Personal Branding
Sites to look at:
soren.un
josephlebus.co.uk
syddharth.com
clairehoster.com
fanqiowang.com
Wesbite Advice:
- Rather than consistency, context is more important. You don't need to show everything, just work you love and are proud of/your best work.
- It makes a big difference when you make your work fit the context of your website.
- If you want to work in two fields eg. Graphic Design & Photography, then make two different websites. In some occasions if done well, the two can be in one website.
- Images can be used to show off photography too, but in a more subtle way.
- Coding. If you insert 'mailto:m.saveikyte1@gmail.com' it will link straight into emailing you.
- Feature the work you feel represents you best, and it doesn't have to be only 3rd year work.
- Watch your image quality. Make sure nothing is pixelated or blurry.
- Have some sort of image consistency. (especially on your homepage)
- Have better copy, explanation of projects. You should sound professional and not like a student.
- Don't be afraid to play around with site structure that's intuitive (different)
- If you click your name or logo, it should go back to the homepage.
Communicating (Talking about your work)
1. PITCHING
Elevator Pitch - pitching your idea in a short time/ the amount of time is takes to ride with someone in an elevator.
One sentence that covers: What, How and Why?
What is the core idea?
How does it work?
Why does it work?
Practice: 'Lit Paint' Project
- WHAT? A spray can label design that pays homage to the graffiti culture of Lithuania, and the visual identity of the country.
- HOW? Graffiti culture is associated with spray cans. Illustrations communicate existing Lithuanian graffiti/street art and the Lithuanian identity.
- WHY? Because the design comes from the perspective of a Lithuanian, and so only other Lithuanian can fully understand the illustrations, their significance and impact.
Elevator Pitch for 'Lit Paint':
A spray can label, designed by a Lithuanian, for Lithuanians, that pays homage to the graffiti culture of Lithuania, and the visual identity of the country.
2. NETWORKING
How to find someone's email address:
- Google. Tools - change 'All Results' to 'Verbatim' to get confirmation of someone's email address.
- Hunter.io. Type in company name and it will give you all related people/email results.
- Email (BCC) lots of guesses. With BCC the people cannot see the other 'BCC's' you've emailed.
- Best to contact someone first thing in the morning, before 7am, and before most of the other people have started to contact them.
- Call them! They all state a telephone number for a reason, and others may not think to call.
3. SUBMISSION
- Ensure you read things over and provide exactly what they're asking for.
- Look at past winners to get a feel for what they're looking for.
Friday 23 November 2018
Thursday 22 November 2018
D&AD Talk
Winning Tips
1. BRIEF = PROBLEM. Understand it.
Really get to the bottom of what you're trying to solve - the main problem.
2. FIND A SOLID INSIGHT. Do your research!
Let the research lead you and guide your ideas.
3. PUSH YOUR IDEAS.
Let your imagination run wild, you can always reign it back,
4. KEEP IT HUMAN.
Don't forget to communicate with the audience. Look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
5. CONSIDER REALITY.
Make sure your response is plausible and can really be implemented.
6. EXECUTE IT.
Bringing the idea to life in anyway possible. Scamp it, crap-o-matic it, moodboard it etc
7. SELL YOUR IDEA.
In person, film or boards. The people need to understand it, how you got to where you are/your outcome. Can you explain your idea in 60 seconds? What was the problem, insight, idea and execution.
Practice Responding to a D&AD Brief
This talk showed me that I shouldn't be afraid of big and bold ideas, especially whilst I'm still a student, It also showed me that when it comes to competition briefs such as this, they are after something unique and grand, something they may not think of themselves. If the idea you present is the first one you thought of, it is likely that many other people also thought of that idea too. The 'Winning Tips' I felt were very useful, because they could be applied to any brief not just a D&AD or competition brief. What also really stuck with me was the advice to 'Push your ideas' and that it's better to think big and then reign it back if necessary. This is something that I feel I should really take on board and try out, as so far as a designer I tend to play it safe and create outcomes for briefs that are the typical print or online format. I hope throughout this year I will be able to experiment more with the use of different materials and try unique and more bold methods to execute my ideas. I do not want my design practice to rely solely on sitting at a computer, as a designer I know I want to me more hands-on and utilise analogue techniques. I hope this will make my design process and final outcomes more unique and representative of me.
Friday 16 November 2018
Self - Promo (TASK ONE)
Brief:
- You have two weeks to have a personal website live.
- Behance does not count.
Must have:
- consistent application of personal branding.
- a curated selection of your work.
- an engaging biography (about you).
- include your contact details and relevant socials.
- all outbound and inbound links must function.
- give your projects context with some intriguing copy (short paragraphs).
Options:
- either build or continue to refine a custom site.
- use a template site, such as: Squarespace, Persona.co, Cargo Collective, Adobe Portfolio, ReadyMag, Wix
Submission: 29/11/18 15:00
My Existing Site:
My New Site:
Feedback:
Going Forward (Evaluation):
- You have two weeks to have a personal website live.
- Behance does not count.
Must have:
- consistent application of personal branding.
- a curated selection of your work.
- an engaging biography (about you).
- include your contact details and relevant socials.
- all outbound and inbound links must function.
- give your projects context with some intriguing copy (short paragraphs).
Options:
- either build or continue to refine a custom site.
- use a template site, such as: Squarespace, Persona.co, Cargo Collective, Adobe Portfolio, ReadyMag, Wix
Submission: 29/11/18 15:00
My Existing Site:
My New Site:
Feedback:
Going Forward (Evaluation):
Friday 9 November 2018
Visioning & Planning
VISIONING
"A way to live a life of choice, not chance"
"A picture of what success looks like at a particular point in the future, with enough richness of detail that you'll know when you've arrived"
"A vision without execution is a hallucination" - Thomas Edison
Rules:
1. Set your vision 5 or 10 years in the future.
2. Start by writing the date.
3. Write in present tense.
4. Describe your ideal life, in rich detail.
5. Include professional and personal life.
6. Cover everything that defines success to you.
9th November 2028
It is September 2028, and I am living in Lithuania with my husband Aistis and our two children.
I wake up each morning to walk our German Shepard and get the kids ready for school. I drive my car into the city to my full-time job as a Graphic Designer at an established design studio. I am involved in various projects, both commercial and creativity driven. My role includes graphic designer and art director. The studio is not very large, up to 15 people, and we are all like a family that support each other and enrich each others skills and work. I work 4 or 5 days a week, 9am to 5pm, so I have evenings and weekends free to spend time with my family. I earn around 50k a year, which gives me confident financial stability and allow us to live stress-free.
We are able to provide for our children, as well as save up for a family holiday each year. For our annual holiday, we go to a different country each time, so we can explore all the beautiful places of the world, as well as teach our children about the world. Throughout the year, we take day and weekends trips around the country. We visit museums, parks, beaches, forests, hills and etc. We camp, hike, walk, run, play and take part in sports.
We live in a beautiful two-storey, three-bedroom house with a big garden and garage big enough for our two cars. The garden includes a large plot for running and playing sports, as well as things such as a swing and sandpit for the children. The interior of the house is quite modern and minimal, but very homey and cosy. My Graphic Design work and paintings are hanging on the walls, as well as many family photos.
Each year at Christmas, we invite the whole family, my mother and brother and Aistis' mother, dad, brother and sister (and any boyfriends/girlfriends they may have). The house is decorated with various wonderful decorations, some hand-made with the family. We cook, eat and celebrate being together. It's a white Christmas, and we all go outside to the garden to have snow-ball fights and build snowman's.
PLANNING
Simplicity + Consistency = Productivity
3 priorities for the week.
3 priorities for the day.
3 wins for the week.
PLAN -> DO -> REVIEW
Sort your tasks from £10 up to £10,000 in their worth. List your priorities and value them.
Start with the £10,000 tasks and work your way down the list.
Don't try and change everything overnight. Try and fins one new positive habit for each day/week.
Set annual goals (3-10). Review them throughout the year.
Pomodoro: 25min work, 5min break. Every 4 cycles, 15min break.
Eat the Frog: Start the day with your most daunting task. Give it 100%.
Getting Things Done: create a master list of tasks, label them 'Next Action', 'Someday Maybe', and 'Waiting For'.
Apps & Software: Stickies, Tuex-duex (paid), Marinara (Chrome), SelfControl, Toggl.
Stage 1: Set your annual goals.
Stage 2: Set goals for each term.
Stage 3: Create an hourly plan for next week ensuring that it works towards your goals for the term.
Stage 4: Test and identify some productivity tools that will help you to stay focused.
STAGE 1 - ANNUAL GOALS
1. Get my degree, a 1st or a 2-1.
2. Get a job within my field eg. junior position in an agency.
3. Save up and visit back home (Lithuania).
4. Save up a buy a car.
5. Solidify my personal branding. Create a strong website, social media etc.
STAGE 2 - GOALS FOR EACH TERM
Autumn:
1. Complete COP.
2. Complete 2 or 3 Extended Practice Briefs.
3. Create personal Christmas presents for my family.
Spring:
1. Focus on Extended Practice and PPP.
2. Go on work experience/ an internship.
3. Work on my personal branding.
Summer:
1. Create my portfolio.
2. Start to go to job interviews.
3. Get my degree.
STAGE 3 - HOURLY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK
STAGE 4 - PRODUCTIVITY TOOL
"A way to live a life of choice, not chance"
"A picture of what success looks like at a particular point in the future, with enough richness of detail that you'll know when you've arrived"
"A vision without execution is a hallucination" - Thomas Edison
Rules:
1. Set your vision 5 or 10 years in the future.
2. Start by writing the date.
3. Write in present tense.
4. Describe your ideal life, in rich detail.
5. Include professional and personal life.
6. Cover everything that defines success to you.
9th November 2028
It is September 2028, and I am living in Lithuania with my husband Aistis and our two children.
I wake up each morning to walk our German Shepard and get the kids ready for school. I drive my car into the city to my full-time job as a Graphic Designer at an established design studio. I am involved in various projects, both commercial and creativity driven. My role includes graphic designer and art director. The studio is not very large, up to 15 people, and we are all like a family that support each other and enrich each others skills and work. I work 4 or 5 days a week, 9am to 5pm, so I have evenings and weekends free to spend time with my family. I earn around 50k a year, which gives me confident financial stability and allow us to live stress-free.
We are able to provide for our children, as well as save up for a family holiday each year. For our annual holiday, we go to a different country each time, so we can explore all the beautiful places of the world, as well as teach our children about the world. Throughout the year, we take day and weekends trips around the country. We visit museums, parks, beaches, forests, hills and etc. We camp, hike, walk, run, play and take part in sports.
We live in a beautiful two-storey, three-bedroom house with a big garden and garage big enough for our two cars. The garden includes a large plot for running and playing sports, as well as things such as a swing and sandpit for the children. The interior of the house is quite modern and minimal, but very homey and cosy. My Graphic Design work and paintings are hanging on the walls, as well as many family photos.
Each year at Christmas, we invite the whole family, my mother and brother and Aistis' mother, dad, brother and sister (and any boyfriends/girlfriends they may have). The house is decorated with various wonderful decorations, some hand-made with the family. We cook, eat and celebrate being together. It's a white Christmas, and we all go outside to the garden to have snow-ball fights and build snowman's.
PLANNING
Simplicity + Consistency = Productivity
3 priorities for the week.
3 priorities for the day.
3 wins for the week.
PLAN -> DO -> REVIEW
Sort your tasks from £10 up to £10,000 in their worth. List your priorities and value them.
Start with the £10,000 tasks and work your way down the list.
Don't try and change everything overnight. Try and fins one new positive habit for each day/week.
Set annual goals (3-10). Review them throughout the year.
Pomodoro: 25min work, 5min break. Every 4 cycles, 15min break.
Eat the Frog: Start the day with your most daunting task. Give it 100%.
Getting Things Done: create a master list of tasks, label them 'Next Action', 'Someday Maybe', and 'Waiting For'.
Apps & Software: Stickies, Tuex-duex (paid), Marinara (Chrome), SelfControl, Toggl.
Stage 1: Set your annual goals.
Stage 2: Set goals for each term.
Stage 3: Create an hourly plan for next week ensuring that it works towards your goals for the term.
Stage 4: Test and identify some productivity tools that will help you to stay focused.
STAGE 1 - ANNUAL GOALS
1. Get my degree, a 1st or a 2-1.
2. Get a job within my field eg. junior position in an agency.
3. Save up and visit back home (Lithuania).
4. Save up a buy a car.
5. Solidify my personal branding. Create a strong website, social media etc.
STAGE 2 - GOALS FOR EACH TERM
Autumn:
1. Complete COP.
2. Complete 2 or 3 Extended Practice Briefs.
3. Create personal Christmas presents for my family.
Spring:
1. Focus on Extended Practice and PPP.
2. Go on work experience/ an internship.
3. Work on my personal branding.
Summer:
1. Create my portfolio.
2. Start to go to job interviews.
3. Get my degree.
STAGE 3 - HOURLY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK
STAGE 4 - PRODUCTIVITY TOOL
Friday 2 November 2018
How to make your own experience/internship.
The Nomadic Designer
"I'll give you two days, if you give me one back"
One guy worked two days with various studios/creatives, in return for one day of mentorship.
He travelled around Europe, and gained his experience through the networking/connections he made along the way.
'Turn heroes into collaborators'
The Cool Bus
A mobile graphic design studio.
Five friends turned an old American school bus into a studio and travelled around America gaining experience by working with various studios/creatives/companies.
They documented their journey on then popular Tumblr (2012) and gained press/publicity through that. Today the platform to use would be Instagram.
Do something to stand out from the crowd.
One of the guys after this experienced went for a Junior Designer interview, and got offered the position of Art Director, all because they loved 'The Cool Bus' project.
Snask
A studio that does things differently. eg. brings a band to each of their creative talks/seminars.
"...when you make something no one hates, no one loves it..." - Tiber Kalman
Soren Danielsen
His tactic was to go viral.
He made himself a promo video, but it on various social media platforms and got loads of internship offers from it. The video was viewed over 300,000 times.
Eve today he would get interest to work with him from companies that come across the video.
The Pop Up Agency
They would solve any creative brief in 48 hours.
They took a trip and did 15 briefs, in 15 cities in 15 weeks.
They either took on projects for studios/companies, or worked with their existing creative departments to help them to develop and better their processes.
That project has now developed in a successful studio/agency that charge 40,000 per brief.
Kate Darby
She grew up watching her parents run a studio that was constantly changing in team numbers.
For her final project, she looked at how she could create a platform where creatives could connect and share, and make it easier to find jobs.
This has now led into her launching a website/app called Dovetail X, which helps creatives share their work and get jobs.
"I'll give you two days, if you give me one back"
One guy worked two days with various studios/creatives, in return for one day of mentorship.
He travelled around Europe, and gained his experience through the networking/connections he made along the way.
'Turn heroes into collaborators'
The Cool Bus
A mobile graphic design studio.
Five friends turned an old American school bus into a studio and travelled around America gaining experience by working with various studios/creatives/companies.
They documented their journey on then popular Tumblr (2012) and gained press/publicity through that. Today the platform to use would be Instagram.
Do something to stand out from the crowd.
One of the guys after this experienced went for a Junior Designer interview, and got offered the position of Art Director, all because they loved 'The Cool Bus' project.
Snask
A studio that does things differently. eg. brings a band to each of their creative talks/seminars.
"...when you make something no one hates, no one loves it..." - Tiber Kalman
Soren Danielsen
His tactic was to go viral.
He made himself a promo video, but it on various social media platforms and got loads of internship offers from it. The video was viewed over 300,000 times.
Eve today he would get interest to work with him from companies that come across the video.
The Pop Up Agency
They would solve any creative brief in 48 hours.
They took a trip and did 15 briefs, in 15 cities in 15 weeks.
They either took on projects for studios/companies, or worked with their existing creative departments to help them to develop and better their processes.
That project has now developed in a successful studio/agency that charge 40,000 per brief.
Kate Darby
She grew up watching her parents run a studio that was constantly changing in team numbers.
For her final project, she looked at how she could create a platform where creatives could connect and share, and make it easier to find jobs.
This has now led into her launching a website/app called Dovetail X, which helps creatives share their work and get jobs.
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