OUGD502: Personal and Professional Practice 2 // Study Task 2 - Contacting Agencies

Investigate a list of methods you can employ to contact other Creatives, studios or agencies.

• Studio visits, by e-mailing a studio and asking for a visit, recently I visited Numiko, the web design agency, based in Leeds. We simply asked for a studio visit, following a recent talk they did in University a few weeks prior. When we visited the studio, we had the creatives right there with us, so we were able to ask them questions about their creative process and also ask them about work placements - to which they told us how to apply and that they do in fact pay their interns (...yay).
• Attending Events, it's important to attend events which exhibit the areas of creativity which interest you. It's likely that there will be professionals there, which are the leading creatives within your interest, gateways to highly renown professionals. By meeting them and befriending them, you're more likely to collaborate with them. An example of this is Leeds Print Festival. I managed to meet loads of professionals who use the methods which interest me, and obtain their contact details. 

OUGD502: Personal and Professional Practice 2 // Task 1 - PPP Fundamentals

1. Reflecting on your Summer what is your most memorable event and why?

• The most memorable part of my summer was being able to design for my first 'real' client. I was able to design the business collateral for a small brand, located in Malton, North Yorkshire. Seeing my work being used a real environment, rather than within a hypothetical sense, as done with typical educational briefs. 

 2. Have you made any contacts over the Summer that you feel could be helpful over the coming year or so and what outcomes did you feel you achieved?

• I haven't really made any new contacts over the summer unfortunately. As much as I would have liked to improve my creative scope and meet new contacts, I was engaged with commitments and festivals/stuff. 

 3. How did you meet/contact these contacts (methods used or how it happened)

• None applicable. 

 4. If you didn’t make any contacts, why? too busy working? holiday? commitments?

• I spend a large portion of the holiday engaged in commitments, I managed to work on a small project, but there were no creative contacts gained. I spend a large amount of the summer training for a series of obstacle races, know as the Spartan Race, and spending time with family and friends.

 5. What methods of contacting creatives can you think of and what would you ask?

• To contact creatives, you're able to use LinkedIn, which is a less personal approach, but it's an effective way to present your skills and contact circles and communities of designers through suggestions and common ground. You can also contact creatives by e-mailing them directly, perhaps asking them about what they do, or ask for a studio visit. 

OUGD502: Personal and Professional Practice 2 // Why is Networking Good?

Why is networking good for ME personally? 

• Networking is good for me personally, as I'm able to explore the creative industry around me, as someone who's quite split between the physical and digital elements of Graphic Design, I find it's useful to see creatives around me and see what they've done, what they're doing and where it's taken them. Doing this helps me plan out what I would enjoy doing, and if the road to which it leads is suitable for me. It also helps me find new people, friends of friends, colleagues and family members that offer unique skills which I can utilise to enhance my practice, or work with to produce something fantastic. 

For what I may get out of it is it worth it? YES/NO 

• Yes, yes it is. 

WHAT can I get out of this? 

• I can get a great deal out of networking! I'm able to expand my creative links by meeting new people, using the common ground we might have. Using this, I may be able to get work placements, employment, attend events, and boost my creative knowledge, to a level far superior to what I might obtain left to my own devices. I could also get the chance to collaborate with other creative individuals, or companies, from which I can learn new skills. 

Am I doing this simply because I am being asked to? 

• To begin with, I was doing this because I was asked to. However, once the ball started rolling, I began to quite enjoy networking, attending events, where I was able to meet and learn about creatives within our community. Whilst also building my LinkedIn profile, which represents me as a professional. 

WHAT do I think that I am NOT doing as far as networking? 

• I feel I could be attending more events, I've only been a limited number, thus limiting my networking abilities. If I were to increase the number of events I attend I will be able to meet more creatives, and expand my scope of social links, to which I can draw upon in the future. 

Do YOU think that in this kind communication, language is a major barrier?

• To an extent, I do feel that there is a language barrier in this kind of communication. However, in this industry, I feel the quality and production of an individual's work and say more about them than a strip of text, or a speech. Of course I won't be able to understand their justification of their work, but there's always software available to translate texts, roughly.