PPP3: Evaluation

Throughout my three years of university and completing 3 PPP modules, I can confidently say that they have really helped me in both my design confidence and my self confidence. I have learnt so many new skills and gained so much knowledge and advice throughout, it has been really important especially now in the last month of university and knowing how I can take what I have learnt forward into the real world and the world of employment. Each PPP session has taught me lots of new things and each tutor every year has been really helpful in terms of this also. Learning skills on how to be a professional and how to go about finding work is something that I am really appreciative of within this module as I think its a really key thing that students should be taught about whilst studying a degree and I know I can always go to tutors for any kind of help and advice following graduating.

(6C2) PPP3: Presentation and Notes

Why do I have my own personal branding and how do I think it represents me.

Discuss why the website and Instagram are important for me and my future plans, why do I have them any why are they useful in general

Talk about my style and what inspires me, what kind of briefs have I completed

(6C2) PPP3: Planning Presentation Slides

• Intro
• Self Branding
• Website
• Instagram page
• My work on a couple of slides 
• Collaborations and how they have been helpful
• My manifesto
• My plans for the next few years
• Collaborative business plan
• Ultimate goals 
• How I can use my skills to achieve these goals
• How PPP has helped
• Evaluation

Try and keep the presentation mostly visual 

(6C2) PPP3: Design Strategy File Slides

(6C2) PPP3: Evaluating My Skills

• Adobe software
• Networking
• Print facilities
• Digital print
• Screen print
• PPP skills
• Client work
• Self employment

Although I have never at all considered myself as a confident person, having a vast range of skills is something I have always prided myself upon and throughout these past three years at university both my physical and social skills have improved a great amount. I can confidently say I have a good understanding of Adobe software, which will help me in both my freelance work and if I begin to work for a company, as I will be able to say I can fully use the most popular software. This also applies to my skills for more traditional print methods like screen-printing, which should also be appealing to any employers as I can show my skills range from both digital and traditional print. Moreover, I think throughout the three years of PPP I have learnt a great deal about the industry I am in and how to handle myself as a professional. I feel confident in how to approach a client and how I would go about finding work and I also understand the importance of networking and keeping up to date with what is going on. Attending a careers talk on being self employed has also taught me a great deal when it comes to having to stand on my own two feet and to be completely independent and reliant on myself. These skills will not be forgotten and I am confident that they will each come in use at one point in my life or another.

(6B2) PPP3: Manifesto

'Being part of the creative community means I have a powerful role in changing peoples perceptions and actions for the greater good. I want to use my knowledge and skills to create a positive impact and find creative solutions to problems that we may face. I am truly passionate about what I do and feel I have a purpose to help build a better and safer environment. I want to work closely with other creative people and also learn from them as it is important to be forever learning new things.'

(6B2) PPP3: Manifesto Drafting

'Being a creative can be so inspiring to the world around us, it gives me a great opportunity to use my voice as a positive impact. People look to art and design to feel inspired and empowered, I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this community and will forever pledge to try and make a difference and find creative solutions to problems. I love how people are celebrated within this community and the talent of other inspire one another.'

Notes:
- Doesn't fully make sense
- Includes what I want to be said but it doesn't flow that well
- It could be more concise
- I haven't really said how I want my skills to be used

'Being part of this creative community means I can put forward my knowledge and skills in order to form a positive impact on the world. People will often look to art and design to feel inspired and empowered, therefore I want to use this opportunity for the greater good and create work that will put forward this positive impact to people around.'

'Being part of the creative community means I have a powerful role in changing peoples perceptions and actions for the greater good. I want to use my knowledge and skills to create a positive impact and find creative solutions to problems that we may face. I am truly passionate about what I do and feel I have a purpose to help build a better and safer environment. I want to work closely with other creative people and also learn from them as it is important to be forever learning new things.'

(6A2) PPP3: Terms and Conditions

Legal Advice for Creatives:

- Terms of Agreements
- Schedule parameters
- Work hours or days
- Schedule
- Client responsibilities
- Client representative
- Client approves
- Client changes
- Samples and credit
- Samples
- Credit
- Payment parameters
- Delays and termination
- Consequences of Non-payment
- Usage
- Media
- Duration
- Location

10 Things a creative needs to know...

1. Know the value of your work
2. Protect your work and your brand
3. Know your client and what they want
4. Who owns your work?
5. Non-Disclosure Agreements
6. Don't agree to something without thinking about it first
7. Never sign something without reading it and understanding it
8. Consultant, contractor, employee or worker?
9. What to do if someone steals your ideas/designs 
10. Get to know a friendly lawyer

Terms agreement seem to be a really solid strategy for small to medium clients

They can be a useful tool to make sure that there's a perfectly clear understanding between you and your client as to what the project consists of

Terms agreement = 'the same as a contract that maybe is written slightly easier to read language which just sets out the parameters of a project. Whereas contracts can be very intimidating documents and by their very nature are often obfuscating'

(6B2) PPP3: Writing A Cover Letter

Example cover letter.


Dear ______, 

I hope this email finds you well. 

My name is ____ and I’m a graphic designer currently studying at Leeds Arts University who shares your passion for socially-motivated projects and is a great admirer of your work. 

I’m getting in touch with a proposal. I’d love to come and work with you in the studio for either one or two weeks during March. I intend to join you on a placement meaning that I’d be there to learn from you and your team, helping out wherever required. 

No doubt, you get plenty of offers like this, so let me outline why I would be a great addition, rather than a cumbersome burden. Firstly, I feel that my design aesthetic and proficiency makes me a great fit for your studio. In my recent _______ project, I created a ______ ______ ______ ______ _______ ______ _____ _______. Your _______ ____ ______ ___ _____ book and campaign was a great inspiration here and proved how important visual communication is in society, allowing those who are overlooked, cast out or unjustly treated to reclaim their voices. Take a look at _____ here. 

Secondly, I’m eager to learn from you and your team. There’s no substitute for seeing how a studio operates on a day-to-day basis and while my education to date provides the opportunity to develop the creative element of my design practice, it can’t replicate the industry. How you manage clients, projects and the team, pitch for work and balance designing with all of the other things you do is of great interest to me. I sincerely feel that I could pick up a huge amount in just a short spell with you. 

I’ve attached a digital portfolio, tailored for you. If you like what you see, there’s more on my site and instagram. I hope that I’ve captured your attention up to this point and that you’ll consider my pitch. After all, we could be so good together. 

Best, 

__________________. 






Although I did not complete a placement during my University studies, it is still something that I plan to do within the next month. As I have combated many struggles and hurdles throughout my final year of university, finding a placement proved difficult and my health definitely got in the way of this, as well as breaking my finger.

However, I don't think it's ever too late to look for any kind of placement opportunities and any chance of experience should be grabbed. So I do think creating a cover letter will still be relevant for me because I can also go on to adapt it for when it comes to applying for jobs too.

(6B2) PPP3: Putting Together A Manifesto

Manifesto Brainstorm:

• What do I want to achieve? 
• What do I want my legacy to be?
• How do I want to be known?
• What do I want to do to make a difference?
• What am I willing to do to achieve my accomplishments?

https://cvdl.ben.edu/blog/how-to-write-a-manifesto/

How to Write a Manifesto: Characteristics of a Manifesto

Manifestos are most compelling when they are written in the present tense, as if though the desired outcome is already happening. We find the best manifestos have three characteristics:

• They are provocative.
  Manifestos are powerful because they interrupt the status quo. The language of your manifesto or aspirational statement should stretch and challenge what currently exists. This is why we sometimes call manifestos “provocative propositions.”
• They are grounded.
  At the same time, manifestos cannot be fanciful. They have to be grounded in reality and built upon the strengths of the people, team or product they advance.
• They are really desired.
  Finally, manifestos generate results when they reflect something that is truly desired. It’s no use to write a manifesto for something that doesn’t excite emotion or meet a real need. A manifesto is meant to motivate; motivation begins with desire.

How am I going to be proactive?

- Having an online presence

- Having my own personal branding

- Having an online portfolio

- Making connections/contacts

- Networking

- Using my creative skills

- Using skills I have gained through jobs

How will I be grounded?

- Be realistic in what I can achieve

- How can I use my skills to adapt/help others

- How can my skills be used for a positive impact

- Being passionate about what I do

- Keeping my online portfolio up to date

- Keeping my Instagram up to date

How can I make it desired?

- Keep it motivating

- Also keep it realistic 

(6B2) PPP3: Future Plans

SELL MY WORK!!!

Over the next few months I am more determined than ever to create some work to sell, for me I think creating A4/A5 prints would be a good place to start because I think my design style suits this. It's something which I have wanted to do for a while now and there is now no excuse not to do it. It would be a good starting point to get myself out there and get my work known by people and could hopefully lead to some freelance work. 

Now I have got a solid personal branding for myself I would feel confident in setting up a website to sell my work on and creating promotional material in order to advertise it.

LIVING SITUATION

As life throws things at you, I've learnt that you may have to adapt to what is going on around you, and for the next year it is best for me to move a bit closer to home for situations that are happening within my personal life. However, this isn't the end of the world for me because I am going to be moving to Liverpool for the next year or so and moving in with my two college friends Isabel and Rachel. They are both graduating from creative subjects- Isabel, Visual Communication and Rachel, Illustration, therefore I will be living in a really creative space and we plan on using this to our advantage.

Since college we have joked that we would set up a business together and now it is something we are beginning to think quite seriously about. Having so many skills between us we could create something great.

We even have a Pinterest board for our interior design goals...

(6C2) PPP3: My CV

My Current CV

My CV was last updated throughout the summer of 2018, so it is pretty up to date. I am sticking with this CV as a precaution as I do not know where I will end up job-wise after graduation so having this alongside my portfolio is a good way of showing any potential client/job opportunity my wide range of skills and that I have had jobs outside of education so have lots of experience. Upon re-reading this CV, I have made a few changes to update it slightly as I wanted it to include a bit more about my university experience and what skills that has lead me to gain. 

When I initially wrote this CV, I got advice of a family member who worked in an environment where she read CV's therefore I know this is to a good and professional standard as she recently re-visited it with me over the summer when it did need a bit more updating.

(6C2) PPP3: Presentation Considerations

Your research will be summarised in a 10 minute presentation that focus on and summarise your design strategy with specific reference to your career aspirations, progression opportunities and the work/skills that you have developed in relation to your future aspirations.

-Why is a website important
- Why is my IG account important
- What am I doing after I graduate
- My CV
- My work collaborations
- Why didn't I do a placement
- My manifesto
- Why do I want to continue Graphic Design
- Aspirations to look into art therapy
- My design skills
- My social skills
- My true goals
- My realistic goals

(6D2) PPP3: Personal Branding- Instagram Presence

Having a design Instagram account separate to my personal one is something which I think is really important because Instagram is such a huge platform now and it is used by millions of people everyday. Obviously it is useful for my work because it means I can share pictures of what I create and of images that inspire my work, it is a lot more professional than my personal account which I also think is important because I have it linked to my website and also on my business cards, therefore a client would be expecting to see a business like profile.

Its also an account where I follow solely creative people and design accounts because I think its really important to keep up to date with my favourite designers and I also find it motivating to have a scroll through when I am in need of any ideas or I am lacking motivation. Instagram is also a great way to communicate with other designers and it can be a place to get contacts and network with others

(6D2) PPP3- Working With an Internal Client

Extended Practice also asked for a collaboration with a student within the university, for this I collaborated with a Photography student who required their own personal branding. As this is very graphic design based I thought it would be a good project to work on as it would allow me to create a branding for someone else, therefore extending my portfolio of work. It also gave me an opportunity to collaborate with a student on another course.

The collaboration was successful and we did not encounter any problems along the way.