ImpactMediaP

Still working on the box design and this is our most recent update. The red markings are all edits we need to make and we are thinking of getting rid of the blue box around the title. I was watching a commercial the other day and they used interesting type for their product and I thought it might be perfect for our box. I found the font online and I will use it on my next mock and show my boss. I hope it looks as good in real life as it does in my head!   

Also! Boss got me a bagel and banana for work today!

I moderated the MTP event the Art + Design Club hosted two weeks ago and it was one hell of an experience! I was very nervous and remember making terribly awkward mistakes throughout the night but overall, I’m so glad I did it. It was great to know the professionals on the panel one on one and have a chance to be up and front of a crowd- even if that crowd was small and cold (it was snowing like crazy that day!)

I helped to introduce each and everyone of the 4 panelists speaking. We had 3 CityTech Alumni and it was interesting to hear their story. They seemed to be so successful and happy in their careers but it wasn’t a smooth ride for any of them. We asked each one of the panelist 2-3 questions concerning their work or design experience and they were very open and honest. One thing I remember from the night was one of the panelist (Edem) who was a design strategist at a startup mentioned how applying for jobs through jobsites like a companies website, craigslist, indeed, and others was a waste of time and their likelihood of getting that job was very low. He mentioned that the only “real” way to get a job was from networking and knowing someone. I definitely have to work on getting better at that.

I went to the Portfolio Review workshop today hosted by the ComD department and the Art + Design Club and I am so glad I went. All semester long, I’ve been working on design projects that I put a lot of time, thought, and effort into designing but I was really only proud of 2 or 3 of my works. Even at my job, I have designed anything that I would want to put in my personal portfolio to show professionals. I was starting to feel like I didn’t put in as much as effort as I usually do. However, going to the portfolio review really changed that mindset for me and I had a lot of my pressing questions answered by professionals.

I met with a professor who teaches Advertising Portfolio Development here at City Tech and he seemed very impressed with my work. He highly suggested I take his class next semester as well! I currently have my portfolio on tumblr.com just because I haven’t had the chance to sit down and create one on squarespace or wix. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing but he assured me that for the time being, it was alright. I also wanted to know if I should keep my portfolio consistent in turns of design aesthetic. I’ve heard time and time again that I need to have a certain look that defines my style of work but he mentioned that since I wanted to find work as an art director in the future that I wouldn’t have to worry about that and that I should have pieces that show you can create all sorts of design work. I was very happy to hear that since I’ve been stressing myself in trying to find my “look.”

I also met with Morgan Mack who was a copy writer at McCann. We had a very casual conversation and we spoke a lot about her. She mentioned that she sort of fell into Advertising and actually studied literature in college. She never saw herself as a visually artistic person but she works well with her words. She is still fairly young- maybe around my age actually but she I asked her where she sees herself in the future and she wasn’t exactly sure. I was actually interested in seeing her portfolio from college and portfolio school and even though she didn’t seem to like the pieces, I thought they were very interesting. It was cool to see the transition from schoolwork to real work. She seemed very proud of the work she created recently and was excited to talk about it!

Took a trip to the printing press (HAIG Graphics) our in Wyandanch, Long Island with my boss yesterday. I had no idea how much work actually went into printing. We had a worked on a brochure for one of our clients for the last couple of weeks and sent it out to get it printed. It was already behind in scheduling so we needed them ASAP. I stayed in contact with the printer before I met them through email for the last couple of weeks because there was some issues with the colors used in the InDesign document. My boss and I worked sometimes the whole day on this one brochure but the end design looked great. Unfortunately, there was still an issue with the printing (but we believe it wasn’t our fault.) We wanted to add a varnish to some of the images on the brochure but for some reason, they were coming out smaller than the image below it. My boss and I decided to go visit HAIG and see what the matter was. They explained to us the situation and we left with a better understanding. They told us it would be done by Friday. Can’t wait to see the end result!

Impact Media Productions is a very VERY small studio. I work there three days a week and only on Mondays do I have one more person (besides my boss) working with me. Her name is Katrina and she has been working here still June 2018. She’s helped me settle in and has been great at teaching me how things work around the office (especially the printers.) Since Katrina and I only work together on Mondays, we usually find that we finish each others work throughout the week. Let’s say he is working on a flyer on Monday but has had a chance to finish it. When I come in on Wednesday, one of my assignments is usually to finish or edit it for her. This can get a bit irritating but also satisfying. Irritating because- depending on the project at hand- we both have different design styles and knowing that someone else has completed your work in their own personal fashion can get a bit annoying. I notice that we’re not always happy with the end result if the other person completed it for us. However, the project is done and if our boss and the client seem to like the outcome, we move on. If it’s an assignment we weren’t to excited to work on in the first place, we’re just happy that it’s done with! XP

As for the box, Katrina’s been really helpful when it comes to printing on our big epson printer since I’ve never used one before. Unfortunately, whenever she teaches me how to do it, I seem to have mastered it until I have to print something out when she’s not around. Luckily, my boss is very patient and usually just tells me to let Katrina know it needs to be printed and she does it when she comes into work.

On to the next step! My boss and I made inserts for the box so the ink bottles stay in nice and secure. We also came up with the idea of  card in the box or possibly having an image on the opposite side of the cover that will should all the colors available.

I listened to a webcast by Bob Calvano on the AIGA website.

Here are some important and interesting notes I took.

Knowing who you are is important in the design field because you can create and listen better.
It is also important because you could gain clarity around what you should be listening to going forward in a work enviornment or with a client.
To do this you should ask yourself “what do I bring to the today?” You could also do a retrospective where you identify a common thread in your work. What are your inspirations behind your work, who motivates you, how do you get a project completed, what sort of environment do you enjoy working in, etc?

Listen to opportunities that will allow you to express yourself and your work. Listening goes hand and hand with waiting for opportunities that you see demonstrate how you see design (authentic expression).
Listen to clients but also ask “what do I hear?”

When it came to creating, Calvano brought up how we can help corporations make an emotional connection to the world. Words alone don’t bring about this change. We need to think big and on a global level. We need to shift the perceptive we have on ourselves and one another. Get rid of your story so you can find your potential.

Everything at Impact Media Productions has gone well so far! I’m learning a lot and have a great opportunity to work closely with my boss who has a lot of experience in the art/design world. We’re still working on the box design for a tattoo salon that sells their own permanent tattoo inks. They’ve had several different palettes but this particular one is skin/flesh tones plus black and white. They wanted to go with an Egyptian theme and we’re calling it “Nefertiti Cosmetic Inks.” So far, I’ve been through a number of different variations of box designs but i think we’re finally started to get on one direction with it. My boss and I brainstorm some ideas, I work on a couple of versions, then we pick and choose elements we like and dislike and work on some more. The box design is more complicated than I thought since there are so many factors to take into consideration like size, texture, color, printing, etc.