Personal and Professional Practice: PPP PRESENTATION

When I first stared on this course I had know real idea of what graphic design really was.

I had filled out a survey at school and my two highest outcomes were graphic design and golf course design.

Looking further into graphic design I realised it was something I had an interest in and persued it as a career option.

The only previous experience of the industry were a few days I had done at Nation, a digital design studio based in London.

That was the first time I had used Illustrator and actually worked in a design environment.

Summer project.

Probably my favourite and most successful work from Level 04 was this 50 thing booklet that provided tips and tricks for first year graphic design students.

My Level 04 context of practice was a collection of four publications on tailoring and Savile Row.

On a personal level I though this was very successful and have marked this as the seed from which my interest in fashion (specifically) mens fashion has stemmed from.

At the end of Level 04 I had no real idea of where I wanted to go. I enjoyed a lot of different elements of graphic design but couldn't really pick one to focus on.

Another successful project on a personal level from Level 05 was my design for print work.

This really cemented my interest in layout design as well as editorial and publication.

Level 05 context of practice was another positive for me. Both the physical outcome and the written element work well together.

Responsive was a module that I really engaged with last year.

I enjoyed the task of finding our own briefs, working on live and competition briefs as well as working for clients.

One of my favourite projects was the D&AD New Blood brief for the National Trust. Although I did not win, I though this was one of the first briefs I really began to engage with professionally.

Another project I was very proud of was my collaboration with Priyesh Desai for the YCN Student Awards Royal Albert Hall brief.

I was proud of this because we worked very well together, produced a varied and interesting project and were chosen as winners.

In Level 05 I focused mainly on branding and advertising within my work and although I still had a keen interest in fashion it did not really come through in my work.

During Level 05, I was featured in that year's Secret 7 competition, featured in the Dialogue exhibition and won a YCN Student Award.

I was still fairly unclear as to what I actually wanted to do.

I knew I wanted to make a lot of money.

I knew I had an interest in fashion, advertising and branding.

I thought I would go away over the summer, experience as much as I could and then return for Level 06 with a clear idea of what I wanted to happen.

This didn't happen.

At the beginning of the year my statement and aims were:

'I am a graphic designer focusing on fashion, advertising & branding, covering a wide range of medias, both digital and print based.'

I will concentrate on improving my skills and knowledge in areas of graphic design that I am interested in. I want to work with new methods and techniques; video and design for apps. I want to collaborate with creatives both in and outside of college. I will be proactive, organised and disciplined in my work. I will not do tomorrow something that can be done today; no mañana attitude. Find that gap.
Good enough, isn’t

I set off with all of these intentions, however, these began to change and develop as I worked out what I actually wanted to do.

Over the course of the year I established that I wanted to work in the fashion industry as a graphic designer.

I did not want to be a designer in a graphic design studio.

I wanted to move to London.

Context of practice has played a huge role in my development and the decisions I have made this year.

My title for my dissertation was 'The Relationship between Graphic Design and Fashion, the Concept of ‘Lifestyle’ and their Connection to it.'

The research and writing for this cemented my interest and want to work in the fashion industry.

The following slides are a selection of my most successful work so far this year.

DBA : Capital North

Something More : Ollo Library

YCN Student Awards : Whistles

Over this year I have made several important decisions.

I do not want to work in a graphic design studio.

I do not want to specialise it one specific area.

I want to move to London.

I have been offered an 'apprenticeship' job as the in-house graphic designer at this independent fashion house based in London.

I am unable to say too much about what I will actually be doing but I have made a list of the areas I will be working in.

Banners for the website.

Images for the website.

I am away skiing for the first week of the Easter break in Tignes, France.

Over Easter I want to get as much bolgging done as possible.

I also want to focus on my personal branding and the development of my website.

In terms of work I have left, I want to revisit a few of my 'finished' briefs.

I will be working on the graphic design yearbook.

I still have two on going briefs, one producing a selection of lookbooks and the other doing the branding and identity for a photography student.

Finally I may be working on a fashion film but this has not been decided yet.