Unit X Evaluation

     I feel that my understanding of the context for my work has greatly improved during this project, taking into consideration use of colour throughout the whole collection and for my audience. I understand better how the audience influences colour palette and imagery. My work has developed to a more porfessioanl standard with my use of the combination of the different digital programmes and my improvement with Adobe Illustrator. The professionalism of my presentation has improved with research into designers/ artists use of presentation in different media specifically protfolio construction. I researched into interior trends but I didn't take these into consideration when designing as I didn't feel that they were appropriate to my work.
     I feel I have used social media to promote myself as a designer successfully, having gained two more awards on ViewBug and increasing followers on my blog.
    

Stage 6 Analysis

     I applied for a design position within Holden Decor which they had advertised on their website. They didn't have much information about the job but I later found out it was for either a middle weight or senior designer as they emailed me back saying I was unsuccessful in this application but would like to interview me for a junior designer position they had not yet advertised. I attended an interview and met the design team and took a tour of the design facilities. This was the same as the past two interviews, focusing on my experiences within the design industry. They contacted me through email to inform me I had not gotten the job, again I contacted them asking for feedback so I could try and improve for next time but got no reply.
   I was inspired by Daniel Temkins' design to create a weave to coordinate with my other designs in my glitch collection. The layered marks in his design appear to move and blur, I wanted this kind of effect in my weave.

Temkin, D, 2012, Triangulation, Digital Design, View on 19/05/2014, http://www.triangulation.jp/2012/04/daniel-temkin.html

     At the porfolio session with past graduates from MMU I noticed one of the designers had a page before her designs were introduced, with a few initial ideas on, including photography, samples and drawings. I didn't think this would work for my vintage inspired collection as I don't have enough evidence of initial ideas as it originated from my glitch collection. So I don't want to create the page for one collection in my portfolio but not another. I have decided to create pages for before each collection in my portfolio, grouping my designs in their colour- ways and with the Pantone swatches underneath, showing I can consider colour-ways throughout the whole collection and designs working along side each other within a house. 

     

      While I have looked at job advertisements on the internet, I noticed a lot of companies ask for people to apply with a link to their online portfolio instead of sending designs examples in an email. Therefore I think it is important for me to have an online portfolio so I can increase the amount of jobs I can apply for and it will give my work more exposure. View my online portfolio at:  https://www.behance.net/emmasenior1

     I have received two awards on ViewBug for my photography work, these will feature on their blog, Twitter page and website, giving my work more exposure. 

 This photo won Absolute Masterpiece.

The photo won Superb Composition.

Stage 5 Analysis

     I applied for the position of Junior Designer within Comfy Quilts; who own Jeff Banks at Home and Jeff Banks Port of Call. The design studio based in Cheshire design for both of these product ranges. I was asked to interview and felt more confident after having my first interview at Riva Home as we spoke about my different experiences within the design industry. I feel this will be the basis for all interviews so I can show I understand the context for my work and that I can produce designs to industry standard. I was not contacted by the company after the interview and when I tried to get feedback so I can try and improve my interview skills they did not get back to me.
     While on my interview they mentioned that they would like to have seen some of my designs I created while on internship with Mirjam Rouden Designs, which were for fashion, so I have decided I will have some feature in my final portfolio.
     I decided to work back into some of my designs so they would appear more distorted. The architecture ones didn't work well as they are busy enough without trying to distort the pixels.

    I took inspiration from this design by David Szauder to try to distort one of my weave designs as you can still tell what the image is but the stretched pixels slightly distort the image. I thought the lengthening of the pixels in some areas would work with the shape of the weave and appear like some of the threads have been pulled out. It also interrupts the images of the flowers even more than the weave. This one has been much more successful than the architecture ones.

Szauder, D, 2012, Face- scapes, Photograph, Viewed on 28/04/2013, http://pixelnoizz.wordpress.com/page/3/

     I was concerned after looking back on the architecture designs I had already made that they didn't fit within my glitch collection, as I had tried to work into them more and none were successful. I have decided to let the natural development of my work show within the collection, starting with my architecture prints, which then lead to my woven prints which have a slight distortion, then the collection will finish with my pixelated designs. 

     When looking at my designs together they did not look part of the same collection as the colour palette was so broad. Studying wallpaper companies such as Designers Guild they use a very minimal colour palette and use a broad range of imagery for one collection.

Designers Guild, 2014, Surabaya Wallpaper Collection, Photograph, Viewed 29/04/2014, http://www.designersguild.com/

     After reviewing this I have changed my colour palettes for both collections. I have decided my glitch collection will be aimed at a younger market so will use bright bold colours, and my vintage inspired collection will use more muted colours aimed at home owners. 

vintage inspired collection one colour- way

glitch collection one colour- way