OUGD602 | Personal & Professional Practice 3 | Self branding Reform - Networking & Social Media

Awareness Online

By building a brand or online awareness online. It is important to generate a significant amount of exposure and awareness for your brand or self identity it is often very challenging at the beginning, and it can become more difficult online where there’s a large amount of outside noise to contend with. However, along with many challenges, there are also a great many opportunities to build up social links, connections and job opportunities with the following social medias. 

To build my 'Online awareness' I had to make many online accounts via the internet which relates to my industry these include: Art, Graphics and Design and so on. This will further help promotion for my designs and potential jobs after University and the near future. Therefore communication on the Internet is vital, so to initial start it is important to create an online portfolio showcasing current, previous and ongoing design projects, this could be formed as a website or an webpage that specialises in showing off designs. To further publicise professional online webpage such as Linkedin can help expand connections, clients and companies to approach you. 

Therefore, by making these vital online accounts will help to prepare me to find these potential connections, networks, job opportunities and clients. 

Below are some examples:  

Website - Sung designs

For my website I have used 'Squarespace' as my dominate website page, however this may change if I decided to make my own website in the future. Currently my website have my second year of University work. I will further update it with more of my current third year work. 

Behance - Click here

I previously created an account last year, however I was still afraid to post any of my second year work as I was not satisfied by posing and showcasing work online. Despite this defensive conscience I will start uploading my third year work. This is online portfolio is in current development. 

Linkedin - click here

For Linkedin I have connect with a lot of peers, family and new people. I have updated my profile picture to a more professional yet casual photograph. In addition the banner is my 'sung' pattern design of my self branding identity logo. 

Instagram - @sung_designs

Similar to Behance I previously created this account last year, however with the same reasons I was reluctant to upload any of my work due to dissatisfaction. Despite this negative in my third year I am more pleased and satisfied with my work that I have produced this year. I will start uploading my third year work soon. Therefore this social media platform page is still in current development. 

OUGD602 | PPP3 | Powerpoint Presentation - Development over the three years in University

Outlines for the presentation

You will deliver a 10 minute presentation (powerpoint or similar) that communicates and summarises your individual creative ambitions, career plans, design strategies and 

professional activities.

These may include although not limited to:

• Studio visits and open days
• Industrial/work experience/placements
• Professional activities
• Live briefs
• Visiting professional talks/workshops
• Portfolio surgeries and creative CV workshops
• Information of conferences, talks, exhibitions..
• Timetables, schedules and strategies 
• Individual external engagement appropriate to your studies

Powerpoint Presentation slides

Below are images of my presentation slides. 

OUGD602 | Personal & Professional Practice 3 | Self branding Reform - Development - Creative CV and Stationary Mock-up designs

Creative CV Designs
Below is an updated version of my Creative CV, it uses elements of rebrand logo design, colours schemes and pattern themes that relate to my logo design. Additional information has been updated with social network links, contact information, work experience, and skill set. 

Stationary Mock-ups Designs
Underneath is a stationary mock-up designs on how my logo would be distributed in products such as: sticker set, folder, notebook, pencil collection, letter, envelope, tube and business cards. 

OUGD602 | Personal & Professional Practice 3 | Self branding Reform - Development - Stickers & Poster designs

Self Branding Sticker Designs

Below are the sticker experiment of the 'Sung' logo designs. 

Original logo design

Chinese Character in three different colours

Three Coloured Background and White Logo

Sung Poster Designs

Beneath is the final poster design of the 'Sung' logo design. The size of the poster is A3 preferably printed in a glossy quality.

Printed versions of the Poster and Sticker designs

These are the finish self branding 'Sung' posters and sticker designs printed. The poster design was printed in a glossy A3 sheet the colours turned out very well. 

The sticker designs were printed on a see-through stick sheen. I originally wanted it on a white matte colour sticky sheet, however due to technical support in the digital printing room the technicians were not able to get the sticker cutter machine to work. They then advised me to use the see-through sheet has the around sticker outline will not be visible when cut out. Therefore due to this advise, I printed on the sheet that they suggested. The outcome of the sticker design looks decent but if looked closely it is obvious that it has been cut out by free hand and the outline of the circle edge is still visible. The other complication of the sticker design is that the colour grey on the logo design is not as visible compare to the other single coloured sticker designs. This is a reason why my initial idea of printing them on a white matte sheet is more suitable for the lighter colours to stand out. 

Below are images of the printed versions: 

Final A3 print of logo design

Final product of self branding stickers

Sticker designs on Macbook Pro

OUGD602 | Personal & Professional Practice 3 | Self branding Reform - Development - Patterns & Business card designs

Final New logo design
Below are the final logo design for the new 'Sung' self branding identity logo. Additional shadows of the logo coloured white and blue (Consist from the colour scheme) were added to make the logo look 3D. And the information of what kind of designer I am was written in the typeface 'Futura'. Despite Graphic design to be my main major, packaging design is of a particular interest to me, as I wish to work and further develop within this area. However, I am not 100% specialised in this area therefore it will not be added in until I do have prior experience. The gold colour is used to full in the white circles and letters that include a circle, this is an ongoing theme for my logo design. 

Development - Logo Pattern designs
To rephrase the connection between the new logo design and how it associate well with the typeface 'Futura medium'. Due to the logo and Futura typeface are both designed in a geometric style. Futura is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Paul Renner. Especially how the typeface is based on geometric shapes, especially the circle shape, this is similar to the new logo having circular aspects. 

Thus the pattern theme designs must be able to relate to the new logo design as the concept of geometric shapes will be similar to the logo and typeface design. The following patterns experimentations of geometric shapes such as circles, hexagons, circular stars and so one will be tested with the new 'Sung' logo design.  

Selection of Pattern designs
Underneath are pattern designs combined with the 'Sung' logo design. This has been tested out to see which pattern theme suits the circular geometric concept. 

A mixture between gold circles, blue hexagons and grey circles has been experimented with.
This pattern choice is not an adequate design as it distracts the main logo design.

A mixture between gold circles, and the blue circles outline has been experimented with.
This pattern choice is not an adequate design as the gold circles distracts the main logo design.

The gold circles being the main pattern design with the logo has been experimented.
This pattern choice is not an adequate design as the gold circles still distracts the main logo design.

A mixture of blue and grey circle outlines has been experimented with.
This pattern choice is more adequate to the design due to the concept of using geometric shapes is consistent.

A mixture between blue hexagons, and the grey circles outline has been experimented with.
This pattern choice is not an adequate design due to the size of the hexagon and
circles will distract the main logo design.

Final Business cards designs

Below are the final designs for the 'Sung' self branding business cards. The circular the,e is consistent, sophisticated and appealing. Mock-ups of business cards have been produced. 

'Sung' front business card design

'Sung' front business card design

Mock ups of Business cards

 

 

 

Final Printed Business card designs

OUGD602 | Personal & Professional Practice 3 | Self branding Reform - Typefaces & Colour scheme Development

Typeface - Self Branding logo

Beneath is the main typeface for the new self branding colour scheme. The typeface used is 'Futura medium', for my previous self branding logo 'Futura regular' was also used as the main typeface and logo of the self branding known as 'Beyond'. The reasoning of this remaining is that my logo is designed in a geometric style, this is similar to the creation of the 'Futura' typeface. Futura is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Paul Renner. It was designed as a contribution on the New Frankfurt-project. It is based on geometric shapes, especially the circle, similar in spirit to the Bauhaus design style of the period.

Logo Colour Scheme Experimentation
Below are a selection of the three different logos tested with the main colour scheme. From this colour experimentation can assist which colours are the best for the whole body of the logo or the other areas. Majority of them work well with one another, however, the colour silver of the main logo had more positive feedback especially when rotated into a Chinese which is my surname 'Sung'. 

The two other logo designs were not as positive compare to the 'Chinese Character - Sung' 
Firstly the second row of the logo design, there was a lot of different colours contrasting against one another making the logo design becoming chaotic and unharmonised. Whilst the first row logo design, the letter 'S' was not as recognisable compared to the letter 'K'. Majority of the feedback from peers said that the top row logo looks like a 'Chinese Character' when given a first glimpse. Therefore, it was evident that the Chinese Character logo should be my new self branding logo design.  

Experimentation of Colour Schemes

Comparison draft to explain how the logo became to the final design

OUGD602 | Personal & Professional Practice 3 | Self branding Reform - Vector designs & Colour Scheme

Illustrator Vectors of logo designs
After deciding which sketches to vectorised in Adobe Illustrations for the new self branding logo. Below are the two most promising designs that can be used in a professional manner to convey my self identity. 

 

The vectorised logo sketches were drawn and digitalised on Illustrator. The first set of these designs that are still in need of improvement. For the first vector design having combining the letter 'S' and overlapping it with the letter 'K' was experimented. However, the feedback that was received from the first vector design, majority stated that the letter 'k' does not look very proportional especially the bottom part of the edge of the letter 'k' and the bottom curve of the letter 's'. 

Whilst the other vector design after examining the sketch design, it looked very empty in the middle of it, when scanning the vectorised sketches and having a secondary look at it. The design became similar to Chinese Character after adding the addition line in between the letter 'K'. Therefore this kind of design looks like a logo if rotated the other way round. The feedback given for the second design was very positive as many could tell it looked similar to a Chinese Character. But many of my peers asked to see the outline of second vector design. 

Secondary logo vectors - outlines

Underneath are the secondary logo vectors of my self branding logo. More experimentations was developed onto the previous vector design; testing out the thickness or thinness of the logo, rounder and smoother edges. In addition, after another observation of the logo when turned it began to look like my surname Chinese character known as 'Sung' which in Chinese is written like '宋'. For the top hat stroke had to be replaced by a circle as if a stroke was added on the top, the logo will look unbalanced. 

Chinese Character Surname - Song/Sung

By having the option of being able to rotate the logo design, one can be used for the English logo and the other when rotated an international logo. Nevertheless both types of vectorises logos will be tested with the chosen colour scheme. 

These examples are shown below:

 

 

New colour scheme
When deciding for either using the same previous colour scheme or creating a new one for the new self branding logo. Inspiration from the previous self branding logo design colour scheme some aspects of it was used for this design. Mainly the colours of metallic silver, gold and white. The only colour change was the blue as before was a dark royal blue, however for the new logo has turn into a light colour blue. 

This colour scheme will be tested on the two new vectorised logo design for further experimentation.