OUGD602 / PPP3 - Self branding update.

OUGD602.
PPP3.
Self Branding update.

This year I have really thought about how I want my branding to represent me and how my branding will work alongside other elements such as my portfolio. 

I think in past years I have tried much too hard to create something that is visually engaging and experimental with all the bells and whistles to grab attention. Both my first year and second year self branding were very illustrative based and often when looked at alongside my work, would fight it for attention. 

I'm not happy with the branding that I did at all last year, and for this reason I want to start all over again and create something completely different. Last year I was very much swayed by a lot of the projects that I had done and enjoyed. Towards the end of the year I was really interested in and really enjoyed children's design, and I think this was very obvious in my self branding, so much so that I lost myself within it, and it became all about children's design. 

However this year I have found on a journey through branding briefs that branding and packaging is really what is best and most enjoyable for me as a career path. For this reason I want to create something completely different to my previous branding. 

I want to:

- Shed the children based image.
- Create something minimalist and simple that wont fight my work for attention. 
- Use neutral colours that are not over powering. 
- Really think about what elements I need and not what I THINK I need. 

I also want to really consider format. Last year I created my branding to go into a little wooden box but I understand that this is not appropriate or realistic, especially if I need to send work out to studios. Therefore simplifying the format and creating something that is feasible to post out will also be a main priority. 

I think I was ultimately still quite lost and on a journey of discovery when I created my previous branding, whereas now i am much more sure of my place within graphic design and what my branding to communicate. I want my branding to simply put a name to my work almost as when people say put a face to a name. I want my branding to support my work rather than detract from it. 


I felt like with my temporary business cards which I used when out on studio visits, began to communicate the type of brand I wanted to be represented by. I wanted to have my self brand communicate a little bit about myself that was special to anyone else and play upon this - my temporary business cards played upon my nickname for the front logo, and on the back a create a nice bit of word play in hopes it would help potential employers etc warm to me. 

I still really liked the idea of playing with my name, but my temporary cards worried me a little because the term 'sass' can be taken in a range of different ways, including being a bit brash and outspoken. When speaking to one of my friends from outside university (I often ask other people about opinions as it is a hard task to brand yourself) they suggested playing with my second name 'Goldthorpe' using a 'gold effect' (foil) to play with the first section of my name. I thought it was such a simple way to still communicate something about myself, but also gave the opportunity to keep the design quite minimalist and still avoiding the same overboard aesthetic of last year.