The Sayers guy has written a post on Andy Warhol – who is of some interest to me as a design student. To be honest, I’ve never really taken much intentional notice of him because pop-art is, well, pop-art, but this accidental ‘history lesson’ has proved rather intriguing. I’d be curious to know where Mark Sayers has pulled his info from, because at a guess the facts are contriversial. I’m fairly convinced that one of my lecturers might implode ever so slightly at the idea. Regardless, it is a very interesting take on an artist regarding influence in relation to one prophetic of the times. And that itself is probably a fact even the most jaded of beings cannot ignore. Warhol definitely made his mark.
Category: <span>Uni</span>
The past two days of my so called ‘mid semester break’ have been taken up with a compulsory intensive subject aptly titled: Careers in the Curriculum. For the most part it was like being back at school (but worse)Â the woman in charge would haven been better off teaching kiddies who don’t understand what it means to be patronised instead of adult university students, however there were some exceptional industry speakers.
The designer from BlueBoat was fantastic- by the way, they have a glorious website. A really interesting small firm with photography components, web etc.
One of BlueBoat’s specialties is school branding. I was hoping my heart out to find more school related branding online other than the one shown during the presentation. Alas, no luck. I shall continue to search for inspiration elsewhere… and hope that I can bring life to all the mini sketches that I am filling my train rides with.
I am 90% sold on a membership for the DIA (Design Institute of Australia) in order to have a professional organisation behind me once I finish up my course, it seems regardless whether I go to work in a design firm or later freelance, that it would be an incredibly useful backing. And a great standard for ethics and professional practice.
And I am really regretting that Swinburne didn’t take us through more of this stuff (not the resume writing, but future thinking) earlier. Personally, it gives life to assignments and intention for study. I need the bigger picture and it seems lately that I’m not always the best at chasing it for myself.
So, the take aways have me another assignment (Cover Letter/Resume etc), and the unmarked push to work out what exactly I’m really good at and what kind of designer I want to be. What’s my brand? I am inspired.
Realistically speaking, I am physically unprepared for Industry Placement (Work during 3rd year uni as part of your course) in regards to folio – as I was quite certain up until recently that I didn’t want an extra year at Tertiary level. However I have also discovered a post-3rd year means of doing honours in a more exciting way – there are 160 Communication Design students and only 10 places. It might just be time to get off my butt.
It now feels like I can get there*, even if I pick the less conventional path … I like picking the less conventional path.
*wherever, but for here lets say, ‘being a designer’.
On current standings, I have an assignment worth 30% due tomorrow. It has reduced my weekend to a slobbering, pathetic mess and has cause much pain in the sensible*. After 3.5 days of over induced stress, I am now officially over it, if I glean a pass I will be more than happy.
Work currently consists of my regular part time job at a Business Consultancy and all this unexpected freelance work that has suddenly surmounted** . So, I am designing a CV for someone, continuing with the rebranding of a school (co-assignment based) and I’m on hold for doing a website-showreel for a guy in film. I want to do these things well, they mean more to me than assignments – however much I try to trick myself in favor of my homework.
Other uni stuff is inclusive of a group assignment – which isn’t so bad, and the rotoscoping task, which is just fun.
But all up, I am rather worn out. This is why you are not getting deep-thought here. It keeps leaking through the cracks of my mind’s current constant analysis of advertising and semiotics.
*gosh this is way too amusing
**possibly not exactly the right use of the word.
The current state of the world in regards to school logos is utterly appalling. Every designer should cry, and cry and cry some more, and then get busy in doing something to remedy the situation.
This is my chance: MECS
This is my branding project (so a uni assignment) as it so happens, it may or may not result in my final solution being used as their new logo. They have other designers at work.
So I have the privilege of creating ‘new’ identity for my lovely old school to draw it out of the 90’s and into the light. I had a meeting with the principal this morning. Now it’s all heads down to work (I currently only have one of those… so it’ll be working triple time).
The shields in 95% of school logos are the only thing protecting the stakeholders getting shot. No more freaking shields!
This semester I am taking a class on Branding and Identity. Although not very far into the head space, I’ve had some exposure to Brand beyond just logo and hey, I have half a brain on me.
That is why last night didn’t work.
As a favor for a friend, Mandy (a friend of ours) hosted a ‘healthy chocolate’ party for a product called Xocai.
I am quite naturally a big cynic, so like every old sales party, I sit through it for laughs and free samples and never buy a thing. They make me edgy but are rather amusing at the same time.
The Xoçai logo speaks of energy and probably runs on par with something like Powerade. I don’t particularly like the logo, it’s too slasher or samauri sword and you cannot pronounce the product name…
But then comes the antonym of marketing. Xo̤ai Рan angry, energetic power logo is being marketed tuperware style with the swishy happiness of sharing the chocolate we all love.
I don’t eat chocolate for energy. I eat it because it feels good, is comfort food and it goes exceptionally well with coffee.
Xoçai is non-guilty healthy chocolate, there isn’t a problem with that – but their sales pitch attempts to plug the chocolate of enjoyment while their logo simultaneously demands that you eat it on the run, just doesn’t work.
So if brand encompasses logo, lifestyle, marketing and generally the whole package, then Xoçai doesn’t really cut it. The fault here lies with a lack of collaboration between, design, marketing and business strategy.
…it doesn’t really taste very good anyway.