Module 3 complete!

I was working hard on the third module of my Master’s towards the end of last year, and I thought I’d share some of my work with you all!

We worked on 2 different projects, one open self-initiated project, and one open brief. I have discovered that I struggle when my brief is ‘anything you like!’

The first project was self-initiated. My first approach to this module was to look into why we do self-initiated work. Many of the designers I have met, studied or read about, myself included, work on a mix of both client-based and commercial work, and something on the side, a side hustle or a personal project. For me personally, I tend to do it for a few reasons. I want to learn new skills, branch out into new work and find this is a good way of learning, and then marketing myself for that kind of work, or I have an idea that I need to get out of my system, that sometimes creates a small income, or can get me new work, but mostly is just a creative itch I have to scratch.

This was a chance to work on a project based around auto-ethnography – a term I had not heard of before. Most of my projects both self-initiated and client based have been rooted in research on what others think, feel, need or want, and the idea of doing a more personal and reflective project was quite appealing.

This was my project question:
How does religion stand up against popular culture? Inspired by Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’, where we see the ‘old gods’ against the ‘new gods’ – technology, money, the internet, social media etc. – I am interested in looking at old Gods and seeing how they would fare in the modern world. Do their morals fit in with our lifestyles? Are their characteristics, personalities and flaws, stories and ideologies something to inspire us? Are they as old and out of date as we think?

I was not happy with the outcome of this project. I went into it with an idea already formed in my head, which I have discovered doesn’t work. I only had 4 weeks, and I struggled to produce what I wanted… however, I learnt a great deal from this project, and I am pleased with that.

My final piece was a representation of Greta Thunberg as Joan of Arc in a stained glass window. As you can see, my brief evolved and changed a lot throughout the project, and as I had never worked with glass, and only had 4 weeks in total, I tried my hand at window/glass painting…

The second project was a specific brief. We had a choice of a few, and I opted for the Creative Conscience brief. It was an open brief to design something to change the world, specifically within the area of mental health, in a positive way. I then had a chance to write my brief within that:

Around 6% – 8% of people in the UK are diagnosed with depression or anxiety in any given week. Since the pandemic, this has only worsened. We are encouraged to eat well, drink in moderation, exercise regularly, and be shown how to maintain good physical well-being from an early age. Can we do this with our mental health – concentrating on maintaining good mental health practices, and teaching how to recognise issues and changes? Can we provide young people with a set of guidelines and help to keep themselves mentally healthy, and help lose the stigma of mental health issues, so they are more likely to seek help and advice when needed?

I loved this project! I immediately engrossed myself in nature and trends around mental health and got to work on ideas to help young children with mental health issues and to help them prevent them. My final idea was a nature journal, designed for young children of primary school age. I designed it to be held, used, and taken outside, with a thermo-chromic cover which changes colour when you touch it. Each page has prompts to help with activities, and has different stock to aid these, tracing paper, plain paper, coloured paper, seed paper etc. There are also a set of activity cards of things to do in nature. Where possible, these activities are as inclusive as possible so it doesn’t matter where you live, or how much time you have, you can do these. I also tried to make sure there were enough activities for all abilities. Each activity explains how it can help with mental health, encouraging journaling, being outside, talking and being with family and friends, and expressing feelings and thoughts. I asked a few professionals, teachers, childminders, psychologists and headteachers for their advice and feedback along the way, to ensure it was appropriate for age, and accessible.

I’ve entered this into the Creative Conscience awards (click here) so I will post if I’m shortlisted for a prize!

 

Some more new work from the last 6 months…

I’ve been catching up in between modules for my Master’s… here is some more new work from the last 6 months!

Blackboards:
A few new blackboards for The Terrace in Exeter, and other establishments.

Ron Campion Brochures:
Summer Sale 2021 and Winter Sale 2021 brochures for Ron Campion Furnishers.

Age England UK Annual Review:
Last years Annual Review for Age England UK.

 

New work from last year…

A few new projects from the second half of last year for Devon Carers and Westbank…

Carer Friendly Communities:
New work for Devon Carers for their new Carer Friendly Communities initiative. We worked together to design a folder, with all the materials and literature to help both employers and employees. 1 in 7 workers are carers and there are many ways employers can help make a difference. I love working with Devon Carers, I feel this work can make a big difference to people’s lives.

Devon Carers Magazines:
I also designed the latest Devon Carers Magazines, the Autumn 2021 edition, and the Winter 2021 edition, another job that I love! Since the redesign, these have been a pleasure to lay out, working on infographics, imagery and text and creating these bright and vibrant editions.

Westbank 100 Working Together:
A project for a campaign by Westbank to help end loneliness, especially in the wake of Covid-19. We used the colours and branding from the original ‘Campaign to Help End Loneliness’ but created a new logo and flyer.

Daycare Centre:
We re-branded the Daycare centre at Westbank and produced some new brochures to advertise all the services they had to offer.

Kidzone brochure:
Kidzone introduced a new preschool service, and I worked on updating the logos for the different areas of Kidzone, and a new brochure and poster for the preschool.

Family Meals Project:
An infographic about the Family Meals Project run by Westbank.

 

Where have I been…?

It’s been a busy year. I started my Masters in Graphic Design with Falmouth University in January, and between studying, work and family life, I have been very busy!

I have lots of new work to share with you all in my portfolio, including some of the work I have been working on for my Masters degree, and I’m hoping to spend the Christmas break updating the website a little. I’m going to apologise in advance for a lack of blog posts for next year too, but I’ll keep my portfolio up to date.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Laura

Master’s work – first 2 modules…

The last 6 months have been busy with things starting to open up again and working hard on my Master’s degree. I thought I would share some of my thoughts and work here, so you can see what I’ve been learning!

The first module introduced many different aspects of graphic design, looking at ourselves and our practices, where we are now and where we want to go in the future. I enjoyed looking at my practice from a different angle, the kind of work that I would like to produce and the designer I want to be. I particularly enjoyed looking at the core values of designers, and how I work in particular, quite introspective work. We’ve been encouraged to be very experimental with our work, these are short quick projects (one a week) and do not have to be final polished pieces, so I have used this opportunity to work outside my comfort zone, whilst also exploring what I want to do within my career.

I’ve found a new passion for design, specifically from looking back at the history of graphic design and how it has affected the world, socially, politically and environmentally. I have been looking at how graphic design can help save the world, the work that can be done to improve things for people, change views and opinions, and educate and inform.

I’ve discovered the Situationists, noticing the ignored, and looking at things differently. I have looked at some incredible data visualisation, some beautiful work within nature, and some fantastic typography. I have tried collage, new type arrangements, using my face as a canvas, and some really abstract ideas.

I’ve read about different methodologies, for research and design, and how these can improve my practice. I’ve thought about how I work, and whether it works well, or whether I could improve these methodologies. I’ve thought about what I’d like to work on in the future and where I’d like my practice to go.

Finally, I have discovered trends, and how this fits into my practice. Looking at the world holistically, at problems and projects in this way, and discovering global trends and community trends and how these can help inform solutions and designs. I have particularly enjoyed speculative work looking into the future, and using this to try and solve problems of the present.

My second module was all about working in and creating your own studio. We looked at the many different roles and environments a graphic designer can work in, as a freelancer, working for a specific company, in studios working in different sectors, and in collectives. Our project included a speculative plan for a studio, including the business plan, legal side and marketing as well as the actual work and branding for the studio. We also had to come up with a service or tool to help designers, and a final project on which we would like to work on, and how we would plan, quote and work on this project.

My degree didn’t touch on this side of graphic design, and it can be quite overwhelming to graduate with no idea about how working in the industry would actually happen. Whilst I found this module difficult, and not as engaging as the first one, I still found it useful to look at and inspect my own practice, finding ways to change for the better. I have discovered that I enjoy service design, design for the better, data visualisation and research, rather than the obvious graphic design route of going into branding and marketing.

I have put some of my work from these last 2 modules on my portfolio – please have a look and see what you think!

More Blackboards…!

I’ve been busy on some new blackboards over the last few months, ready for re-openings!

I worked on some long boards for a local restaurant – Quay57, serving local specialities and with a new alfresco dining area.

I also did 2 A-boards for a bar in Exeter – The Terrace:

And finally, some work on a window at our local – The Queens Arms in Brixham, to help brighten up their outside area:

You can see these and more of my work on my blackboard page in my portfolio!

Sunshine and Shenanigans – branding and update

Around a year ago, I updated and re-opened my Etsy store. I updated the logo, and made some new supporting graphics for social media, the Etsy store, and for the website.  I thought I would share with you the logo, supporting graphics and some of the work I have for sale.

The logo is based on Sunshine, and uses hand-written calligraphy and Amatic font. It was hand painted and drawn and then digitised. I wanted something warm, bright and cheerful.

The supporting graphics are based on what I have used on this site, to tie the two together. They are mainly to showcase the main pieces of work that I have for sale.

 

 

 

As well as Social Media channels, I have also got a page on my website dedicated to the store (and of course the Etsy store itself.) Have a look, and see what I’ve been up to, and what I’ve got for sale.

I am always thinking about and working on new ideas, I find this a good creative outlet, so when I have some time I am working on this! I have some new ideas in the pipeline, Father’s Day, and of course some ideas for Christmas… With the various lockdowns over the last year cancelling weddings, I haven’t really been concentrating on the Peg Doll Cake Toppers or anything else wedding related, but they will hopefully start up again soon!