OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Study Task Evaluation

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Study Task Evaluation 

This study task challenged me to work within a group to identify a very personal topic of what I want to do after university, this would be difficult to put any group of individuals and expect them to have a similar path due to the vast expanding nature of the industry. There was no significant conflicts within the group, I feel we were initially reserved as to the direction we wanted to take however managed to agree on the multi-dimensional platform that would implement everybody skills and specialities. 

We approached the task very democratically voting as a group on all major decisions which ensured a fair resolution to any problems. Everyone pulled their weight within the group distributing research focuses evenly and dividing the presentation equally to ensure no one had more that others of took over. Even though our styles vary in terms of aesthetic we agreed the aesthetic of the branding and collateral needed to be fairly minimal so to not contrast any particular style of work as the magazine/website will features work from all platforms, this clean contemporary style ensured the best composition of the content.

It is a common statement in business to never get into bed with your friends however in this instance I feel that is wrong as through the process of this study task we have kept each other motivated and the creative brainstorming sessions have resulted in great ideas and a high quality resolution. The process of creating a business plan initially sounded dull however doing it with friends made it more fun and allowed me to realise the full potential of start up businesses. 

'Its not the destination its the journey' and I have enjoyed the process of creating a business plan within my group. 

The feedback from the tutors was engaging and supportive, it extended on ideas we presented to add more commercial context if the business was to be extended into a live project. I feel the concept was articulated successfully within the presentation and the tutors identified the wealth of research and development within our business plan. 

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Collation: Presentation Feedback

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Collation: Presentation Feedback 

The presentation ran smoothy and I feel we presented the concept successful as there were no follow up questions about the concept proving effective articulation of our business plan. Feedback stated that our business plan vas very well researched which informed our decision making. Due to the small run of the first issue it was suggested we would sign and number them as promote them as limited edition collectors items to create a buzz around the launch and make the first issue more desirable. 

We were praised for the research into advertising budgets and identifying a successful client base of advertisers such as arts universities due to the target audience of student creatives. It was concluded that the business plan had potential and it was sensible to began as a bedroom start up that provided the most security and expansion. Overall I was impressed with the quality of our presentation and the feedback received demonstrating a critical understanding of the task and a commercial practice. 

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Collation: Presentation

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Collation: Presentation

I took the lead on the collation and creation of the presentation creating the template and colour palette. I opted for minimal text to ensure the presentation slides weren't too words which would distract the audience instead opting for brief summaries that would be verbally expanded on during the presentation. We worked on a running order that would seamlessly flow through the content to ensure the presentation had a natural progression making it the most accessible for the audience. 

With the presentation developed we then distributed the individual slides that each group member would elaborate on, we based this upon the individual research topics we assigned as we would have the most in depth knowledge about these slides, we then distributed the rest of the slides evenly to ensure each member had a even workload. I elaborated on the concept, issue 1 breakdown and finance. We practised this presentation as a group several times before the presentation as well as that morning to ensure it was succinct and professional as well as trailing a range of sample questions to ensure the presentation ran as smoothly as possible. 

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Collation: Logo

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Collation: Logo

With all the research collated we met to begin organising the presentation. We decided to create a range of mock ups to bring our business plan to life, this would included a logo, mock up publication and website mock up as this would add a professional engagement that will aid with the articulation of our presentation and business strategy. 

Due to my interest in branding I was assigned the logo to develop, this was a key visual element that would be featured on all the collateral, promotion and mock up materials therefore needed to be representative of the platform and appeal to the target audience. 

We quickly established a typography based logo as this is more suited to a publication. The name bodies worked well for this constructed as a group effort. I quickly began experimenting with a range of typefaces with custom kerning and tracking to create a unique logo. These experimentations included outlines and a mix of serif and sans-serif typefaces, Receiving constant feedback from the rest of the group as to which design treatments were the most appropriate. I took inspiration from the cereal and supplement logos as these magazines fit our luxury aesthetic and target a similar audience to our platform. 

Through the range of development we collaboratively decided on a final logo design. This used the base font of bodoni with custom kerning and tracking to create a unique and identifiable logo for the our platform. The o featured an innovative dot within the o as through research I found this to date back to symbols about human interaction and togetherness which I felt was fitting to our concept and added a unique personable touch that would make our logo stand out and become representative of the brand. The final logo is strong and sophisticated with a sans serif typeface that connotes luxury and will appeal to both the target audience of students as it looks prestigious and industry professionals with the strong execution of the design. 

Final Logo

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Research: Advertising

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Research: Advertising 

General research into advertising and studying A Level media studies lead me to understand how advertising is a critical component within any magazine. However we didn't want the feel of our publication to be too commercial or overloaded with adverts that it detracts from the actual content. We financially needed to included advertisements within the publication however decided to be quite selective regarding the types of advertisements. As the specialist nature of the magazine if aimed at graphic design and extending to other creative disciplines I wanted to keep this focus within the adverts, this will ensure ensure they are more relevant and appeal to the target audience. Adverts such as GF Smith, Pressision will help keep production costs down, Offering art focused universities such as Leeds college of art and UAL advertising would probably appeal to them as its a student focuses magazine. Other potential advertisers would be material websites such as Fred Aldous and the likes of D&AD YCN could provide a substantial advertising budget for us to work with. 

To get a better idea of costing for this I emailed the marketing department within the college to find out how much they spend on advertising and what would be feasible to charge. They were really helpful in regards to this informing me that they would pay around £1000 for a full page advert. She further enclosed the advertising budget of the End of Year Show held at the college, giving added insight into how much the competitors magazines charge such as creative review and computer arts. With this research we concluded an estimated £1000 advertising budget based on 10 full page advertisements which would offer a nice balance  between content and advertisements. This budget would cover the cost of the production and support the bulk of the business venture so is an essential piece of the business plan in order for the venture to be viable. 

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Research: Pricing and Production

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Research: Pricing and Production

The production of the magazine would ideally be subsidised in return of advertising within the publication. GF smith, fedrigoni and other quality paper merchants would all be contacted with opportunity to use their papers within the publication at a reduced cost for prime advertising placement within the book. Similarly Pressison would be the first choice for printers due to their creative experimental approach I learnt about during a visit to the factory at the end of level 4. Again offering advertising to subsidise the printing costs. 

To get a rough estimate of unit prices for the first edition I contacted a number of retailers to enquire about quantities and experience etc. Due to the specialist nature of the publication I contacted independent creative bookshops for example Village and Colour May Vary both located in Leeds. Colours may vary responded very helpfully giving estimated quantities of a new publication. This helps to but costings into perspective as if each independent bookstore ordered 10 copies this could be generalised to 10 bookstores throughout the UK in the major cities and those with art schools such as London, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds. This rationalised a first run of 100 units that could be sent to independent bookstores then with growing awareness and success this would be expanded in scale and even internationally. 

With a informed decision producing a run of 100 for the first issue, I started to look at pricing estimates, Looking online gave a rough instant quote for initial costing ideas that could later be refined through negation with paper smiths and printers for advertising as mentioned above. For an 80 page publication with a run of 100 I found quotes of £635 and £514 this creates an average of £574.50 dividing this by 100 gives a unit cost of £5.75 per magazine for the first issue. 

With an estimated cost price of £5.75 per issue I started analysing similar magazines to see their retail prices therefore informing our decision to fit within its competitors pricing brackets. Due to the high quality finishes within the publication these specialist magazines retail for more than general interest publication. Examples such as Supplement and Cereal both retail for £12 however this extends upwards into the £20+ for more detailed publications. 

Based on this we decided to market the our publication at a retail price of £14 which is still feasible for the target audience of students. The higher retail price ensures that quality materials, finished and stocks can be used to reinforce the higher price point and further engage the target audience. 

With an estimate of £5.75 per unit, we would sell the publication to the bookstores for £10 resulting in a £4.25 profit on each unit which is a 73.9% mark up for us. This would further result in a 40% mark up for the retailer who would make £4 profit per unit. 

Based on these estimates the first issue would result in a 42.55% profit margin with the actual profit being £425.50. This would then rapidly increase as the publication grows adding more retailers with higher volumes. 

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Research Distribution

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Research Distribution

With a concept and business type identified we then turned our attention to the background considerations that would have to be carefully considered in order to create a successful resolution and ultimately an informed and accurate business plan. The background considerations stated Two/three/four heads are better than one as long as they communicate. You have the luxury of four pairs of hands. How will you use them effectively? You will need to consider the following:

•What skills and services do you have to offer?

•Who is your target market?

•Who is your competition and how will you compete?

•What are your costs, charges and financial considerations?

•How will you structure your studio?

•Who will be responsible for what?

•How will you promote your services? To who? Using what media?

Looking into these we then assigned specific considerations to each member of the team to ensure the most efficient and productive use of time when collating this information. As the financial considerations was an exceptionally large area to cover I volunteered to research this element of the business plan as this covered the workload of two of the smaller research considerations. Having an A in business GCSE I had a small previous experience of business costings and felt I would be able to accurately propose a set of financial considerations for the company. 

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Business types: Research and Conclusion

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Business types - Research and Conclusion

As a collective we distributed different business types to research, I was given an 'ordinary business partnership' to research. From this topic I uncovered that in an ordinary business partnership, you and your business partner (or partners) personally share responsibility for your business. It was further identified that you can share all your business’s profits between the partners. Each partner pays tax on their share of the profits.

The serious stuff included: 

Legal responsibilities

You’re personally responsible for your share of:

• any losses your business makes
• bills for things you buy for your business, like stock or equipment

You can set up a limited partnership or limited liability partnership if you don’t want to be personally responsible for a business’ losses.

A partner doesn’t have to be an actual person. For example, a limited company counts as a ‘legal person’, and can also be a partner in a partnership.

You must choose a name for your partnership and register it with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Tax responsibilities

The nominated partner must send a partnership Self Assessment tax return every year.

All the partners must:

• send a personal Self Assessment tax return every year
• pay Income Tax on their share of the partnership’s profits
• pay National Insurance 

The partnership will also have to register for VAT if you expect its takings to be more than £82,000 a year.

From this research I concluded that this would probably not be the most appropriate business type for our company as coming straight from university we would not have significant capital to invest and feel it would be bit risky being personally responsible for the business with no real business experience. The fact we are legally responsible for any losses or bills re-assures me that this would not be a viable business option for the group. 

CONCLUSION: 
We reconvened and presented our business types to one another. From this we as a group concluded that the most appropriate business type for are concept/business was a ..........

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Concept Development

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Concept development

After our first session which saw the partnership agreement signed and discussing different roles we set an objective to individually brainstorm different concepts for the next session in which we could all present a number of potential ideas for our business that we could then decide on as a group. 

My concept was to create a new innovative platform that showcases student work within the professional sphere. Currently there are not major design blogs/publications dedicated to students. This was identified from personal experience of having limited opportunity for exposure as a student. I have my own personal blog for inspiration and work but it is seen by very few people. Charities such as D&AD and YCN offer student opportunities however these are very labour intensive and difficult to win due to a high volume of entries. The aim of the concept is a blog/publication such as 'its nice that' but with a student focus where students submit work they have produced that that can be featured on the blog/website/app/publication (limitless possibilities) along with a professional review. Obviously there would have to be a filter to review the best works to ensure the venture remains credible to professionals which is the end goal. For professionals and practising graphic designers to look at this website and expose coming talent.  

Each member of the group pitched their concepts and was concluded that my concept had the best potential to form a unique innovative business as all group members agreed there was a gap in the market for a student focuses design platform. This was then opened up to the group for tweaking and adjusting to form the basis of our finalised concept for our business. the next stage of development was to identify the most appropriate business type to set our company under these included; 

• limited company
• limited liability company
• ordinary business partnership
• unincorporated association

We decided to all pick one company type to research we could then present our findings at the next group meeting and present our researched business type and conclude which was the most appropriate to our company/concept. 

OUGD502: Study Task 1 - Intro

OUGD502 Study Task 1 - Taking Care of Business 

Introduction 

Brief: 

Working in groups of up to four you will construct a business plan or business proposal for a creative design studio and present it to your peers and tutors in a feedbacked oral presentation.

Your plan/proposal and presentation should be based on the analysis and content that you have been introduced to throughout the module.

Analysis of The brief:

This brief appears engaging as it gives total creative freedom to pick your partners and mock up a business plan. I feel this will be relevant to my professional practise as I have not yet considered stating my own business however this brief may improve my perceptions of start up businesses and that it could be a viable option for me in the future. I think it will difficult working collaboratively as everyone naturally has different opinions but to ensure a successful resolution there must be a fair democratic tone to the partnership to make sure it doesn't fall apart. 

My Group: 

I have chosen to work with 3 other graphic designers that are also good friends, I think working with friends will not kinder the partnerships performance but improve it as we will all motive each other being the proactive designers we are, and working with friends will ensure the journey of setting up a business plan is fun and engaging not a chore. Each designer I am working with has individual strengths; Jack is strong at poster and web design, Lo works great under pressure and brings an extensive design knowledge to the table and charlotte works well with illustrations and social media, I bring conceptual design and a knowledge of branding to the group. These individual strengths complement one another and cover all bases suggesting it has the making for a strong partnership with an engaging and unique business proposal. 

Partnership Agreement: 

This partnership agreement acts as a legal contract and clarifies equal responsibilities and ownership within the partnership which protects all members and adds a sense of legitimacy to the study task. 

Study Task 1 Getting to know people

Study Task 1 - Getting to know people 

As part of our formal Personal and Professional Practise (PPP) briefing we were given out first study task to complete. This required us to be split up into small groups and given a specific design studio to research and create a presentation for in a short space of time. This requires time management and communication skills to ensure the task was executed within the short time period. We were tasked with finding the following information about our given studio; 

• Who are they?
• Where are they based?
• What do they do?
• How do they do it?
• Why are they unique?

As there was 5 members in our group we quickly assigned each member a question to independently research in order to ensure all the questions would have been fully researched before the presentations. I feel this worked well as it allowed us to collect in depth research before explaining to the group what information we had individually uncovered so that we could prepare an effective presentation. 

Our assigned studio was 'Snask' of which no one in the group had heard of this studio before, this made it exciting to research a contemporary studio with no prior knowledge. 

Snask Logo

Who are they?

- Swedish creative industry.

- They believe in standing out and having an opinion that would be stood up for.

- Within their branding they want to tell a story and be very personal.

- Snask stands for Candy, filth and gossip. 

Where are they Based?

- They originally studied in Carlisle in 2007.

- They are now based in the heart of Stockholm where their work continues even today.

What do they do?

- Snask is an internationally renowned Design, Brand and Film agency, who create the heart and souls of brands and reinvents existing ones. 

-They have 10 point manifestos which look like the 10 commandments that we see in the Bible. One of their examples is "If you don't like your work quit" 

- They create designs, graphic identities, short films, tv commercials and many more. 

How they do it?

- Create their work based on opinions and what they stand up for.

- Do so by challenging social conventions.

- Brand Strategy .

- Brand Identity.

- Brand Story.

Why are they unique?

- They believe in standing out with there strong opinions and ability and willingness to question and challenge social conventions.

- Their confrontational style makes there studio bold and unique.

- There colloquial style brings a new social concept to the industry with the reinvention of client relations.

- They stem from the ideology of making friends which has allowed them to become world renowned as a studio with clients saying extremely positive things such as 'young, fresh, competent and professional' and as summarised by John Watters.

Overall I think we as a whole worked very well as a group, all tasks were performed efficiently and to a high standard which is important under time restrains. I really like our assigned studio, there bold designs and confident unapologetic ethos is infectious. There alternative approach and colloquial style works well for them and is a refreshing change to the monotonous corporate studios, ultimately I admire Snask for branching as different and unique yet remaining professional and efficient. 

Introduction to Study Task 1

As an introduction to study task 1 I was asked to contemplate a number of factors that lead to my decision to study and Leeds College of Art. This included what I wanted to learn during my time at university as well as a self assessment of my current strengths and inspirations. The task was structured in a questionnaire type fashion, to which I had to share my answers with the group. I found this activity extremely interesting as I was able to hear other students opinions and inspirations. 

IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN 5 REASONS WHY YOU CHOSE TO STUDY ON THIS COURSE?

• I chose to study Graphic Design and Leeds College of Art because the small cohort appealed to me. I felt this would lead to a more personal learning experience, with extensive contact time with tutors and the ability to form a closer bond with other students. 
• When attending open days and interviews, both staff and current students talked about the high quality the of the course. This included how well it was written and structured in order to get the most out of the higher education experience. This appealed to me as the course content had been carefully considered in order to provide students with the best learning outcome possible. 
• One of my design teachers at A-level studied at Leeds College of Art and she loved her time at university. She spoke highly about the reputation of the college and her enthusiasm towards the university was unparalleled to any other course I considered.
• Being a small specialist institution meant that I would constantly be surrounded by creative thinkers and practitioners. This appealed to me as the the university is subsequently very focused on design as opposed to being a small singular department in a large mainstream university. 
• My final reason to study on this course is that Leeds as a city has a good reputation in a number of aspects, for example; it is culturally diverse which could provide me with new sources of inspiration, It has a great student network and there is an extensive range of activities and opportunities available in the city. 

IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN 5 THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO LEARN DURING YOUR TIME ON THE COURSE?

• During my time at Leeds College of Art I would like to acquire a holistic knowledge of designers and design styles that can influence my work. I want to expand my knowledge of design to obtain a deep and thorough understanding of theory and practise that will ultimately prepare me for a career in industry.
• I would like to obtain a better understanding of how to use essential design software, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I can currently use both pieces of software but I often find myself using trial and error in order to perform the correct function. I would also like to expand my knowledge of more traditional art forms such as screen printing as well as being able to become independent on equipment such as the letter press and laser cutter. 
• Learning about how my work can have real life application excites me, I feel I could learn about this through live and competition briefs. Seeing how my work could fit into the industry and potential careers will help me to asses which area of graphic design I would like to specialise in. 
• By the end of my degree I would like to have an extensive knowledge of typography and layout, as currently this is the area of Graphic Design that my knowledge is weakest in. I feel it is a significantly large part of Graphic Design that I need to expand my knowledge of. 
• Finally I hope to learn from lecturers and tutors about a career in teaching. I would be interested to find out their reasons behind choosing to teach Graphic Design at degree level, what qualifications and experience this entails and how they still interact with the industry and creative practise. 

IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN 5 THINGS THAT YOU THINK ARE YOUR STRENGTHS? 

• I feel one of my key strengths is optimism.  I am able to keep focused and enthusiastic throughout long projects and periods of time, this ensures my work remains of a high standard from beginning to end. This optimistic mentality ensures I remain motivated and on task in order to produce good quality outcomes.
• Punctuality is another key strength of mine. This allows me to meet deadlines and attend all essential lectures and studio sessions. I would not intentionally miss contact time with tutors for other non academic reasons as I consider my education to be paramount. 
• Perseverance is important to me as it allows me to produce the best outcomes possible. This encourages me to use trial and error in order to find the best solution to a particular problem, no matter how long it takes. Only then when the best solution has been implemented will I be content with the outcome. 
• Similarly to perseverance I would also call myself a perfectionist. These two qualities share similar characteristics, such as striving to make the the outcome the best it can possibly be. This ethos allows me to strive for perfection and remain motivated in order to complete the task to the highest possible standard. 
• I would consider my final strength to be the ability to use an alternative perspective. This ability allows me to think creatively and produce ideas that form abstract links with the brief as opposed to forming linear structured ideas that can sometimes be less intriguing and innovative. 

IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN 5 THINGS THAT INSPIRE YOU? 

• Inspiration can literally come from anywhere, personally I find organic foods a great source of inspiration. l love the bright bold colours and great flavours that are produced from 100% natural sources. They require no added chemicals, sugars and unnatural substances yet still look and taste incredible.
• I find that the concept of success inspires me as the future can be a daunting thought.  Success can be measured in multiple forms from small everyday successes to success that can define a career, relationship or moment in time. This constant strive for success inspires me to apply myself to every type of situation.
• I find natural structures intriguing, imagery such as the mandala fascinates me because of the perfect geometry that seamlessly intertwines to create an aesthetically perfect design. This appreciation for natural structures extends beyond the mandala to other natural forms such as spiders webs, to which the patterns and shapes are so delicate and intricate that they form a distinct design that is a byproduct of its function.
• Culture inspires me as I find it genuinely intriguing, I love talking to people from different places, countries, backgrounds to find out about their life experiences. Finding similarities between complete strangers and learning about vast differences in subcultures allows me to gain a broadened knowledge of the world. 
• I feel knowledge is the pinnacle of everything around us and it is something I strive towards increasing on a daily bases. I am genuinely satisfied I have expanded my knowledge on a particular subject and can see how it can be successfully implemented into everyday life.