Want dictates need.

Today's workshop summary.

Individual list

Group lists

Lists for tomorrows workshops detailing what I want from next year, what I definitely do not want - and why?

10 Briefs and Statement of Intent

DESIGN STRATEGIES

Statement of Intent

Rationale 

Throughout the 3^rd year I intent to focus on branding and identity. The reasons for this lie within the difficulties I was having towards the end of the 2^nd year – struggling to find a vehicle for the many areas of graphic design I found interesting. I have since decided that this vehicle is branding, and that the areas of specialisation can be applied to this and work along side it. This decision has been born out of collaboration with Will Asken, one that we plan to continue throughout and beyond 3^rd year.

There are things that we must both address before the end of this year, and to give ourselves the best chance of success we have to discover what our strengths are and what we need to improve upon. After much discussion, we have both decided to respond individually to the 10 briefs, and though everything we do will be discussed to some level, we agree only to collaborate on live briefs and competitions – when we feel there is a real need for it.

The areas I want to address in my individual practice include:

- Type layout and experimentation

- General working attitude and professionalism

- My personal ‘style’ – Do I have one? Do I need one? Do I even want one?

- A huge amount of time working on general branding skills, push the boundaries of what a brand actually is, and become comfortable working for a quick turnaround.

- Portfolio building

Statement of Intent 

The vast majority of the briefs I have outlined for the coming year are branding based, and from the surface it may seems as though I aim to produce 10 very similar resolutions. Though the basis for each is fairly similar, I actually intent to respond to each brief as individually as possible.

There are two briefs to address packaging, two small scale branding exercises for individuals, a corporate I.D, two huge exercises to allow experimentation into distribution, a digitally based project and two based around the idea of product branding. All these areas can be expanded on, and allow for other specialisms to become interwoven – for example, the Christmas brief could become heavily focussed on illustration, or the Carpe Diem brand become heavily influenced by motion graphics. This addresses the issue I was having last year, as I was trying to focus on a specialism that had no real substance on it’s own, it needed something to support it – and everything has to be branded to some degree.

On top of all this I was to really challenge my type and layout skills. I have shied away from this for too long and it’s time to decide if it’s a practice worth pursuing, or dropping to make room for other areas, this is especially with regard to my plans for collaboration in the future.

I have drawn up two outlines for self-directed type exercises, with a focus on research and information gathering. I have done this because I need to, to further my own practices, and not for any other reason.

 

Updating blog

Please excuse the mess.