Results!

I got my results back today for the typography project - I got 63 which I'm so happy about, I was so worried!

He said that I had some good ideas but lacked on the development side, I should try and push ideas further and combine them with others to get more back. Also that I need to get used to 'arguing' (can't think of a good word) about how good an idea is, get better at talking about my ideas that I think are good. Basically being more confident in my work and being able to tell people why they are good.




So continuing with my book cover project, I've managed to finish the book - it was really good if not a little confusing with the changes in time and characters but when it all comes together towards the end it's worth sticking with.


A song I'm listening to at the moment:
Ludovico Einaudi - I Giorni - but any of his songs really!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htr2EVvkr1Q

New Project: Book Cover Design

So our second project of the year is to take a Puffin/Penguin book of a big list and design a cover.

I went down every book on the list and read every synopsis - it took hours as there were so many books to choose from!!

I have chosen The Night Circus as the story seems so interesting.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway — a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love — a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

It already has a beautiful cover, so I've really got my work cut out.

Deadline: 10th December 2013

Uni : Round 2, new room, new project and more!

Can't believe it's already November! Loads of things have happened already this new academic year.

1. I now live in what I'd say the best room of halls, the corner on the 21st floor, the lifts are annoying but the view sure is worth it.  (I'll post photos another time)


2. Our first project - to design a typeface.
It was a really hard project but I got through. Here's what I came up with -

We had to choose an instance, and I chose time Timetraveling In Switzerland. I chose it for a challenge as you may have realised Swiss Minimalism isn't my style. At all.

But there you go, I worked hard for 4 long weeks and managed to finish in time, and do my presentation in the Critique (also majorly scary, but I'm hopefully getting better at them as time goes on)

I chose to use geometric shapes to represent the Swiss minimalist style, and the circles come from clocks - which Switzerland are famous for. The clocks also represent time, and movement; combining both sides of the instance.

Grade to follow!


3. I revisited the company I went to work experience with, to ask them questions so I can complete the case study I have to do this year. It was great going to them as I have spent some time around there and so I was less nervous and could just have a chat with them. I feel I've learnt a lot from the things we spoke about and I think I'll be able to make an informative presentation when it comes to it (Deadline in Jan)


4. I started running - i'm not lying either! Me and Sally are doing the Couch Potato to 5k thing - and I have some top of the range bright pink running shoes to do it in style! (They are pink because I'm poor and so I got the kids version!



So I've not really had time to stop!



A song I'm listening to at the moment:
Tom Rosenthal - Take Care
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8hN7fJMl6g&list=PL556AD65488CF7D69

Summer 2013

This might be a long post...

So starting from the beginning of summer

We acquired a new kitten! His name is Charlie.. He's a babe, but he sure is bonkers!

I turned 20! I got a onesie and loads of CDs which is great!

I went to YNot Festival with a few great friends. I saw loads of the bands I love, including being on the front row for Dry The River! I also found loads of new bands.

Went with the fam to Scarborough and did loads of awesome things:

Me and Adam went for a bike ride on the beach at sunset which was lovely!

Beach with the family making sandcastles and digging holes

We went indoor go karting, swimming and mini golf!

Then we came home and Adam and I went Snowboarding and took our parents outdoor go karting.

But that was all in one week! The rest of the 4 odd months has been spent at work doing all sorts from design to meeting with customers. I have two weeks left and then just a week to pack and then i can move in! I have my room number now so all i need is my timetable and i'll be away!

Work Experience and Summer Work

As I only did 3 days of work experience with the company, I feel like I don't have too much to write about it other than what I've already said. I had a great time and it was really beneficial to see how quick turn around times need to be, and the pace and quality of work in general. I'd really like to go back for more days with them when I go back to Cardiff in September/October, I hope that's possible, and that I have enough time to do it all with the second year work load!

I have now started back to work full time in the office (whereas in term time I work one day a week from Uni). I test websites for glitches, and suggest improvements and at the moment I am writing blogposts for a new site, and coding the information so it displays properly on the page (like I was doing on work ex). As I've not worked 9-5.30 days 5 days a week before it will be a bit of a learning curve.

I only hope I'll have enough time to have a break and be creative over summer too!

Work Experience: Day two

Today I helped out by going through pages of information to be updated on websites and added in the html. Fun(!) Later on made up for that though, we helped package up and post some merchandise and then posted it, and also took some photos of some of the design work the company had done.

Work Experience: Day One

Went in for my first day of work ex in at a design company in Cardiff. They chucked me in right away and I created some small simple banners to put on some youth websites for Wales. There had to be both the Welsh and English but in the same style, and they had to match the ones on the sites already. Here are a few of the ones I did. 

These are for the beach/sea/water inspired website.

And these for the red/yellow grungy/teared paper site.