PPD//Samples of work.

In this morning's workshop session, working in a group alongside Lisa, Kirsty, Claudia and Kirsty, we developed a variety of lists and "brainstorm developments" around the subject of sending samples of work to design studios and potential industry connections, and why this is beneficial (as directed by Fred in the workshop session). The following lists show the ideas that we developed, and are a definite resource for when I come to send my own work to designers and studios.


WHY DO YOU NEED SAMPLES OF WORK?


- A summary of your design approach.
- An understanding of your interests.
- To represent your "specialisms" within your design practice.
- A representation of your conceptual development and creative thinking.
- Shows your software skills.
- Demonstrates your skills and capabilities.
- To showcase how you and your design practice would suit their studio/company.
- To promote yourself.
- Demonstrate/showcases the personality of both yourself and your work- sense of humour, interests, etc


WHY WOULD YOU SEND SAMPLES OF WORK? SAMPLES/CONTENT


- Studio visits
- Feedback
- Industry/Work placement
- Networking & visibility
- To promote yourself


WHAT WOULD YOU ACTUALLY SEND?



- Design boards- shows development and the process you go through.
- DVD of moving image work/disc of digital work/Issuu.
- Evidence of collaborative briefs and live briefs.
- Work that shows what you can add to their company.
- Favourite final pieces.
- Work that reflects your interests and personality.
- Physical examples of work for print company.
- PDF of work for emailing.
- Depends who you're sending it to!
- Freelance work.



HOW COULD SAMPLES OF WORK BE SENT AND RECEIVED?


- Postal
- Special delivery
- Hand delivered
- Via email
- Boards
- Swatch books
- Issuu/PDF documents
- DVDs/CDs
- Printed portfolios/books
- Links to websites
- Interactive media- motion graphic  showreel, idents, etc.
- In a presentation (print and digital)
- Face to face meeting/delivery


WHAT PROBLEMS MAY OCCUR?


- It could get lost in the post
- Cost of post
- Size of file
- Corrupt file 
- Quality of file
- Could get damaged
- Make sure contact details are correct
- Copyright
- Quality of photographs
- Confidence


Along with our own concept and development boards, we shared our thoughts with the group to generate wider ideas, and there were some really great additional ideas which we didn't get chance to note down or consider, some of which are written below:


HOW COULD YOU SEND YOUR WORK


- Exhibitions and events: trade events, end of year show, book fairs, craft fairs, pop up shops
- Face to face: Skype, Face Time
- Blogs (online sources): Flickr, Tumblr, Vimeo, Behance, Student Designers, Cargo, Issuu, Big Cartel, Folksy, Etsy (online shops)
- QR codes
- Mailshosts
- USBs
- Gift/BRIBE
- Personal zines/publications


CONSIDER


How do you draw media attention to your work through marketing?


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As a continuation of today's session, we have been assigned a task:


IDENTIFY, DOCUMENT & EVALUATE 10 DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF DESIGNERS/DESIGN STUDIOS MAKING AVAILABLE SAMPLES OF WORK BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT TODAY.


NOT JUST ONLINE SOURCES
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT?
CREATE A BRIEF SWOT ANALYSIS OF EACH (FROM MY PERSONAL OPINIONS)


COMPLETE FOR NEXT WEEK'S PPD SESSION.