PPD Session with Jane

1. What major point stands out in your learning of this experience? 
2. What one thing would you have done differently whilst there or in preparation? 
3. Has it changed your outlook on the business going into your final year?

Suzi Wong Experience:
1. I would say the thing that I learnt most in my time at Suzi Wong would be how difficult it is working with clients. It became apparent very quickly that I was no longer designing for myself, with aesthetics that suit my visual style, but instead having to design around an aesthetic style that suits them. Sometimes this can be helpful and it helps get you out of your comfort zone with surprisingly successful results, but in this case it wasn't. I tried to blend both visual styles, but ultimately the client settled on a design that was formulaic and a little boring. It also became clear that I'm not a fan of branding and identity, or at least not re-branding. Starting from scratch with no guidelines can prove useful and fun, but only having to slightly alter pre-set designs is not.

2. I think I would have thrown myself in a little more. I was apprehensive about the work environment having never even had a job, so for the first few days I was quiet and didn't want to voice my opinions. After trying to design for what the client wanted I was having less and less fun and my creativity had run dry. However if I had spoke up about what I thought looked better or worked more I think I could have had a better experience, and it probably would have resulted in a more pleasing resolution.

3. Due to the experience not quite being 'industrial experience' I would say that I'm still not entirely sure what I expect from the business side of things. It was certainly informative in discovering how much effort and dedication goes into keeping a company up and running, but in terms of designing pressure and industry deadlines I still don't know much.

More Book Covers

This website has hundreds of examples of book cover designs that range from mediocre to awe inspiring. A few of these book fronts can be seen below.

Jillian Tamaki

This particular artist is the perfect example of a designer who has made a career re-imagining book covers. Below are just a few examples of her work. I'm not personally a fan of the sewed look, but the designs and compositions work very well and you can't deny the vibrancy and impact of the imagery.

Blake Suarez

There are many pieces of design on Blake Suarez's website that interest me, but the one shown here is probably my favourite. I love the use of a vibrantly coloured background and a lighter colour used for the actual design, almost as if the image is reversed. The fact that the illustration was designed for a popular music band just adds to the appeal of the artist. Daniel Suarez is someone who I will be keeping an eye on.

Daniel Kent

Daniel Kent's website details all the work he has masterfully created in his recent career, the majority of which has been hand crafted such as screen printed posters and letter pressed stationary seen in the image to the left. In regards to all his work I would have to say that the range of items seen in the picture is my favourite example. I admire the thorough resolution to the brief, and the expansive range of items created all based around one initial design. I also enjoy the colour scheme and the combination of blues and reds mixed with a very interesting stock choice. It's amazing how much texture can be communicated with 2D design.

Aaron Scamihorn

The work of Aaron Scamihorn is very interesting to me. His compositions are retro in style and the subject matter is often related to popular culture. The image to the left is taken from Aaron's first solo gallery show entitled 'Freaks & Geeks'. The intention behind the show was to exhibit Aaron's love for portraiture mixed with interesting and unique faces, and I would say it is a resounding success. Though Aaron is technically a fine artist with all the portraits in the show being hand rendered, his process is incredibly interesting. He actually combines hand painting with screen printing, but most importantly states that the origin of all the pieces is computer based. Therefore his work could be considered graphic design, and qualifies as an inspiration for me.

The rest of his amazing work can be found here.

Chelsey Scheffe

Originally a fine artist, Chelsey Scheffe is slowly becoming an accomplished designer. Her visual approach to briefs is unique and without doubt identifiable as her own. There are many positives to Chelsey's work, including her detailed illustrations and use of geometric shapes and subtle compositions. However on her website there are many categories of work including; print, web, motion and photography. She may be able to juggle all these different areas of design, but on a personal note I would not want to. Seeing all those disciplines makes me realise the importance of excelling in just one, or at a stretch two, areas of design.