Portfolio...

I have completed my PDF of my portfolio to hand in at my deadline. I have included the majority of my work because I feel that all of it deserves a place. I intend to tailor my portfolio for each interview/event I take it to, making it relevant to the situation. I will do this when it is a printed portfolio, whereas at this point I felt it necessary to showcase all of the options.

New Business cards...

The re-print of my business cards arrived today. The sent me 200 rather than 100 cards, I am guessing as repayment for the mess they made of the first lot. I am very pleased with this batch, they're pretty much perfect! They are 28mm x 70mm and have a matt laminate coating.

Client Experience...

I have been working on several briefs that have required input from clients. I have taken on live briefs because I wanted to gain experience of working for/with someone or a team of people who have their own ideas and expectations of the work. The Fashion Yearbook brief has shown me that working collaboratively and for a client can be really positive and help the design process, and also hinder it a little. A lot of people with a lot of ideas can make a project difficult and make the good ideas tricky to pick out. Appeasing everyone is difficult and I have discovered that working together needs to be a joint decision, working toward to same goal, not slightly different ones. I am now better prepared to work within a team and for a client, and have become better at considering all of the ideas and trying to incorporate all of the strong elements to create better design.

The End of Year Show brief has been different because it has been an individual brief and I have been working with one other person on the production of ideas and options for the outcomes. Working alone has shown me that it gets work done quicker because decisions are made faster, but not necessarily better or stronger. Having someone else who knows the brief and is open to experimentation within it really helps to drive ideas, but keeps the work ticking over and fast paced.

I know that I do not want to be a freelance designer as I prefer company and people to bounce ideas off. I really enjoy working within the studio and having people around, and I would like to find this in the jobs I get post-graduation. I am going to look for opportunities in mid-sized studios with people that are good at and enjoy working together.