Catch up

Well I haven't posted in a while so I guess it's catch up time again. I have re-designed my blog. Got a page just for work and put my reviews up their too, still not managed to put up all my work yet though. So I've not posted in just over a month. I'm not entirely sure what I have done, so its a good job I've been keeping a diary, well two, one to plan and one to write what I had done. Without my diary I can say over the past month or so I have been struggling, I felt exhausted and just doing enough to get by. I am not particularly proud of the work but I've been spending this rare weekend off improving my work and making my work for my next deadlines as good as I can. Ok what I have been up to after jogging my memory from my diary. I completed a poster for a William Hill shop as spoken about in my last post and here it is ...

Not amazing, but they seemed to like it.

I also started FD101 brief 1 - it is quick briefs with focus on idea generation. I don't have a picture of my final sketches, though I think the final ideas I came up with where OK I just don't think they where finished correctly - which would be due to my lack of research. I did research but just not quite enough. I felt disappointed in myself but I felt like I just couldn't do any more. I know the idea could have been really good if they where just finished right. But as soon as that was handed in we where handed another brief called caffeine. In which we did 5 briefs in a week it was fun and helped develop quick thinking skills but again I feel I had a good idea which I didn't get enough out of so I have re-done it - I'd say in my own time but that just sounds strange, as all the time I spend on things is my own time - Which as soon as I'm finished I shall post on here.

I have also done my proposal for my essay. It's on business in graphic design. I've read a lot for it, made a couple of trips to Salford, made contact with a freelance designer and I hope to contact a few more. I think this essay is helping me build up knowledge of the industry. 

I have completed my SoapBox which was on morality in Design. It was about thinking about things and the problems products cause before designing for them. I had a collection of adverts to show and even some promotional material from the shop I work in, and currently in our studio stands Robbie Savage dressed in a Santa suit. I think it went well considering I had a stumble in the middle, my tutor Dave helped me though out the talk. I hope it made people think. My personal opinion is that the designer is not responsible for the problems the product causes - For example with drinking, for some it causes problems but for the majority it does not. Taking away advertisements does not stop the problems, It's up to the individual to do that.

I have also started creating designs for the end of year show. At first I was going to go with an Alice and Wonderland theme - which got me into sketching again so although I am not going ahead with this one I'm glad I started it. The theme I eventually went with is water. Doesn't sound exciting I know but it will be. I'm starting to go more with waves and 'Creating waves' see where that takes me, I feel more confident with it now then I did at the start and I think it could produce something really interesting.

I also went to watch Snowpatrol. I know it's nothing to do with design but I love live music and it's one of my influences. It's what made me feel back on track. I felt I had had time to myself and felt refreshed so I guess going to watch live music is something that helps me get back to myself. I feel my work has improved since going there. Through my research for my essay and through my reading I have seen many designers talk about doing something separate and taking time for yourself and this really helped for me.

I have also been creating a booklet for Paris which is my third brief in FD101. I think its going well so far I'm going to take it in on Monday to see what my tutor thinks so far.