freelance Graphic Designer, I would need to be constantly getting in contact with businesses and building up relationships with potential clients. General chats on the phone, as well as organising face-to-face meetings where I could potentially hand out my business card and gain contacts. Getting my work out there in exhibitions/fairs etc would also prove useful in getting myself noticed. I could not only sell my products, but also my services.
When applying for a job, something that I will need to take great consideration of is my CV. Having a well laid out creative CV could not only be what determines whether I get the job or not, but could also be something that if it's not what they're looking for, can pass along to someone who is looking.
The Internet is now very popular, and is even the main source of contact for some businesses. It is a great place to show your work through an Online Portfolio (website), which is something I am currently working on www.heatherbradley.co.uk. Not only does it allow me to show my work, it can include shopping facilities, which if successful, could allow me to create a profit from it. Having a well laid out and attractive webiste could allow me to gain clients. In terms of promoting this website, it would be something that would be on the back on my business card.
Making myself a member on websites such as Behance.net (http://www.behance.net/HeatherBradley) and other websites where I can create a portfolio, allows me to get noticed as designers/business members search on there on a weekly basis looking for employees.
In terms of a business card, this again would have to be well laid out and look attractive. It should somewhat show my skills and encourage designers to want to see more.
These are all things I should be beginning to do now, not just when I graduate. Building up an image and gaining contacts is something that would put me in a better position, not only when I graduate, but also when looking for work experience throughout this year and the next.
Where are they? - How will they find me?
Where are my potential clients located?
What media do my potential clients use?
Possible client groups
Food Retail - Packaging, Branding
Fashion Retail - Labels, Bags
Magazines - Typography, Layouts, Advertising
Music Industry - Record labels,
TV/DVD - Interface
Who is my competition?
Fellow peers, experienced designers, graduates with more/higher qualifications.
The Graphic Design market for editorial design.
Local: Creative Review, London
National:
European:
Transnational:
Political
Economical
Social
Technological
Who am I? - Who are they? continued...
What skills do I have?
These are just a few of the skills I have learnt over the past few years, but are ones which I have enjoyed the most and wish to edulge into further.
Who needs them?
What skills are needed and how do I go about developing them?
I think one of the main skills I need to develop is my organisation, not so much organising my work, but organising my project and time. Management skills and team leading skills are something else I feel if improved would be very benificial to me, and would be something that would be required for a job.
In terms of how I go about developing these skills, I feel I will have the oppertunity when working in teams at college. I need to speak up more and voice my opinion, so hopefully there will be the chance to work as a collaberation. I could also practice these skills around the studio when talking to fellow students.
I will also have the oppertunity to develop these skills when gaining experience in the industry over the summer. I plan to gain work experience with a large number of Graphic Design agencies, and hopefully experience a good variety of atmospheres. I hope to come back into the third year with a lot more confidence, and knowlegde of how the industry works.
What are your professional/creative aims and how do they relate to the needs of the world at large?
As I mentioned before, I would really like to be a freelance Graphic Designer. However, I know I would benefit more by going into a business first and learning exactly how it works. This could possibly make me more sucessful.
In terms of working in a business, I would like to be in an relaxed enviroment, with a variety of people around me, for example, illustrators, photographers etc. I'd like it to be how we are in the studio now, feeding off each other and helping each other.
These are just a few of the skills I have learnt over the past few years, but are ones which I have enjoyed the most and wish to edulge into further.
- Type
- Layout
- Packaging
- Software
Who needs them?
What skills are needed and how do I go about developing them?
I think one of the main skills I need to develop is my organisation, not so much organising my work, but organising my project and time. Management skills and team leading skills are something else I feel if improved would be very benificial to me, and would be something that would be required for a job.
In terms of how I go about developing these skills, I feel I will have the oppertunity when working in teams at college. I need to speak up more and voice my opinion, so hopefully there will be the chance to work as a collaberation. I could also practice these skills around the studio when talking to fellow students.
I will also have the oppertunity to develop these skills when gaining experience in the industry over the summer. I plan to gain work experience with a large number of Graphic Design agencies, and hopefully experience a good variety of atmospheres. I hope to come back into the third year with a lot more confidence, and knowlegde of how the industry works.
What are your professional/creative aims and how do they relate to the needs of the world at large?
As I mentioned before, I would really like to be a freelance Graphic Designer. However, I know I would benefit more by going into a business first and learning exactly how it works. This could possibly make me more sucessful.
In terms of working in a business, I would like to be in an relaxed enviroment, with a variety of people around me, for example, illustrators, photographers etc. I'd like it to be how we are in the studio now, feeding off each other and helping each other.
Possible experience.
I'm not sure whether this should be on the PPD blog, but I felt it was relevant for both.
Last year, my other half was involved in the Sorrell Young Design Program, and had the chance to work with a Graphic Designer in Leeds, Andy Edwards. He brought me up in the conversation, and Andy kindly offered to look through my portfolio, give me some advice and possibly invite me to go and work with him for a few days, which would allow me to see how he works. This would also be a great opportunity for me to ask some questions. I've not emailed him my portfolio yet, as there are a few alterations i'd like to make, but it something that I will keep you up to date with on here.
Last year, my other half was involved in the Sorrell Young Design Program, and had the chance to work with a Graphic Designer in Leeds, Andy Edwards. He brought me up in the conversation, and Andy kindly offered to look through my portfolio, give me some advice and possibly invite me to go and work with him for a few days, which would allow me to see how he works. This would also be a great opportunity for me to ask some questions. I've not emailed him my portfolio yet, as there are a few alterations i'd like to make, but it something that I will keep you up to date with on here.
Who am i? - Who are they?
If i'm honest, my understanding of business' and how they work is a little vague, which is why I am very happy to be learning this now in preperation for the third year. It definitely gives me chance to get my head around things, and of course gain some contacts.
As I stand now, I like to think I have good skills in the following;
So, I thought i'd use the four P's to get me going.
Product
Graphic Design. More specifically typography and editorial layouts. This, however, will be dependant on what the client wants.
Place
UK, Preferably in South Yorkshire. Although, I have been thinking about moving to Australia, where a few members of family are, it would be a completely different strategy over there i'm guessing? Thats something I would need to look into.
If I was to work as a freelance Graphic Designer, I would keep my studio at home, in order to save money on rent and traveling costs.
Promotion
As a freelance Graphic Designer, I would promote myself through business cards, online portfolios, and mainly just getting in touch with clients and remaining in contact with them. Hopefully I would become more of a established Graphic Designer, and begin getting promotion through word of mouth. As fred would say, "Your only as good as your last job".
Price
Enough to cover my lifestyle which is about £20,000 per year. I'm not entirely sure on how things are priced, but if I were to go into a business i'd like to be earning around £30,000 to start off, and then whatever I can get through freelance work.
Plan of action.
I plan to make a list of companies around the Leeds area (within reach) and start ringing/visiting them, find out the sort of skills they are looking for, the type of pay they are offering, and get a general idea of what's out there.
As I stand now, I like to think I have good skills in the following;
- Typography
- Layouts
- Photography
- Software (Adobe)
- Packaging
When I think about what I'm going to do when I finish, I'd like to think that I could be a freelance Graphic Designer, however, I know I would benefit myself more by going into a business first and learning how it operates. I will, however, always be doing some freelance work on the side.
So, I thought i'd use the four P's to get me going.
Product
Graphic Design. More specifically typography and editorial layouts. This, however, will be dependant on what the client wants.
Place
UK, Preferably in South Yorkshire. Although, I have been thinking about moving to Australia, where a few members of family are, it would be a completely different strategy over there i'm guessing? Thats something I would need to look into.
Promotion
As a freelance Graphic Designer, I would promote myself through business cards, online portfolios, and mainly just getting in touch with clients and remaining in contact with them. Hopefully I would become more of a established Graphic Designer, and begin getting promotion through word of mouth. As fred would say, "Your only as good as your last job".
Price
Enough to cover my lifestyle which is about £20,000 per year. I'm not entirely sure on how things are priced, but if I were to go into a business i'd like to be earning around £30,000 to start off, and then whatever I can get through freelance work.
Plan of action.
I plan to make a list of companies around the Leeds area (within reach) and start ringing/visiting them, find out the sort of skills they are looking for, the type of pay they are offering, and get a general idea of what's out there.
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