APP Words: Small Re-Evaluation

[5] [8]

I've seemed to have hit a brick wall with this project, and after flicking through my research I realised that I haven't gathered enough inspiration hence why I seem to be lacking in ideas. My deadline is approaching so I'm getting a bit stressed at the short time I have left.

To try and overcome this I'm going to produce another to-do list, highlighting each point that I need to undertake to ensure that I have as much inspiration as I need under my belt. This might include looking at more illustrators and how hand-letterers combine that with lettering, as even though I do love Steve Simpson's work I think that I need to look at a wider range.

My to-do list therefore includes:

• Analysing inspirational pieces in greater detail - literally pick up and anything that would help me to understand the connotations a bit more 
• Finish off my inspirational letterpress pieces post
• Bring all of the highlighted doodles made and bring it up on Photoshop to start connecting them, producing a design that I could develop further
• Gather more inspiration to add to my Pinterest board 
• Do more doodles
• Figure out the dimensions of my travel mug and see how I'm going to assemble my design
• Look at colour schemes 

I've started by creating a mind map with all words connected to Tea and Twinings, to see what I could possibly sketch and include within my design. As mentioned in my post on existing product designs, most mugs have a pattern and aren't very much focused on typography, and that illustration is one of their main aspects. This means that I might have to reduce the amount of quotes on my design and just focus on one really decorative one, possibly surrounding it with little relevant doodles or single word. That had been my plan from the start, although now I think I might reduce the word amount even further. 

Now I can move onto doing some illustrations, as I had made a little section on some of the ideas produced from this mind map. I think that I shall do this before any of the bullet points made above, or when I'm feeling inspired.

This project is a merry-go-round!

[n] Learning Outcome

To-Do List; Goals for the Year

For the past couple of weeks I have been job hunting; I know that I've still got a year at university to go, but I like thinking ahead and getting prepared for when I enter the "real world" of Graphic Design.

I wrote up some of the points that each job required such as having advanced skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign, as well as being able to take a project from concept to completion. Then I set myself a little to-do list for me to do whilst at university so that I could brush up on my skills or learn something new.

To-Do List:

• Blogging - Needs to be updated regularly meaning that I need to do more projects/research; be written professionally, and whenever I do do a project I would need to show my whole process
• Possible Projects - Packaging Design (would be either a large project or series of small projects); Hand Lettering; Editorial Illustration & Design
• Try out Web Design
• Practise drawing - different styles & techniques

I realise that there is quite a lot on my list so I'm going to break everything down and do them in small steps. Blogging will come with practise because although I do have a fashion/lifestyle blog, it will take me a while to figure out the best ways to blog for Graphic Design and Illustration.

And for all of the other points... I'm going to tackle them one by one instead of mixing projects and getting confused as I do also have to think about my dissertation and university projects. 

I guess that's all for now! Until next time,

Lizzie

New To-Do List

I've decided to create a new one now that I'm further into the project so that I can make sure that I stick strongly to the learning outcomes as well as a brief. Don't want to miss anything and realise it at the last minute!

• Type - need to find one to relate to the word "Unbroken"
• Create a mindmap and see what ideas I can come up for Unbroken
• Business Card - need to create a mood board, analyse designs, do sketches, come up with design, do screenshots
• CD Label - quick research, sketches, design, screenshots
• Logo - sketches, design, screenshots
• Album cover - sketches, design, screenshots
• Inspirational Artists
• Inspirational Covers (need to do one more!)

To-Do List

My projects always start with a to-do list of some sort. I don't know why but I just find it so much easier when I have one of these lists because during those projects I didn't... Well, imagine me just rushing around the room waving my arms like a lunatic. Yes, I have panic attacks when I don't know what I'm doing.

I've been doing these lists for as long as I can remember - I do them on a daily basis when I know that there's a pile of things I needed to get done but I had put off because I am procrastinating too busy. I like to be organised and know what kind of "deadline" I was working under.

So this is my to-do list for my Live Music project:

• Mood boards - business cards, logos, CD covers
• Design Brief & L. Outcomes - analysis
• Background info. on band
• Sketches
• Screenshots
• Evaluation
• Tutorials 
• Research - type, business cards, music genres, logos, CD covers

I'll just tick these off when I have done them.

(Okay now that I've done this I'm kind of worried that I won't have time... I guess that is a downside to creating a to-do list!)