Communication and Visualisation Project

@monikabk-comandvis-blog

52 posts

Research - Book - Skills for success

I've just scan read through this book. It is very informative about the skills a creative individual will acquire to become successful.

I read the whole of chapter 1. The Vision : What is Success?

Below are some of the information that i thought was useful as a beginner.

'Being at university is about more than gaining a qualification - important though that is. Students today expect their time i higher education to be a passport to other kinds of success: to a good job, a career, longer-term financial security, more interesting work, management level opportunities, specialist skills and knowledge required for particular professions, a different lifestyle.

A degree alone is unlikely to make you stand from the crowd. As a student, you will be making decisions that will impact on your future opportunities.'

Chapter 4 : Successful self-management was also quite informative.

'Self-management encompasses a very broad range of skills, qualities, attitudes and experience. It can include some or all of the following:

being able to analyse your situation, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats;

identifying resources and sources of support;

managing your time;

adopting attitudes that support your aims;

taking a solution-focused approach to managing problems;

managing your own emotions;

coping when in distress;

managing change, uncertainty and confusion. '

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Research

I found this book in the library.

Book Description

'The Creative Industries represent a vital, exciting and rapidly changing field of activity; one that is now recognised as a key growth sector in the knowledge-based economy. However, there is still a general lack of understanding of what is meant by the term 'Creative Industry', and interestingly, to date, the creative sector has not been the subject of concerted academic research. Thus, this timely book aims to inform academics, policy makers, support agencies and creative entrepreneurs about current priority issues on the Creative Industries research agenda, and platforms some of the key challenges yet to be addressed. Leading academics deal with a range of issues within the Creative Industries across different countries and contexts and the book provides valuable insights into the creative entrepreneurial process from an international perspective.'

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Freelancer - Noah Bradley - Artist, illustrator, and Visual development artist

'I never wanted to be a starving artist. So while I was in art school I spent countless hours studying, researching, and attempting ways to make a living with art. By the time I graduated I was a full-time freelancer. I had done it.'

Article wrote by Noah Bradley

http://www.noahbradley.com/blog/2012/dont-ride-the-waves-of-freelancing

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Inspirational story

Kirsty Mitchell

Graduated from Ravensbourne College of Art in the summer of 2001.

'So Life has became a different place, ‘a second chance’ is maybe the only way to describe it, and for that I am so grateful. '

The story of how she's got to where she is now is very inspiring. You can read the full story on the link below.

http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/biography.php

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Exhibition

I visited a graduate exhibition.

Jayne Wilton - Artist

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Interviews - Online

5th Jul

[interview] Aegir Hallmundur – a freelance designer

by Leif

Aegir Hallmundur is a designer, typographer, illustrator and front-end web developer based in Brighton. He runs Ministry of Type, the popular blog for all things typographical. You can see his phenomenal design work at aegir.me

I interviewed Aegir to learn how he has carved out a successful freelance career. What follows are his words, followed by my interpretation.

“I went freelance because I was offered a temporary work opportunity that was too good to refuse.”

Sometimes, the comfort and convenience of full-time employment get in the way of progress. By being freelance we are free to grab life’s opportunities and follow enticing paths.

There’s a clue in the name, but full-time employment doesn’t leave us much time to pursue other things – and for most people full-time work precludes pet projects, learning opportunities or short-term work offers. Indeed, by simply being freelance, by creating that little breathing space around our lives, we invite offers, opportunities and happy chances.

“Being freelance means I don’t need to clutter my working life with forms, procedures or bureaucracy.”

Aegir doesn’t adhere to a strict client engagement process, or document every interaction with a form in triplicate. Knowing that he doesn’t work well with such administrative detritus, he leaves it well alone. So don’t feel obliged to follow the systems used by your former employers.

“Charge high and never under-value your skills and experience. Start with rates that are relatively high, because if you start low you’ll find it impossible to raise them.”

New freelancers are often modest. You feel insecure about your skills or your ability to deliver a project, so you charge less than everyone else. It’s a common scenario, but one that leads to problems.

Because poor rates attract poor clients, the unwitting discount freelancer may be left with a portfolio of poverty-stricken clients – clients who don’t have the budget or the brains to value their service. A reputation as a cheapo freelancer can be tricky to shift.

It’s much easier to start with high rates and occasionally, if the mood or the work takes your fancy, you can dip your rates to get the gig.

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Interviews - Online

8th Sep

[interview] Guy Anderson – digital agency owner

by Leif

Guy Anderson is a former freelance web designer and now the owner of digital agency zero G Media. After years of straight-up freelancing Guy is building a digital agencyby taking on bigger projects and working closely with a trusted team of freelancers.

I spoke to Guy to get his thoughts on freelancing. What follows are his words, followed by my interpretation.

“I went freelance because I wanted the freedom to make a difference.”

Guy went freelance after becoming frustrated by the lack of control in his day job. His employer wanted a compliant operative. Guy wanted to innovate, to see his ideas develop and bloom. His employer wasn’t interested. So Guy went freelance.

Guy’s motivation for going freelance is fairly typical, but his is a very positive reason to change. If you crave the freedom to pursue your own ideas, then go for it. Make your ideas happen. See what emerges. Wanting freedom and the room to pursue your own initiatives is a great reason to quit your job and try freelancing.

“I don’t really do selling. I just honestly believe that I can make peoples’ lives better.”

Selling is, for many, a dirty word. And for many freelancers selling is an odious task, and one we’d rather not think about. But Guy’s approach to selling is to not think about selling, and simply think about how he can help people. If he can’t help people then he doesn’t pretend that he can.

Guy knows when his services and his skills are unsuited to the job on offer, and he politely declines, or suggests an alternative freelancer. So if sales is one area of freelancing that you don’t enjoy (or don’t foresee enjoying) then remember that you don’t need to sell anything to anybody. You just need to offer something useful, and believe in your own usefulness.

“You have to keep on marketing, all the time. You have to fill tomorrow’s plate.”

After surviving a few patches of work scarcity, Guy discovered the value of persistent marketing. So even when he’s busy, Guy does marketing. He networks, updates his blog, enhances his web presence or uses social media (particularly LinkedIn and Twitter) to find clients and the freelancers he employs. Thanks to this persistent marketing effort, zero G enjoys a steady stream of work, with fewer of the unsettling lulls that normally characterise freelance careers.

But ‘persistent marketing’ is easier said than done. Because who wants to go traipsing out to another networking event when there’s important work to be done? And who wants to drop the client’s project for an hour to write a guest blog post for a peer? Sure, it’s not easy. But it’s the key to getting a steady flow of work.

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Research (statistics)

Labour market statistics, 2010

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Research - Freelancer

Freelancer - somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term.

I want to look into freelancing. Researching more into the pro's and con's of this.

Pro's

Become own boss

Have your own business

Achieve a sense of pride

Set your own rules

Incorporate hobby into your work

Con's

Incoming work is not guaranteed

Have to find work on your own

Be self-motivated

Inconsistant monthly income

Do your own accounting

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Research - Article found online

http://rising.blackstar.com/photography-students-its-time-to-give-it-up.html

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3rd Years - Response

The responses are Anonymous

1st response - Photography student

- How do you think your 3 years went?

'I think my 3 years have been brilliant. I've learned alot and am eager to use my skills to pursue my career further.'

- What is your plan after graduation?

'Traveling. I'm planning to spend a year or so to travel around the world, find interesting locations and shoot to develop my skills and further enhance my portfolio.'

- Do you intend to work in the same field you graduate in?

'Yes! This is definitely the field that excites me the most and will want to do for the rest of my life.'

- What advice would you give to the first years now?

'Just to work hard and remember that time flies by quickly so make sure to use all the resources available in these 3 years to really get the most out of your course. It will be very beneficial to you in the future'

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2nd response - Graphic design student

- How do you think your 3 years went?

'I think I wasted my first year, I didn’t really like it at first but then it grew on me I wanted to change my subject’s but my friends encouraged me to stay on and continue with the subject, I chose it because I thought it would be easier, it wasn’t at first but it has become over time, over the past 2 years my ideas grew and it made me more innovative making my work a lot easier for me. And my passion for designing grew bigger.'

- Are you satisfied with the course your doing?

'Yes currently im nearing the end of my course and I am very satisfied and im glad I didn’t change subject.'

- What is your plan after graduation?

'I would like to take a break and look into freelancing and probably internship.'

- Do you intend to work in the same field you graduate in?

'Yes definitely.'

- What advice would you give to the first years now?

'Stick with what you have, even you if you're unsure of your future'

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3rd response - Fashion design student

How do you think your 3 years went?

'Ive always loved fashion, I wanted to do fashion designing because I thought it was all about designing and making the clothing… but I was unhappy when I found out that there was so much writing like professional context and theory and context and lectures that wasn’t related to my course, but overall im really happy aside from all the theory work I had to do.'

Are you satisfied with the course your doing?

'Yepp I couldn’t be more satisfied.'

What is your plan after graduation?

'Im currently at an internship, I would like to carry for a few more months or years and move into working as group of designers and create a mens fashion range and hopefully in the future I would like to have my own range of clothing in my name, wont be easy but I wont stop trying.'

Do you intend to work in the same field you graduate in?

'Of course.'

What advice would you give to the first years now?

'Do what you love and continue making it grow.'

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Questions to ask - 3rd years

- How do you think your 3 years went?

- Are you satisfied with the course your doing?

- What is your plan after graduation?

- Do you intend to work in the same field you graduate in?

- What advice would you give to the first years now?

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Rave late : Graphic Design

I went to the rave late for graphic design on 30th January 2013.

Brief introduction about Nieku

'We are a web based company and strive to provide the best tailored online design solutions whilst giving a proactive and cost effective service.'

These are the notes I wrote down from the talk given by Nick Taheri from Nieku.

What are you worth? Networking

Broadcast

Twitter

Handing business cards

Word of mouth

Setting your workflow

Break down project

Give clear time frames

Sign-off before processing

Give realistic time frames

Always meet deadlines

'As a freelancer you get to be your own boss, set your own business, get to do something your passonate about and it feels good.'

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Professional Individual - Response

After a series of e-mails I finally got a chance to ask about some of the questions for this project 'research your industry'.

This is his short/quick response

Von wong - Photographer

- What was your plan after graduation?

'I did not graduate in photography, graduated in engineering.'

- Did you struggle staring up?

'Yes. There is no success without struggle.'

- How did you get into the industry?

'I taught myself everything about photography

- Would you say what you do now is ‘your dream job’?

'This is definitely my dream job.'

- Any advice you would like to give to staring individuals?

'The only thing I can truly say is that never give up. There are going to be ups and downs but the journey will be worthwhile when you live doing what you love.'

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Research

I did some research some of the successful individuals that I could possibly ask via e-mail or a phone call. Below im listing some of the people.

- Von Wong - Photographer

' Dreams drive me, inspire me and push me to challenge the impossible in creating unique compelling artwork. '

- Natalie Taffarel - Retoucher

'I’m a neurotic, detail maniac, control freak who thinks beauty is shown solely through the details.'

- Kirsty Mitchell - Fine Art Photographer

'she instilled in me the most precious gift a mother could, her imagination and a belief in beauty.'

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