For my last semester, the last assignment is to produce my industry facing materials specifically gearing towards the concept of my film. It amazes me how fast time has past and I'm about to graduate (hopefully). It feels like it was just yesterday when I started yet I admit I have grown a lot as an artist which I am thankful for.
BUSINESS CARD DESIGN
Research
As shown below, I've collected a bunch of unique types of business card from Pinterest that fascinated me the most:
Source: Images gathered from Pinterest- https://pin.it/4NCTo2f
First I was attracted by the idea of using a transparent/ translucent card to fill up the negative space whilst still giving me that effortlessly clean look. Another idea that grabbed my attention was the interactive card. I've seen many unusual ones where you can pop up the card into a different shape e.g chair. I used the model above as an example of how I could use this idea without looking too overwhelming. This card has a slot for another card which I could add more info/details. However, after some thought, I felt like those two ideas were a bit too much for now whilst also taking into consideration the cost. However, I will definitely reconsider it in the future.
The last two are the QR code card and a card where the front continues to the back. Both of them seem more achievable to incorporate also without any extra cost. Therefore I'll plan to integrate it into my design.
Below are examples of the vibe and style I want my business card to look and feel:
Source: Images gathered from Pinterest- https://pin.it/6z7pExq
Right from the start, I knew I desired a simple clean look where it has a lot of negative space. As it resonates with my style and personality more than crazy, vibrant, loud colours and bold title/ designs.
I've gathered a few inspirations that I can carry and alternate into my business card. I feel like some clean illustration would be nice and a pop of colour to bring attractiveness and attention without being unnoticeable and dull. Finally, I also studied peoples business cards who works along the same industry line (the competitors) as well as the animation students in the previous year to get a gist of how I can differentiate myself from them.
Recap on the key points I learnt during my class lesson:
Size- in terms of importance
Colour- keep it minimal, develop a colour palette
Weight- have some variations in the boldness of the designs/ text to balance it out
Font- look into the different typeface and also keep it minimal 1 to 2 at most.
-the importance of hierarchy (effects how it leads the eyes)
-One of the secrets for a great logo by Brand designer, 'Robert Nowland' is that a logo should possess all three geometric shapes (circle/ square/ triangle) at least three times each to be certain it be a great logo. This allows translate, scaling, rotation and using the tools.
My Business card:
Below is my BC from my previous year for the assignment, 'Professional Practice':
I wasn't pleased with the design so I made some changes during the summer as shown below:
We were advised to add some elements from our end of year film into our cards so people could easily figure out the association between our material to our project. However, it's not mandatory so we are also allowed to just create a professional BC as our main submission but I have decided to go for the challenge.
To begin, according to Bananaprint the UK standard business card size is 85mm x 55mm. For that reason that will be my dimensions for my card. After spending some time designing horizontal BC throughout my research I was attracted to a lot of vertical BC. I aspired to do something different this time and I think this will benefit me to stand out more than the typical horizontal BC template.
Colour palette
From the information, I gather you should stay within the grey, black, white background for a professional look. However, since the animation industry is based on art it would make sense to capture some creative aspect in our cards by using adventurous colours.
The main sources I use for generating tasteful colours are Coolors and Adobe Colours.
Adobe Colour: using keywords to generate palettes from those images. Although it was entertaining to go through this site I still found Coolors more useful when I already have some colours in mind as it generates palettes based on specific colours.
Although I thought I would stick with purple as my central colour as I was generating colour palettes I found red quite an attractive colour that you don't really see in BC so it would be interesting to work with.
Playing around with generator tool in Coolors:
Design process:
Roughs-
Here I have played around with the compositions and design of my cards. I tried to add some elements of my film with an illustration. I thought Carly working on her laptop would be relatable to an animator so I decided on that illustration. I also added Chinese characters on the corners (in 2-4 designs) of my name just to subtly add some of my uniqueness to it. Currently, my favourite design is number 2 just from the preference of the contrast of the black and purple.
Feedback:
Henry M:
Between the first two (1 & 2) front sides of the card, Henry prefers 1. as the colour red is more attractive. He mentions to be careful with the alignment and bring up the job title higher. As for the back of the card, the layout on 2 is better. 1 doesn't work as well as you would want to avoid the need switch around the card so ensure the readability is easy to register. Wouldn't go for 3. Number 4 is interesting but you would want to tailor the art to your film.
Here above I took what Henry advice. Since purple was more of my brand colour I try to push it forward by testing it out with this new format. However still, Henry thinks the red one gathers more attention while the black and the purple one clash with the colour of the character.
Final pick:
Font: Kohinoor Bangla
Colour palette: CMYK (for printing)
Main colour: red ad343e & white eeebea
Although it seems to be finished, I intend to keep working on it and polish it up especially the character position and line art.
Sites which I found 'most' helpful:
-How to Design a Business Card That Gets Noticed:
-30 Of The Most Creative Business Cards Ever:
-How to Design a Business Card | Do's and Don'ts for Business Card Design:
Don't- unrelated/unprofessional images, too many fonts, too simple or fancy
Do- strong 2-second impression, work with shapes, maintain balance
Printing
(Although this year due to Covid the End of year show will most likely going to be digital).
One of the sites I was recommended by a friend who was pleased with his order was Moo.com. Cathedral Graphics is a great one where I have printed quality posters who also does business cards also they are situated in Belfast which is handy for quick delivery.
However, this site (link below) has touched upon this. This was very useful especially for someone who doesn't want to spend too much. Using their research they compiled a list of companies that does business cards to each category from quality, price, material and so on.
I found thermography (e.g. embossing) and paper texture are some interesting qualities I could capture the viewer's interest. Probably something to think about in the future when I could actually afford it. What I'm looking for at the moment is the thickness and being eco-friendly.
C.V. DESIGN
Class lesson (Tutor: Henry M)
-additional details such as grades for the education section is not necessary
-keep in mind of the viewer reading from the left to right
-try to go for bullet points rather than paragraphs
-adding some hobbies will be good e.g photography affects perspective
Find a job as a guide
Below is my CV from my previous year for the assignment, 'Professional Practice':
Similar to my business card I wasn't satisfied with my design so I change quite a bit of it during the summer while still keeping close to the concept and colours:
Using this as one of my references and also to see the comparison after I finish my rough final design.
One of the important tip for writing that really helped me with my cv last year from Brian (tutor) was, 'it's more about what you can do for them, than your work experience'.
Design process
Inspirations:
Source: Images gathered from and more cv inspiration: Pinterest
^^These 3 are my main inspiration out of the other ones and the style I'm aiming to achieve. I really like the clean minimal style with boxes, lines to break up the page and very careful use of icons.
Font: Calibri
I used Calibri as it was one of the most recommend font that is easiest to retain information from an employer point of view. Also, it's sans serif which gives a more modern look which ties in with my film.
Best fonts for your CV:
2021 best fonts:
Here below I use Abobe Photoshop as my main software for great guidelines for perfect precision. I took this opportunity to learn the layout and tools in photoshop. After playing around with shapes and composition below is the design I'm going forward with:
I don't really use Photoshop as it's more convenient to just work on my Ipad where I, unfortunately, don't own this software. Therefore I watch a few tutorials on how to create a CV. Below is a great example that I personally find the most helpful in terms of using guidelines and shapes tools to layout the info etc.
Final design:
I kept the design as close to my business card as possible so it's easy to identify my film.
During class, we were recommended to check this site below. I find it extremely helpful in terms of the design and wording of resumes in my field.
For more knowledge on writing in my CV, the way I did this was to study as many job description and CVS related to animation and pick and choose the words that related to me personally. Then starting alternating it by adding some part of my personality of mine into it.
Research into the job roles, local and international studio portfolios
Jobs roles based in Ireland:
Other sites I use to look at their job description for my particular field:
Google, Glassdoor, indeed, etc. (also specific animation studio sites based in Northern Ireland such as Flickerpix, Boom Clap Play and so on).
e.g. job opening on Google jobs for concept artist at DNEG:
The site didn't have any openings for the work I do. I found the most convenient way to find jobs is to follow as many animation studios based in Northern Ireland on Instagram and Linkedin. This able me to receive the news for recruitment as early on as possible.
Talks:
Every Friday we had a guest speaker from many studios around Belfast online. This was a great opportunity to not only learn from them but to ask specific questions such as the type of portfolio they look for and so on. It was a great experience and it made me realise how much hard work goes into their animation work. We also had a graphic designer to critic our materials. I was enlightened to see the areas she pinpoints in other peoples cv, bc etc. I also took those constructive critics to my own.
Career role:
From the start, I knew I wanted to draw so concept artist would be my best option. Although this course allowed me to diversify in trying different software leading me to become more of a generalist artist. Although I do enjoy many aspects of being a generalist and am open to it. I find myself more motivated when I do 2d animation, concept art and 3d modelling. Specifically on the creative side rather than technical. I consider Laura Price as my influential role model. She was an environment artist who worked in big companies such as Disney. She does keep active on her Youtube channel which I follow her attentively- following her tips to get into this industry.
There isn't a specific industry I only wanted to go to as long as I'm able to do art. However, I do hope to get more into the film industry as it was one of the reasons why I got into animation. In terms of the size of the workplace, I only have limited experience but I can say that I have worked with a small studio in Belfast called, 'Boom Clap Play' for my 2nd-year assignment. Therefore, I have the yearning for an opportunity to work in a large company so I can see the difference for myself before I make any decision.
Below is a pdf where I complied most of the Northern Ireland animation studios and the type of work they make:
As you can see it's not finished as I plan to continue adding more details as I go on in my career. This is great to retain information when I might need it in the future. The ones that stuck out to me in terms of work I want to pursue were Taunt (Commercials to short films), Mashmob (design) and Flickerpix (storytelling).
PROJECT POSTER DESIGN - A2 (portrait)
Part of this assignment is to design a poster for our upcoming final year show. This is to capture the audience interest.
To summarise my project:
My short 2D animation film is based on a girl in her mid-20s struggling with anxiety caused by procrastination and the immense feeling of regret on the wasted time.
Target audience: the demographic ranges from 14-25yrs old. No gender/race specification.
A list of some key points I learnt from my class (tutor Henry):
-poster is a 'sales tool' not fine art
-it naturally a long process of development
-function: the one frame should capture the whole film essence
-content hierarchy (1. poster, 2. title, 3. name)
-be able to lead the eye across the whole poster
-on average people read from left to right
We were advised to find 'exemplars'. Examples of the poster that acts as an ideal model for my own.
We were then introduced to an artist by the name of Tomasz Opasinski who categories poster design into 4 different sections.
Recommend reading:
Poster design categories (from the least to most impactful) :
1. Freeform- whatever you want it to be
2. Curved based design- templates that outline the flow of the composition
3. Word-based design- list of keywords that are usually generated by the studio/ marketing department
4. Metaphor designs- this is very self-explanatory
One of the key things I must display is that it shows it's 2d short. so of course it just obtains some 2d art.
Exemplars
These are the Posters that inspired me the most:
Starting from the first top section, these are directly focusing on highlighting one subject. For my film, I can use a cake or laptop as my subject or even dive into a more metaphoric representation. I also like the uniqueness of Pixar's Up title which inspire some ideas of mine. Furthermore, I like the second poster where it solely just an air balloon in the air which provokes curiosity.
In the second section, these hints more at the dream world (the character's anxiety state). I like Hosoda's Mirai Poster where the character is just falling/ floating with no ground similar to the Hitchcock Vertigo poster (but more abstract). This could emphasis my character having no stability. The Shinkai's Your Name poster and Webb's 500 days of summer give us more of a contrast/ conflict between two different situations and I love the composition.
Finally the last section focus on the mentality of the character. The emotion the character is going through. I love how Linklater' Boyhood is simply just the character laying down. I can probably incorporate this element of exhaustion of my character of her sleeping on the sofa in the bright afternoon.
Wordlist:
To begin I listed a few words that correlate to my film to provoke some ideas on what I want to get across and the emotive intention:
Design process
Helpful material:: be able to read the poster even from a far distance.
Below I just play around with the composition and design elements using what I've learnt:
Composition and blocking out-
I wanted the audience to communicate a sense of dread with a contrast of calmness. 'The calm before the storm' type of feeling.
Feedback: (Henry M)
Numbered from my favourite to my least:
The layout looks great however it's not communicating as strong.
This one delivers the message way better than the other one at procrastination and has more potential. In addition to it include some small elements e.g. notes/paper and ensure to align the name and title to the centre of the page. The typeface for the title seems to also work better than the others that I've shown. Better to continue towards the thick and dynamic style to represent it being solid and still.
This is also good as it illustrates the character being lost in between work and leisure however the typeface is not as good 2.
Works but nothing exciting or new.
Similar to 2 but better to carry the small elements to 2.
Not the best.
In conclusion, 2 and 3 show the most promising effect for a poster.
My thoughts:
I agree with Henry with his decision. I also asked people around me and they also found number 2 the most intriguing due to its distinctiveness. It was a difficult decision between both (2 and 3) but I decided to go with 2 for now (still going to work on 3 on the side incase i change my mind). I feel like it would be more impactful and correlates to my film better as it focuses on the subject (cake & laptop) provoking some curiosity about the metaphor.
Typeface
Tips:
-Emotional impact
-Legibility is the priority
-Don't overdo it
-Your last design priority of a poster to be concern about
Taking Henry advice I continue working towards the dynamic look. I started off by going through many fonts and gather the ones which resonate with me the most.
I find the Verdana font the most blocky while still space out and it was something I think I could alternate to make it more expressive also keeping in mind of not overdoing it. I really like the title I drew in my rough poster so I want to try to replicate that by adjusting some areas in this lettering as shown below:
Progression from top to bottom:
I thought pulling the corner of the L, dragging it will be an interesting take on the work 'lag'.
Colour palette: I didn't really stick to a particular colour palette because I wanted to have more freedom through trial and error. I knew some colours will be from my films such as the colour of the laptop and cake. For the rest of the colour, I went spontaneously using my own judgement/taste.
Blocking out different layouts and titles:
Playing around with the effects tool to heighten the image quality:
Timelapse on my progress (adjusting colours and layout):
Final design:
The final design doesn't really clash with the business card and cv which is nice when displaying it on the design deck. It can stand on its own.
I'm pleased with the result, it's decent. However, I feel like I can do better by making it more dynamic and the chromatic effect didn't really pick on this website compare to my drawing software on my iPad so definitely going to intensify the colours and effects more.
DESIGN DECK MATERIAL
End of year display: A tailored experience presentation for a client.
Class lesson: (Henry M)
-Design deck are great for NDA work
-A storytelling format to envision the work
-show your skills
-appeal to the client
While looking through former students who did this to get some inspiration for mine; the desk layout reminds me of the comic cons booths/table setup. For that reason, I looked into many comic cons desks as my inspiration.
Source: Images gathered from Pinterest- https://pin.it/3t7UAhR
-one of the most noticeable detail was that they all display their name or brand upfront on a large scale so it won't be missed.
I plan to do this for my design deck- to get out my name to the employers. Making it clear that the work belongs to me.
Due to this circumstance, we are in it will be mostly digital for now. However, I still want to show I would have displayed my deck as shown below:
Rough look:
I plan on having either a slideshow of my progress (most likely) or my showreel on the monitor in the centre of attention. A banner in the front displaying my film title or logo along with my name largely printed. For the board, it will have colours from the film itself. I'm not sure at the moment if I'm going to add any objects around it but I hope to continue working on it.
As for the book which is most likely going to be an online pdf or type of format. This will consist of my development in the making of this film basically behind the scene type of work. This enables the viewer to see the journey from the start to the end based on my blog but in book format.
Also, another thing If we are doing a design deck. having print outs of particular scenes from the film for the viewer to keep with be a nice welcoming idea.
Below are examples of types of work I want to show in the book: line art etc.
Source: Images gathered from Pinterest- https://pin.it/3ei9m0V
Presence/ branding:
Due to this situation we are in, I didn't have much chance to go to any conventions. However, I do try to connect through Instagram by following many artist and studios in Northern Ireland and updating my LinkedIn profile.
Promoting:
List of platforms I could use to put myself out there:
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Behance, Dribble, Artstation, Motiongrapher, CGSociety and the list goes on.
I plan on displaying my work mainly on the Animation Society page on Instagram as well as my own account both my art account and personal. Also considering to contact studios through email to take a look and ask for the critic on it. Getting the word out there in the discord art community and uploading it to Youtube and Vimeo.
Final designs:
This section is not needed to be finished completely since our films are so ongoing. These are my designs for now. There are still potential for changes made later down the line.
Reflection:
I found this task has improved my ability to critically judge myself becoming more independent. While job searching I had a clear look at the requirements in the job descriptions this made me realise what I lack and where to show my strengths. I am pleased with my business card and cv. I was able to make the design complement each other really well in my opinion. Yet, there are still some areas I need to touch up e.g. adding another reference in my CV. I plan on continuing working and asking for feedback on the colour of the poster as I'm not 100% satisfied with the outcome and then finally polish up the lighting, shadows, effects and so on to a higher standard. The design deck does its job of being one however I feel like I could possibly do better with some extra objects to full space up. Since my film hasn't finished yet I wasn't able to fill in the empty boxes so at the moment I just label them accordingly.
My career direction is fixed on 2d art/ concept and 3d modelling for now. I want to focus specifically on that area in order to improve exponentially. Since before I was working in on so many software like a generalist I wasn't able to develop specific skills to another level in that particular area of my interest. I aim to continue in this pathway after I graduate and this assignment has help me make it clear.