Enterprise Task V Research//Retail.

As part of my aspiration to work Freelance once I have graduated from University, a great deal of earnings will come through shop and retail-based bulk orders from chain stores as well as individual boutiques. I have been fortunate enough to have already gained a small insight into the world of retail selling through monthly orders from Liverpool-based boutique, 'Nook & Cranny' (blogged below), which I hope, through the sale or return arrangement, we can keep a long and happy partnership in business. 

Blogged below are some examples of the retail environments I would ordinarily aspire to stock work for, on a smaller boutique scale. Throughout the rest of the year, I hope to approach more stores such as these with my work for possible partnerships or business deals to expand my portfolio of business contacts and networks.

NOOK & CRANNY

The Liverpool-based boutique store that I am currently selling at, on a sale or return 40% commission policy- this has proven a great starting point for me, and has taught me a little about sales relationships- with both positive and negative sides, given a lot of feedback and tips with points to improve which have been really helpful. For me, I felt really flattered to be contacted by the store owners themselves, selling alongside some of my much-admired contemporaries such as Steph Baxter and Kate Broughton.

BIRD'S YARD

Bird's Yard is a beautiful three-story vintage and handmade boutique in the heart of Leeds (around the corner from The Corn Exchange) which stocks a variety of unique creations from a variety of designers- including the work of one of my favourite Illustrators, Gemma Correll. Stocking in Bird's Yard would be a great platform- and I will keep close contact with them throughout my University education in the hopes of perhaps one day building a working relationship with them.

RIPE (GROPE LANE, SHREWSBURY)

BAJA (GROPE LANE, SHREWSBURY)

Back in my home county of Shropshire, and particularly in the near by town of Shrewsbury, there's a wide variety of wonderful boutique stores- two of my favourites being 'Ripe' and 'Baja' which sit side-by-side in 'Grope Lane'. The boutiques sell a wide variety of wonderful items, from fashion and accessories to stationary and homeware. Aspiring to develop my surface pattern work, I feel that these boutique stores would be a great addition to my future portfolio, and I would be very interested in building a work relationship with them both.

Enterprise Task V Research//Food Industry.

Over the last few months (and, subconciously over the past five years in the case of the 'Innocent' brand), I have become increasingly interested in pursing work in the Food & Drinks Industry in my design practice- admiring it's versatility and range, and the potential to work in various different fields of production- most notably, packaging design, which, I will admit, is not a strong point as of yet, but one that I really hope to expand, develop and work upon in my personal practice. 

Below, I have blogged particular areas of interest and note, and places to consider re-visiting for my own practice and personal development.

THE DIE LINE

http://www.thedieline.com/

 

Established in 2007, The Dieline is a website dedicated to the promotion of packaging design (frequently food and drink packaging) by industry professionals and students alike upon a platform on which it can be reviewed, critiqued and admired across the globe, as well as being informed about current packaging trends, employment opportunities, awards, etc.

INNOCENT SMOOTHIES

http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/

"In the summer of 1998 when we had developed our first smoothie recipes but were still nervous about giving up our proper jobs, we bought £500 worth of fruit, turned it into smoothies and sold them from a stall at a little music festival in London. We put up a big sign saying 'Do you think we should give up our jobs to make these smoothies?' and put out a bin saying 'YES' and a bin saying 'NO' and asked people to put the empty bottle in the right bin. At the end of the weekend the 'YES' bin was full so we went in the next day and resigned."

From innovative beginnings, Innocent has grown to be one of the most influential and successful UK brands of the past decade, and, of course, one of my personal favourites. The branding and ethos of the company is something I have always admired, along, of course, with their visual design and packaging- working for Innocent is -probably- the ultimate dream goal in my design lifetime.

GU

http://www.gupuds.com/

Gu is a chocolate pudding brand which promotes itself as a "guilty pleasure"- beautifully and sophisticatedly branded, the packaging design is crisp, elegant and really stands out on supermarket shelves- also have great advertisement campaigns- often very clever and playful.

GREEN AND BLACKS

http://www.greenandblacks.com/uk/home.html

Green & Blacks is an organic chocolate company which pride themselves on sourcing and selling ethically grown and produced ingredients within their products. As well as luxury brand, delicious chocolates, they are also well known for their simple, yet luxuriously sophisticated brand and packaging design- which demonstrates the care, dedication, and consideration put into their products- using simple solid colour palettes and foil block print finishes.

Other areas of interest include: 

- Co-Op

- Fairtrade

- Free Range

- Tetra Pak

- Rainforest Alliance

(To research at a later date)

Enterprise Task V Research//Print-based design.

Throughout my time at University, and my Graphic Design practice, I have found myself becoming more and more interested in methods of printing, and, in particular, traditional methods such as letterpress, screenprinting, etching, lino block printing, etc. Throughout 2012 and my continued practice/design development I would like to personally push this interests through continual practice, and potential industrial experienced. Below, I have featured two companies which I would be interested in looking at further, and potentially contacting for studio visits, etc.

Blush Letterpress

http://www.blushpublishing.co.uk/department/bespoke_printing/

Blush is a letterpress printing specialist based in Flintshire, North Wales. The company's passion for traditional printing methods combined with contemporary design makes for a "match made in heaven" with beautifully crafted designs ranging from letterheads to business cards, stickers to stationary. Amazing and innovative designs- I would love to find out more about their design processes to perhaps influence my own 

design practice.

Snap

http://www.snapstudio.org.uk/hello/about

'Snap Studio Ltd.' in Bristol is a studio space for eight young designers, one of my favourites being Illustrator, Clare Owen, alongside an open gallery space for people to purchase the designs that are produced on site. With an ambition to work freelance, for me, this sounds like the perfect set up for retail opportunity, as well as being able to network and work alongside other designers in supporting and inspiring one another. Throughout the new year I am actively looking for design and industry placements, Bristol being one of my key search areas, and would love to get the opportunity to visit the gallery at some point throughout the summer.

Enterprise Task V Research//Craft Fairs.

In December 2011, I was lucky enough to be invited along to sell at two craft fairs- the first, a two-day weekend event 'Reetsweet', held in Leeds' Reetsweet Corn Exchange, and the second (two weeks later), The Wizarding Winter Fair (a Harry Potter theme- where my Harry Potter-themed birthday cards seemed to go down a treat, yay!), which was held in the Maccelsfield Central Library.

Overall, I really enjoyed the two events, and it gave me a great insight into just how much work needs to be done in preparation for a fair- but, also, the advantages it can bring- both through networking and financial gain. For me, more than anything, it was a great opportunity to experience what life may be like after graduation as I hopefully immerse myself straight into Freelance work- of which craft fairs are a 

reasonably common occurrence.

For 2012, I aim to work at many more fairs throughout the year- my first booked being the Reetsweet Valentine Fair at the Leeds Corn Exchange on 11th February.

Enterprise Task V Research//Collaborations.

Aspiring to work as a Freelance Designer, I consider collaborations to be a very important part of my individual design practice- not only to provide company and support from what is generally referred to as quite a lonely/isolated design path, but also as an opportunity to network with other design professionals as well as to learn more from the work of others, and hopefully expand my own design outcomes more creatively.

One of my favourite existing examples is the simple collaboration between illustrators and animators Julia Pott, Anke Weckmann and Stuart Kolakovic for handmade and vintage global online store 'Etsy'- a sweet, merry "bumper" for the festive season- throughout the next few months, in my own "free time" outside of University I will be aiming to actively seek more connections and networks, with the aspiration for possible future collaborations with fellow designers- already in talks with a Gloucester-based Graphic Designer (whom I have previously worked with) in producing photographic portraits for her magazine 'Trigger', which I really look forward to in the new year.

Enterprise Task V Research//Publishing.

For a long time, (since I was around 11) I have been very interested in the world of Publishing. Being bought up with a great love of reading and literature, it seemed a natural career interest, and still one I would greatly consider pursuing to this day- though perhaps now in a more design or creative output as opposed to the language/literature editorial traditional role of Publishing that I may have once considered. 

Even after just spending one day in London (in the summer of 2011) working in London at the Hearst National Magazine Company for Cosmopolitan Magazine, I've gained a real interest in publication and layout design. Whilst I still believe that my greatest strengths in design lay elsewhere, it is a path I would absolutely not discard as a potential future move, and have shown research examples below of some of the publications, ideally, I would like to look further into gaining work/industry placements with.

MAGAZINE COMPANIES

Elle

http://www.elleuk.com/

Since being advised to look into gaining work experience for Elle by my design assistant from my day at Cosmopolitan (reflective of my layout style and typographic choices), I have had a real interest in potentially looking further into an industrial placement at the magazine- always a fan of their high-gloss fashion-forward and sophisticated design layouts, it would be a great experience to learn more about the publishing industry and develop my InDesign skills to a much higher level.

Oh Comely

http://www.ohcomely.co.uk/

Since the very first issue, a year and a half ago, Oh Comely has been a firm staple in my literature life. A charming and refreshingly uplifting and optimistic lifestyle magazine, Oh Comely writes about the life I want to lead- with one of my favourite Illustrators/Graphic Designers, Steph Baxter a firm fixture for illustrations within their publications, I would love to get involved one day- whether it be through more traditional layout and grid methods of design, or whether it be getting my work published for print- whatever the outcome, it would be my idea of heaven.

Computer Arts

http://www.computerarts.co.uk/

Computer Arts is my personal favourite "go-to-guide" for Graphic Design practice, hints, tips, industry knowledge and design showcasing- and has given me a great deal of support and encouragement to push my own designs further with the use of their online tutorials and resources. What I particularly love about 'Computer Arts' is that they truly practice what they preach- the magazine design being as wonderful and visually stunning and experimental as you could hope- utilsing a variety of print finishes (notably spot varnishing) and designs that always keep me reading more- to work for a published product/magazine which specifies in my career of interest (Graphic Design) would be the ultimate aim for an industrial placement.

National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazines/uk/?source=sem_g_e_nationalgeographic_uk&gclid=CPiryP-sr60CFSEhtAodAlFenQ

Renowned magazine/publication 'National Geographic' has now become a hugely sucessful global brand, with intellectual content, stories, and famous for it's magnificent photographic images printed alongside stimulating texts. The magazine largely depends upon a sophisticated, classic look- heavy with bold serif typefaces which are aimed at the mature, intellectual target audience- for me, this would be something completely different from the youthful, modern design that I often work with, or am encouraged to work with- and would be a great opportunity to learn from a highly-regarded and established company.

PUBLISHING HOUSES

Penguin

http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/aboutus/index.html

Penguin- perhaps THE publishing house of all publishing houses- a much-loved household name of companies- penguin books transcend generations, and even over seventy years since the company was founded (1935), it is still considered a contemporary choice with their constant re-invention and re-branding, yet still maintaining their distinct, classic look and famous logo.

For me, penguin really would be the publishing house dream- able to work over a wide range of target audiences, ages, and designs- it really would be an honour to learn from their in house team of practioners.

Walker Books

http://www.walker.co.uk/ 

Growing up with a great love of Alan Allhberg's classics such as 'The Jolly Postman' and 'Bill the Burglar', I've had a strong connection with the publishing house, 'Walker Books', which specialise in children's literature (the field of design I am particularly interested in working within once I have graduated)- I will be definitely be looking further into gaining industry experience with the company for the summer of 2012.

AVA

http://www.avabooks.com/about-us/ 

Since pursuing my Graphic Design education, and with the aid of many a reading list, I have become a great fan of, and hugely familiar with AVA Academia books- such as 'Packaging the brand', 'The Fundamentals of Graphic Design' and 'Good: Ethics in Graphic Design', etc. Having previously applied for work experience with the company, but unfortunely being turned down due to "lack of experience" (presumably in my educational life?)- I will re-apply before the summer to either work at their Worthing or Switzerland office.

Taschen

http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/company/contacts/index.taschen.htm

For around five years I have been a great fan of Taschen books for their effortless style, sophistication and variety- buying multiple Taschen books for myself as well as for loved ones. 

For me, working at Taschen would be a great opportunity to exercise my real design potential- with each of their publications so well considered in terms of design, as well as such (aforementioned) variety. Firmly on the to-do list.

Faber & Faber

http://faber.co.uk/about/

For me, Faber & Faber has always stood for elegance, sophistication and intelligence in publishing- famously being the one-time workplace of famed poet, T.S Eliot- for me, I am sure, the chance to work for Faber & Faber would provide me a truly wonderful experience to learn about the industry, it's history and all the potential for design development that it provides.

Bloomsbury

http://www.bloomsbury.com/

Bloomsbury, again, another hugely successful novel publishing house, perhaps most famous in recent years for backing J.K Rowling in publishing the Harry Potter series, are a hugely successful renowned company- and one that, for me, would be an absolute pleasure to work for- they will certainly be added to the list of contacts and networks for forthcoming industrial placements.

Enterprise Task V Research//Freelance Design.

As part of my research for personal development, and ambitions for group work within the Enterprise module, I have decided to look further into my particular areas of interest. 

One of these, and perhaps the most important in my own working practice is freelance design- something I feel passionate about perusing when I graduate from University.

In this research, I have decided to look at existing Graphic Design freelancers whom I admire to draw inspiration from their own ways of working. These designers include:

- Steph Baxter (Steph Says Hello)
- Julia Pott
- Memo
- Gemma Correll
- Anthony Zinonos

In the future, I hope to expand this research and develop a wider network of practitioners whom I may be able to contact for further advice and/or information.


STEPH BAXTER//STEPH SAYS HELLO
http://www.stephsayshello.co.uk/

Steph Baxter (also known as 'Steph Says Hello') is a freelance Graphic Designer/Illustrator working and living in Leeds, having recently graduated from her BA (Hons) Graphic Design at Leeds College of Art. She has worked for clients including Scholastic Books, Mother & Baby Magazine, Tigerprint, YCN, and Oh Comely Magazines- companies which I truly admire.

First introduced to Steph's work through a browsing session of Illustrative design on Flickr, I was delighted to find out the bright, happy and colourful designers of this designer whom I was beginning to greatly admire had just graduated from the course I would be enrolling onto in September (at the time just a few short months away). Great inspiration- Steph produces the work that I wish I'd thought of first- charming, fun, happy, and just delightful- you can't be unhappy when you're looking at Steph's work- and that's a style I really aspire to achieve for myself too.

JULIA POTT
http://juliapott.com/ 

Currently based in New York City, USA, Julia Pott graduated in 2011 with an MA in Animation from Royal College of Art, London- having previously studied for a BA (Hons) at Kingston. Julia's work is instantly recognisable- with lovingly and pain-stakinkgly hand-rendered work, which is applied through both traditional illustration, and stunningly animated designs (such as the screenshots from her short, 'Howard', featured above).
To me, Julia is a wonderful example of how to "do" freelance well- having such a distinctive, clear style- yet one that works over multiple platforms- from transfer tattoos, to grand murals- as a designer, she is as versatile as her work itself. 
Working for clients such as band, 'The Decemberists', and car manufacturer, Toyota, Julia is a wonderful example of how much you can achieve at a young age, fresh out of University- the dream.

MEMO
http://www.hellomemo.com/

Helen Entwisle, also known as 'Memo' is a Freelance Illustrator, and 2007 graduate of Norwich School of Art and Design with a degree in visual studies. Currently based in Leeds, Memo's work is regularly featured at arts and crafts fairs as a popular feature with a wide variety of aesthetically engaging, tactile and unique products to compile an impressive range of stock including screen printed bags, plush toys, zines, stationary, 

greetings cards, etc.

Having been lucky enough to meet Memo on a couple of occasions at craft fairs, her work is always bright, colourful and instantly engaging- a great skills with printed Graphic Design outcomes.

GEMMA CORRELL
http://www.gemmacorrell.com/

Gemma Correll is a Norwich-based illustrator, having previously graduated from a BA (Hons) Graphic Design degree from Norwich University College of the Arts (formely known as NSAD- Norwich School of Art).

For a long time, I have been an enormous fan of Gemma's work- of course, hugely entertained and in awe of her constant imagination, reinvention and humour in her designs- a trait I would love my work to have. Her work has certainly tapped into mainstream culture- with a huge fan base and wonderful global success, all in a few short years since graduating- one of my ultimate freelance inspirations.

ANTHONY ZINONOS
http://www.anthonyzinonos.com/
 

 

 Anthony Zinonos, again, another great source of inspiration, and another NSAD graduate (and, whilst we're talking coincidences, the fiancee of Gemma Correll!)- Anthony's work is quite different to my usual "design tastes"- a really tactile, print based style of working with a great deal of charm and apparent spontaneity which I have really grown to love- almost a Quentin Blake for the collage genre!- a style which looks so, as aforementioned, spontaneous, though I have no doubt it meticulously considered and planned in pre- production. 
Again, Anthony's client list is truly inspiring- working with designers and companies such as Chanel, Pandora, and Men's Health Magazine- Anthony is a great example of someone with truly unique work- a designer who meets a certain niche or requirement- and seems to hit the mark just right every time.

Enterprise//Studio Task V.

PERSONAL PRACTICE PROPOSALS

INDUSTRIES/CAREER PATHS I AM INTERESTED IN*

(*italicised options are the ten options in which I shall research and develop further- particular interests of study)

- Small design studio (2-5 people)

- Publishing/Editorial

- Editorial Portraiture editing

- Illustration

- Freelance

- Retail/Entrepreneurship

- Education

- Health care 

- Surface pattern design

- Craft Fairs

- Print

- Collaboration

- Letterpress/Typesetting

- Print finishes

- Traditional print methods

- Food Industry

- Environmental/Ethical design

- Animation

1// I aspire to work as a freelance designer, specialising in Illustration- executing a wide variety of designs, methods and outcomes from a mixture of both private and public commissioners- working in a city location to make the most of both the accessibility to technical facilities and equipment as well as a high retail market.

2// Upon graduating, I would like to gain experience working in the publishing and editorial design sector- working as an in-house or freelance designer for a national magazine company, or renowned publishing house such as Bloomsbury, Taschen or Faber & Faber- working in either marketing or design- the two sectors I am particularly fascinated with.

3// In my design practice, I look to actively collaborate with other designers in both commissioned 

and personal projects- helping to expand my knowledge and experience within the industry as well as improving my networking reach and avoiding the possible risks of anonymity that freelance work can bring.

4// As part of my freelance design career, I hope to work prominently in the public eye- actively networking with communities and consumers through public events such as craft fair events- working with other contemporary artists and designers, although maintaining a unique and diverse range of products available from my portfolio of work for sale.

5// Throughout the remaining months and years of my design education, as well as through my future professional practice, I have a keen interest in expanding my knowledge of print-based design- in both traditional and technological formats- helping me to stay in touch with contemporary design and the industry, whether I be working freelance or within an active design practice/community.

6// From the beginning of my interest and passion for graphic design, I have been ethically and environmentally driven- aspiring to create ethically responsible work to satisfy both my own needs and beliefs, and that of the contemporary globally-aware marketplace- a "trend" that is rapidly increasing, and looks sure to overwhelm the marketplace within a few short years.

7// I aspire to gain work experience within designing for the food industry- a creative, and wonderfully varied marketplace with a great deal to offer in terms of packaging, promotion, marketing, branding and identity development- an industry of which I feel I could learn a great deal and develop my skills set enormously.

8// Throughout my creative practice, I am very interested in expanding my knowledge of animation, and exploring motion graphic design- particularly looking at hand rendered animation, pixelation and stop motion animation- believing that this meticulous and "slow but steady" approach to working will suit my personality and work methods very well- as well as still being a practice relatively untapped in contemporary design (by comparison to other methods of production).

9// With the food industry,  I would love to gain experience working for an ethical and environmentally-aware company, such as 'Innocent Smoothies'- which prides itself on it's honest, hard-working and optimistic production methods- a rarity within the food industry, and undoubtedly, a pleasure to work for, and with- with great room for expansion of knowledge and experience in contemporary design.

10// At a later stage in my design practice and career, I would be very enthusiastic about the prospect of owning my own retail store- for both my own, and the design work of others (taking a percentage of sales to support the business)- potentially in a town with an increasing interest in art and design as opposed to a city to avoid CBD (central business district) expenses, as well as remaining with the integrity and manner of a single shop store, as opposed to feeling the pressure of a potential expansion into a chain-business, something that I personally would want to avoid.

Throughout my PPD blog, I will now go on to research these personal practice proposals into further detail- looking at political, economic, social, and technological advantages and potential factors in these industries and career paths, as well as product development and locations, etc.

Enterprise//Studio Task V//TASK.

STUDY TASK V//PROPOSED POSITION STATEMENT

TASK 

Over the past 10 weeks you have been asked to research and respond to 5 key questions in the form of a set of tasks. These are :-

* Who am I- Who are they?

* Where are they- How will they find me?

* How will I promote myself- what do they want to hear?

* Who else is out there- How good are they?

Statements summarising your research should have been posted to your enterprise blog and should form the basis of an ongoing inquiry.

Write 10 short but informative statements that identify your distinctive 'positioning' as a Graphic Designer. Your statements should consider your ambitions, skills and areas of creative interest in relation to the market, your clients, competition and possible collaborators and should be based on the information that you have collected in response to the set tasks. You will need to compare a list of your skills and services against customer/client needs to those competitors, this should help you determine how your company is unqiue. 

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS/DELIVERABLES

You should have posted your response to your Enterprise blog and printed a copy for your statements by the Progress Tutorials timetabled after Christmas.

STUDIO DEADLINE

10/01/12- YOU WILL NEED A PRINTED COPY OF YOUR RESPONSE FOR THE ENTERPRISE WORKSHOP ON 17TH JANUARY 2012.

MODULE DEADLINE

28/02/12- 4PM