PPP1 - OUGD402: What Is Design Practice?

Powerpoint presentation notes

"(Graphic Design) is an ongoing examination/conversation between the dynamics of personal exploration and professional practice" Matt Owens, Volumeone.

• Appropriateness of response
• Quality of resolution
• Meeting the deadline

Appropriateness of response

• What is the problem?
• Who is the audience?
• What is the context?
• What is the method of delivery?

What is a problem?

Are you being asked to... or do you want to?

Persuade, inform, promote...

What is your rationale?

• Preferences
• What you plan to do
• Thought processes
• Reasoning behind something

What are you doing and why?

• Concept driven
• Idea driven
• Research driven

We might have a reason for why we are driven in a certain way.

What are the benefits?

• Different briefs require us to work in different ways

- Creative
- Ethical
- Commercial

Where are my preferences? Am I driven by certain things? Eg. Commercial - Concept which could bring in the most money for me.

If I was commercially driven I can't ignore the ethics and so on.

- Handmade
- Digital
- Lens based

How does my practice reflect this?

• 2 dimensional - width, height
• 3 dimensional - depth (for example packaging)
• 4 dimensional - movement, time (for example sequential communication)

Quality of resolution

• Depth of appropriate research
• Breadth of appropriate research
• Selection of potential solutions
• Thorough visual development
• Attention to detail/crafting
• Clarity of presentation

Type and/or image?

• Both
• One or the other
• Develops our 'style'
• Signature or visual identity

Is the media the message?

Tone of voice?

• Serious/authoritative
• My tone of voice as a designer
• We can set down markers to attract the type of work I want to be involved with

What is it that makes me me?

• Need something unique to separate from the rest
• Try it
• Test it
• Make it better

Never forget to play!

COLLABORATION

The space between people working together is filled with conflict, friction, strife, exhilaration, delight, and vast creative potential.

Meeting the deadline!

• Time management
• Key element of our practice

Message, communication, clarity and context + creativity, concept, ideas = skills, organisation, discipline, commitment = boundaries, limitations, rules, time

= An effective design practice

After the presentation we then went into the studio and we were given a list of questions to answer individually. My questions and answers are shown below:

What is your professional name and contact details?

• LJB Designs
• ljbdesigns@live.co.uk

What 5 words best describe your design practice?

• Clean
• Professional
• Simplistic
• Minimalistic
• Monochrome

What 5 words best describe you as a person?

• Neat
• Clean
• Polite
• Conscientious
• Dedicated

What are your 5 strongest design skills?

• Packaging
• Drawing simple illustrations
• Composing publications
• Crafts
• Photoshop

What areas of graphic design interest you the most?

• Packaging
• Branding
• Editorial
• Web design
• Retail

Who are your 5 favourite designers/design studios?

• Fabien Barral
• Graphic Exchange
• John Warwicker
• Vogue editorial designers

What makes these your favourite? Where can you see their work?

• Mr Cup website
• Unique style/signature
• Their own blog and graphic exchange

What are your 5 favourite design blogs?

• Designspiration
• Graphic exchange
• Creative review
• Dieline
• Lovely packaging

What 5 things do you want to be?

• Editorial designer
• Art director
• Freelance designer
• Packaging designer
• Identity/Logos

What 5 things do you think you need to do to be this?

• Experience in studios
• Outgoing - ask questions
• Extra work/studies
• Collaborative briefs
• Live briefs to get recognised

• What is your professional name and contact details?

SetDesigns or ESetDesigns

ellen@setdesigns.co.uk

• What 5 words best describe your design practice?

1. Simple
2. Minimalistic
3. Clear
4. Black and White
5. Easy to navigate

• What 5 words best describe you as a person?

1. Clean
2. Tidy
3. Neat
4. Friendly
5. Thoughtful

• What are your strongest design skills?

1. Generating ideas
2. Researching subject matter
3. Simplistic Design
4. Functional
5. Following the brief

• What areas of Graphic Design interest you the most?

1. Editorial
2. Product and Packaging
3. Information Graphics
4. Web Design
5. Retail

• Who are your favourite 5 designers/studios?

1. Anthony Peters (IMEUS)
2. Analogue
3. Boom Artwork

• What makes these your favourite?

1. Simplicity
2. Creativity
3. Unique
4. Clear
5. Powerful

• What are your favourite design blogs?

1. Dieline
2. Illustrationweb
3. Creative Review
4. Lovely Packaging

• What 5 things do you want to be?

1. Editorial designer
2. Successful
3. Web Designer
4. Well Known
5. Highly thought of

• What 5 things do you need to be to achieve this?

1. Motivated
2. Organised
3. Aware of the design industry
4. Up to date on software
5. Reliable

Melissa's answers..

• What is your professional name and contact details?

New Design

melissa@newdesign.co.uk

• What 5 words best describe your design practice?

1. Simple
2. Minimalistic
3. Innovative
4. Relevant
5. Effective

• What 5 words best describe you as a person?

1. Creative
2. Conscienscious
3. Precise
4. Motivated
5. Organised

• What are your strongest design skills?

1. Drawing
2. Photography
3. Layout
4. Colour Awareness
5. Photoshop

• What areas of Graphic Design interest you the most?

1. Editorial
2. Print
3. Photography
4. Type

• Who are your favourite 5 designers/studios?

1. Manuelrobello
2. Kelly Smith
3. Sarah Hankinson
4. Rankin

• What makes these your favourite?

1. Fashion Related
2. The use of media
3. Own Identity
4. Clean designs
5. Sophisticated

• What are your favourite design blogs?

1. Birdy and me
2. Manuelrobello
3. Trendland
4. Underwerket

• What 5 things do you want to be?

1. Successful
2. Unique
3. Editorial
4. Sophisticated work

• What 5 things do you need to be to achieve this?

1. Mtovated
2. Remain interested
3. Research
4. Self Reliant
5. Time Management