UCAS

As this year is drawing to a close everyone is looking to what they will be doing next. This is a two year course and at the end I'm awarded with a Foundation Degree in graphic design. I could continue to do another year of studying to top this up to a full honors degree. I've researched using UCAS to see which institution offers this one year top up course. I've found that the closes places are Newcastle College and Sunderland University. After looking further I found that Northumbria University also had this course but I would have to re-do the second year.

After looking into my options I'm going to have a tutorial soon to talk about my options after this course has finished and what my tutors suggest. 

Interview Tips

A great article on www.davidairey.com a fantastic website with some great posts for design students.

15 Graphic Design Interview Tips 

1. When you arrive in the interview give us your business card. It should be well designed, memorable, simple and hopefully have a great idea. It should be unique and you should be branded.
2. Have 8–12 pieces of work in your folio. Put the best pieces at the front and back.
3. Have at least six questions ready to ask (if you have less, you’ll find they will be answered in the course of the interview).
4. Take a pad and pen, take it out at the beginning of the interview. You don’t have to take notes, but it looks as if you are organized.
5. Talk about your work before you show it, but don’t talk too much. This should be one short sentence to engage the interviewer with you. We will be looking at you as you speak. Then show us your work.
6. Have samples and mock ups.
7. Bring sketches. We are as interested in how you got to the final solution as the solution itself. You can show other concepts.
8. Have a copy of your CV (resumé) at the back of the portfolio. Offer it even if we already have it.
9. On your CV don’t tell people about exam results or part-time jobs that have nothing to do with your chosen career. It pisses us off.
10. Don’t talk about holiday or money in a first interview.
11. Give a firm handshake.
12. Tell us you really want the job (believe it or not, hardly anyone does this).
13. Ask for our business card(s).
14. When you get back home, send an email thanking us for the interview.
15. Make sure your branding is consistent on your business card, CV and email signature.

www.davidairey.com/advice-for-design-students/

New Brief

LO3/LO1

Well first day back to college and the start of a new brief. This new module is called Digital Skills. Throughout this module, I will attend IT sessions on a Monday and Tuesday in Zone 1.

Where I will be introduced to the industry standard packages learning digital skills for Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. I will be introduced to the principles of software skills and will be given tasks and exercises to help equip myself with the necessary skills that I will need for industry. I will be given multiple exercises and tasks applying my design and technical skills to generate creative outcomes.

There will be research tasks throughout this module, helping me evaluate, annotate and reflect on my digital skills process and learning. The best way to do this is by screen grabs, I will then put them in an InDesign document and evaluate my development.

Contextual Studies - Time Table

LO3/LO1

I thought I'd post my schedule for the contextual studies module. As you can see this module ran alongside the Alt Tech module which meant that I was juggling quite a few different tasks at the same time. Previously I wasn't very used to doing two modules at the same time, so this last month had definitely improved my management skills as I have had to start writing my essay while continuing on my Alt Tech brief. I know that being able to work of multiple projects at once is a key skill and something that is a requirement when it comes to working in the industry, and is something I feel more confident doing now.

OneNineFourStudio - Presentation Talk

LO5
We had a talk from Colin Davies from OneNineFourStudio in Newcastle. 

www.oneninefourstudio.com

He gave us a presentation with his personal top ten tips and how to succeed. So I thought I’d type my notes up to share with everyone.

Lesson 1# - Trust your instinct, training isn't everything.

Lesson 2# - Develop your own identity.

Lesson 3# - Make yourself appear bigger than you are.

Lesson 4# - Get everything in writing.

Lesson 5# - Have a good idea before you do anything.

Lesson 6# - If you don’t think you can do it, d it anyway.

Lesson 7# - Get it proof read.

Lesson 8# - If there’s a problem, discuss it then there is no problem.

Lesson 9# - Be a nice human and people will remember you.

Lesson 10# - Develop your own intellectual property. 

LO1
It also presents as a good opportunity for future employment as the company expressed its interest in having students start a placement at the company.

I have to say this talk was really good, it was knowledgeable yet funny. It definitely gave me some things to think about.