Progress Update....

I have put the first lot of illustrated birds into and set up an Indesign document, I have set up an Indesign document for my summer doodles zine and started placing those images too, I'm now in the process of creating another of the sayings for brief 4 (A Piece of Cake) and finally starting my dissertation research !

oh and on another note, i finally got my copy of the Opera in the Park brochure i created for the Leeds Guide during my work experience. I think it has only had one slight change to it since i worked on it and that was just a picture they changed, so i now have something to put into my portfolio that is commercial, professionally printed and for a well known client which I created at a well known place!

Handmade Publications.....

I would really like to create a zine over summer, as it will relate to my personal design practice and my dissertation. If i keep up with my research, ideas and illustrations for this zine i will have some work to include in my summer brief and then once i have all this work i can bind it in a 'zine or book' format. This is something i am becoming more and more interested in and i would like to focus on more of in my final year. Small publications and handmade books are something that i find really interesting and creative and i love the qualities that they have. I think handmade publications have a special quality that is always a really original feeling and i find they always have really interesting, diverse content. I have made a tiny start on zine ideas by just writing down things that i would like to create a zine about. i am going to be on the lookout for ideas and inspiration everywhere! i downloaded kerri smiths "100 ideas" and i think by getting a start on these i will kick start my creativity and get my brain working creatively. I cant wait to have a finished product, all hand stitched by me and printed in full colour, or black and white.... i haven't decided yet, but i would like it to be slightly more substantial, in content, than a small leaflet and would like to include body copy text and illustrations. I would like to attempt a full double page spread too and include some kind of free poster or sticker set to go with it. I think this will be a project that will take a whole summer, researching, experimenting, testing, developing and eventually creating a final product. I would like to create this zine as a one off experiment and if i enjoy it, create a whole set or series of zines based on similar topics. I will need to gather all my text/body copy research and adapt and write it in my own words and as i think this is the thing that will prove the most difficult, it will take the longest time. Also i was thinking that if i created a zine based on a specific subject, and i wanted the illustrations a certain way, then i could contact some people i know to see if they would contribute their drawings to the zine. All this talk is making me excited to get it all started....who would have thought that i would like researching my dissertation topic so much and in such a way that i actually end up making my own zine! I have bought this DIY guide to zines and zine culture from brainscan on etsy......



and i hope that this will help me with my research and with creating my own zine! i can't wait for it to arrive so i can get my hands on it and get reading and creating!

Summer Holiday???

I think not! i start my work experience at The Leeds Guide on the 29th of June! in this little free time i have, (just under two weeks) i am going to plan my dissertation research, try and book interviews with people about my dissertation, start making my own zine (a project that will last all summer) and plan the summer brief (a 10 minute presentation that reflects my experiences in work experience, my focus for next year) and a plan for my third year direction. All this preparation for my third year should be really useful and help me to not waste time next year and help me get right into working on briefs straight away.

Below are things i will answer before i go back to university which will help me clarify what my focus is next year, help me put together a presentation and help me start generating personal work.

Work Placement/Professional Research
* What activities have i undertaken over summer that have broadened my understanding of the design industry?
* What have i learnt from these and how will they inform my design practice?
* How have i evidenced this?

Dissertation/Theoretical Research
*Summarise the progress i have made on my dissertation in relation to primary and secondary research.(visits, interviews etc)
* How this has influenced decisions that effect my studio practice.

Design Practice/Independent Research
* What do i want to be?
* Who do i want to work with/for?
* What kind of work do i want to produce?
* What kind of audiences/contexts or areas do i want to aim my work towards/engage with?
*Identify and discuss how i have maintained my design practice using visual/type journals, live briefs and independent practical research (such as sketchbooks)

A Professional Skills Plan
* Evaluate current skills (periodically over summer)
* A plan that is informed by my experiences, ambitions, interests and skills. To use this opportunity to take control of future brief directions and put strategies in place that will help me achieve my goals.

Deliverables
* A 10 minute presentation (powerpoint/pdf)
* A completed skills profile and plan including rationale and statement of intent.
* Blog entries that document my progress over summer.