What do 'They' do? - Study task 6

Identify a large, medium and small company from a sector or service that reflects your interests within the creative industries.

Small: Freelance designer; Paul Currah

Medium: Design Studio; Studio MikMik

Large: Famous Design Studio; Elmwood

Strengths

• Large range of clients
• Big client groups
• Experience
• creative freedom
• award winning
• processes and techniques
• quality work
• variety of designs
• opportunities
• Interactive design
• Large scale design
• Environmental design
• Professional portfolio
• Independent
• Well suited and effective design

Weaknesses

It is difficult to find weaknesses with Paul Currah as he has so many clients and experience already before he started to work as a freelance designer. He specialises in a wide variety of practices. If I had to pick on anything I would say that they doesn't seem to be a lot of web design and environmental design which isn't necessarily a weakness, just something that they choose not to focus on.

Strengths:

• Up to date & Crisp Design
• Branding and identity
• Vector Illustrations
• friendly and professional 
• Print and Publications
• Sustainable design
• clean and professional designs

Weaknesses:

• Small client groups
• digital media
• Standard format designs
• interactivity.

Elmwood is a large design studio that boasts a very valued and large range of clients. Their vision is to be bold and have firm foundations within there history. "What we call our mission keeps us on track and shapes what we’re like, along with what we value". They simply help brands uncover what’s special and different about themselves and tell the world about it. There’s the thinking and words in brand strategy and brand language through to the visual magic of corporate design and packaging design. Due to their professionalism and high standard of work, it would be an amazing studio and experience.

Strengths

• Large client groups
• well respected
• well suited and effective design
• professional design and communication methods
• strong brand vision and identity
• high end studio
• committed
• range of processes and techniques used
• award winning
• range of mediums
• promote them selves well
• international designs
• International connections

Weaknesses

Again it is difficult to find weaknesses with  Elmwood as they are well respected within the design community and have so many clients that are international and seen by many. They specialise in a wide variety of practices. The only flaws I can point out is their under use of web design.

Overall

After reviewing 3 different types of designers/ design groups, I have acknowledged that the studios have a high focus on print and environmental design. They always seem to push there designs to create that inventive approach to everything they do.

I think that from these 3 companies, especially the smaller ones, there is a need for more creative and interactive print that strays away from standard sizes and solutions that are very common within graphic design. From a personal perspective I feel I would initially like to begin working surrounded by an atmosphere and multiple learning curves, then when I was confident enough in my abilities, turn my hands to a different approach. I feel that starting off as a freelance designer is a risky decision unless your somehow familiar with EVERYTHING you have to do, if you mess up, you've only got yourself to blame. 

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The following points below display where I think I am situated within graphic design, and also where I want to be within the future.

My chosen areas of practice as of now;

-Branding & Identity

-Illustration

-Conceptual thinker and event/ exhibition developer.

My main strengths as of now; 

-Illustrator

-Research collation

-Conceptual thinking

My identified weaknesses as of now;

- Simplicity

- Developmental work

- Balancing work with my social life

My main goals;

2012//

- Visit design studios

- Design a set of branding for myself (initial design)

- Submit work to design competitions

2013//

- Submit design work to competitions and WIN

- Design a final set of branding & also create my website

- Produce work in the public domain

Desires// 

- Earn a good living, doing what I love.

- Live life, travel the world, bringing my experiences into my work.

- Be successful

- Work amongst friends

Ambitions//

My ambition is to secure a job in a respectable design studio, here I will put the hard work in, and hopefully move up the hierarchy. Once I've understood all aspects of the business and gained a large amount of contacts, I will look toward hopefully starting my own thing, whatever that thing may be.