LSD ABC - Animation

LSD ABC from LAURENT & FRANCOISE on Vimeo.

What i like about the video:
- timing
- colour
- shape
- educational and engaging
- use of speech & music - the binding relationship
- Composition & use of frame
- Texture &digital technique

Creative Presence: Brand Name / Identity Struggles

Brand Name / Identity Struggles

I am finding the task of self-branding difficult because i have so many areas of interest and want to achieve so many things. I have begun to specialise in many areas of illustrative practice throughout the duration of this course therefore it is really difficult to narrow down what / who i want to be in industry and how I want to put myself across to potential clients, agents and customers etc.

Since last summer i have been compiling a list of possible brand identity names.
This is something that means a lot to me and i would like to make the most of this opportunity as a part of PPP and this course to get my brand right and start using it from now onwards (instead of hating it and all this work amounting to nothing).

List/Ideas:

• Short and punchy name
• Flows nicely
• Not too many letters / characters
• no funny symbols - easier to type web address in for example when people are searching for my website

Brand Names

Aim: Decide on a final brand identity and use for my complete self branding package and creative/online presence:

Online presence areas:

• Behance acc
• Vimeo acc
• Instagram rename?
• Full website domain and shop
• Facebook illustration account
• Pinterest account
• Twitter?
• Etsy shop
• Linked in

names:

joos

jooos

joooos

jooscoo

jooscoo*^

or

jooscoo^*

*******

• Hazy wave
• Wavy haze

*******

• Light blends
• Blendz

*******

• JÜS
• jöös
• Like "joooos"
• JÜS BOX when creating branded box of goodies for uni

*******

• JungleJ (jungle Jess)
• JJ
• JungleJuice
• JungleJüs

********

• Jest

********

• MaJESt
• maJESti
• maJEStic

*******

• OverGrown
• Wild
• Wildest
• Wildset
• WildOne
• Wilderess
• wildness
• wilderness

*******

• Bloom
• inBloom

******

• JayDee
• JDee
• JD

*******

• PenUltimate

********

• MissPen
• MisPen
• Misshapen

*****

• Penni

******

• MissInk

*********

• RoyalT
• RoyalTea

**********

• Jeska
• Essca
• Esika
• essica
• esca
• Essi
• Essie 
• esi 
• Essy 
• Esy 

***********

• "ReFocus"
• Attention to detail work

********

• Macro

**********

• Heist

**********

• Pixie or Pixy or pixi or picsy or piksy or picsie or piksi or picsi

• Fractal 
• Toadstool 
• Mycelia
• Trixy or trixi or trixie 

******

• Riffraff

*****

4 key interests elements:

• Ink
• Papercut
• Nature
• Music

*****

a collector of small things:

• Magpie
• Micromag 
• Micromagpi
• Minimagpi
• Magpi

********

• BlueMaple
• Blu Maple
• Blu

Creative Presence: Website Domain
Website domain names: - Seeing what is available to me:

Go Daddy
https://uk.godaddy.com/?ci=

HELP!!

After all this and literally months of thinking - I am still struggling. I decided to email a family friend who has been a marketing exec for many large software development firms and now works for a successful worldwide women's rights charity. I hoped she would be able to give me some advice on how to approach the task of self-branding/advertising.

Advice:

Fractal and Jeska. Just something powerful about those words, especially Fractal. But I can't Google it right now to see what the competition might be like.

In terms of trademarks, if it's the same/similar name but a completely different industry sector you would be ok.

I personally wouldn't go down the Umlaut route, as this is currently faddish but will probably look dated soon.

From a marketing perspective, the brand should be paired with a descriptive word that says what's in the tin - used in your URL etc so that people can find you even if they haven't heard of you.  Fractal Art sounded good initially but possibly shortens to 'fart'?...Fractal Design - Fractal Illustrations...Illustrations by Jeska...I think Google is changing its search algorithms in the next  few months, but this relates mostly to responsiveness, so make sure the website you build/template you use is responsive on mobile devices.

Or go back to the colour idea and pick a colour and concept for your brand. Blue is probably overused and turquoise is too unpoetic, but maybe 'aqua' paired with a meaningful noun + Illustrations for the URL?

Or think about words in another language...in South Africa a beautiful word I learned was Kumbulani, which means Remembrance. Not so relevant to you,  but take your word and look up some translations perhaps?

Thoughts
• I suppose the website domain name doesn't have to be exactly the same as my brand name. I have seen examples of practitioners doing this, and choosing something completely different from their actual brand name, yet something still memorable. Something to consider if domain names are already taken

• Once I have chosen a name and start creating work with alias in mind, it will begin to have more meaning to me personal and feel like a personal extension of myself. It may seem unfamiliar and new now, however the attachment will grow once I commit to it.

Possible narrowing down:

• jooscoo
• joosdesign
• joosdesigns
• joos
• jooos.com
• jooos.co.uk
• joooscoo
• jooscooo

• joosbox is already a thing
• jooosbox.com
• jooosboxdesigns

• buy essca aswell?

Creative CV - Starting Points

Notes from studio session:

Anatomy of a CV

Avoid CV "wizards" and online templates
The order/structure of a CV is flexible
Don't title my CV with "Curriculum Vitae" - old fashioned and a CV is recognisable in itself without this heading/title

What to include:
Name
Address
Contact number (phone), email, website address/URL of online portfolio
Social media sites/tumblr?

Be relevant to the job I am applying for

• PROFILE
3/4 lines long
Keep it short, like a summary
All about me - personal insight
Keep it written in 3rd person
Mention skills
Where would I like to be in 2 years?
Strengths/interests
"A young creative professional"

• QUALIFICATIONS
Short, clear and consise

-Current degree program
-Previous degree program (Falmouth)
-Foundation Diploma
-A / AS Levels
-GCSE's

• CONTENT: EMPLOYMENT / EXPERIENCE
Only what is relevant to what I am applying for

-Digital editing software skills?
-Training courses
-Exhibitions
-Commissions
-Live briefs (responsive)
-Colours May Vary
-Zines
-Personal Projects

• ADDITIONAL INFO:
Creative achievements 
Scholarships
Awards

• REFERENCES
"Available upon request"

• DO NOT INCLUDE
Passport Photo
"Curriculum Vitae"

*********

I thought it would be useful to go back and have a look at my current CV and the personal statement I submitted as part of my application to this LCA Illustration course. Having had many years in various jobs, I have some experience of writing a professional CV, however a "creative CV" seems like a different ballpark altogether!


My current updated professional CV:

LCA personal statement:

*****************************

Creative CV (the basics)

Moving Forward:

• Narrow down my information
• Be concise
• Think of format, layout and delivery
• Creative presence - how best to promote myself and area of specialism / practice?

- I have no specialism so how can I be braud with esthetics/typeface etc? - Pattern?

Research into format and layout for:

• Business cards,
• Letter head,
• Interactive, papercut/fold Creative CV
• Website
• Promo pack etc
• Website

AOI Lecture

Attending this lecture proved to me more helpful than I had ever imagined and has definitely been one of the best, most engaging lectures I have attended so far.

Notes from the lecture:

Photos of the presentation:

Helpful Handouts from the lecture: