Boo.

Shit seemed to of hit the fan and things went downhill pretty soon after the last post regarding 'Nagamonster'.

Although I'd sent him my initial ideas and got a really positive response, he soon went back on his words and decided he wanted something completely different which was a pain in the arse.

Oh well, after only a few hours of initial designing and then to find myself rejected by someone I thought was half decent, I still managed to get paid for my work (although I shan't expose the amount!)

Pretty gutted to be honest. That would've been my first proper piece of work on a website! Mind you, that's one of my first few attempts at real-life work!! hopefully I'll have a bit more luck next time round!

Alphabet Animal Fashcards

During a lovely conversation with Anna, she kindly directed me to Amazon where a set of alphabet animal flashcards lie for sale.

These are interesting to look at as one of the briefs I wrote for myself are of the similar concept. Visually, this would be something I'd create as I'm more type based, however I'm not completely cutting out image.

Nagamonster

For a while now I've been browsing through logo design jobs online. I've emailed a fair few people but I'd never get a response.. up until today!

Emails..

(Me) Hello,

I've just come across your job advert online for a logo design. I've had a look at the link you've displayed and you're work looks brilliant! Very professional and interesting.
I wondered whether the job was still available?
I'm a student, studying Graphic Design at Leeds College of Art and Design. Next week I start my third and final year which I'm very excited about, and I'm trying to get as much experience in as I possible can. I feel by me doing this job, it will benefit the both of us.
I will include a few links at the end of this message to give you an idea as to what I've been up to this summer in terms of experience, and it will also give you an idea as to the type of work I produce.

I hope to hear from you,

Kind regards,

Lindsey Marshall

(Ryan) Lindsey!

Thank you for your interest and for being interesting.

The short is: I did hire a designer, but am not blown away by the proofs that came back. I find that I am essentially designing my own logo through her. I picked her out of the 40 designers that contacted me within 12 hours of running the ad. I learned a lesson, I think.

Your Nina logos. They are perfect. That's where I want to be. Somewhere in there. I'll tell you what. Through me out an offer of what you can provide and how I can compensate you. Keep in mind, I am already financially bound to someone else for the moment, so paying even more money is not at the top of my list. You are an artist as well, so I want you to be able to benefit from the collab.

Sincerely,

Ryan

I included a few links to various posts on my blog, showing him examples of my previous logo designs. You can probably guess I was pretty chuffed get a response, especially such a positive one!

So anyway, we've been keeping in contact, and I've been designing some initial responses which have been sent to him to see what he likes/dislikes. He chose the middle typeface at the top on the 6th page (below).

He wanted to see it on a black background which I've done and have sent to him. I'm currently awaiting a reply from him.

I'm so chuffed with how things are going with this. It kind of seems to good to be true. It's not everyday you find someone as half decent to work for!

Website

I'm afraid to say I've scrapped Dreamweaver and I've been using iWeb to make a website for myself. I did listen to Mike in the Dreamweaver sessions, and I did take notes, but I just can't figure out how to do the ''easiest'' of things in it! I only started using iWeb the other day, and I'm already an expert at it! ^_^ I'm not going to brag about iWeb. I'm sure it can't do half the stuff Dreamweaver can do, but it certainly does the job. For a free piece of software, it's pretty damn good.

At the moment, as it stands, I can't afford to get a host or domain, so my website will have to stay off google links, however, I still wanted to share what I've been doing, and what better way than to do it on here.

As usual, I've kept it very simple and clean. I don't want to over-do it.

Paid Packshot?

I've managed to nab some paid work at Packshot! Today, tomorrow, next Wednesday and Thursday! Looks like the two weeks work experience paid off! :D Hopefully I'll be able to get some more at some point. After all, I'm only covering someone who couldn't work...hehhh....

Self evaluation 2

I've re-done these lovely self evaluations as it's nearing the end of summer and I can't see myself getting anymore placements. I am however contemplating going back to Teabag Studios as they kindly invited me on my last day. It's still a maybe though. At the moment things are pretty hectic what with trying to get all my college work done and attending interviews for jobs.

Anyway, back to the main subject, self evaluations.. By flicking back and forth from the ones I completed at the beginning of summer, I can see some of my answers have changed slightly. A lot of them haven't, and I think that's because of me not using those specific skills and not being at college hasn't helped. Nevertheless, my answers have only improved which is better than them deteriorating. :)

Teabag experience

I've finished my two days of work experience with Teabag Studios! Can't remember if I'd previously mentioned I was only working for two days, but yeah.

Printed type

I've been on the type boat again; I just can't help myself!

I believe it was in the first year when we used material to stamp and create letterforms. Well, after going through all my work over the past couple of years, I came across my prints!

I decided they're in need of a spring clean, so I took them into Photoshop and Illustrator (as you do) and had a play.

I used the magic wand tool to select the coloured background so I could delete it with ease. Ahh. :) I also selected parts of each stamp, where there was more fade; the background was still visible.

I then decided it was time to vector this bad boy; so I did! Into Illustrator we went, and out of Illustrator we got...

I actually really like it. It has a right abstract look about it.

It looks quite confined, yet it has a free kind of quality.

I like not quite knowing what each letter is. Some are obvious whereas others, you have to look closely and find specific features of a letter to distinguish which letter it is.

Teabag studios

I went to meet a few members of the team at Teabag studios today! Nervous I was, but it wasn't too bad. As nervous as I was, I don't think I came across as it at all. In fact, I think I came across as a little too confident. :s I really didn't mean to. I always go chatty when I'm nervous. In my defense though, they were huuuuge!

Anyway, I took my A3 folder containing some pieces of work. I also took my laptop to show them a PDF I'd put together an hour before I'd left to meet them.

They then went through some of their work which related to what I like to do. Apparently there's some bits and pieces I can do next week when I go to work there for a few days. I chose to work only a few days with them as I want to try a fit as many research visits in as possible. I'm sure though, if I enjoy it that much, they'd let me work a few extra days. After all, they're getting me for free!

Here's something I pulled off their website that I really like. Thought I'd whack it on here. :)

From London

I've been in touch with Phil from Idego Media in London recently. I asked for some inspiration as to what kind of briefs to write ready for when we start back at college. He sent me one he done years ago which was nice. I've had a brief read through of it and it sounds really interesting! It asks for a new versatile identity which can also be used in animation. It will be displayed on a large screen for all to see. They also mention other things to be designed and they're definitely up my street!

He also sent me one of the double page spreads I worked on during my day in London a while back...

I'm happy he's sent it to me. At least now I can see a small part of what I assisted with.

He got me laying out some of the information. It was mainly the one worded parts of cars (see page 2), although I got to jiggle the text around and the images. I'm pleased to be able to pop an example up here! :)

Philmac

Dad called the other day and said he'd spoken to philmac people about getting a new identity! I don't really blame him to be honest. I can't say I'm overly keen on the existing one... http://www.philmac.co.uk/

Soooo... I've been designing a brand new logo for them, as well as a business card and compliment slip.

I'll be sending them a PDF containing my work as soon as I get their details.

Apparently there's a huge company in Australia, so it'd be awesome if they decided to go with my design!

After looking through the products they have for sale, I felt as though it was important to link them in with the identity of the company. I knew from when I first started designing I wanted to use the initial of the companies name. Having the whole name next to the logo on a large scale makes the initial subtle.

I really like what I've come up with, and I hope the company does too. If not, ah well, at least I'm proud! :D

Summer work

Wow, it's taken me a while to pop another post out! .. I do have my reasons. Packing.. moving twice.. no internet access at home for a week.. work.. work experience. Alas, I am here now!

I've been giving the summer work a think. It's been playing on mind for a fair while. I've managed to think of a few ideas as to what briefs I could write. There's one dominant one in my mind though.

I want to find a way to make learning the alphabet easier for kids. I haven't thought of the ins and outs of all this yet, but I know it's a way I can incorporate a fresh and inventive typeface.

I've been playing around with some objects, literally to help my mind become more inspired by my ideas and to give me a starting point.

I used to have a button fetish and went through a stage where all I could think about were buttons.

I decided to create a typeface out of them. :)

I've been playing around with the letters I created to build words relating to the audience.

As much as I like this idea, I don't think it's appropriate. I don't think the letters are clear enough to be read by children who are learning the alphabet. The buttons make the letters look bitty and ''unwhole''. I think if I were to create a typeface out of separate objects, they would need to be close enough to look like a whole letter. Am I making sense?

Child-type

I saw this in the windows of Squares in town. I thought it was relevant to the route I want to take one of my own written briefs in.

I like how how rough it looks. It has a sophisticated yet child-like look about it. I could come up with something similar for my work.

Packshot

What a really good week it's been. I've had so much fun working at Packshot, styling and editing clothes for both Evans and Dorethy Perkins. I'll most definitely be nabbing some of the work I've done from the websites.

I've learnt so much, and my Photoshop skills have improved such a great deal! I can't believe I used to absolutely despise the software. I can't express just how much I love it now! Even since the latest brief, my passion for it has grown so much.

Here's just a few examples of the clothes I photographed and edited.

The garments were styled and photographed on a mannequin, then taken into Photoshop to be edited. The two items above were for Dorothy Perkins. They had to be as symmetrical and neat as possible.

The back of the neck on tops were photographed separately then edited on once the mannequin had been cut out.

Evans' garments were a little easier. They were styled and photographed on a mannequin, taken into Photoshop and edited although this time, the mannequin were left in.

I thought I'd better take some pictures of the place I worked at for two weeks.

Self evaluation

We've been given self evaluation sheets to fill out to assess our progress so far and to focus on what we want to achieve in our final year at college. Hopefully after the summer, what with placements and research visits I'll be doing, I will revisit these self evaluation sheets and improve some of my answers.

Testimonial #1

Phil from Idego Media sent me a message containing a mini testimonial!

''It was an absolute pleasure to have Lindsey helping me in the office. She could walk straight into a job and easily outshines experienced designers. Good luck to her.''

I was pretty chuffed to get that. Wasn't expecting it at all.

I went to Landan

Went on a trip to London Thursday. Kipped on an inflatable at the cousins for the night, then visited Idego Media Friday! A tiring trip down, but definitely worth it!

I met Phil Gibsone, the managing director of Idego Media at 11am and stayed longer than I was meant to, to carry on helping him with his work. He even took me to the tube station and helped me buy a ticket. :)

The images I took begin with Phil Gibsone 's studio which had only two computers, a desk and a printer. Definitely smaller than I thought, but it's just enough room for him and freelancers which he employs from time to time.

I wasn't expecting the floor to look like how it did at all. It was literally just an office on a very nice floor of a posh building! I thought it would look like something along the lines of what the studio at college looks like! XD

The lifts were AMAZING! Completely touch screen. Simply tap the floor number you're wanting to go to and it'll tell you which lift to wait outside of! Brilliant!

I was given a visitors badge which I managed to sneak past security at the end of the day. Something I'm definitely going to keep hold of!

They had two sets of escalators, coloured green and blue. One led to odd floor numbers, and the other, even.

I didn't do a lot of creative work; I just helped Phil out with what he's currently doing.

He's working on a set of books at the moment; educational books. I helped by cutting images out in photoshop (something I enjoy doing anyway!) adding captions to the many images that were inside the books whilst laying them out well. I was warned beforehand by him that it's the most tedious and boring job, however I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Overall, my day at Idego Media was amazing!

I plan to email Phil in the next month to see if he has any work he may need help with.

Soomah

So we're at the very beginning of summer. :D

I'll be recording my going's on using this particular blog, just to save confusion with the others.

I have a fair few plans at it stands which I'm really looking forward to, so as soon as they take place, I'll be tapping once again on my lovely laptop!

Keep a look out.

♥