Finished booklets

I finally finished my five booklets today. I hand cut them, hand stitched them, and even made a small box for them to be kept in. I am really pleased with the final result and feel quite proud of them as they show all my achievements from this summer.

They include:

Booklet 1 -
My personal summer illustrations.

Booklet 2 -
An A-Z of digitally illustrated birds, accompanied by hand drawn typography.

Booklet 3 -
Experiments i did in illustrator that were to be used for the rebranding of the Student Guide

Booklet 4 -
Cover designs i produced for the Leeds Guide Student Guide.

Booklet 5 -
Layouts i produced for the magazine (that actually got printed) while at my work placement.

Day 14 - Leeds Guide WE Diary/evaluation

Final day today! it was quite a quiet final day, i did more wok on the advert for Haha, made more alterations to the Opera in the Park brochure and worked some more on the Student Guide. In a way i am quite glad that it is over as i feel as though the past few days have been really repetitive and monotonous, doing more and more work on the Student Guide, but in a way i feel quite sad to leave. i have really enjoyed my time working in a design department of a magazine. i have actually produced layouts that are in print and have actually been published, so that is something really good for my portfolio! i have been interviewed by the magazine, which was a bonus, i have designed a full brochure from start to end, with an actual client (Leeds City Council - so a few clients actually) and i have learnt so much about InDesign, illustrator, Photoshop, file sizes and set up for print, PDF's, colour management, layout, design, typography, clients, daily life in a design department and loads of insider tips (such as creating a droplet in photoshop, how to set up and use books effectivley in InDesign, how to prepare something to print and loads of other little tips i picked up during my 3weeks there)
I have also developed my illustration skills on the computer, which is something i didn't plan to achieve by working for a magazine, but has helped me in the long run. I have definitely achieved what i set out to do by working for a magazine, which was, to gain a better understanding of layout and to develop my typography and layout skills. I feel by spending 3weeks immersed in this environment with only type, layout and illustration for me to do, i have focused in on my skills, developed them and then put them to use. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Leeds Guide and would consider working for them in the holidays at university. I was told this could be possible as they know me now, they know how i work and they know i can deliver work to their standards. Alongside this i feel proud when the head designer (Matt Andrews) comments on my work and says that my designs and doodles for the Student Guide will definitely be used for this years issue, that he was happy with all my work produced and that he enjoyed having me work alongside him. plus there was also the offer of, if when i finish university and i don't know what or where i want to go, i should apply to work for the Leeds Guide design team as i would be highly considered! all in all i feel as though my placement has been a huge success, i have thoroughly enjoyed my time there and i feel i have some great things, in actual printed publications, that i am proud of and that can go into my portfolio! oh and all the work i have done has been accredited to me (such as the Opera in the Park, the Student Guide work and all my work with the Leeds Guide, the magazine and their in house adverts for clients along with the City living magazine, plus i will be receiving free copies of all of these with my work in.
So thanks Leeds Guide it has been an interesting, skill building, varied, fun 3weeks!

Day 13 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

today was ok, i designed an advert for aire bar and grill (well i designed 10 variations) sent it to be approved but i wont hear back on that as i will have left when it comes back. i also made the first set of amendments to the Opera in the Park brochure, (the client commented that the green tree template was too much tree, even though it is was was asked for and what was agreed earlier) which will be my last as it is my last day tomorrow. i have also got a copy of all the work i have done at Leeds Guide. I will be using all this work i have done during my 3weeks placement, alongside my days of doodles and putting them into a zine/handmade book for my summer project. This will then become a part of a larger book that will contain a whole summers worth of work, briefs, doodles and photographs!

Day 12 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

well today i started working again on the Student Guide, and as i felt i had done a total re-branding and modernising of the magazine, i told Matt (the head designer) and he looked over what i had done and he said that he really liked what i have created and they will definitely use my design elements. This will be a really good addition to my portfolio alongside the rest of the work that i hav been creating for the Leeds Guide. After working on this for a while longer i finally got to layout my interview that i had in the City living insert in the Leeds Guide. Ah this was fun! i got to read my interview and choose which of the pictures of my apartment and me got put into the magazine! so no closed eyes, scruffy gerbil cages or anything i don't want people to see! I then got to search for a cover image for the next issue and knowing it was going to be about undiscovered/secret/unknown things/areas of Leeds i immediately knew who's photographs would be ideal. one of my contacts on flickr is phil.d. His photographs are so amazing, you get to go on an adventure around Leeds without leaving your seat (and all without having to put wellies on and climb down drains or scale roof tops!) I will keep you posted on which image will be used and when it is published i will upload a picture of the cover.

Day 11 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

today i have been doing more things for the Student Guide. I am starting to get bored of doing the same thing! it feels like they are just leaving me to my own devices as they dont have enough work for me to do! In the afternoon i created two ads for the magazine. These had to be created from text and photos supplied and then designed appropriately. i did these adverts for HaHa bar and Linley & Simpson estate agents. They were both pretty straight forward and i did them within an hour. they then had to be sent off to be approved so lets see what they say tomorrow.....

Day 10 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

today was an interesting day! i worked on the Student Guide for the morning and then in the afternoon i decided to create a brief for myself to make it more interesting. i decided to create promotional postcards and flyers for the Leeds Guide Student Guide and i restricted myself to one colour, black and white, where the flyers and postcards would be distributed and by who then i got to work. i used imagery from the covers i have already created, the Leeds guide image libraries and their logo libraries. I created six postcards and six flyers, that act as three sets of two and decided the best people to distribute them would be Don't Panic. the Leeds Guide already have several clients that distribute Don't Panic packs and as this is a Student Guide, my promotional things will be distributed in the appropriate place for the target market. i haven't actually told the Leeds Guide people this yet but first thing Monday i will be letting them know, as i have the artwork ready. plus i want to know if what ive been doing for the past week is actually any use or what they want. anyway in the afternoon i have mostly been sat at home.....yep home! there has been a leak in the Leeds Guide and water is dripping from the ceiling. apparently is was coming from my apartment so my water was turned off and would not be turned back on until a plumber had been to fix the leak! well my landlord lives in Canada and the people who i deal with in relation to the apartment (my landlords parents) are on holiday! i could not get in contact with my landlord, his parents, a plumber and i had no running water! in the end i got in contact with one plumber whos number the parents had left us but he was rude and was maybe going to charge us on the spot, then i phoned another plumber and he rearranged his whole evening and schedule to come and help! (also a recommendation from the parents) it turns out the first plumber came to sort the leak out and said it was just a leak in my apartment from the toilet and wasn't effecting the Leeds Guide building, the second plumber cam and found out it really was more that a little leak from the toilet! the plug on the bath was loose and the pipe underneath was loose making water leak under the floor so now my bathroom has a buckled laminated floor, no side on the bath and will need to be dried out before it can be fixed. both plumbers will be invoicing my landlords parents and i should think so! its not my doing and the apartment is so old! anyway its Friday! im going!

Day 9 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

today was quite a relaxing and interesting day. first thing i was working on the Student Guide covers again and i decided to try something new and learn a new skill. soooooo i headed to the internet in search of Photoshop tutorials (as i only get to work on a computer all day) i found a tutorial to create 3D images, the ones where you need 3D glasses and i found some easy tutorials that i got to work on. i used imagery of Leeds City centre that i could use on the covers of the Student Guide. i have created well over 30 cover ideas for the Student Guide now and other documents that are experiments of branding for the Student Guide. this afternoon i finally started work on the next issue of the Leeds Guide (which my interview will be in) and it will be strange having to lay out my own interview with pictures of myself and my apartment! but at least i get to choose the pictures and if i dont want anything from my apartment showing, i can leave it out of the interview!
for this issue of the Leeds Guide i set up the entire document, and when this is done it is broken down into small sections which is then placed into a book ( i think this is so multiple people can work on the magazine at once, instead of one big document where you can have only one person open it at a time ). this is done by breaking the pagination into about 8 to 10 pages (but always on an even number and not in between a feature or editorial piece) and then all the different aspects such as headlines and subtitles are added from templates and the dates changed all at once. after doing this i added all the adverts and then started placing text to be laid out with images. so all in all quite a good varied day !

Day 8 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

another day, another 20 front cover ideas for the Student Guide. Although, today i took an IDN magazine and my recent purchase of Underground Arts magazine, the Sketch book edition to show Matt (the head designer) what i think students would be interested in and he liked what he saw. If i get any ideas to use paper in an interesting way (such as this designer i found while researching today - Annie Vought ) that we could set up the paper stuff to photograph for the cover of the Student Guide. This would be amazing if i could think of anything, or had time to play around with paper to see what i could create. It would be really good for my work (something made of paper that i really enjoy creating) to be used for a magazine cover! I only wish that all this creativity would last when i get home! i am so tired from doing nothing! it isn't hard work, moving, lifting etc its just sitting in front of a computer from 9 - 5:30 and it gets really monotonous and uncomfortable! at least i had a bit of layout design to do today. I finished little details of the Opera in the Park brochure today which was then sent of for approval. I can't wait to see what they think (they being Leeds City Council)

Below is my favourite piece Annie Vought.

Day 7 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

the first Leeds Guide, with work i have done, has been printed and delivered today and i got to take as many copies as i wanted (i only took two, one for my portfolio and one to read) it was so strange to see something ive done in real print, in a real magazine and on real stock! again for the whole day i have been experimenting with illustrations and branding ideas for the new Student Guide that will be coming out in September. anyway today was also photo shoot and interview day. it all went well, even though i woke up at 7:30 to finish cleaning as i was cleaning late last night to make sure everything was photo ready! (below are some spreads from the issue that i created)

Day 6 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

today has to be the most boring day i will have at Leeds Guide. ALL DAY i just experimented on illustrator! i keep getting headaches from being at a computer all day and i am getting tired of being sat in the same place doing the same things for hours! one good thing about today, the photo shoot and interview is tomorrow so that should liven things up a bit! i will be cleaning the apartment all night and not going on the computer!

Day 5 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

a whole day of illustrating. I really dont like being limited to a computer! i need a pen, pencil and paper! i never thought i would say this as usually i always go straight to the computer but i have changed my mind. (maybe its using a PC !) i dont really have much to report today, other than i am starting to understand all the elements that are needed for a good magazine layout/style. Ooooo i almost forgot, i have designed the whole "Opera in the Park" brochure and worked with the editor on the editing of text and the layout of page elements and images and have now finalised the design that will be sent for approval on Monday. I hope they like the design and i hope i get credited for it too! another little ooo moment......i took a picture of the Student Guide cover idea i have been working on (this is what i have been illustrating/sketching) and some random illustration elements on my phone......(hence the bad quality photo)

Day 4 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

today was not as stressful as i thought! today was the day the magazine went to print and it was just like any other day. Some people from Thomas Danby college came to look at the Leeds Guide and how they work. I would have liked to do this instead of having a set time for a placement. I REALLY want to get on with my dissertation research and do some work for my summer brief ( i cant wait to make a zine, now i have had so much experience with InDesign) and with working 9-5:30 pm everyday, i am busy all day then tired at night. I think today was more interesting though, i got to start 'sketching' and playing in illustrator to create imagery for the "Student Guide" they print in December. I got to use stock images that were all vector sheets with random imagery and then i just got play! i started by using the images as they were and then on my dinner break i looked for some inspiration in some of my books, magazines and recently purchased zines and handmade magazines. i decided to use a collage technique and tried to mimic printing type imagery by using images and having a slight misalignment of the images outline, as though it had been screen printed and not fully aligned. i am recently really starting to like illustrating and would love to get more into it over summer so when i go back to university i have a basic skill set to work with and a vague idea of styles of illustration i like to use. i was asked by the head designer, what i thought would be popular and appropriate for a 'student style' and from all the PPD presentations i saw, my own interests and my observations of design, i recommended a hand drawn, crafted illustrated style. i was given free reign to create imagery and i can later try to create a kind of branding for the "Student Guide" I would love to be able to do this kind of thing as a freelancer, getting a solid brief (which i haven't been given, which makes me struggle to start), getting on with it in my own time ( as long as its done before certain deadlines) and having the freedom to explore in my own experimental style.

Day 3 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

well today is the day before the magazine that ive worked on goes to print. i have been quite busy today, i have focused on the "City Life" insert again and the "Opera in the Park" brochure. I received more images to work with which is always good, especially for the City Life insert as its always photos of inside peoples homes, which i always find interesting as I'm interested in Interiors, (especially these expensive, luxury apartments) and plus I'm nosey! I have the freedom to choose my favs of the photographs to put into the magazine and working with images is more interesting than just with text. I have been doing one layout for a section in the magazine today that has taken about 3 hours!!! I have been so fed up of seeing it! It has taken so long as there was only a small paragraph of text and a few pictures, all of which have just been objects floating on a white background, and with the page being white all the images look like they are randomly placed everywhere! yet i had to fill a whole page with only these few bits of information. I finally did this, then had to print the pages I've been working on to show the editor of the "City Living" insert them to be proofed. For the rest of the day i worked on the "Opera in the Park" brochure, which i think is my little project, as no one else has done anything on it or changed any of my work, i just added more pictures and more text, moved some things around and played with sizes and templates to make room for so much text! I am actually getting credited in this issue too, which is something good for my portfolio! I can't wait to see the layouts I've done, in print! Also i got asked to be interviewed for the "City Life" main interview, so i will actually be in the magazine! The photographer will be taking photos of my apartment and i will be asked questions, about what i don't know yet !

Day 2 - Leeds Guide WE Diary

Well today was pretty much the same as yesterday, except i started at 9. I worked on the same publications, but i finally had some photographs to put into the documents! I also designed the front cover for the insert of The Leeds Guide, "City Life". I created a layout for the main interview with a person who lives in Leeds, using photos of their apartment, taken by a professional photographer and text written by one of the editorial team. I think the hardest thing to get used to is learning where all the files and folders are on the computer, as well as still getting used to working on a PC. I really do feel as though i have done too much, too soon though. I have worked on three publications in two days, ( and that was all in the first day! ) i have learnt how to use their systems on their computers, i have learnt how to make text more easily legible, how to utilise columns to my advantage, how to be consistent with layouts to create a coherent design, how to set up colour, paragraph and object styles that can be used throughout the whole magazine, and how to print things of to be proofed before going to print.

Day 1 - Leeds Guide WE Diary (work experience)

Well its been information overload today! I had a late start, at 10am, i got shown around the building, told my own door code, and got straight to work! I have been laying out the small insert magazine for the Leeds Guide, called 'City Life' which focuses on city living and places to buy or rent. It has been so difficult getting used to using a PC again and using InDesign on a PC, which I've never done! After having only half an hour dinner break (which i will get everyday) i barely had time to eat and then i got started on some actual layouts of the Leeds Guide magazine pages. I love finding out all the little secrets and tricks to create a layout and make it look neat and considered while having conformity in style throughout the whole magazine. After working on the Leeds Guide pages for a while i then moved on to a separate publication that will be sent to print soon, The 'Opera in the Park' yearly publication. This was a little more interesting as it wasn't so uniform in design and had a more creative and free layout. All day i have been laying out text, headings, sub headings, paragraphs, titles, body copy........ and the only interaction with imagery was when i had to create image boxes ready for the images. I have learnt so much today, it has been like a typography session that i used to have with graham, but an extreme intense version! I think this work experience placement is going to help so much with my zine/handmade publication i am planning to produce over summer and my development in my third year (as i want to focus on publications)