Design Statement Draft 3

Everyone has something in their life they're passionate about. My passion is design. I am a very driven person, so when I get a task, I make sure I follow through with it. Designers often get the reputation of being creatively unorganized, but I am the type of person that finds the benefits of order and organization. I am a very good listener, so I make sure what I am designing fulfills the needs of the project exactly. I am not afraid to ask questions because I realize I might not know all about what I am working on.

Communicating with others and asking questions is how I start a design project. Once the project is understood, I set aside time to brainstorm and research the subject of the project. Designing for something you know nothing about is like trying to find your way around an unfamiliar place in the dark. I keep my designs fairly simple, because in the world of design, less is more. Instead of being distracted by the multiple capabilities of modern design and technology, I realize the importance of the basics.

One of my main objectives when designing is to make sure the clients are receiving exactly what they need. This is why feedback and critiques are essential. They can also spark the idea for a different or better approach to a project. Fulfilling the clients' needs is important, but it is still my work, so my personality should show through as well. I find it is important to be flexible, especially with new technology such as the new trend of mobile devices. I have taken time to learn about them and find ways to design for them because I enjoy trying and learning new things. Design is my passion, so I will continue to work with it in any form.

Portfolio Presentation Case Purchase

I finally chose the presentation case I want to use, and I purchased it online this past weekend. I new that I wanted a Pratt case since it was recommended in class, and had high reviews by other people online. In order to fit some of the spreads that I have and might want to include in the case, I chose the 14x17 inch size. The presentation case version that I chose was the Pratt Start 4 presentation case. This case has a genuine leather cover, and a zipper that lets the pages hang down when it is set down. These are two of the qualities that I was looking for when I was shopping around. The reviews online were also very positive for this particular case. Several people specifically mentioned that it was the case they bought right after graduation, and it has been very successful for them. Since I ordered the case last weekend, I hope to get it soon because I want to be able to place in some design pieces and have it ready to go by March 3rd for the "Get a Job Bootcamp" put on by AIGA. In addition to buying this presentation case, I've also signed up on Behance to get my online portfolio site up and running. I don't have any design work up yet, but I plan on getting some up soon.

Pratt Start 4 presentation case (closed view)

How the presentation case will look when it is open

Exhibition Entry

To gain more points for this class, I decided to enter a design piece of mine into the Juried Student Exhibition. I've always thought about entering in something every year, but never got around to actually selecting a piece and submitting it. This class gave me a reason to submit something! The only piece I submitted was my Pappajohn Sculpture Garden Exhibition Catalog I made in Publication Design last year. Although my piece was not selected for the show, it was still good experience to get my work out there and at least see if it could be chosen!

Tag I received to go with my design piece from submitting it to the Juried Student Exhibition

Urbanized Movie Screening

After watching the "Urbanized" movie at the Des Moines Art Center, I am now more aware just how much time and planning goes into the design and creation of a city. It's easy to just walk through a city and not realize that every single building and pedestrian area has been thought about or designed in some way. I thought it was interesting when it was mentioned how some cities fail because of poor design. It was even more surprising that New York City was one of them since it has highways or roadways blocking the waterfront in some parts of the city. Another city they mentioned was designed based on what it looked like from the air, so no thought was put into actually living in the city, so that is why that one failed. Poor planning and accounting for travel time leads to major problems such as heavy traffic or unsafe paths/distances for pedestrians to walk. One other piece of information I found interesting was when it was mentioned how people can only really perceive whatever moves if it is within 100m of them. This is why plazas or gathering areas made in ancient times aren't too big (so people will be able to see 100m from one edge to the other so they can perceive all movement). Overall, this movie made me realize just how important good design can be, and what the repercussions of a bad design can be.

View of the screen "Urbanized" was shown on at the Des Moines Art Center

Stationary System Project Brief

STATIONARY SYSTEM PROJECT BRIEF

(resume, cover letter, design statement, project descriptions, thank you notes, business cards)

Objective:

The purpose of this project is to create a cohesive, functional stationary system to use in a professional setting. Another main component to this project is my personal design statement. This statement will briefly describe who I am as a designer, and how I approach a design project. It will also mention what sets me apart from other designers and how I would be an asset to any company. The writing of each of the stationary pieces will be written in a manner that shows my professionalism. This means that there will be no grammatical or spelling errors and will also use professional design vocabulary. Each necessary piece will communicate my talent, range of abilities, and level of professionalism.

Criteria for Success:

This stationary system must work functionally in use as my resume, cover letter, business card, etc., and also reflect my personal style as a designer. Since employers merely just glance at resumes and cover letters most of the time, I need to make sure that the design is memorable as well as clean so the information can be easily found. Every piece of the stationary system must be cohesive so they look like one system. The e-mail portfolio will also reflect the style in this stationary system, so the design will again be simple and clean so the focus is on the work. It would not be beneficial if the design of the stationary were so overwhelming that it is distracting people from looking at the content. In order to make sure I am accountable for my work and stay true to the following timeline, I will periodically post development updates on my blog.

Items Included in the Project:

One of the main pieces of the stationary system is my resume. This document will contain a list of all of my experiences and accomplishments. However, this list will change depending on the situation the resume is used. Different positions might be searching for different talents or experiences, so I will tailor the content to each position. The cover letter is also an important document. This will further explain my resume experiences in more detail so I can better describe how I would be a good choice for a job position. Like the resume, the text of this cover letter will change depending on the situation and the job applied for. In this letter, I will be sure to mention my strengths and capabilities as well as how I could help improve the company. The information will be presented in a straightforward manner, and it will be clearly seen how the potential employer can reach me. The thank you not and business card will have a similar style utilized so the stationary system is consistent. The design statement will be similar to the cover letter, except it will be more general because it will be used in a variety of situations instead of one specific job position.

Timeline:

- February 21 (tues) - have ideas for stationary system design (and critique)

- February 26 (sun) - finalize design of stationary system

- February 28 (tues) - have everything proofread by several people

- March 3 (sat) - get a job bootcamp (have some stationary printed)

- March 10 (sat) - print copies of stationary (print some before for March 3)

- March 22 (thurs) - order business cards

- April 17 (tues) - incorporate design into email portfolio

Portfolio Project Brief Draft

PORTFOLIO BRIEF

(presentation, email, and online)

Objective:

The main objective of this project is to create a cohesive set of well-executed portfolios that will ultimately help me obtain a job and impress future possible employers. I will find a system and way of organization that will resonate across all three portfolios (presentation, e-mail, and online). Each portfolio will reflect my personality and style as a designer, but will also be presented in a professional manner. The strongest pieces of my design work (either class, extra curricular activities, or internship pieces) will be arranged to present myself as a professional designer and show the range of capabilities I have using multiple programs. Much thought and time will be had on this project because a portfolio isn’t just a container for showing my work; it is a design piece in itself as well.

Criteria for Success:

In order for these portfolios to be successful, the pieces in the portfolios must have a consistent organization. This would mean that the same pieces would be in the same order in each of the three portfolios so there is consistency among them. The display of each one will be clean and simple to reflect my personal style and to appear professional to potential employers who look at it. The prints in the presentation portfolio will be printed by outside printers so the quality is the best it can be. The e-mail portfolio will not exceed 5mb to make sure anyone it is sent to be able to open it, and it will be able to easily be transferred by e-mail. In order to keep track of the process of the portfolio creation and to make sure I am accountable for completing tasks on my timeline, postings will frequently be made on my personal blog.

Items Included in the Project:

There will ultimately be three different portfolio presentation pieces. The main portfolio will be the presentation portfolio. A leather bound case will be purchased at a later time in a size that will be acceptable for transporting and displaying to employers. This portfolio will be given the most time and attention, although the others will be made at the same time. The content within each portfolio will be the same for all three. The pieces chosen will be well executed and recent as well as show my design abilities. The pieces will be arranged starting with my strongest piece, and ending with another strong piece so the beginning and end of the presentation is memorable. The rest of the pieces will be arranged in a way that shows a wide variety of design skills, and a diverse selection of types of design pieces.

Timeline:

- February 4 (sat) - project brief/timeline done

- February 4 (sat) - review all work, choose some for portfolios

- February 11 (sat) - choose online portfolio site

- February 14 (tues) - class review project brief

- February 16 (thurs) - class speaker TBA

- February 16 (thurs) - have all content chosen

- February 19 (sun) - have presentation portfolio ordered

- February 23 (thurs) - have portfolio content reviewed before placement in case

- February 25 (sat) - order prints of pieces for presentation

- March 1 (thurs) - have all content placed in portfolio, ready for presentation

- March 3 (sat) - AIGA get a job bootcamp

- March 15 (thurs) - have email portfolio template set up (subject to change)

- April 5 (thurs) - class meeting

- April 5 (thurs) - have online portfolio set up (review after class)

- April 21 (sat) - email portfolio finalized

- April 24 (tues) - class portfolio review

Completion and Execution:

The presentation portfolio will be used in professional settings such as a job interview. The people that will be viewing this will be potential employers, as well as other professionals who will critique it so I can make revisions. The online portfolio will be on a website that allows a portfolio to be put up (that will be determined later). The link to this portfolio site will be beneficial to send to potential employers once an interview is set up so they can view some of my work before the interview. During the interview I will then have the chance to further explain my pieces because they will be familiar with them already. The same idea will go for the e-mail portfolio. This one will especially be useful if the interview cannot be in person, or I want a more direct way to show someone my portfolio. The e-mail portfolio will also be beneficial because it shows my design abilities, rather than just displaying my work on a generic site. In all of the portfolios, the content will continue to change the more I design new work. I will be sure to update each portfolio with new and better work once some of them get older.

Design Statement Draft 2

Everyone has something in their life they're passionate about. My passion is design. Nothing makes me feel better than when I finish a design project of which I am genuinely proud. I am a very driven person, so when I get a task, I make sure that I follow through with it. I know that designers often get the reputation of being creatively unorganized, but I am the type of person that finds the benefits of order and organization. Being organized ultimately helps my design work because it allows me to keep focused on what I need to be working on and shows others I am trustworthy. It is also helpful when working with and for other people. I am a very good listener, so I make sure what I am designing fulfills the needs of the project exactly. I am not afraid to ask questions because I realize I might not know all about what I am working on. I find the benefits of working with other people because collaboration is a big part of design. 

Communicating with others and asking questions is how I start a design project. Once the project is understood, I set aside time to brainstorm and do some research on the subject the particular project is about. Sometimes an idea will spark just from learning a little more about the subject. Designing for something you know nothing about is like trying to find your way around an unfamiliar place in the dark. I like to have my designs relate back to the subject in many ways because I believe that makes for a better overall end product. I keep my designs fairly simple, because in the world of design, less is more. People are often distracted by the multiple capabilities of modern design and technology, but I realize the importance of the basics. 

One of my main objectives when designing is to make sure the client is receiving exactly what they need. This is why I find feedback to be extremely important. Designers sometimes get too wrapped up in their work and forget to look at it from an outside perspective. Having others critique my work can also spark the idea for a different or better approach. Creating a design the client wants is important, but it still is my work, so my personality should show through as well. Society is always changing, and design needs to change with it. New technology has made almost everything go digital, including design. I believe it is important to be flexible and change with society. With the new emphasis on mobile and smart phones, I have taken time to learn about them and find ways to design and accommodate for them because I am not afraid to try or learn new things. Design is my passion, so I will continue to work with it in any form.