WEBSITE FOR ROOT, alterations

I decided to change the homepage images. At the moment I had half photographs, half images that could represent each designer. I think the images for each designer are better, they demonstrate the type of work we like individually, in a cheerful way.

each rollover image is the designers name, in a different colour, so that the name is legible, also I want the homepage to be bright and different, I basically see these four icons as a bit of imagery that viewers can interactive with a bit. 

I thought this page was a bit dull, so I brightened it up a bit.. 

created a rollover, bright pink, keeping the viewer interested. 

RE VISITING LIGHTBOX

I thought I should make the descriptions with more depth, at the moment I basically just named them. I added a brief description of what our company was asked to do.

code:

This is how it looked once you click on the icon:

WORK PAGE

I have created links to each of our blogs on the work page to show further work.

I also resized each of the icon boxes in the coding so that they are exactly the same size.

ABOUT page

I changed the rollover image from 'that works for you' (too cheesy), to 'personally designed'

WEBSITE FOR ROOT,

MY INITIAL WEBPAGES WERE ALL DELETED BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE ON MY DESKTOP SO WHEN I TRIED TO REPLACE THE FOLDER IT DIDN'T ACTUALLY SAVE.

I HAVE TO START AGAIN.




LIGHT BOX RE DONE.

I have added the images again, into separate albums for each catagory. I also replaced the text on the page, with small icons of sections of the images that will be in that album. I named each section with a album title, this will distinguish each icon as a separate album. In order for these images to work, I have to link them all the the images folder located in my root folder. I also have to link the template with the work.html I am working from, so that the downloaded Light box feature updates to it.

CONTACT INFO.

To change font, I edit specific properties, found in 'page properties'

 I can create a font design that can be given a label, this way I can use it for multiple purposes. 

Heading 1  - 14px, coloured mint green, with a sans serif type face. 

Creating multiple heading settings, 

I can apply them to different text, creating a larger variety of text appearances. 

NEWS

 I wondered what I could put in the 'NEWS' section. 

Seeing as we are a new company, I thought mini profiles of each company member could be useful? 

HOMEPAGE

IMAGES REPRESENTING EACH 4. 

I created them as rollover images, our names will appear when the mouse hovers over the icons. 

PAGES FINAL. 

DEVELOPING WEBSITE FOR 'ROOT'

I wanted to add images to it, but so they are shown in a way that really shows them off,

I looked at a code called 'Lightbox', it's coding is a combination of javascript and CSS, once I had downloaded the coding I had to imput my own images, titles and groups in order to make it work and unique to my website.

LIGHTBOX CODE

Here is the same section, after  I had included the right coding to make the website unique.

I decided to group each project as individual albums that would preview as small slideshows. Each group is also shown as a small thumbnail (which I had to create in photoshop then insert). I have made the thumbnails quite small and they reveal little about the contents of the small album, this not only keeps the line of thumbnails neat, but also could persuade the viewers to look further into the images. 

When you click on each thumbnail, a separate page loads, 

I also added a title, and a small description (which I will make more detailed). 

This works for each individual group of photographs. 

PRESENTATION FEEDBACK,

PPD - root evaluation,

Although PPD has been a little tedious at times, I have actually found it very useful. I think it has been good to learn about the other side of this course, which is, being able to support yourself and your peers if chosen to become a freelance designer. 
There are certain aspects that covered other areas of education, a lot of business studies and economic areas were approached which I think is information everyone should know a bit about. 


Presenting and working together as a group of four, I think, has been an advantage. I have enjoyed the discussions and research involved produced as a group, and I feel our group worked well together. We all ranged within our specialisms and interests which kept our group fresh and luckily, didn't have many arguments or disagreements. It also made us have to think about considering other members of a group, whether it concerned design aspects or corporate aspects of our collaboration. This is useful, as normally it would be like this in the REAL world. 


The business side, although sometimes seems like common sense, has been interesting to revisit, promoting and setting up a business was all covered when I was writing up the marketing plan. This is definitely information I will take away with me when I finish this course. However, I could've researched further into what specialist medias I would promote our company within. This is brought up at the end of the presentation and I couldn't actually give a specific name/fact answering the question. All companies must follow a marketing plan to ensure the future of their business, and I am glad I could learn about it myself. 


Researching into companies for the swot and pest analysis, covered other areas of my work. It gave me the chance to also see whether they related to work placements in which I could consider working at. However, although I liked some of the companies that were discovered, the type of work our company 'Root' would specialise in, wasn't completely how I would want to work, as an individual. However, this still gave me the chance to do further contextual research. 


The financial side of things was an area that was completely new to me. I had never even thought about how much everything would cost, although it turned out to be ALOT more than I thought, which I guess I would have to face one day... anyway. Filling out the financial form was a good way to round up the overall cost of starting up a new business, it made you think about certain qualities in life that will have to be considered thoroughly when needing all the money you can get! I also had in mind that I want to have about 6 weeks of holiday a year... which now I probably won't be able to get.... unfortunately. 




Hopefully our presentation went well for others watching. I feel our group's contributions all came together effectively, and I feel we all worked equally as hard. In terms of presenting skills, all of us were a little nervous, and this may have shown, but I'm pretty sure we covered all the points we had rehearsed to do. We could've also maybe added more interactive imagery throughout the slides, we did include images of the type of work we would produce, however other images throughout could've provided a bit of entertainment for our audience.


Regarding areas to do with our work placements, the push and pressure given I think was needed and not needed... if they makes sense. If I wasn't forced to get in touch with clients and companies, then I may have put it off for a while because the thought of it worries me sometimes. Although, I was glad to approach it in my own time over Easter. My original state of mind (being unsure of what I want to do, and not knowing how to go about contacting companies), has been released slightly, I feel more relaxed about the whole thing. PPD has enabled me to approach my areas of interest, and focus them all towards a productive target, I have also had the opportunity to research into existing companies/placements which has excited me in terms of possibilities available to me out there! I am glad I have sent out emails/letters to companies, as the experience will do me good, both for my CV and for my journey on this course. Hopefully I have specified myself as a designer, and will continue to do so as I 'PPD' myself throughout the rest of this course.




All in all, I think enterprise is a good idea. 

PPD - final presentation document,

Presentation prep,

NOTES FOR PRESENTATION

- Our marketing plan is a long term strategy for the future of our business, it's to ensure that we fulfill our target, that is, to become established and get a customer base that will turn us profitable within two years.

- To help us achieve this, we want to develop a 'marketing mix'. This consists of the four 'P's

• product
• promotion
• price
• place

Our product, is a service that provides our consumers with the design work that specialises in branding new and existing companies.

In order to promote our company, we will need to find effective and also affordable ways to do so. One on one promotional visits, promote in specialist media (magazines, brochures). Customer feedback to help promote us, good reputation.

The price of our product is very important when considering the set up of a new business, our prices must be realistic, communicate the right message relating to the quality and standard of our work.
We could research into our competatives pricing, this way matching ours to theres will ensure we don't lose customers to cheaper offers. However, the more unique our company is the less we have to match our prices.

Where our customers will recieve there design? We want to have a well designed website, to help promote/sell our products, we also, ideally want a studio based in Leeds, to escape the high rental costs of London, but maintain a high customer rate.

Market research. 

Our marketing mix must come from, thorough, well thought out, marketing research. This consists of:

  - competitors pricing

  - what our customers want

  - what do the competitors do

  - research into what customers like/don't like (questionaires, feedback)

There must be research involved to make us progress productively.

Our marketing plan must be revisited constantly. If our aim seems unachievable then we must change it. It has to be movable to adjust.  

Presentation prep,

I was focusing on the Marketing Plan and the manifesto:
Initial slides, without design or prioritised notes taken out,

We decided to set up a 'google presentations' account, this way we could all work on the same presentation by logging on.
These were the slides I produced, the manifesto will probably have to be simplyfied a bit, and the Marketing Plan slides will obviously be more bullet pointed.

letters, sent locally, addresses

1.

Design Print Services Ltd.

Jubilee House
Jubilee Road
Letchworth
Hertfordshire
SG6 1WU

 

nicki@designprint.co.uk

http://www.designprint.co.uk/contact_designprint.htm

 

 

2.

Omega Print & Design
6 Arden Press Way
Letchworth Garden City
Hertfordshire SG6 1LH

 

info@omegaprint.co.uk

http://www.omegaprint.co.uk/

 

3.

Affordable Web Design

90c Bancroft

Hitchin

Hertfordshire

SG5 1NQ

 

support@affordablewebdesignhitchin.co.uk

http://www.affordablewebdesignhitchin.co.uk/about.html

 

 

4.

Reaction Visual Media

20 Armour Rise

Hitchin, Hertfordshire

SG4 0RJ

 

info@reactionvm.co.uk

reactionvm.co.uk‎

 

5.

Allen Creative Ltd

28 Bridge Street

Hitchin

SG5 2DF

 

getintouch@allencreative.co.uk

http://www.allencreative.co.uk/

 

6.

Nomad Graphique
Suite 19 / Pixmore Centre
Pixmore Avenue
Letchworth Garden City
Hertfordshire SG6 1JG

info@nomadgraphique.com


LETTER 

 

PPD - SWOT and PEST of companies,

Here are SWOT and PEST analysis of the companies, 'OMFGCO' and 'The Tenfold Collective'

Official Manufacturing Company

http://www.omfgco.com/

Strengths

• Typography
• Print
• Web Design
• Wide range of media
• Good presentation of work
• Merchandise

Weaknesses

• No Motion Work
• Genrally limit clients to small businesses
• Limited to brand design

Opportunities

• Room for more merch
• Could produce more work for screen

Threats

• Other design companies focusing on brand design.

Political

• No location stated on website
• Local Politics

Economical

• No location stated on website

Social

• No location stated on website
• ?

Technological

• New web technology like html 5

The Tenfold Collective

http://www.tenfoldcollective.com/

Strengths

• Excellent interactive website
• Up-to-date blog with information about their design process
• Small studio of four people
• Skilled in both print and web design

Weaknesses

• Small studio of four people
• No motion design
• Focus is on branding

Opportunities

• Room for work outside branding
• Could produce some of their own merch
• Could expand to include motion design

Threats

• Other branding agencies that focus on print and web design.

Political

• Local politics in Loveland, CO USA

Economical

• Financial situation of the small business they have been doing work for

Social

• ?

Technological

• New and upcoming web technologies

These two companies were other companies that seemed appropriate to relate to our  type of company. We chose to analyse them through swot and pest, to help us relate to ours and theres clearly.

PPD, research into studio relating to our chosen area of design

http://www.25ah.se/


This company seems to focus on branding and identity, I like how the media used is versatile, and the company remains traditional yet incorporates contemporary art into it's design. 
When I shared this information with my group, we all agreed, it seemed like the type of company we would be able to relate to, we all found others similar. 

PPD, research into studios, swot and pest

Where:
Manchester?
Leeds?
Needs:
Room for four people to work comfortably
Place to meet clients
Open 5-6 days a week
Weekly meeting on mondays


Studio Costs - TBA

Rent: ~£650pm
Utilities: ~£50
Phone line: ~£15pm & £130 initial set up
Mobiles (for four, plus appropriate usage allowance): ~£95pm
Postage costs: ~£250 annually.
Insurance: £200 /yr

Tech Costs - 16,000 total

Research - TBA

Promotion - 1500 /yr

Competitors
Tenfold Collective
Official Manufacturing Company
999 Design
Thompson Brand Partners
25 AH

MYSELF, as a designer,