#sectionten

[thecompoundsproject-blog]

[zulekhasheikhcipm-blog]

Final Evaluation - 1500 words

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Rationale of the Project

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I instantly knew I wanted to work with someone who I have constant contact with, this brought on the idea of choosing Tahmina Mughal, a local cake baker based in London. Tahmina is an inspirational baker who has a talent but lacks in technical experience. She explained she just wanted to promote her business further and give it a brand that is recognisable to her customers. I proposed the project to Tahmina and she was happy for me to help her, and I knew I could rely on her to give me some of her time in order to complete the project successfully. Together we were able to scope the project and agreed on these artefacts to produce:

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1. A promotional video to show what Tahmina does

2. Business cards to be handed out at events, weddings and birthdays

3. An Instagram page to get her business on the social media scene

4. A logo to feature on her video, Instagram and existing website to give Cake Arrangements a brand and consistency

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Half way through the project, the client had also asked to make some changes to her existing website to make it follow the same theme that the logo and business cards featured, I also made these changes to the client’s existing Facebook page.

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Before starting the project, I undertook extensive research to see what similar companies were doing to promote their businesses, I found colourful websites and a running theme across their online presence. I had to ensure I was comfortable using software’s Adobe photoshop and Illustrator. Premiere Pro was also new to me, so I watched tutorials on Youtube so I could learn the basics. Once I was comfortable with using these software’s, I downloaded them and started on my logo. The client had requested pastel colours for this and after doing some research I found that bright pink was a popular choice, the client was happy for me to go ahead with that and I created a logo on Adobe Illustrator making sure it was simple yet joyful. During the project, people saw issues with my logo as the text was difficult to see and it did not look professional. So I collaborated with a graphic designer to take the look of my logo and simply make it better. This gave the logo a better image on social media.

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I then created the promotional video, the client had told me she wanted to explain to customers that she makes everything at home and why she has such a passion for baking while also demonstrating her baking skills. My client and I arranged a date when I could go to her home and film material for the video. I had planned to use a mobile phone to film the video however decided on a Sony Camcorder for better quality. I filmed the client’s whole process of making delicately decorated cupcakes and would filter out the best clips to feature in the video, I then filmed the client herself in an interview style. The film was put together on Adobe Premiere Pro which was easy to use after watching tutorials.  By adding transitions and music, I was able to produce a professional looking video which the client was happy with.

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The business cards were initially made on moo.com, the first design that I created was not liked by the client as she did not like the image used. As there was a slight delay with not ordering the business cards on time the client decided she no longer wanted them, however I had designed new ones and I had given the client the option of taking them when she needs.

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I had made the Instagram account for the client about a year ago, however the client did not do well in keeping up with the maintenance so I took over and gave it a revamp by adding the logo and uploading 15 second videos that I filmed whenever I saw the client working on something new. During research I came to realise the importance of social media and the benefits it gives to a business.

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Group Organisation and Participation

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Initially, I had planned to not collaborate with anyone on this project and to produce the artefacts myself. However after receiving feedback, I realised the design elements could be improved if I collaborated with someone more experienced. Therefore with the help of a graphic designer, the logo was redesigned. Communication between myself and the client was very strong. The communication contributed towards the success of the project. With constant messaging and phone calls, I was able to ensure that the client was happy with everything I produced as we went along rather than the client giving me a list of amendments at the end. This also contributed towards the success of the project as it helped me stick to time and make small alterations without falling behind.

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Merits and Problems

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Throughout the duration of the project, I was fortunate enough to not have come across any major issues that would delay the completion.

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The first issue I had to overcome was consistency of the brand. Although the client’s website and Facebook page was not part of my brief, they were not consistent with the brand. I overcame this adding the logo and colour theme to the Facebook and existing website.

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The second issue for me was not being familiar with the software’s that needed to be utilised for this project, I quickly overcame this with online help. Another issue I faced was the first design of the business cards not being liked by the client. This delayed the delivery process as I had to design new one’s to suit the client's needs.

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Changes and Future Improvements

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If I had more time for this project, there are definitely some changes that I would make to the artefacts. Firstly I would have done more research to give myself a better understanding of what similar companies are doing to promote and generate sales.

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I would have liked to spend more time on Premiere Pro editing the video to make it look more professional. I tend to ignore little adjustments that would have made the final piece better, this is something I have learnt about myself and hope to change in the future. Although I feel with more practice of the software, I have the potential of making some well edited videos.

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I would also have liked to have more face to face meetings with my client as I felt she was more honest with me when we physically met than over messaging and phone calls. This was only due to a travel distance between myself and the client however I did try to go to London whenever I could.

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I would have definitely planned better, I would have liked to draw up more designs and mockups so that I could improve my art skills. Upon reflection, I can see how that would have benefitted me.

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I would have also liked to have make more changes to the client’s website rather than just changing the homepage. The client’s existing website was dull and did not look a part of Cake Arrangements.

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Changes After Feedback

After receiving some constructive criticism from the unit co-ordinators, it was clear that I needed to make some changes. I applied these changes as quick as I could. I collaborated with a graphic designer to create a better looking logo as the one before wasn’t perfect in shape and the font was difficult to read. I also changed the website homepage a lot, to make it look completely different so that it matches the rest of the business theme. Changes were also applied to the Facebook page, the client made me the admin and I uploaded the logo along with making the cover photo the same as the background image in the new website. The client was happy for me to make all these changes and glad that I offered to change a lot of what wasn’t part of my brief.

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To conclude, I believe the client was pleased with the outcome of the artefacts and in turn has asked me to upkeep the social media side of things and help to help her with anything she may need in the future. The project has been a real eye-opener for me and showed me what it can be like to work with a client who has demands that may not follow what you what want to do. I have learnt a lot and gained a whole new experience. I have learnt how to use software’s, how to take instructions and also how to meet deadlines. These are all qualities that will benefit me in the future. I have learnt that a lot goes into managing a project and there is a lot to consider however with the help of tools like gantt charts, it can help you execute a task on time and follow a planned structure.

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Although I faced a couple issues along the way, I have taken a lot from this experience and look forward to working with my client again.

[steph-ann-bean94-blog]

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Presentation Slides

[melissa-pm-blog]

My project is now ready to be handed in. Here is the folder which has been chosen to present my work in a professional manner. All links to my final artefact including the business cards can be found at the back of the folder. The links to my blog which showcases my documentation of this project can be found throughout the folder in the relevant places. It is also worth noting that the first project proposal has been scanned and reprinted as over the last few months the original copy became crumpled and I did not wish to hand this in alongside professional standard work.  I am very pleased with this work and have enjoyed being part of such a project. This is definitely something I wish to continue.

[hpcipm-blog]

Evaluation

Jack Munsch Project

The Project

Initially I had two prospective clients for this project. The first was Jane Lowe, who wanted a website alongside a magazine to showcase her work and recipes. The second was the client that I decided to choose, Jack Munsch, who wanted to design and develop a new logo, a brand new website showcasing his videos and show reel, and business cards for promotion. I chose Jack Munsch as my client because I have a passion for videography and photography so my skills and knowledge can be used to produce a more professional artefact for the client. I have also briefly worked with Jack before so I knew I could rely on him not dropping out of the project and keeping good communication with me. At the start of project I created a contract of agreement, which we both signed, stating that I would create a set of artefacts for the client; a website with a personalised domain, a new logo design and fifty business cards.

Processes of the Project

At the start of the project it was decided that the theme for the project would be simplistic, but sophisticated, this had to be consistent throughout all of the artefacts. This was to ensure that all the artefacts are consistent with each other and provides a professional image that the client was looking for.

Consistency of the project was very important for me, as I believe that it will tie all the artefacts together and make them look very professional. Also, when potential clients look at the logo, use the website and see the business cards they will be able to see the consistency throughout the project and realise that it means a lot to my client. As a result of this the first artefact I started working on was the logo; I started with this because this would be the main focal point of the business cards and the header of the website.

Before I started work on any of the artefacts I wanted to make sure I was comfortable with the software I was using, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. I felt like I needed to improve my skills with these resources as I had been away from University for two years due to personal reasons. I dedicated a few days to learning tutorials and watching YouTube videos, this quickly allowed me to familiarise myself with the tools of Illustrator and Photoshop. I believe this was an important part of the project for me because I was able to design and develop a truly unique logo for my client from the tutorials I had learnt from the Internet.

Once I was happy with the logo, I started creating the business cards and website. For these two artefacts I used Moo.com to create the business cards and WiX.com to develop the website. I decided to use WiX to develop the website as I was very unfamiliar on how to create and develop websites, I wanted to seek advice from my peers to help me decide what platform I should use to make the website, and they suggested to use WiX. I also asked for advice on business card companies, as I was aware that it could be time consuming because of the delivery of the cards, so I wanted to guarantee I chose a reliable company for this artefact.  

There were many professional designs to choose from on Moo.com and I considered some designs for the business cards. However I decided to create a blank business card and design it myself. This enabled me to keep the consistent feel of the project. I downloaded templates of business cards and then used Illustrator to design over the templates. With the tools provided by these two platforms I was able to meet my client’s needs to create a successful and professional website. The client was very thrilled with the finished look of the business cards as they looked very professional and met his needs, he was also very happy with the website.

The communication between the client and I has been great, this has also contributed to the success of the project. As I had worked briefly with the client before, I was confident that he would be a reliable client and not drop out. Furthermore because of the relationship I had with the client he was able to talk to me openly about the project through the emails I sent to him about the progress of the project. We tried to call each other on the phone as often as possible to discuss things about the project, this worked very well for the project as my client could call me when he had a query, or he wanted to change something. This was crucial for the success of the project, as my client was able to tell me truthfully if he did, or did not, like any aspects of the artefacts. This in turn enabled me to make quick alterations to the artefacts to meet the new needs of the client so he was happy for me to continue with the project.

Merits and Problems of the Project

Throughout this project I did not encounter any major problems that affected the overall project, and if I were to encounter any major problems I had already taken into account contingency time for me to find a solution to the problem and for the project to stay on track for the completion date. However I did encounter a few minor problems in the course of this project.

One of the first problems the client and I encountered was the type of font we wanted to use for all of the artefacts; the client stated he wanted a simple typeface that looked professional. I researched several different types from dafont.com, however when it came to applying these fonts to Adobe Illustrator they were distorted. As a result of this we had to quickly decide on a solution, we both discussed about choosing another font from dafont.com conversely the client did not want to risk the problem again so he said to look for a similar font within Adobe Illustrator.  Choosing the font from Adobe Illustrator was the best course of action for the project as I was then able to successfully use the font for the website to keep the consistent theming.

Another problem I encountered was at the start of the project one of the clients’ needs was to incorporate a social feed box on the website. After researching on how to do this on the WiX website I found that you are unable to easily incorporate this feature onto the website, unless you are highly skilled in HTML coding, which unfortunately I am not. However when discussing this with the client he was happy not to have the feature on the website.

What Changes Would You Make & Future Improvements

At the start of the project it was discussed in my initial proposal that I would use a web developer to help me with the production of the website, I had encountered many issues trying to find someone to collaborate with. Many web designers were too busy to take the project on, and some were not interested, so I decided to develop the website by myself as I was wasting time trying to find someone to collaborate with. If I were to do this project again, with more time involved, I would try to collaborate with a web developer as I believe I would be able to learn a lot from them and enhance my HTML coding skills.

The one part of the website that frustrates me the most is the white blank space on some of the pages, if I had more time with this project I would try and rectify this by changing the display settings or adding images to fill up the blank spaces.

In the final meeting my client and I discussed the future of the project, I asked the client if I could still maintain and look after the site as I found this project very enjoyable, he said he was more than happy for me to maintain the website after the completion of the project. The client also wants to start showcasing filming tutorials and tips for students at University to help with their projects.

I am very happy with the final outcome of all three of the artefacts created which meet the needs of my client. The website with a personalised domain name, a brand new logo and fifty business cards have been developed very successfully and managed well. The client also added that he is more than happy with the outcome of the artefacts and that he would recommend me to other people. He also added that he will credit me on the website and the business cards when people ask about it, as it will be a big part of his career from now on.

On reflection of this project, I believe that it has been a success. I did not have too many problems throughout the process of the project, however I have gained a lot of experience and tips, which will help me with future projects. The project has highlighted to me the importance of project management, and workflow management. I have learnt that when a project is managed correctly with the correct tools like Gantt charts, to help track the progress, it is possible to successfully execute a project.

[jomoyescipm]

Evaluation.

 MyProject:  

My client, David Moyes, is an aspiring photographer, and he desperately wanted to take his passion further. His photographs are outstanding and we both felt that they needed to be shown off on a wider media spectrum. He already has his own personal Facebook, (where he has been able to share his photographs) with friends and family, as well as having a Flickr account to document his work. When I sat down with him on December the 20th 2014 and discuss whether he would be interested in the option to take it further, he was excited to start. He wanted something that showed off his talent in photography and was keen at the possibility in selling his work. The design of the website had to be simple and elegant, as he did not like the look of other photographers sites which were cluttered. My client made it very clear what he wanted from this project. It was easy enough to communicate with him. From this, I knew his tastes and preferences well, however I still went ahead to talk to him in detail about what he wanted. I discussed with him about when his photography started, what inspires him in the industry and what he would like to gain from the project. I advised him on many aspects and we discussed how much input he would have over the whole project. We both agreed it would be best if I designed the logo, as I have an artistic background with experience on software designed for creating logos, such as Adobe Illustrator. With this I completed section one of the project signing off a contract to provide evidence of our agreements. At this meeting I also managed to come up with a proposal of what I will be doing precisely in this project. Then I had it signed off by one of my unit coordinators to make sure that this project was all ok to go ahead with.  To gain further knowledge on my client I asked for him to complete two questionnaires that I prepared, to get an idea on his intentions.

During the initial research, I looked at several photographers’ websites and blogs to get an idea of what kind of industry I am pursuing. While doing this I gained knowledge on the codes and conventions in which photography sites attain. These provided me with inspiration for the project I am managing. My research also included looking into the software I was going to use throughout the project. I concluded with this research that the best website developers were either Dreamweaver or Wix, so I was planning to go ahead with either of them. However after sitting down with my client, he told me about a software package designed specifically for photographers. My client’s fellow friends, who also do photography, have made their own websites on this software and my client was enthusiastic to use this also. The software is called Clikpic, it was designed primarily for photographers and showcased photographs well. When looking into Clikpic I realised it was a great software package as it was easy enough for my client to possibly use in the future when the project is over. From the start my client wished to be involved in this project quite heavily. He wanted to know the software well for any tweaks he may want to adjust after the website was complete.  When learning the software for Clikpic, I found it relatively easy to use. There was a user guide that I could download and that helped me along the way when creating the website. It took me a few days to get to grips with the editing on Clikpic but the website slowly started growing in its content. The hardest thing I had to do on Clikpic was resizing all of my clients photographs as they were too big in MG for the website.

Group Organisation and Participation:

Only my client and I were involved in my project. Any problems that arose were discussed with my client clearly and precisely. My client was clear from that start what he wanted, so that made it easy for myself to get exactly what he wanted. I felt that my management skills were good and I enjoyed being creative throughout the project.

Examined the merits and problems of the project:

There were a few problems I came across during this project. One of which was the logo design. My client was clear on what he wanted from the logo, something simple and that resembled his photographs. I produced many samples for him to look at. He was not completely happy with many of them so I had to keep trying which took up a lot of time. I initially designed the logo on Adobe Photoshop but decided to change to Adobe Illustrator after the first ‘final logo’ was not good enough. The logo looked too much like an artist logo and did not feature my client’s company name on it.  The move to Illustrator proved that it was the best software for the job and I managed to draw up a logo, which met the needs of my client. The logo was a big issue in this project as it took up a lot of my time up and this could have been solved if I had avoided using Photoshop straight away. The only other problem I faced was the communication between my client and I. As my client was also in full time work and living far away, it became difficult to get in contact with him sometimes. However through exchanging emails and instant chat, we managed to keep constant communication throughout, so my client was completely clear on what was happening. One last problem I had deal with was pleasing my client. The client wanted to be involved quite closely, which I found difficult to deal with at times. However with the constant contact I kept with him, I managed to continue to meet his needs as my client.

 Things I would do differently if given more time:

 If I had more time to complete this project I would definitely spend more time on the logo. My client and myself were very happy with the final logo, however I feel it could have had a lot more potential if I had more time. With this time, I could have made the logo more aesthetically pleasing and professional and I would think further about font choices and colours chosen. If I were given the chance to restart this project, I would make sure my time management was better and started a lot earlier than I did. I feel as if I rushed the project in the last few weeks of to make sure everything was done perfectly. This could have been avoided if I started a few weeks earlier and made a better plan of when I would complete things. I found it difficult to keep to my Gantt chart, which is specifically made to keep myself on track. I will learn a lot from this in future possible projects, as I will take time management more seriously and start things earlier than I did.

 Future plans for project:

 When it comes to the future of this project, I wish to keep in contact with my client throughout his journey and continue being part of this small business. I have offered my help if my client wishes this from me. My client has discussed an interest in me providing creative future developments but wishes to submerge himself more into this business since the project sign-off, as he wants to work mostly on his own, with help from me if necessary. My client wants to take the website further once it has been live for a while, by adding a profit basket to it. Which he wanted at the beginning of the project but decided to see how the website goes first. If he manages to get a lot of interest and happens to get some emails asking if they are for sale, then he will be more than happy to add a purchase basket to the website. I have shown him how to add a basket onto the website, easily and quickly, if he decides to go ahead with this he now has the knowledge to do so. I also advised him that offering to sell his photographs is a great way of expanding his potential business and he is enthusiastic to start selling them if the opportunity arises.

 Conclusion:

This project has opened my mind and interests further into creating a potential business. I found it extremely exciting watching and developing a website and how it will grow with future clients. It is rewarding seeing my client completely happy with the final product, and it is really nice knowing that he would like my help in the future if he needed. I feel this shows that I am a reliable and trustworthy manager for this website, and that it also shows off the right skills needed for this specific work.  I am very eager to see my clients business grow. Overall this project has increased my knowledge and potential of future projects that I may want to take up.

[melissa-pm-blog]

Evaluation

 Project Description: 

After Christmas I met with my client, Lauren Riley, and discussed ideas about what this project should entail. At this meeting it became clear that my client is exceptionally passionate about, and undoubtedly adores art. This has been showcased throughout the whole of the project as she has been extremely easy to work with and regularly included her own input. After this meeting I scoped the project and produced a project proposal. The following five things were agreed to be produced at the end of March: 1. A website 2. A social network site (Instagram) 3. A logo designed and created 4. Business cards 5. An email account Explain and justify the rationale for the work: The website is minimalistic and whilst you would expect an exceptional design on an artist’s website it became apparent during research that a complex design could easily distract a user’s attention from the main display - that being my clients work. Equally, I noticed in my research these complex designs take the longest to load. Furthermore, my SWOT analysis notes that Illustration is not something I specialise in or have much knowledge of and as a result of this I had to explore the codes and conventions of art Illustration to fully understand my client’s needs. I found artists such as Jamel Akib and Samantha Payne and explored their websites. I noticed many common themes within this niche including minimalistic appearance, clear fonts, and a self-portrait. I noticed a correlation in which many sites used four or more columns to present their work. In addition, they all use social networking and can be contacted via email. With the business cards I could not space the text as I hoped to. However, the font used helped create a visually pleasing and consumable appearance. To maintain consistency I ensured the business cards were minimalistic. In addition, while I personally dislike business cards with images on, I respect the fact that the best way to showcase an artist’s work when networking is to show them first hand. Unfortunately, I had to crop the image because of the restrictions on Moo.com but despite this my client was really happy with how the image was showcased and especially liked the contrast of the darkness the image pervades alongside the white background of the business card. It was particularly difficult to maintain consistency but one of the ways I tried to overcome this was through the use of font. I viewed a number of fonts by using DaFont. However, when incorporating the font from Dafont it became pixilated and thus lacked a professional appearance. Using the fonts available on Adobe Illustrator a new font was incorporated into the logo. When this completed logo was added to the website it was concluded that it did not work well because the title: ‘Lauren Riley Art’ was used too much. It was decided to remove the text from the logo for the purposes of the website. This ended up working well because it helped the website look cleaner and allowed the text font used elsewhere within the project to be used consistently. The full logo was used on the Instagram account and business cards. Font, as I understood should be clear, with the use of conventional upper and lower case letters used throughout and at no point display a large amount of text as there is a strong possibility of putting users off with this. Group organisation and participation: Only my client and I were involved in the project. Any problems that arose were discussed with my client and that is how decisions were made. I felt my project management skills were of a high standard. I particularly enjoy being organised and supervising tasks. However, with that I had to also realise at times that this project was for my client and whilst some of the decisions my client made are not necessarily ones I would make I had to take a step back and carefully listen to what it was my client was asking. My client was a great client and although I understand that being my housemate communication would be easier than with someone I did not know very well, I ensured to keep ‘mid-contracts’ throughout to clarify my client’s needs were met. In addition to this, despite this ease of contact, my client also had her own projects and could not always take time out to meet with me and so meetings had to be arranged to suit both my client and myself. Merits and problems of the final artefact: The business cards arrived on time and were produced to a high standard. My client was really happy with these and the professional look they attain. I originally was going to have the cards printed by VistaPrint but fortunately I listened to advice given to me by peers, as Moo.com definitely produced sleeker, higher quality business cards. The website works really well. However, the themes had to be changed a lot due to the aesthetics of the website. All the pages link really well and are easy for user’s to navigate throught. It was a long, tedious task uploading all of my clients work but the final product was well worth it. A lot of the themes I tried included credit to both Tumblr and the theme creator. I ensured that by editing the HTML and removing this credit would not cause copyright issues by checking the hosts’ site.

The only problem faced by using Instagram was the cropping feature which meant my client would lose parts of her work. To overcome this issue I used an App called Square InstaPic which rejected the cropping feature. When uploading images to the website and Instagram I noticed that some had an orange colour to them from the room they were taken it. I used PicMonkey, a website dedicated to editing images to fix this problem. I understood that Adobe Photoshop would be more professional to use but as I regularly use PicMonkey for my own image editing I felt much more comfortable using this. If I needed to do more than colour correct the images I would have collaborated with someone who could then go on to produce high quality edited images. Moreover, my first Gantt chart created stated that the project sign-off would be March 16th. This did not happen due to lack of planning around possible setbacks. An example of this would be the time allowed for making changes after reviewing with my client. As a result, a second Gantt chart with more time was created.

What are the possible future developments? My client and I discussed a possible future of developing this website into a small business. However, as my client is still a student this is something not possible for present. For now, my client hopes to be able to use this project as a platform to show possible employers. Equally, as my client is very fervent about art and Illustration she is thrilled by the possibility that she can now use her own website, Instagram and business cards to share this passion for individuals to enjoy. There has also been a conversation about possible photoshoots of my client at work for the website. In addition, my client and I have discussed a possible future in more social networking as this is currently a major platform for young artists such as Lauren.

Evaluation of artefact: All software used worked well without too many difficulties because of previous teaching. If I were to be creating a website for a business I would have considered a different website building host instead of Tumblr as Tumblr has a higher risk of being one-dimensional and less customisable. In the case of my client, Tumblr was enough and worked well for this project. I was providential to have chosen to order business cards with Moo.com as they produced high quality business cards and arrived on schedule. What would I do differently if I had more time? If I was given a longer time schedule I would have incorporated more social networking. This could include a Facebook page, a Pinterest account and so on. Moreover, if I had more time I would have helped my client market herself. I am particularly fond of this aspect of developing a project and this is something I will hopefully be involved in beyond this project sign-off, if my client wishes. This type of marketing could include advertisement on social networking sites to spread my client’s audience beyond the targeted demographic. Networking with relevant artists who could showcase my clients work on her behalf would have also been good to do as this is great publicity. My client and I could have attended a few exhibits and shared my client’s business cards to expand my client’s audience further. To conclude: I have really enjoyed creating this artefact. It has been especially enjoyable working alongside a client and to experience a professional project. I have gained new skills and expanded my knowledge about the Illustration world. I hope to continue being involved with my client in future developments. I have overcome problems and taught myself to take a step back when it is needed and listen to my client’s needs without the influence of my own personal preference. My client is very happy with the end result and all needs have been met. I will now continue evolving and using the expertise I have gained from this opportunity.

[njenningsprojectmanagement]

Final Evaluation.

Creative Industries Project Management Evaluation

‘The Little Biscuit Tin’

Project description

Sharron Jennings is someone who has always been a passionate baker, cake decorator and general creative person. She has always spoken about her desire to start up her own business in something based around baking, but has struggled to get anything started. After meeting with my client, she explained that she wanted to start off a business initially selling a variety of biscuits. My client possessed the skills to create the products; however it was clear that her multimedia experience would prevent her from showcasing and advertising her business effectively. This made my client easy to work with as she was extremely happy to receive professional input and advice. Together we scoped the project and these were the agreed artefacts to be produced;

1.       A logo, designed by client and adapted by designer

2.      A website with personal domain name

3.      A Facebook page

4.      Business cards and stickers

5.      An email account

At a later date it was also decided that I would create an Instagram account for my client.

Explain and justify the rationale for the work

The logo is the first section of this project that I wanted to tackle. My client provided me with a design idea, and my initial thoughts of it were that it was far too complex and busy. I did some research on other companies; The Biscuiteers and The Biscuit Box, to back up my point to my client, and we met again and came up with some new ideas. The final design is one that I suggested; it took part of my client’s original design but just cleaned it up and made it simpler. The font for this came from DaFont and it is one my client selected herself, due to the roundness of the letters and the highlights making it look tin-like, which linked to the name of the business.

Colour schemes were next to be selected. My client and I had already confirmed that the two main colours would be dark brown and an off-white colour, the third we debated over two shades of blue/turquoise and two shades of pink. In the end we decided to go with the pale pink as we felt a bright pink with a dark brown would be too intense. With the colour scheme selected I could go ahead with creating the rest of the content and colouring of the logo.

The website was to be eye-catching and easy to navigate. I chose the template site Wix to do this on and my client selected the ‘City Baker’ template for me to work on. The reason for this being was that she liked the wood background, and felt that it would complement the colour scheme selected. The structure and layout of the website was finalised by the research I had done on The Biscuiteers. Most the decisions made regarding layout were my own decisions, but when it came to the layout of the font, I referred to my research and found that smaller font, in columns and left aligned, looked the most professional. Also I found that keeping pages appearing in a grid formation were far more complimentary to the eye. The font used on the main text sections was different to the logo. A simpler font ‘Helvetica’ was used to make reading easier for future clients. The galleries were kept simple, just an image, with a short description, without prices on each section. My client sells personalised biscuits, so the cost all depends on what an individual client requires.

The same font, ‘Helvetica’ was used on the business cards. The layout was kept simple, and my client requested an image of her products on one side of the card. We went for a pale pink background to maintain continuity through all areas, and my client decided on rounded corners as she felt they would be less likely to be damaged and become tacky in client’s wallets etc.

The photography for this project was initially planned to be all done by myself with my Canon eos 700d, however circumstances meant that my client had to take most the photography and consequently the quality became extremely varied.

Group organisation and participation

My project ran between just my client and myself. Originally I had considered collaborating with someone advanced in coding as I was going to make the website with Dreamweaver however I decided I wanted to be completely in control of the project to fully display my project management skills, as a result I decided to use Wix instead.

My client was easy to work with and easy to get hold of either through email or phone calls, although preferred phone calls. This made decision making easier because I planned to keep in constant communication with my client in order to keep them as involved as possible. It meant I could keep my client up to date with my progress within the project and inform her of any changes I had made. For example, I decided to make an Instagram account, as another social networking platform to display her products.

Merits and problems of the final artefact

The logo is something that I am very proud of. My first attempt did not work as well as planned as I tried to trace my scanned sketch on Adobe Illustrator and it looked messy because each side was not even. However once I made the decision to only draw half and to copy, paste and reflect it (on the gingerbread man) the outcome was far more successful. The colours used were really effective and maintained consistency with the other created items.

I also felt the website met all requirements from my client and functions smoothly. The layout and photography used were changed around a fair bit until I felt satisfied, however I feel the standard of the photography does let it down slightly.

The business cards, coming from Moo had a very professional finish. Again the layout, with the text being too close and quality of the photograph used lets it down slightly.

The biggest problem I had was with the photography. With my client being unprepared to start her business as planned, and due to the distance between her and I, it meant she had to take the role of photographer. This meant that the quality of the photographs was not up to the standard required, however, due to my client’s personal reasons, I did not feel it fit to criticise her or pressure her into creating more products for me to come and do a big photoshoot. I did my best with what I had, using Adobe Photoshop to edit the images. At this stage I went back to my risk assessment and looked at the actions implemented, it reminded me that I already had a signed contract set out so did not have to worry, and that I should re-do my Gantt chart to ensure continued efficient time management.

What are the possible future developments?

Due to my client not being prepared for the end of the project, we have discussed the idea of her starting off smaller, without the website and online resources. So after this project I plan to take the resources offline and support my client through her intentions to start off solely with things like farmers markets etc. I have also informed my client that when she is ready I will be more than willing to take on the role on managing her online resources again and re-shooting her products in a professional set-up to ensure consistency and professionalism.

Evaluation of artefact

I found that all the software I used worked effectively and my time working with them ran smoothly. Wix was such a simple piece of software to use and had endless tutorials available. All other software that I used was familiar to me, and anything I did struggle with I turned to the tutorials for these or sought advice from tutors.

What would I do differently if I had more time?

If I had more time I would have ideally dedicated a lot more time researching into other similar companies in order to get a better grasp on aesthetics across a wider range of sources. Also I would have liked to master the art of photographing food to a higher standard.

I would have preferably planned more trips to visit my client in order to take the photoshoots myself as this would have saved me editing time, and given my overall finished artefacts a better aesthetic.

I also would have preferably got my client to sample their business in some way so that I could have added customer review comments on the website to encourage new customers.

To conclude

This project has been a real eye opener to working professionally with a client to contracts and planned time scales. It has been enjoyable to gain the experience in time management and overcoming certain problems faced along the way. The skills I have gained along the way will only benefit me in the future.

The opportunity to use new software or just expand my knowledge on ones that I already am familiar with was really fulfilling and I hope to continue to expand my familiarisation with these.

I plan to continue working with my client as I feel optimistic about her project and would be proud to be the person to aid her success and support her along the way regarding all advertising and online resources.