Scouse up your pressies!!

So having been a big fan of our dear lambanana situated here in our fab city - I have begun to develop a range of gift wraps associated and inspired by my home city!

Keep your eyes peeled in the next few days!

Update!

So I graduated back in July with a First class Honours :) !!

It was a day of mixed emotions as Dad wasn't here to celebrate but it was all down to him. 

Now a search must commence to find my ideal job!!

Its the final Countdown!!

I haven't posted much lately due to having so many deadlines and so much work to do!

Im pleased to now report that the end is in sight!

In just over a week - Thursday 5th June it will be  our degree show and my degree will be over! :(

I have enjoy every minute of this year - the highs and the lows. I just hope my dad is looking over me and I hope he is very proud of all the hard work I have put into this year.

To my surprise my tutors have nominated myself for an award on graduation! Im so pleased but also shocked, so keep your fingers crossed!

At this moment in time I am just putting the finishing touches to my final honours project book and designing my banners that will hang within my exhibition on the degree show!

Possible banner designs include:-

So the journey continues - Logo development!

Following feedback from my tutor I have developed further my original logo taking inspiration from shapes and images associated with cancer and cells.

Top left of the 1st batch of images shows inspiration images and top right is my colour scheme for the project.

Sheet 1 development

Sheet 2 - development

sheet 3 - development

Final honours book

As part of the honours project, as the work is to be gathered together into an e-book and a formal presentation to the panel with take place next Monday!

I have started to create layouts using in design - Its a slow but therapeutic process.

  

 

Blast from the past!

I came across my portfolio of work from my days at Eurowrap. I was employed there from September 2006 to Februrary 2010 and this position expanded design skills I already had.

http://www.eurowrap.co.uk

Eurowrap is an imports company that specialise in the design and production of gift bags, gift wrap and greeting cards. They offer both a basic retail range which is sold to wholesalers and they also offer a bespoke service. The bespoke service has many clients including Matalan, Pennys (Primark), John Lewis amongst others.

The images show a wide range of products, including, greeting cards, gift wrap and gift bags. Also shown is a variety of both 2D & 3D mock ups produced for presentation to clients.

I used Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to produce each design and each mock up was produced using 140gsm satin A3+ paper, a craft knife and using in house printers.

Bespoke Greeting cards designs

Bespoke greeting card designs

Eurowrap retail range gift bag designs

Eurowrap retail range - gift bag designs 

Eurowrap retail range - gift wrap designs

Presentation boards showing product ranges

3D Mock ups of gift bags ranges

3D mock ups of different products

More self promotion!

Heres a sneaky peek at my business cards for the degree show next month!! You may think its nothing out of the ordinary but  wait till you see the final sample!!

Personal Business card design

I have also been updating my CV!

Updated CV

Behance!!!!

I have took the plunge and joined 'Behance'

https://www.behance.net/njphennah84


Behance is a great way to be inspired, network and view other peoples work, its also a way of showing off your portfolio via the Internet.

There is 2 options - A projects folder - which holds images of past projects and WIP - which is for work in progress which you can post to allow others to pass comment and give critical feedback.

Behance portfolio

I also have updated my Linkedin account, with links to not only thing blog but also my website.

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/nikki-phennah/6b/8a7/178

Linkedin Account

Shall I or shall i not carry on being a student?

With the end in sight (5 weeks and counting) I have began to think more about the options available after graduation. I am thinking about the possibility of further education, my options are as follows:-

Masters Degree (MA)

Having heard my tutors talk about their MA (masters degree) a lot I have often been intrigued to see what this will entail. I began to research into the different types of Masters degrees available, and obviously if I chose to study a Masters, I will stay at a university in the North West.

Having researched into the different subject areas, I am most intrigued in doing a Masters (MRes) in Art & design at Liverpool John Moores.

http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/course.asp?courseid=236

http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/course.asp?courseid=406

PGCE

 I have often thought about becoming a teacher, in particular a lecturer in design of ages 16+. Having spoken to Julie Balmer (PGCE lecturer at Hugh Baird), I feel that this could be something that I may just take up in September.

The PGCE is taught part-time over 2 years and is aimed at ages 14+.  

In order to complete the qualification ,you must do at least 75 voluntary teaching hours per year (this goes towards your teaching practice)

 Attendance on the course is one afternoon per week (Tues 2-pm)

The cost is £600 per module (£3200 for the whole 2 years)

The course is assignment based. Although this is not something which I am used to as being a visual person, however since both writing this blog and also my dissertation I have quite enjoyed it.

Although I really would like to continue to study at Hugh Baird as I feel that the support from the staff has been amazing, I am also reluctant to continue studying for another 2 years. Ideally I would like to complete the PGCE in a year so that I may enter employment as soon as possible.

Edge Hill college offer the PGCE or DTTLS as it is other wise known on a full time basis.
http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/study/courses/post-compulsory-education-and-training-dtlls-pgce#details

At the moment I have put any further education plans in the back of mind as deadline is looming and I have a lot of work to do!

Inside the exhibition!

Within the exhibition stand I want to just display simple graphics that will inform the public of cancer.

I have began to design the graphics to go within the stand. I have also produced a series of plans & elevations of the stand. These will also indicate circulation plans, lightening plans & fixtures, and the position and size of the signage within the stand.

I will also indicate which font is to be used within the design and also the size of the fonts.

Plans & elevations indicating position of graphics

Graphics to be used within the exhibition stand

Plans & elevations showing  graphics position on the left side

Graphics within the exhibition stand for the right side.

Plans & elevations showing graphic positions & placement

Render or not to render….

I now have a final design for my exhibition stand woo hoo!!

The rationale of the exhibition stand is driven from cancer research itself. The main body of the stand and the small podiums at the front have been inspired by a test tubes as this is one of the main instruments with researching cancer. 

The lightening fixture within the stand has been inspired from the shapes found in a microscopic cancer cell.

I have kept the colours in keeping with the honours project and this is also based on the stains that scientists use to distinguish the difference between a normal and cancer cells.

I now have the challenge of rendering it in a rendering programme. As mentioned in earlier posts, I used Indigo however I wasn't pleased with the results, so the search continued for another rendering programme and I discovered 'Podium V2'

The above images show the different effects that can be achieved through rendering. 

By taking one of the rendered images and adding other images within photoshop and also a customer or two,  the design was finally coming to life!

Final design for Exhibition stand

I have also added in different backgrounds and also placed the design in situ.

A taster!

Here is a taster of some of the shots from the photoshoot I did with Claire Basik!

Savage Beauty is coming to London!

Friday was an exciting day to say the least, not only was my project featured upon Clatterbridge's website but the V&A museum in London released some exciting news!!

SAVAGE BEAUTY IS COMING TO LONDON!!

The famous Alexander McQueen exhibition will be held in the V&A from March through to July next year! 

Since I had based my dissertation on McQueen I have wanted to be able to see the exhibition but a trip to New York in a time machine simply isn't  possible , however a short train journey to London for the day is.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-alexander-mcqueen-savage-beauty/

Theres nothing like a bit of Self promotion!

As a designer, I am aware that the industry is very fierce and you need to be able to stand out from others.

I have used wix to create a personal website that not only showcases some of my work but also allows employers to seek out the skills I posses.

http://mollymoodesigns.wix.com/njphennah

Home page of my website

Designer profile page

Portfolio showing a range of different skills

contact page to allow others to contact myself

Within the website I have also added links to my twitter, lindekin profile, pinterest boards and this blog.

At the moment I have the website up and running and gradually over time I will add more and more images from both current and previous projects.

I am also designing my CV as this is also a vital tool for potential employers.

As self promotion is also key within the industry I am designing a business card with a twist! It is currently in the mock up stages and I am really pleased with the outcome so far. Keep your eyes peeled!!

Designing a logo!!

As part of the honours project, a promotional design package will be designed to assist with the marketing and promotion of the concept.

One of the major parts of the promotional package is a logo for the concept.

I have began to design logo concepts based upon both the current logo which is used for Anthropologie and also a strap line for the concept.

Selection of Anthropologie logos

Font used within Anthopologie logo

Font which is currently used within Anthropologie publications

Font which is currently used within Anthropologie publications

Concepts for a new logo

 I have drafted a spider diagram with ideas for the strap line which I could use for this project. 'Anthropologie' means to study the behaviour of human beings and within this project I would like to shock and create a reaction within a person, therefore I have wrote idea which I feel would best fit with this idea in mind.

Spider diagram of strapline ideas

Straplines ideas includes:- 'The Journey', 'Reflection', '1 in 3', "Inspiration', 'Beauty and the beast' and 'inside out'

The two which I feel best fit are '1 in 3' - 1 in 3 people develop cancer within their life time and 'The journey' as a person goes through a journey through life and my journey with my dad has inspired this project.

Concepts for '1 in 3' logo

Fonts which I feel suit the brand and I have used within the development of the logo

Logo development for '1 in 3'

Logo development for '1 in 3'

Logo development for '1 in 3'

I am still developing further this logo.