Portfolio Mail Shot

So I've had a little think and a chat with John about how I could effectively get my portfolio seen when sending it to design agencies, because my portfolio is digital based I thought about packaging it in a clear wallet including portfolio cards and sealing it with a sticker showing my logo. But to make this stand out I have been looking at bright metallic jiffy bags so when its posted through the door fingers crossed they go to the brightest item like a magpie!



When I was looking around for business card research for my Nero brief I came across a really good website called Business Cards Observer not only does it show business card designs but takes you to websites of different printers and what they offer.

I came across the website Moo where you can create mini cards you can use these for calling cards, business cards, or even to create a pocket portfolio they even come in a small box. I thought this would be a good idea to use the mini cards so I can slot them inside the CD case, what I am going to do is crop the images so you only see part of the image to make it more intriguing.

It is also very easy to do you can create it all online crop them etc lay them out and there not very expensive either.

James Page CD cover and CD design

Hi Lauren!!!!

I love this colour sheme Looks amazing in that image!! I do like the cirle idea and to get where your coming from with the retro image, is there any way we could maybe incoperate that idea into like a logo or image sorry i'm being really difficult i know you have loads to get on with. maybe what could be cool would be the smaller image smaller on like the cd cover a bit arty maybe lol Not sure if you can tell i'm not quite got at the technical lingo, be cool to chat about some ideas over christmas that ok? do you have like a dead line soon??? hope the uni live is going ok well jelous!!

at work today not a fan!! xxx

Elmwood Leeds

Elmwood reply from Adam

Hello Lauren

Hope you are well. Apologies for the late reply. Work has been a nightmare at the minute with workload. Been off for a day or two to try and recover.

So I’ve had a look through your portfolio, it was like going back a few years there after seeing briefs that I worked on such as ‘shelter’. Take me back.

First things I would say would be just watch the descriptions on the pages as I think one of them doesn’t match the work, Kleenex I think...
Quite like the shelter work you did... There is a lot of varied work here which shows your flexibility, I would just make sure now that ideas like this are crafted to their fully potential. Just so they look as good as possible.

The Student time management work... Was that a document of how poorly students manage their time or is it a way of showing them how to manage their time?

Me

Thank you for looking over my portfolio really appreciate it.

The Student management work was to show first year students how to manage their time and also giving them an example of how not to manage their time at university so one side of the diary was to show them the poor time management of a student and then turning over the diary onto the opposite side was their own diary for them to use to encourage good time management.

I agree I am flexible in my work and like a challenge to push my skills and give the best that I can, this year I have become really interested in Advertising and Promotional Design and I am wanting to make this my main focus for my final year working on a selection of briefs.

I see Elmwood has a brief up on the D&AD website that I was thinking of doing another thing is it still possible to come and visit for a day or two?

Thank you again,

Lauren.

Leeds Shopping Bag - Mary Portas

For one of my briefs I decided to do the Leeds Shopping Bag Competition Brief where I had to create a festive design for the new shopping bag which was to be released at the Leeds Christmas Lights switch on. Not only if you won did you get your design produced onto the bag but you were able to have work experience with Mary Portas who was also one of the judges of the competition.
I unfortunately didn't win but I was put through to one of the finalists as well as two other people on my course Hayley and Scott where we got photo taken for the Yorkshire evening post and for the light website.
Our work was displayed at the Light where the public could view it being one of the finalists meant that I was able to go along to the business forum in the evening where I was able to network with other designers from large companies we were also aloud to sit through the debate about retail design and how they were going to make a difference and make it better. Its something I havent experienced before but it was good to see what other people thought and what they had passion in.