Portfolio Poster

Personal Promotion

As I build a list of studios and designers that I intend to contact I've been thinking of ways to show them my work in a less formal way of sending them a PDF file of a nicely layed out, clean portfolio. One of these ideas I kind of got from the images below, specifically the latter design.

Having a poster with a wallpaper style image of my own design work. This way I can embed a JPEG into the e-mail so all they get is the image.

So I need to go and organise what work I can actually put in it, bearing in mind Im going to have to take it all from my blog posts as my work is still lost.

Promo Portfolio

Idea for a business card / portfolio. Business size card, two pieces which when pulled apart folds out to a large poster.

Example below...

Think that this could be an interesting piece of design to have to promote myself, a fancy business card say or something to mail out to design studios, get my name out there and all that.

Bammm

First Wednesday night session last week.

Gave us the chance to talk about the goings on from the week so far and any issues we had.

. Some of us still need to photograph some work so we had decided to do some on Tuesday evening, renting out lights and what not from photography.

. Raised the issue of yearbook pitches and whether there was any interest besides my own to go for our or another yearbook.

Martyn and Boysie weren't too infused about going for it so we enlisted Mr. Milner to form a group of me, Marc, Phoenix & Matt to pitch for our yearbook first.

Our plan is to go away and come back on monday with some initial ideas for the book and to take it from there, seeing how firstly we work together. Giving us a better idea to see if its a good decision to go for it.

Other than this we touched on the SOI clearing anyones concerns or issues / misunderstandings.

We then went for KingKong burgers, lovely.

Portfolio Surgery 2*

Andy Lodge

Creative director at Brass Agency, a digital marketing company. Very similar to 26Digital whom I had my placement with.

This time i was much better prepared, having the time to create my portfolio, getting around the problem of losing all my work.

Portfolio - http://m-gibbons0811-ppd.blogspot.com/2011/01/portfolio-2011.html

Heres just a short example of their branding design...

Along with my portfolio, noted some new pointers and questions...

. Issue of format, black folder or publication.

. Organisation of work

. Put forward my ideas of contacting and sending my work

The session was really positive and helpful. Making certain pointers on my portfolio, concerning organisation / layout.

Issues that were raised about the 'folio...

. Definitely have the publication, (this changing the layout a lot)

. Stationary set for the record label. Set out in a more clean style to fit with the Iphone and Mac images.

. Photograph more products in specific contexts, - Snowbombing editorial on train seat (notorious fabric pattern)

. Show DJ identity's with more emphasis, even including description to show that the identities are well thought out and not just design for the sake of design.

. Idea for a new brief, change the format of snowboard packaging - A4 Sticker.

All in all, very helpful and has given me a lot to work with and also think about and consider.

I've e-mailed Andy, asking if i can send him my portfolio once I get it to a more final state, basically being the publication.

Portfolio Surgery 1*

Si Scott

Had a surgery with Si Scott, a designer who's name I've heard a lot thrown about, in and out of the studio but who's work I've never really looked into.

Upon having the chance to see the man, I went onto his website and searched the net, looking at his work. Beautiful hand crafted pieces. Very nice indeed.

Unfortunately on the day of the surgery, when I was supposed to throw together my portfolio, which I had planned to take no more than a couple of hours, I found I had lost all my work and threw a massive bastard spanner into my life.

I did what I could out of a shit situation and gathered examples of my work and essentially the contents to what would make my portfolio.

I took along with me some pointers to bring up leading to questions and conversation starters.

. How to organise the portfolio

Projects / areas of design / Disciplines etc

. Best way to contact desired studios

email / letter

. Attach a PDF / jpeg / mail shot

(Getting designs out there)

. Any contacts within boarding culture / clients

The session went OK, didn't get much advice on the portfolio due to my problems with work but we spoke about issues to do with getting my work and name out there. What to send to agencies, getting the attention and sending something more than just an e-mail.

The most interesting point that came up was that Si had done work for boarding brands, Burton and had been approached by K2, Ride and Salomon. This was of great interest to me so I asked if he would be able to slip me some of the contacts he has from these people, which he agreed to if he could find them. So I intend to E-mail him to hopefully gain these contacts.

Some of his work for Burton,

Portfolio 2011

Had a bit of a mare before putting this together. Managing to lose all my work from the previous module. Nearly had a breakdown, but thankfully I had images of everything on the blog, and fortunately all the photos of my designs were still on my laptop. So using these photos and taking apart the pdf's of my final presentation boards I managed to put together this portfolio.

Im fairly happy with it, however there are certain things intend to change straight away. Firstly, the format of it is an issue I have yet to decide on. It will either become a publication, double page spreads, loose bound. (same format as the publication I did on Snowbombing) or it will simple be put into a black fancy folder. I would prefer the publication as its a bit more interesting, and something more inviting than just a standard black folder. I intend to get the thoughts of the visiting professionals on this matter seeing what they think would be best. If I choose to make the publication however, the portfolio, and layout of it will change quite a lot.

Other changes I foresee is swapping some of the photos around and the amount of images on certain pages. Again these becoming more certain after the portfolio surgeries.

Business Cards

Within the PPD support group we decided to print a set of business cards ready for the visiting professionals this week, to save confusion and time we came to the decision to have one side with the info / contact details and the other side (back) would be a pattern, therefore getting rid of any troubles lining up the front and back of the card.


Front /


Back /

The back design being a pattern made from the logo.

Personal Identity

New Logo

Wasn't entirely happy with my logo, so during this period of planning and early stages of the FMP I decided to re-brand myself.
I wanted something type based, but also a design that showed my illustrative side, something a bit fun and friendly...
Using my initials MRG, which works as my initials but also, Mr G. Either way I believe it works.
Size experimentation...


Logo...

PPD Group

Members of the 'support' group...

Alex Walter

Peter 'Boysie' Sands

Martyn Woolley

Marc Redhead

& Me

Although they are all my friends and housemates I know I can trust and depend on them.

We went through what each of us need to get done in the next week or so and came up with the following for our action plan...

. Monday morning we have booked into print, me Marc Boysie & Martyn are printing a small number of business cards between us, so to have them ready for the visiting professionals. Printing together saves us some cost and time.

. We intend to build a resource in the form of a blog in which we will post links to points of interest, whether it be designers, studios, printers, stockists or misc. stuff.

. We have planned to have weekly group meetings / crits. These starting on Weds nights at 6pm.

. Intend to come up with a wish list of studios or visits, then in pairs arrange to go to the ones we want.

. Plan to talk of possible yearbook ideas at our first meet next wednesday.

Position Statement

Type based branding & promotion offering appropriate solutions for the music industry, boarding culture & sporting brands.

- Me, 13/01/11.

Sheets below, list of actions and intentions.

Design Presence concerning how I am out there in terms of portfolio's / online presence, how I'm getting my work out there.

Design Strategy concerning how I'm networking, getting contacts, communicating with the design world etc.