'How To Get Yourself Out There'
Through out the lecture Bridget explained to us that with an ever expanding industry, once creative individuals have completed their course at university it is not easy to 'get yourself out there' She stressed the importance of individuality and how you must market and promote yourself to others both confidently and creatively.
Give others a reason to remember you.
Make them feel that their line of business must 'have you'
Be willing to offer your services for free in order to achieve work experience.
Although previous to this lecture I had a relative understanding about the term 'networking' and how important and opportunity it remains through out your career. There were several tips we were given that I found to be useful.
These being:
. Provide others with information about yourself. Give them one key fact about
yourself as you do not want to overload hem with information.
. Give a brief over view of what you do and what you would like to achieve and
experience.
. Ask others about themselves. Asking questions to others about themselves, not only
keeps them interested but it also provides you with information. This information
could ensure another 'useful' contact.
'Ideas and Opportunities'
What I took away from this lecture was the definition of an Idea and an Opportunity.
It is important to differentiate between an idea and an opportunity.
If you do not differentiate epic failure could be experienced.
Failure is experienced when:
. A product is created at the wrong time
When an individual is not aware of:
. Political changes
. Economic changes
. Social changes
. Technological changes
. Other competitors -
. How many other companies are producing a similar product,
. Pricing of similar products
. How well they are doing
. What they are doing well
. What they could improve on
'Value'
'What are you worth'?
When generating a product/service you must ask yourself how could it benefit others? Through research you are able to generate a value proposition. This proposition is composed from overall aims, specific aims and objectives.
You must keep your value proposition short and straight to the point. Make it clear to the customer what you attend to achieve and what you could achieve. However leave generalisation in terms to the business's specific outcome when writing the mission statement. This will provide the company with the option to branch out into different subject areas later on if desired.
My value proposition
Mission - Through various aspects of fashion design, creatively provide, promote and communicate inspirational ideas and concepts.
Vision - To provide society with the most innovative, creative brand/product/service.
Values- Actively recognise and develop a concept/product or brand in which invokes creativity and professionally whilst delivering quality.
'How to Successfully Promote Yourself'
This lecture was my least favourite. From each of the others I feel that I have learn something however with the information provided today I feel it was all self explanatory. Common sense really.
I don't think anyone needs to be taught that if you don't promote yourself you aren't going to get a response.
We watched a You Tube Clip of the Jonny Cupcakes world tour.
Iv'e heard about the designer before and think he has unique, original ideas in terms of self promotion.
I remember hearing about when he first opened his store in New York. With the store name Jonny Cupcakes, Americans queued for hours, thinking that what they were queueing for was a new cupcake shop. Instead once entering they were presented with limited addition t-shirts. Displayed underneath glass casing to represent a bakery. T-shirts were also removed from ovens when more sizes were required.
I love this idea!!
Paul Pensom
Paul Pensom, a creative art director held a lecture at uni today. Although it wasn't compulsory for us to go I felt attending could be beneficial in terms of magazine layout and creatively.
Although the lecture dealt more with graphic design (as expected) I did find this lecture useful and beneficial.
How the magazine Creative Review has been branded successfully at times and not so at others, leaving its popularity to raise and fall.
We were showed several of the grid layouts that Paul uses in order to generate a magazine spread. These ides could also work well when translated through visual research, initial ideas, look books etc so shall use them as a reference for the future.
Although for the mean time we have completed each of the Enterprize sessions with Bridget we shall now be putting what we have been taught to the test.
Within a brief we have been asked to built a
Ten Pound Business Plan.
This plan must be a product or a service.
Whilst you may not exceed the 10 pound limit, it is possible to receive donations or use any old fabrics (these must be accounted by through a nominal fee.
After the brief was set, I was a bit lost. I was really stuck for ideas and found it hard to see how a business foundation could be started with as little as 10 pounds.
I tried to think of a few original product ideas however with 10 pounds, they will be impossible to make.
So with careful consideration, I have decided to provide a SERVICE.
I started to think about where my talents lie and working with Bruce in the digital realisation module, I began to pick up to knowledge of how to compile a website relatively easily. He showed me how to incorporate flash animation into a website and how it could be manipulated within the layout itself.
Through this consideration I have decided that I want to promote myself to young, up and coming designers. Offering them the chance of web design.
After speaking to Sue I feel the website idea is definitely the root in which I want to follow. She seamed relatively enthusiastic about the idea and suggested that when offering my service. I should promote myself to Pathway B students.
This will be my main target market as the students within pathway B are tough nothing about web design. They may see students from Pathway A using one which could possibly generate a desire. They may also see it as an important aspect of promotion used within their final collection.
If successful this business plan could be easily be followed through next year and years after I leave Leeds. Through word of mouth and reminder e-mails send out by university.
Now I have got my idea I must start:
. Researching the target market. I will put together a survey and ask third year students a couple of questions.
. Looking at the competition, what is successful, what is not?
. Pricing
. By the time we come back in January, I need to have my website built and online!
I also need to have put together a powerpoint presentation and promotional package, to show the third years. It is important that I have this done as this is when I shall start to begin offering my service. Any later than this and I will miss the entire target market. The quicker I am, the more time it gives the customer to think about whether they want a website or not. They will also just have been given their loan - a good time to approach. If I approached them at the end of a term this is the possibility that few customers would desire the service as others may not be able to afford it.
I put together a target market audience questionnaire and provided it to the third years. From this research I gathered my target audience is:
. Female
. Aged between 20-22
. Live in a house with friends
. They use the internet on a regular basis
. They shop online and although the majority were not influenced to purchase undesired items on the internet several were
. They believed there is a need for this service within Leeds college of Art and know others that would be interested in paying for this service
. The required additional features would be a domain name, hosting, upkeep and maintainence, audio and media files, several also felt that flash annimation would be benificial
. The lowest students would be prepaired to pay was £50 and the largest £300. With an average of £60-£100
Have have decided on a price list for my service. This will be
Template design - 50 for 4 pages and 10 per page after
Bespoke design - 80 for 4 pages and 10 per page after
Flash annimated website buttons - 20 per 4 images
Flash annimation
classic motion ween - 10 per 4 images
Bespoke flash annimation - quote
I have just presented this price list to the 3rd year pathway B students along with several template designs. They seemed pleased with the templates that I have generated. 1 girl raised the fact that within their final module they are expected to presented an electronic form of promotion. In response the group found that my website would eliminate this area from their practise and my website would be seem appropriate.
As I was packing my equipment away my price lists were all grabbed straight away. I over heard several voices also say I definately want one already but I don't have any images yet.
I believe the price list, I compiled will obtain a number of contacts. I am deffinately going to have to keep on top of my work in order for Charlottes Web to be successful and make sure that I don't take on more than, I can cope with in order to provide quality websites and succession in m own area of practice.
Finally got round to securing my domain name!! I wanted to have
Charlottesweb, however the majority had been taken and the ones
left exceeded my 10 pound budget. Alternatively, I have decided
to use charlotteelizabeth. I will still include a section within
the website dedicated to charlottesweb and will state in my cash
flow statement that if allocated a higher budget I would have been
able to secure my preference. I feel charlotteelizabeth still
provides and insight and it means I shall be able to use the website
to promote myself to designers when applying for work placements.
Altogether so far I have spent:
7.18 for the domain name www.charlotteelizabeth.co.uk - for 2 years
10p on 10X price list and contact details for 3rd year students
Total = 7.28 giving me 2.72 left to work with. Thomas knows a friend
that constructs websites for a living, he recons he will be able to
host my website for free. There are no other areas in which require
funding. I may want to print out several more price lists for the
students in a couple of weeks if, I don't have any response to the
presentation, I made today. This however will only cost me around
50p at the most if printed in university.
I had a tutorial with Sue and told her that I intend to display
Charlottes Web within charlotteelizabeth.co.uk. I asked her because
I am doing this would, I have to factor this domain name within my
budget as it is not the domain name I would use for the business
however with a larger budget I would have worked with
www.charlottesweb.co.uk. She seemed a little unsure but agreed that
it didn't. This will means that I have the option of securing
hosting myself. Enabling me to get charlotteelizabeth.co.uk up and
running ASAP! Hosting will need to factor in my budget plan, though
as the business is being run through a different website URL, I just
need to work out how many pages my website consists off and divide
the number by how many pages hold Charlottes Web together. This may
be an uninominal fee of 20p.
I seem to have got the majority of paper work done for what is
required at this point in time. Just need to write the exact
marketing and promotional tools, I intend to work with down. How
they could be extended if the business was the be carried on and
write a press release. This all need to be sorted out
professionally as well as in my visual journal for the final
business plan hand in.
Sue was also stated that because I had done a lot of prep work
for the service that it was important that I didn't let the planning
and schedule of time allocation get of top of me. It could be useful
to find out the exact date this brief is to be handed in, along with
the date of the 3rd year final hand in.
I would then generate a trading list schedule allocating
however many websites I would be able to compile in a week
(probably 2 depending on the required content and size)
I have officially secure my first client! Katherine. Looking over
her work, she requires a basic template with an addition page. Also
manipulation with flash buttons for her portfolio. I've compiled
a template ready to import her details, its just a case of getting
them off her now which may take a little time as photographs haven't
as of yet been edited by a photographer. With the template done, I
feel I will be able to manage my work load and any further websites
in which maybe required.
In college today and I have 3 further students in whom require my
website service. I wanted to get started on construction. However
as they do not have any work to give me as of yet this will have to
take place after reading week. Talking to 2 of them they both seem
like they just want the basic 4 age template. Nothing particular
strenuous or time consuming as they just want to use the website as
part of a web presence required for their PPD module.
It is important that I keep on top of all more work at this stage!
I'm going to try and get the majority of my essay completed over
reading week (if not finished) as I know that when we come back
March is going to be manic with the application of design hand in,
the essay hand in and a potential large number of websites to
construct.
Depending on how many students approach me after reading week, I
many have to turn down several contracts, as I do not want this
aspect of the module to drag my own work down. However I am going to
do what I can to prevent this from happening as I don't like letting
others down, and i'm not going to lie the money would be good!
Well several students have approached me saying that they definitely
want a website however they don't know what their images are going
to be ready. So whether or not, I will actually end up designing
them a website who knows?
I have managed to secure a definate second client however. Charlotte
She wants a simple website with no flash animation. With a template
page virtually the same as Katherine's so thats going to be easy to
put together!! Her domain name has been set up and, I ought to have
several images off her on Monday with the rest on Friday so fingers
crossed, I shall have my first official paid website online by the
end off the week.
I was approached by the third year student called Ella. She seemed
really enthusiastic about the website business and really wanted
one however with the amount of fabric she had to buy for her Final
Collection, she could not afford the expenses for Web Hosting.
Although by the time it comes to her Final Major Project hand in, my
Enterprise will have 'finished' I have told her that, I would be
willing to provide her with a website, if she would like one.
Although after the end of March, I know that, I am still going to
have work to do, the majority of it will be completed. Giving me the
option to carry on my Charlottes Web, if I want to (or even just for
a little bit of money)
Feel quite content, I have just published my first commissioned
website online. www.charloo.net
There is just something about the internet that makes your work
look so much more professional. I took the designed website to show
Charlotte before it was published, I had to make a few alterations
involving the composition of the background but overall she was
really happy. There are several more files still to go on the
website however she was not able to give them to me so will e-mail
them this weekend just in time for her hand in first thing Monday
morning.
Katherine's website in nearly ready also. The majority of it has been
constructed however i'm still waiting on a few more images that
will be e-mailed to me by Sunday night. I set web hosting for her
whilst setting up Charlottes. So everything will be uploaded by
Monday.
Meaning Once Monday is over and done with, I have no more websites
to design. Need to speak to my third year Kate to see if she would
still like one. However she is not going to be getting one for free
like several third year students insinuated!! Although we've had
literally had so much work at the minute, I would be nice to
actually see the third year I was assigned to, she never seems to
be in uni!! such a contrast to Lara who, I was assigned to last
year.
We have to hand in our Enterprize journal and documents this Monday.
Not for a final hand in just so Sue can make sure we have actually
done work. Not stressed out about it as i'm planning to do load on
it over Easter (when I will actually have a spare moment to myself)
Plus I must be doing something right if Sue has already scanned
several of my pages (which may possible be published in the
fundamentals of Fashion business book this September)
I can't believe it one of my pages is definitely going to be
published! Sue showed me the page today. Its so weird thinking that
my work is actually going to be in a book. Although the enterprise
module will have been completed by then, I may just have to
purchase. Quite a sense of achievement!
Well the final hand in was yesterday and the presentation today. I
was relatively nervous as others came out saying how bad it had gone.
However I was and still am proud of Charlottes Web. I think it is a
successful business and provided me with a profit and so didn't find
it hard to talk about as when you are talking about something you
you have set up form start to finish there is a definite sense of
achievement and pride.
Although, I talked about the positives of the business, I also made
sure that, I stressed where I could have improved and what changes
would be made if the module were to be followed through again.
If given the opportunity again, I would have provided the target
audience with a larger variation in marketing tools. For example, I
could have potentially generated posters and placed them around the
fashion studios, I could have also created business cards, hosted
a second verbal presentation along with set up Facebook group and
send out reminder e-mail via student accounts.
The marketing tools would have continuously reminded my target
audience that, I was there to aid them with their own form of self
promotion. It may however not made a difference to to number of
contracts secured as I was approached my several other students,
all of whom did not have an adequate amount of imagery to provide
me with.
The feedback in which, I received from Sue was phenomenal. She
mentioned how professional my business plan appeared along with how
my presentation was delivered. The only criticism that was made was
that my lecture notes had been bound together with the business plan
itself. A mistake, I know, I had made and if that was the only thing
that was wrong, I am happy!.
An external moderator shall be present within several of the
presentations next thursday. I was asked to speak to her about my
business plan. I expressed that am happy to so as long as, I
was not required to conduct my presentation for a second time.
Although, I was happy with my overall presentation, I wouldn't find
it fare if, I was have to hold it a second time.
I still find it weird that others want to talk to me about my
service. All, I did was take something in which I had been taught
earlier this year. However, I surpass that is what constitutes a
successful business...taking something you enjoy doing.
After being asked whether or not, I would take this operation into
consideration for my future. I began to think although, I enjoyed
creating websites for students, it is a business in which, I would
run in my spare time. It is not something that, I want to do for
the rest of my life but it could be a useful form of additional
income. Being a sole trader however is definitely a path in which, I
feel could work for myself. Being the perfectionist, I am sometimes
it comes as a hindrance. However working for myself this trait
could be utilised for formulate a successful business.
