Personal Development III//Re-joining LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

After my PPD and tutorial crit last week, and a good discussion with tutor John about preparing for my future and employment, and decided to re-join LinkedIn.

At this crucial stage of my education, and as I go on to look for jobs, and developing my career, I feel it's important to build a network and connections with as many active members of the design industry as possible, as, of course, more often than not, it's about WHO you know. Also, I feel that developing a communication and conversation with members of the industry will only help in building my confidence when talking with others, particularly about design, and, hopefully, will put me in the best frame of mind when (hopefully!) I start having interviews and call backs for job applications.

Industry//Leeds Print Festival.

Very excited to have today paid for my ticket to the 2013 Leeds Print Festival Industry Talk at Leeds Gallery, as curated and run by BAGD Programme Leader, Amber Smith, on Sunday 20th January.

Unfortunately last year I wasn't able to attend, so am particularly looking forward to hearing talks and words of wisdom from influential designers within the industry as well as getting some rather sexy letterpress prints (definitely won me over to buy the ticket...).

More details and images will be posted after the event.

Studio Contact//Tayburn.

Taking some time out this evening to contact Malcolm, the Creative Director in Edinburgh-based Tayburn, once again, after his kind reply earlier in the year asking if I'd like to visit the studio after Christmas and the New Year.

Really excited to hopefully confirm a date and plan a short break up to the city, potentially working in time to see other studios and the city itself (which may even prove to be a potential move after graduation).

Professional Development III//Contact from Alphabetical.

alphabeticalstudio.com

Earlier in the week I received an email from design studio, Alphabetical, in Shoreditch.

Although they unfortunately said they wouldn't be able to offer me any time with their studio, due to their very small staff numbers (and, consequently, just how busy they are), they were really supportive and kind about the samples of work/portfolio I had sent them, and I was fortunate enough to get the offer to have my work kept on file incase any work were to emerge in the future.

Professional Development III//Contact from Tayburn.

tayburn.co.uk

After initially contacting the studio a couple of weeks ago, I was really delighted to receive an email reply from Malcolm at Tayburn in regards to going up to Edinburgh for a studio visit (as a city I'm keen to explore more for a potential location after graduation, as well as a developing interest in the studio after working with Dave at Glad, a previous Tayburn design employee), which we're looking to put forward to the New Year when things have settled down re work for both the studio and myself.

More information as and when it comes in! Exciting stuff!

Professional Development III//Meeting at The Corn Exchange.

Whilst selling my retail work at the craft fair, Reetsweet, as run by Becky Drury, at The Corn Exchange in Leeds over the weekend (pictures soon to follow!), two men, KJ and Jimmy introduced themselves to me.

As designers themselves, KJ and Jimmy are looking to set up an agency/job site freelance tool/collective for freelance designers as a way to pool resources and through an agency format find work from industry and big clients to help gain regular work, and, consequently, be able to pay the bills  at the end of the month.

After a good deal of talking and a self-confessed "screening" process, Jimmy and KJ told me they'd be really interested in keeping in touch, and potentially taking me on board as a designer for their business. 


Definitely an interesting idea, and one I'm keen to hear more about... looking forward to potentially meeting up with the designers again in the New Year and explore the potentials or even employment that could lie ahead.

Professional Development III//Reetsweet Craft Fair.

From 9am- 5pm today I've been working at the Christmas Reetsweet Craft Fair at The Corn Exchange, in Leeds, my second Christmas craft fair with Rebecca Drury's fair, after starting selling with them this time around a year ago.

Having got work and designs professionally printed by both Moo and Awesome Merchandise I was really looking forward to going along, having put a lot of time and preparation into the event, as well as buying new bunting, table cloth, card holders, etc. Unfortunately, unlike last Christmas (where it was a two-day event) I found that traffic was reasonably slow, and although I made back the money for the table (a little pricier than normal at £45), it wasn't much over, which was a little disappointing for my personal sales, but anticipating selling my stock online over the next few weeks, and creating some new designs to help maintain interest for future fairs!

Professional Development III//Work Featured In Stylist Magazine.

Very pleased to ~announce~ that earlier in the week, my work was featured in the Etsy Christmas Gift Guide 2012 supplement of Stylist Magazine, as circulated around London.

After being contacted by the admin at Etsy, I found out that with an estimated audience of 1,000,000 around the UK, Stylist is the UK's largest free women's magazine, and have already started to see the result in regards to sales in my online Etsy store since the magazine's publication and release.

The picture taken below (of my Harry Potter Christmas cards) was taken by my friend, Jack, who works in London, and has kindly said that he will send me a copy of the publication. Can't wait!

Professional Development III//Lee Goater Industry Contact.

Towards the end of last week, tutor Amber Smith sent along an open invitation to the BAGD course to apply for a potential placement opportunity with Graphic Designer, Lee Goater. With a truly impressive  portfolio, working with some great brand projects and local clients such as Leeds Inspired, I was definitely interested in applying, and sent along my details for the one-day-a-week placement.

However, over the weekend I confirmed with two studios I have been in recent contact that I will be spending more time with them in an internship capacity over the next six months, and felt it would be unfair to potentially commit to working with Lee and then not be able to commit to my existing plans, or vice versa.

I decided to send an email over to Lee apologising, and got a very kind reply and advice for my future internships ("Make lots of 'T'!"), so hopefully he'll still be a contact (and someone's work to admire!) for the future.

Professional Development III//Professional Printing.

Documenting my freelance practice for this month, I am currently working towards preparing stock for the 1st December Christmas Reetsweet craft fair, and considering my options in regards to the amount of stock I will be taking with me on the day.
Last year, with more time available to me, I prepared the vast majority of the design work from home (with plenty of late nights of cutting and printing to show for it), and over the two-day event, I felt as though I had made a substantial amount back, and was happy with the sales. However, this year, with less time at my disposal as a third year, as well as having plenty of other added commitments, I have decided to use this to my advantage, and to seek out professional print methods to ensure that my work is of a higher standard, and can then take this forward also to my online sales.
This month I have printed with Awesome Merchandise and Moo, as reliable/local sources, as well as being very cost effective. With a total order from other print suppliers of a combined £244.12 (inc. VAT & delivery), I hope to make a profit return of £794.88 through retail sales in both the shops which I stock, including online stores Etsy and Not on the High Street, hopefully putting this profit towards improving my design portfolio through high- quality design production throughout my final year and module (FMP) on the course.

Professional Development III//Not on the High Street.

Really happy that yesterday I got a notification email through from online retailer, Not on the High Street, to let me know that I'm finally live on the site, after being approached by them initially last summer, and going through a great deal of editing in the process of getting my page and products published.

Although there is still a great deal of changes I hope to make, particularly in regards to the branding, which was a very quick placeholder job, I have been fortunate enough to have already made two sales in the past twenty-four hours, and really hope that this can lead onto something really profitable for me, both in economic and industry/networking terms.

Professional Practice III//Reply from Praline.

www.designbypraline.com

This afternoon, I was lucky enough to receive an email reply from Praline, a London and Paris based design studio that I had recently contacted in regards to going down for a potential portfolio review and/or studio visit.

Really happy that the studio are keen to see me within the next couple of weeks (the first thing I did was order myself a good PAMPA A3 portfolio... now I just have to design the work to go in it...), hopefully I'll negotiate either the 4th or 6th December, the days of which I am next free.

Praline have a seriously impressive design portfolio and 12-year history in the business, along with working within many of the culture, architectural and entertainment industries I am myself interested in both in my current student design projects, and the ones I hope to pursue in my professional career upon graduation.

Really looking forward to it, and, hopefully, gaining some constructive feedback, and more potential industry contacts.

Professional Development III//London Studio Visits.

alphabeticalstudio.com

Another busy night of contacting more studios with the view of potentially gaining some more industry knowledge and insight through studio visits and potential placements, by contacting some of my favourite and acclaimed studios in London, and, in the case of ilovedust, also contacting their Hampshire office (my childhood county) in regards to potentially meeting for a portfolio review and informal chat.

Although, of course, I don't expect too much (some SERIOUSLY talented and acclaimed studios, here...) it would be great to even get some feedback, and anticipate a reply in, hopefully, the not-too-distant future.

http://ilovedust.com

designbypraline.com

bibliothequedesign.com

Professional Development III//Reply from Touch Agency.

I was really pleased yesterday to have recieved a very prompt reply from Martin at Touch (Agency), a studio I contacted on Sunday evening, up in Edinburgh, in regards to a potential studio visit with them, and have asked as to when I might be interested in visiting.

I also found out that friend and fellow BAGDer, Kirsty Alderson, had contacted Touch in regards for going for a visit in the summer, but unfortunately couldn't at the time due to financial reasons. So, proposing that we go up in the New Year (with a student loan to help us along), it would be a great opportunity for us to both go and visit the studio for an informal chat and potential portfolio review, which I'm sure would be fantastic for us both in regards to professional development, but also a slightly less intimidating one with a friend close by!

More blog updates as and when news/dates are confirmed.

Professional Development III//Placement at Qubik.

qubik.com

On Friday I was lucky enough to be able to spend the day working alongside Graphic Designer, Joe Gilmore, of Qubik, in his home studio assisting him with work on editorial design for a magazine.

I had a really great day working in the very calm, and friendly home environment in which his lovely wife and one year old daughter would often pop up in during the day, as well as Richard from Pressision print, whom I had contacted in regards to organising a visit earlier in the year, but hadn't had an opportunity to talk to properly yet, so that was a great piece of luck that Joe was expecting a publication delivery that same day.

I had a great time working on something completely different from the usual work in my design portfolio and practice, and feel as though I've already learnt a great deal (who knew what a Colophon was?) and have got some great inspiration for my own developments throughout Design Practice III (particularly the magazine/portfolio for Jessie Leong Photography- see my Design Practice blog for design developments) which I'm really excited to try and execute over the next couple of days.

Professional Development III//Reetsweet Christmas Fair.

Come along to the Reetsweet Handmade & Craft Christmas Fair on Saturday 1st December, 10-5 at The Corn Exchange, Leeds... I'll be there selling my printed goodies... and I might even bring some sweets... if you're lucky.

Flyer design courtesy of the wonderful Steph Baxter (www.stephsayshello.co.uk).

Professional Development III//Reply from Effektive.

effektivedesign.co.uk

Boo- bad news from Effektive. Worried that I probably didn't convey my intentions/hopes for just a visit well enough, but still a positive that I've made contact with the studio, and, thankfully, received a reply within a short space of time (nothing worse than being left hanging, hoping for a reply at some time or another!).

Hopefully potential for contact in the future, I'm a big fan of the studio's work, and will be sure to keep an eye on the development of their new and additional projects publicised within the near future.

Professional Development III//Contacting Edinburgh Studios.

effektivedesign.co.uk

This evening, I set about making contact with me three favourite Scottish Graphic Design agencies, Effektive, Tayburn, and The Touch Agency, in regards to potentially arranging a studio visit, and a potential portfolio review to try to make network connections and even to possibly create a working relationship with the studios in the near future.

As I've started to seriously consider the future of my career, and my plans upon graduation, Edinburgh, in particular, is somewhere that I'd be really interested to look to for work and to live, and I'd love to start making connections with the design industry in the area, so fingers crossed that I'll receive some positive responses and develop communication links soon.

tayburn.co.uk

thetouchagency.co.uk