Self branding and Industry self evaluation
This project was all about discovering and selling myself, trying to find a unique and memorable way of creating something to send to designers to catch their attention. I began by doodling ideas in a sketchbook, things I could think of to represent me and my personality and possible ways to play on words with my name. I randomly realised putting my initials, AKR, together twice, AKRAKR, kind of reads “a cracker” So I played with the idea of sending a cracker and liked the idea of a christmas-style cracker where things could fall out when pulled. But it was discussed in a seminar that the link was possibly too unclear and could be confusing. I started designing my logo, cycling through fonts until I found one I felt matched my personality well. I like the modern and clean chopped feel of Museo Sans, and I made a little connection to the ‘es’ in ‘Reeves’ to give it a little unique touch. I created my logo using a script style font within a spiky shape I found interesting and different and used the colours orange and red to show energy, youth, vibrancy and creativity. I was thinking about my style of designing and my USPs, and I’ve always been known to go through my own and everyone else’s work “with a fine-tooth comb”, as the saying goes. So I was hit with inspiration of the idea of simply sending a fine-tooth comb, it represents me, it’s simple, unique and possibly a little bizarre. My tutors thought the idea was clever, effective and hadn’t seen it done before. So I bought different styles of tooth combs and experimented with possible packaging ideas. I landed on a little label with my name and logo with “attention to detail” and “going through everything with a fine-tooth comb” on it, just to make it clear why there is a comb there. However, in a seminar it was pointed out that that type of tooth-comb (the type with a thick centre for the label to go and teeth on either side) was too well known as a nit comb, and would give the wrong idea, so I wanted to change this immediately. I found the perfect traditional “fine tooth-comb” and fashioned a more interesting looking hinged casing for the fine tooth-comb, keeping all the same graphics and adding the important contact details which weren’t on my first mock-up. Next I created my CV, cover letter and business card keeping the same theme to bring consistency within my brand. For the group part of the project, gaining an insight into the industry by asking designers questions trying to be as least annoying as possible and grab their attention, we came up with the idea of sending a tooth pick to go with the phrase “we’d like to pick your brain”. We created a little booklet which folds out, “hello” on the front, then unfolds to 3 humorous images of us with a name and label to introduce us, then ‘we’d like to pick your brain”, then a singular tooth pick stuck down, and then the questions we’d like to ask. We also contacted many designers online using the theme of “SOS! Students Of Salford!” meaning save our souls we want to know about the industry. We have helpful and interesting responses back and have spoken to designers one to one and have compiled everything into a report. I am very happy with my branding and promotional products and I think they are an interesting and memorable way for designers to discover me.
