Weekly Plan

LO2
The plan for this week is to get to grips with the new portfolio module. The tutors have set some tasks for this week to help ease us into the module and get the ball rolling.

So the plan for this week is to complete all of the parts of task one and then blog about it.

New Module - Portfolio Production

Now that the Digital Skills module is finished, its on to the next one. The next module is Portfolio Production, the module guide defines the module as...

'This module projects requires individual self-direction and motivation, you will be responsible
for the development of your own portfolio backed up by support in the form of tutorials. A tutor
will look at your portfolio to mutually assess work that needs to be done and then during the
course of the module at regular intervals you will have tutorials to monitor your progression.
You will be given written feedback at each tutorial to keep as part of your evidence of
development.'

When it comes to the hand in of this module it will be in three parts, my actual portfolio, a work based file detailing how I put the portfolio together, written up notes from tutorials and the last part is a thousand word evaluation of my final portfolio.

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. 

C V

In the first year I created a CV (obviously) but looking back on it lately I have to admit it is bad, like embarrassed to post in online for everyone to see bad. This old CV sat ashamed in an untouched folder on my laptop for some time until enough I decided it was high time that I had a new one. The only problem is that the rubbishness of my old CV was seared into my brain and every time I would sit down and to try to think about creating a new CV I would have cringe worthy flashbacks.

'Okay CV time I know you've done bad in the past but I can get past this, its only a little CV, (remember old CV) oh Jesus, Christ why would you create that your, a graphic designer for god sake!'

So after some procrastination, dawdling and general avoidance I just sat myself down and worked on a new CV. I knew what it would look like style-wise, as I wanted it to be branded alongside my blog, so it would be simple, not many colors, if any and well spaced out. So here are some images of my CV journey.

As you can see I had some problems deciding the layout and then when I did, I would print it out and decide that nope it looked wrong. So I finally have a new CV and this is a skill for which I am now well versed, but I'm not going tot dwell on this for long because if I do I start to see all the things I can change on the final CV. I am predicting that when it comes to me and my CV I'll never be finished and nor should I be.

PPD

As part of the Personal & Professional Development module (this blog basically) I must demonstrate skills and personal qualities that will benefit me in future employment or progression to a higher level of study.

There are quite a few skills I must blog about, such as creating a CV, UCAS applications, interview skills and so forth. In developing these skills I am maximizing my opportunities to be successful on my chosen career path of graphic design.

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/

Weekly Reflection

LO5
Reflection on my progress this week I can say this I have accomplished everything that I set out to do at the beginning of the week in my 'plan of the week'. This week is the last of the digital skills lessons so the next week leading up to the deadline will be the only time I get to prepare for hand-in.

Digital Skills - Week 5/Day 1

This lesson is all about using Illustrator, the skills include...


1. Typography formatting / Tracking / Kerning
2. Create Outlines / direct selection tool / point manipulation
3. Warp options / Envelope distort / Type on a path
4. 3D options
5. Appearance palette options

After going through the skills I was given the task to use them to create a Thomas holiday press add and a Adidas press add. I've included my final outcomes below with my evaluations.

Plan of the week

LO2
The plan for this week is to continue the digital skills lessons. After the lessons on Monday and Tuesday I will compile all my screen grabs in a InDesign documents and write about the process and evaluate the skills that I've learned and developed. When I have finished my InDesign pages I also want to blog about them.

Weekly Reflection

LO5
Looking back I've managed to stay on task and also managed to update the blog with my InDesign documents, final outcomes and evaluations.

Digital Skills - Week 4/Day 1

This lesson is all about using Illustrator and Photoshop together, the skills include...


1. Shapes tool / pen tool
2. rotate tool option
3. Stroke options
4. Pathfinder options
5. Transform options

After going through the skills I was given the task to use them to create a Thomas holiday press add and a Adidas press add. I've included my final outcomes below with my evaluations.

Plan of the week

LO2
The plan for this week is to continue the digital skills lessons. After the lessons on Monday and Tuesday I will compile all my screen grabs in a InDesign documents and write about the process and evaluate the skills that I've learned and developed. When I have finished my InDesign pages I also want to blog about them.

Weekly Reflection

LO5
Looking back I've managed to stay on task and also managed to update the blog with my InDesign documents, final outcomes and evaluations.

Digital Skills - Week 3/Day 2

This lesson is all about using Illustrator and Photoshop together, the skills include...

1. Layer masks
2. Transform tools
3. Typography formatting

After going through the skills I was given the task to use them to create a Thomas holiday press add and a Adidas press add. I've included my final outcomes below with my evaluations.

Plan of the week

LO2
The plan for this week is to continue the digital skills lessons. After the lessons on Monday and Tuesday I will compile all my screen grabs in a InDesign documents and write about the process and evaluate the skills that I've learned and developed.

Weekly Reflection

LO5
Looking back I've managed to stay on task and also managed to update the blog with my InDesign documents, final outcomes and evaluations.

Digital Skills - Week 2/Day 2

This lesson is all about using Photoshop the skills include


1. Selections /Refine edge options /clipping masks
2. Creating gradients / Brushes /Creating your own brushes
3. Painting with blending modes
4. Adjustment layers

After going through the skills in Photoshop, I was given the task to use all these skills to create a Absout Berry press add. I've included my final outcome below with my evaluation.

Digital Skills - Week 2/Day 1

I thought I'd post my final InDesign documents showing the skills I've learned and developed and my evaluations. This lesson is all about using Photoshop for image styling the skills include...


1. Levels (tonality)
2. Blending modes
3. Colour correction / replacement / saturation

Plan of the week

LO2
The plan for this week is to start the digital skills lessons. After the lessons on Monday and Tuesday I will compile all my screen grabs in a InDesign documents and write about the process and evaluate the skills that I've learned and developed.

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 - My Essay

Today is the last day at the college before the Christmas break which means that I have a few weeks over the holidays and then a few weeks in January when we come back to complete my essay. Now that I've finished all the contextual lectures I have chosen which topic my essay will be on.

A little while ago I bought two books from the college library on Toulouse-Lautrec, as I have an interest in his fine art. Then the next day was the Toulouse-Lautrec lecture, so I decided that it must be fate and decided to make my essay on Toulouse-Lautrec and his influence to the world of graphic design.

Augmented Reality Video

Just a video that I watched for Contextual Studies, just a thought about how we might be interacting with technology and our own computers and devices in the near future.

Alt Tech - SWOT/Skills Analysis

Alt Tech - Final Outcomes

Today is the hand in so I thought I'd post my final outcomes.

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.