Personal:
- A further understanding of my skill se, am I more suited to digital based, or web based?
- Experience of working for an outside client's wants rather than my own.
- How to work with others; the conditions of working with a client e.g. how many times I should edit my work to suit a client.
- How to balance working on several briefs.
- how to achieve what the client wants without compromising your own wants for the project as the designer.
- How to format and submit work to people online.
- How to plan, develop and complete a project most appropriate to the brief.
As a group:
- Having to deliver what you promise and do what you say you're going to do.
- Understanding realistic time frames.
- Effective proffessional communication .
- How not to get exploited; How much you should charge, when you should get paid etc.
- Work on a range of briefs.
- Identify individual practice.
- How to analyze a brief.
- Creative compromise.
- Exposure.
- Portfolio development (Collection, identity, voice)
- Get a portfolio that is different to everyone else. (Different tasks)
- Contacts and opportunities.
Part 2: Why do you think competition briefs are useful?
Personal:
- You can submit work and if it is not overly great or successful its not completely destructive to your career path. The worst that can happen is that your design doesn't get picked.
- If you win a proze/ get selected it impresses future employers as you have beaten other students and designers.
- You develop a portfolio of work with a range of briefs for a client, who semi dictates the design, not just you.
- I get to pick briefs I want to do and dictate where my practice goes.
- I have no choice but to stick to the deadlines, trains you up for real world deadlines.
As a group:
- Improve proffesional design skills.
- Challenge of a professional brief.
- Shows dedication/commitment to being more than just a student.
- Develop a clearer working practice.
- Real world bench marking against other students and designers.
- Professional responsibilities, risk of losing clients or a bad reputation.
- Build your confidence.
- Briefs may give you contacts.
- Proffesional feedback.
- Professional experience/ feedback.
- Never work with family members, you will be exploited.
Task: Find 5 briefs from online design competitions which you would find interesting to complete:
Brief 1:
Fedrigoni
Inspire printers across the UK to work with the wide variety of Fedrigoni papers on offer
Background
The Fedrigoni family has been part of the paper world since 1717, when the San Colombano paper mill was set up in Vallarsa-Rovereto, Italy. Over the years, Fedrigoni have consistently been at the forefront of the paper industry, pioneering the techniques and processes that make paper the beautiful, versatile medium it is.
Fedrigoni has been refining the art and science of making fine-quality special papers, producing striking surfaces, tactile textures and vivid colours - paper that can be pressed, bent, cut and folded into almost any form you can imagine. Fedrigoni papers are ultra-functional and, at the same time, wonderfully expressive.
Fedrigoni has been refining the art and science of making fine-quality special papers, producing striking surfaces, tactile textures and vivid colours - paper that can be pressed, bent, cut and folded into almost any form you can imagine. Fedrigoni papers are ultra-functional and, at the same time, wonderfully expressive.
The Creative Challenge
Since opening the doors of its London Paper Showroom in Hatton Garden in 2008, the team at Fedrigoni have worked hard to increase the brand’s profile amongst the design community creating exciting and engaging marketing tools to promote the paper ranges on offer.
Known for being luxury paper manufacturers with a lot of high-end customers, it’s a challenge for us to eradicate any misconceptions of luxury paper being unaffordable, especially to printers!
The challenge is to create a campaign which will ensure that printers across the UK are aware of the broad range of Fedrigoni papers available, suitable for a range of budgets.
We need to communicate that we offer varied ranges for publishing and packaging, right through to business stationary, envelopes and self-adhesive papers.
Target Audience
Printers have a big influence over paper decisions and can in some instances change their client’s specifications.
We want to crush any misconceptions printers may have about Italian luxury paper. Your idea should clearly communicate that Fedrigoni not only produce high-end papers, but inform them of the diverse range and price offering we provide.
Printers are known for their suits and formal approach, we want you to turn this on its head and create a fun, tongue and cheek way to target them which is memorable and maybe even makes them laugh!
Ultimately we want to raise our profile with printers and make us their favoured supplier.
Creative Requirements
Your idea must use and or showcase paper in a creative way. Your idea should show how you would promote our papers using various channels to reach our target audience.
We’re after a campaign full of originality. You are free to respond and create communication or content in any combination of mediums you wish. We are open to new ideas, as long as you can fully demonstrate how your work will promote our wide variety of Fedrigoni papers.
Additional Information
We ask that students do not send requests to our samples department.
It is not required that students strictly use our paper to illustrate ideas, entries will not be penalised for using other papers. However, if you would like to include some Fedrigoni papers into your work or just get an better feel for the type of papers we offer, email:marketing_coordinator@fedrigoni.co.uk for a standard student sample pack.
Of course if your idea is selected to use as one of our promotions, we will provide the paper required.
It is not required that students strictly use our paper to illustrate ideas, entries will not be penalised for using other papers. However, if you would like to include some Fedrigoni papers into your work or just get an better feel for the type of papers we offer, email:marketing_coordinator@fedrigoni.co.uk for a standard student sample pack.
Of course if your idea is selected to use as one of our promotions, we will provide the paper required.
Deliverables, Artwork and Additional Information
For guidance on how to submit your work, please adhere to the main deliverables information which can be found here.
Any additional supporting information referenced in the brief can be found in the supporting project pack.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Brief 2:
UK Greetings
Design a range of greetings cards
Background
Imagine seeing your card designs on the shelves of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waterstones, Paperchase, Clintons and independent card shops, and on window sills across the country.
UK Greetings are the UK’s market leading direct-to-retailer publisher, and manufacturer of greetings cards.
Based in West Yorkshire, we supply to the major supermarkets, high street specialists and independent retailers in the UK and internationally.
UKG have several established sub-brands, each priding itself on delivering something unique, giving UK Greetings a distinctive edge and sound reputation for diverse and eclectic product. More information on these can be found at ukgreetings.co.uk
The Creative Challenge
The greetings card industry is a very competitive market. We are constantly looking for ways to stand out from the crowd, whether this be through an exciting card format, interesting use of finishes (emboss, foil, glitter, varnish, gems, googly eyes, printed card attachments, bespoke attachments, buttons etc), or simply stunning designs that stand out from the competition.
Target Audience
16-34 year olds.
Considerations
Think about the sending situation. Why would you be sending them a card? What is the occasion? Birthday card to a friend or to a family relation? Something to say good luck, get well? Congratulations? You’re getting married? Simply ‘I love you’ or ‘I miss you’?
Who is the recipient? At what stage in their lives are they? Single, married, with children, off to college/university, passing their driving test, losing someone close to them?
Remember who you are targeting. Who is going to be actually buying the card for the recipient? Although you need to design a card that targets the recipient, it’s the person who is buying the card we need to impress and convince.
Also please note: Women buy far more cards than men.
Is the card design-led or copy-led (could be a quote, just a ‘hello’ or a longer message)?
Mandatories
You must design at least 4 cards. These will include:
- Front page designs.
- Designs for the inside of the cards (this may or may not include an insert).
- A range name and logo to be printed on the back page.
- Remember to think about the envelope colour or design.
- Suggested card sizes – 159mm x 159mm, 121mm x 184mm, 137mm x 159mm, 110mm x 210mm but don’t let that restrict you.
- Add 3mm bleed to all artwork supplied.
Preparation
Take a look at what is out there. Visit Paperchase, Clintons, WH Smith and local card shops. A successful range often does something different to what is already out there.
Do some research into what types of cards are being sent to this target group and why.
Deliverables, Artwork and Additional Information
For guidance on how to submit your work, please adhere to the main deliverables information which can be found here.
Any additional supporting information referenced in the brief can be found in the supporting project pack.
Brief 3:
