Firstly,
I’m going to start off by looking back at my practice, reflecting upon how it has developed and
evolved over the past two years. At the start of second year, I felt slightly
lost in terms of my practice. Although I had developed a number of skills
throughout first year, I didn’t know what direction I was heading in. I think
part of me still believed that I was going to work with fashion, retail and
editorial as this is what I was most interested in, however I wasn’t actually
any good at it. It wasn’t until the responsive module that I really started to
figure out where I was in terms of my design and thinking. I began to enjoy and
get involved in working with illustration, as well as pattern creation. I
didn’t initially pick briefs that would allow me to work with these techniques,
my responses simply started to take on this format. I also started to become a
lot more crafty, experimenting with packaging, print and hand draw image.
UK Greetings
The UK Greetings brief was a competition
brief from YCN a few years ago to produce a minimum of four greetings cards. I
completed it last year for the responsive module, but it turned out to only be
a digital outcome due to time constraints. I therefore wanted to re-visit it,
taking on a different theme. I wanted to create a range of printed products,
using processes and taking it as an opportunity to experiment with pattern
making. This brief allowed me to develop a number of skills, particularly when
it came to the pattern as this was produced by hand using paint, which is
something I haven’t incorporated into my designs before. It was also the first
time that I had used laser cut, which allowed me to include an interactive
element to my greetings cards, where a bauble popped out which could then be
hung up and used as something decorative.
Cath Kidston
The
next brief that allowed me to develop my
illustrative skills even further was the YCN Cath Kidston brief, which was to create a
conversational print. My print was reflective of Cath Kidston’s childhood, growing up in the Hampshire
countryside, using relevant imagery and colour. This also gave me the opportunity to
experiment with different mock ups, including clothing, homeware and
stationary, which was something I hadn’t previously done much of and was a bit
of a weakness of mine. Research allowed me to target the desired audience of a
thrifty, creative and fashion conscious woman, allowing my design to be well
informed in terms of colour, style and how this would work alongside
existing Cath Kidston
prints. This brief was quite short in terms of time scale, and will be
submitted ready for the deadline on Thursday, which will be a beneficial
experience in terms of presenting my work and going through the competition
process.
Harry Ramsdens
Whilst
still experimenting and exploring pattern and
packaging, I decided to work with a sector that I wouldn’t usually look at in
order to see how my skills and interests could be applied elsewhere. The Harry Ramsdens
brief set out to re-brand a fish and chip restaurant, making it fresh and
contemporary, whilst still creating focus on heritage. For this brief, I chose
to experiment with a different aesthetic, creating much more detailed
illustration in order to improve and expand on my drawing skills, which is
something that I have wanted to do this year. It also allowed me to apply my
ideas to a range of print based products, as well as giving me the opportunity
to work with an existing environment and context, where my designs could be
applied within a restaurant.
Context of Practice
Context
of Practice, for me, is something that I
have enjoyed throughout all three years. I have always been a keen writer and I
have found it extremely fascinating and beneficial to have the opportunity to
do some really in depth research into a range of subjects that really interest
me. This year, my focus was on zine production, distribution and social
practices, allowing me to explore print and it’s future within society. This
module allowed me to really consider how I organised and planned my time, allowing me to look
at how I would effectively synthesize theory and practice. Whilst I enjoyed
researching into the subject, what I found most beneficial was interviewing
individual's from Salford Zine library and Footprint, which really gave
me an insight into how passionate people are about what they do, which in
return gave me a strong belief in what I was doing myself.
Pattern and illustration
From
my chosen briefs this year, it is evident to see that I have gained a strong
interest in pattern and illustration,
applying this to print based products and packaging. So far this year, I have
tried to really expand on how I approach briefs so that I can effectively work
with my practice whilst creating something new and exciting each time. In order
to do this, I have experimented with different ways of illustrating, including
the use of digital, acrylic paints, water colour, pen and a mixture of those mentioned. I
feel that this is currently where my heart lies, however I am open to different
sectors, environments and contexts, as well as looking at targeting a range of
different audiences so that I don’t completely pigeon hole my design.
Collaboration
Throughout
the year, I have also chosen to collaborate with students both on the course and across college.
Firstly, after effectively collaborating last year, myself and Steph
decided to work together on a YCN brief, making use of our individual skill
sets to create an extensive range across a number of different medias. Working
with Steph has
allowed me to become much more confident with web and app design. I am also
currently working with Anna Jakobson, a photography student, who has asked me
to produce some business cards and promotional material for her end of year
show. This has proved to be an interesting process as it is the first time I
have worked with someone who has not been on the course, and it is therefore a
different and beneficial experience in terms of organizing time and
development. Finally, myself, Jenna and Emily are working together on the
Printed Textiles Yearbook which is a great opportunity, allowing us to work in
a professional manner, where compromise is key as there are so many ideas
floating around and so many individuals to please.
Exhibitions and talks
So
far, I have attended a number of different events and
professional talks, as well as being involved in a range of exhibitions. One of
the most influential talks for me, in terms of my practice, was Kate Morross at
Design Manchester. The quote that stood out to me during this was “You can do
anything that you want to do”, which is something I believe to be true. In
terms of exhibitions, I have been involved in creating a flag for DR ME, which
was a collaboration with Katie and was displayed in Manchester. This was
something that we attended and although it was an interesting experience, I
felt that it was slightly unorganised in terms of costing and sending the
flags. A Work in Progress, however, was a positive experience, which allowed me
to help curate and organise the exhibition and I will also be apart
of Dialogue on Thursday.
Studio visits
After
Numiko came
to visit us, they made it clear that digital design wasn't always what it
seemed. I was intrigued by the fact that designing for web doesn't necessarily
mean that you have to code or in fact know how to code. They also opened up
another side of web for me in terms of illustration. I found this to be a
really interesting and beneficial experience. Initially I was very nervous, yet
going with my peers gave me the confidence to ask questions and interact with
those in the studio. I feel that this will go on to ease me into other visits, which included presenting my work at
Elmwood and visiting a number of studios in my hometown.
Placement
So
far, I have attended a number of different events and
professional talks, as well as being involved in a range of exhibitions. One of
the most influential talks for me, in terms of my practice, was Kate Morross at
Design Manchester. The quote that stood out to me during this was “You can do
anything that you want to do”, which is something I believe to be true. In
terms of exhibitions, I have been involved in creating a flag for DR ME, which
was a collaboration with Katie and was displayed in Manchester. This was
something that we attended and although it was an interesting experience, I
felt that it was slightly unorganised in terms of costing and sending the
flags. A Work in Progress, however, was a positive experience, which allowed me
to help curate and organise the exhibition and I will also be apart
of Dialogue on Thursday.
Future plans
My
short term plans are currently to
move onto a brief where I create all of the wedding branding for when my sister
gets married, which will be a very personal experience for me and will allow me
to focus some of my time on improving my hand lettering skills. I am also
volunteering at a pet rescue center in Cumbria over Easter…here is my rescue
dog Bess wearing her Christmas jacket. My long term plans are hopefully to work
within a small studio environment for as long as possible but then what I
really hope to do is open up a shop. I hoard everything and love to be
surrounded by beautiful print, ribbons, buttons, tags, wrapping paper and this
is something that I really see myself doing in however many years it takes to
get there.
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