Evaluation

When we first started having the Enterprise lectures I learnt allot of things I didn’t already about Networking and getting yourself known. However, at first I thought the lectures were a bit of a waste of time even though I did attend them. However, as I started to research into things and doing the tasks I realised it is very essential to learn this and I know allot of courses don’t do enterprise so I feel like I know allot more and have benefitted it greatly.

Not only has enterprise helped me build confidence when looking for companies and talking to people, it has also made me think more about my design work and that I should aim it at what I want to do rather then having a large range of different things and I learnt thing by looking at some businesses work that have focused on one thing whether its editorial, Print or Screen based.

When starting the concept of building a studio business the tasks and things we looked at in the seminars all started to make since and it made me look at it as though I was actually to start my own design company and the roles each of us had and the target market, costing and setting up a creative market. I will be honest and say that at first starting a company would be over my head and I don’t have a clue when it comes to numbers. However, I found it extremely interesting to work out how much money we would need for start up costs and all the things we had to think about like equipment, where we would be based and how much we could earn between a group of 4 designers. My job was to promote our company and I had to find out the best deals for the job. Like I found out how much it would be to put our company in the yellow pages, and how to get it high on Google, and printing off business cards and flyers etc. Also, I had to find the best place for us to set up and in which City which was a challenge because It was too expensive to work in a big city like London but we wanted to be known and in a good spot so I chose Leeds as we have many competitors here yet it was fairly cheap living costs.

Our presentation at the end I believe was a success. Speaking is not my strongest point as I have dyspraxia and find it very difficult to talk in a group so I had the job of moving the slides but I still stood up in front of everyone and I tried my best to look professional and listen and be brave. I even know our presentation went well because at the end Bridget said 'excellent'. We covered all areas of the business plan and we rehearse it. I think the only thing was, there was allot of information we were saying and I think because Amy and Gemma were reading from a script, it doesn’t motivate the audience as much but if not then they would never of remembered all the points.

Getting a placement in the summer time I think will boost my confidence greatly and I got a really good place, the first on Google if you type in 'Graphic Design Manchester' so I am very pleased with this and I did it by networking as it was a friend of a friend and I went to have a look around and talked to the designers there and showed them a little of my work and they showed me threes and so I am extremely pleased.

Overall I feel much more confident for my future and starting my own business seems actually possible now so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Task 5

-Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign skills
-an eye for layout
-Work long hours
-Communicate with clients bounce ideas.
-Basic screen designs in After Effects and Dreamweaver.
-Attention to detail
-Packaging
-Confident in drawing
-Work placements
-Networking and building relationships.

Task 4

Who else is out there? How good are they?


Reform
Strengths
-Good website, easy to navigate having just enough informaton.
-I have seen there work around Manchester City.
-Really good location


Weaknesses
-They specialize in magazines and brochures and have no other interest in other Graphic Designs.
-Renewal of clients, who keep returning.


Design By Day
-Really good location and the building is really impressive.
-They do design for screen and print.
-Its a small company with only 2 people working
-There website is very impressive and shows some really amazing work


Weaknesses
-They are extremely busy which is not really negative but it means they might not be able to give me a placement


The Cheese Room
Strengths
-Very small company
-they deal with clients face to face and have a personal touch to their designs.
-They have some very creative work
-There are very professional and work for their clients


Weaknesses
-They are based in Staffordshire
-They do a lot of work free for charities.
-They deal with mainly small commercial companies.

Task 3

How will I promote myself?


I will promote myself firstly by Networking. I have already started this, as I am quite lucky to have my dad a retired Graphic Designer and Freelance brother in motion graphics. I was introduced to a girl called ‘Louise’ who graduated from university and worked for a couple of years to gain experience and only 2 years ago has opened her own Graphic design company with a friend. This sounds exactly something I would like to do so it would be interesting to get advice on how much experience you need to be able to do it yourself. I think it is very important in the industry to be recognised, so if I do work experience in a company I can see myself working or I just go in to say hello and look around I think this will defiantly benefit in the future.


Another way of promoting myself will be my portfolio. I have not yet started working on a portfolio but I don’t think there is ever a start or end when making a personal portfolio as the work that goes in it will be work in which I am proud of yet relevant and a lot of what will go in it will be personal projects rather then university briefs. A lot of placements will ask me to send them `a few examples of my work so if and when I have a portfolio I can pick out the most relevant work for that employee and send it to them.

Task 2

My potencial clients will be located in the city of Manchester.  I love Manchester and I think for the type of work I want to go into Manchester is the place to be and suits me as I already know the city very well and I have contacts there already.

The potencial clients will have all the necessary Adobe programs, After Effects Photoshop etc. I think they will find me useful as I know all the programs well and I can draw which is something a lot of Graphic designers cannot say.

I have been looking at a Company based in out skirts of Manchester in a Mill. Their website is very cool always being updated and they specialise in motion Graphics using After Effects. They also design websites and Print. I aspecially like their Unspooling at Cornerhouse video which you can see on my blog.  

When I go to a Graphic design company place I need to be prepared so I have thought up some topics and questions I can ask whilst im there...

• Increased Skill Set : do you only work with print design? Most things are online these days so website coding will give me the ability to provide this service.
• Be Likeable/Interesting : I need to be likeable and different than the average designer 
• Be Confident : confidence plays a huge part in the success of an entrepreneur. Confidence displays strength, lack of confidence displays weakness. . Especially because I am a design student, I now have the official education to back it up. That should give you the extra confidence to really present myself and  my skills well. 
• Portfolio :  I need to do some hard work that will impress, by creating fake companies and doing their branding. 
• Be Dedicated : I need to do whatever it takes to get projects completed, and completed well. Drive and dedication are key to success. Almost everyone wants to work for themselves, but it is only the ones that have this exceptional passion for success that ever achieve it.
• Be Organized : I am extremely unorganised person and I make life hard for myself so I know that when I start a working life I will have to set myself goals by making a to do list and sticking by it.

Task 1

What do I want to achieve this academic year
At the end of this year I want to have more idea of where I want to work and work to a professional standard. Also, I want to know what I want to get out of things when I go look at places.

What do I want to achieve by the end of the course
By the end of the course I want to have done work experience and know more about the Graphic Design industry. However, when the course is finished I want to travel the world and build up an impressive portfolio while doing some freelance work.

What do I want to achieve as a career
After traveling I want to work for few years maybe 5 and learn as much as possible, and build up experience to eventually get my own small buissness some where abroad.