Self Promotion - McCammon Designs

The self promotion brief is my first project i have researched, this is a fantastic challenge, i will have to find out exactly what is required and rise to the required standards, looking at other students work has helped me to realise ways i would approach presentation of my work and understand that every designer has a different style and method of working, my styles and method are being tested as i try to produce my first brand identity for myself, I'm thinking i want a clean look that invites the customer with some elements of design but not over designed, just simple but effective is my goal at this stage, i hope for my work to stand out and show prominence with a clear brand, many online designers with high quality work in there portfolio have some sort of identity this will be considered during design processes, does a highly designed website of brand offer more opportunities than a simple site with great work? sometimes quite the opposite could be what the customer feels more comfortable with.

What is my goal? from logo brand identity and company ethics as a graphic designer in a highly competitive industry it simply must stand out be memorable and offer clients the design services that drive business success, i understand the importance or corporate identity and its strengths.

Consideration of domain names and what i will call myself? i like the idea of not being James McCammon designs, i think a name like Bullet Designs or Swift Studios seems more professional however mccammondesigns domain is available i have searched domains using heart Internet and made a decision to go with mccammondesigns and i will incorporate the letters M and D into my logo shape (see sketches in PF).

Upon researching other graphic design specialists i really like the high end quality of this company attitude design and their own logo being a simplified shape, this is like my own design style my logo designs will also start out as a simple shape demo the many sketched ideas ref (my sketches in PF)

Ref - [online] http://www.attitudedesign.co.uk/ - 19/10/11

I'm finding it difficult using illustrator for the first time, but what is more frustrating is taking my sketched designs to the mac and not quite getting the same results, but i know its just practice using this system and the benefits of vector formatting is a great asset to know the artwork will be looking its best, in eps. or ai. file types. Its similar to Indesign where I'm most comfortable working. However finding my way around the programme and getting used to working at the correct standard required should be challenging and offer the development of essential skills.

Feeling more confident creating logo designs in illustrator now, however i have realised I've taken too much time working on logo designs and found it more difficult to choose one i really like, the opinion of others has been very helpful, but ultimately it will be my final decision and i will be sure i know how and why I've mad my choice and feel confident in sticking to my guns.

Graphic Designer Business Equipment

Starting the course i did not have access to my own computer and i knew i needed to find a solution fast after a long and painful process of what would be better for me to use a Mac or a PC vs the costs. Both machines have advantages and disadvantages, however my final choice was to buy a Mac Pro as this enables me to work from anywhere and use the licence for the software i have access too, an as all the computers at the university are iMac this seems the best choice for compatibility and improving workflow, i use the iMac at work and continue to improve and learn on a daily basis.

My equipment was purchased under a 3 year business lease agreement with the advantage of spreading the cost being fully insured in case of any accident or dataloss, this was with the intention of setting up McCammon Designs as a sole trader company in which case the full amount paid for the equipment would be claimable back under business expenses, as i understand without this equipment the business would cease to function and is therefore tax refundable, although this can only be backdated 3 months. On reflection i realised how much extra the equipment would cost me and felt taking out the business lease was not the right decision for me as i would like to own the equipment far sooner, understanding why i took this risk has been invalid. At the time i had no way of producing the work for my course and had no money or other support and resources, this was my chosen solution and i learnt the importance of thinking things through before signing contacts and keeping an eye on the main goals.

Hands on Hygiene

As i understand this brief is to help create a strong awareness of the importance of washing hands within a hospital environment, i have obtained copies of the 2011 clean you hands campaign and researched online different ideas that have been done before, my first initial ideas had been done before so i decided to take a different approach, after speaking with a nurse currently working at the NHS Burton hospital with regards to how she felt about the hands on hygiene campaign, it became apparent that it was not a new concept and the campaign has been around for some years, after reflecting on my discussion, my design ideas changed to deliver a more simple message by creating a characters called 'Drip' and one called 'Drop' i have made my series of posters and campaign identity based on these characters, with the basis of forming a memorable campaign with a brighter message than previous years.

During this brief i have created my first character and series of posters, i feel my computer design work is getting stronger and further development of my characters could be advantageous by making them more 3D and adding lighting effects. However the simple design shapes used will create a more catching effect, i have understood my change in designs and approach after speaking to NHS staff looking at the walls within the hospital, as this differs from my mind maps and sketched concept ideas.