Design Portfolio

Edita Chew En Thung / 0357357

Design Portfolio / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Portfolio & Exhibition Details

---

Table of Content

1. INSTRUCTIONS
2. LECTURES

3. PROCESS

      i. FINAL

4. REFLECTION

---

INSTRUCTIONS  

PROCESS  

EXHIBITION (MEDIA DEPARTMENT)

Week 1

I was appointed as Media Department's Head and was tasked on anything related to media.

I started by assigning tasks to group members to start with storyboarding ideas related to gain engagement from targeted audiences.

Week 2

Then I scheduled and planned the date and time for the photoshoot of all the exhibition members for this month and continued with content planing phases, scheduling them respectively. Drafted content based on ideas and brainstormed for reel ideas. 

Week 3

I created the Content Planning sheet to track performances and tasks delegation as well as our whole content campaign for "Hatcha!"

I already tasked each member their storyboards to start off the exhibition project, some of them cooperated and showed me the storyboards and I proceeded to plan and slot in some of their reel ideas and input. 

And I was tasked to create a simple pitch deck for next week (WEEK 4) as I might have a simple presentation with Dr Luqman as the Head of Media Department.

Week 4

We are to present to Dr Luqman and pitch our exhibition details to him and overall progress of each department.

I was tasked to do Media Department's part of the pitch deck.

Then the photoshoot for Wednesday started and I took everyone's photo on the day.

I started visually making the digital version and layout using artboards and have a rough idea to handover to Tracy to do the illustrations and sort out the best photos while Annika is tasked with cropping and colour grading the photos.

Week 5

After transferring the appropriate files to my team member Tracy and working with her for the photo picking/selection, I consulted with other group mates with their progress.

Week 6

Finished the remaining posts that is needed to post for social media account and reviewed progress of other group mates.

Design team leader have come to consult with me about their design of the mascot and how to improve it from design sense.

Week 7

Started making the account, and posting started from this week. After doing some static posts and a short video post, it was posted on the following weeks.

Reviewed some reels from caitlin and terence and provided insights for the making of the reels/posts, etc.

Week 8 - 11

Updated the content planning sheet and constantly have to "accomodate 2 team members frequent absence and me and tracy have to make most of the posts ourselves. 

After handing over the images from the photoshoot, Annika did the editing which was lacking than the expected qualityand cropping them and took too long. I had to guide and keep teaching things that should be known and learnt from previous semesters.

Did the hatcha party posts, posted some updated versions of most of the posts. 

Arnusha helped with the fundraising posts.

Week 11-12

I filmed 3+ reels about ms anis for hatcha's social media and edited them on week 12 (some filmed on week 12)

participated in "casting and acting" for the reels.

Week 13-14

I mostly filmed and edited, but also acted in some reels, with planning the shoots frame to frame. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO



Week 1-2 

I briefly consulted with our Module lecturer about what I'm exhibiting at the end of the semester. I already have an existing CV/resume for work-related purposed that was assembled 2 years ago but modified recently, again for work-related purposes. I did not think much about the design at the time as I was occupied with existing work and I urgently needed to apply for contract jobs.



Week 3

I started to draft my personal brand's logo. As I progressed in my career I realised that content creation/managing was a better choice and I enjoyed it as such, I wanted it to become the main career I deal with with clients.

Its a long story. But if you're keen to listen, that would be knowing a little bit more about me...

To be frank, I learnt about the Japanese value "ikigai" along my studies and work life. This belief/value means "a reason being" or even "a reason to live". It gives purpose, value and joy to life.

I always had the passion for arts/design, I strive for what I'm potentially good at and try to hone them better to be at least good at it. Pursuing a career/profession with my passion with a mission and vocation on what the world needs is part of the journey of my self realisation about life in general.

Graphic Design professions are usually needed for Publications, Visuals, Branding, Identity and Understanding the emotion it evokes in consumers or potential customers on how they experience it or perceive anything using a medium, which is Design.

Jobs could include Junior Designers, Art Directors, Publication Designer, Visual Designer, Content Creator, Social Media Specialist, Identity Designer, Logo Designer, Illustrator, Editorial Designer, Multimedia Designer, Environmental Designer, etc.

Junior Designers, Art Directors, Publication Designer, Visual Designer, Content Creator, Social Media Specialist, Identity Designer, Editorial Designer

These are the most common.

Our job is to make media/designs easy digestable and with meaningful understanding.

Me? My works consists of Visuals, branding, Logos, Content Creation and Publishing.

The emotions I convey throughout my works so far was leaning towards finding and expressing self.

Knowing I enjoy making content, and I'm generally decent in creating content, but not like those giant content creators or social media specialists out there with massive experience and followers. But I stood my ground to learn more.

Then, I stood by my decision on going Deep, instead of wide, as widening my skillset will potentially have more jobs that are underpaying and expect more. Honing my skill will have a certain expectation on base salary as you have mastered the skill that is useful.

LOGO DRAFTS/SKETCHES

I took the inspiration of a hashtag icon "#", since content creating involves hashtags and it has a similar meaning to trends and trending topics, I want to be someone that proudly builds my content without having too much of an Ai influence and making things/creating videos/content is hard without proper tools or time. Trend setter? Could be, but takes time and creativity to have, honing them will get it better at doing what I love.

Ai is on the rise and at an alarming rate. Ai Content is getting dangerously mixed with organic content and it's not something I would prefer the future having too much of it. 

E & C are my initials Edita Chew. to incorporate them, I explored around and played with the blocky yet organic shapes of the logo. After a brief consultation, I finally got the eureka I needed and proceeded with the final drafts of the logo at the very bottom of 2nd draft. I made the another variation of the straight logo to italic and it was what I was looking for. 

I showed my creation to my lecturer and she liked it as well. Then I started digitalising it right away.

And then, I started digitalising it in illustrator with some variations in mind, but still felt the first look of the logo looks better with some clarity of my initials E & C while still maintaining the iconic hashtag look

Week 4

I've been updating my CV from 2 years ago and reorganised my contents within it. I realised how much I've grown as a designer and a person as I started redesigning it.

My previous CV was horrible. Information is everywhere, scattered, too much info was in there. 

Week 5

I have begun applying for jobs with my finished CV.

I had booked the photoshoot studio in advance and took my portfolio photo and edited it on the spot.

Week 6

Worked on my portfolio, but I didn't have much time as Hatcha was going on among 4 other modules and my current jobs as well. So I had to follow my schedule strictly as usual and eye for the details in my portfolio.

Week 7

According to my earlier sketches, I have worked on the sections and tried on different layout variations.

Week 8-14

I was progressing with my portfolio throughout the weeks and also worked on the printables, design assets that I will be putting up in the exhibition.

I've also done the design for my [personal] A1 display on stand, for my branding as a designer after a few weeks. I've sent it to the printers and waited for collection on 7th Jan as it only took 3 days.

Mandatory (Hatcha):

Booklet: [2]
- Cover
- Details

Display: [2]
- A4 (displayed on table)(exhibitor details)(template given)
- A1 (placed behind the table, at the movable panel)

Own exhibit: [8]

- 24" 36" inch (display stand board) (PVC) [AERII]
- 6" 12" inch (ingredient display board) (PVC) [AERII]
- 12" 12" inch (skin type display board) (PVC) [AERII]
- Business card 100pcs (source external material+printing) [AERII]

- 12" 18" inch (portfolio/ME(Personal brand) display board) (PVC) [PERSONAL]
- Business card 100pcs (source external material+printing) [PERSONAL]

OTHERS:

- sculpture product display

After I've done my card designs, I've outsourced my materials and sent it to the printing shop I frequent to.

I've started the display sculpture between week 14 towards the exhibition D-day, using paper clay, acrylic paint to create the texture and depth, and also some fake plants and imitation moss to give off the finishing final touches. Adding a round disk-like light in the center of the display to create a glowing from bottom effect when placing the bottle. 

Progress of display sculpture

A1 (mandatory display)

While doing the updating and progressing on the designs, my order placed for my business cards were done and I've collected from my frequent printing shop.

FINAL

LINK to BEHANCE 

LINK TO CV

FINAL Exhibition booth display

REFLECTION

Findings

By creating this portfolio, I established that the curation process is as important as the design assets which comprise the individual design. I learned that my technical capabilities in such software as Illustrator, and Photoshop are high, but my first skill of explaining the reasons of why I choose this or that design was low. The documenting my workflow process has shown that the most successful of my projects were those, where I spent much more time on the research and conceptualization stage instead of going directly to high-fidelity rendering. This module emphasized the fact that the successful portfolio does not merely showcase completed work, but should clearly tell the process of problem-solving, which demonstrates that my design solutions are strategically-oriented, and not merely driven by aesthetic whim.

Observations

I have noticed that there is a clear difference in the perception of my work when it is introduced with a clear visual identity and organized format of a case study. I have realized that the work looked much more deliberate and professional when I displayed particular branding aspects, like typography hierarchies or color schemes, and the final usage of the said elements. Moreover, I realized that using a consistent grid and design throughout the portfolio contributed to the projects that were a part of the same body of work, and not a collection of unrelated assignments. As it were, the invisible design decisions, such as the white space and the spacing of complex and simple images, contributed to the immense level of keeping the viewer on his/her toes, in the entire course of the document.

Conclusion

Finally, the module has changed my perception of a design portfolio as a mere collection of what one has created previously into a professional positioning tool. I have also come to know that being a designer does not only mean my visual qualities, but also my capacity to edit, curate, and describe my creative process. To live further on, I believe that I will be able to use these insights to portray myself not as a technician with an ability to operate design tools, but as a visual communicator who can address complicated issues. This portfolio has now become a good base to my venture into the industry which will be accurate representation of my present abilities as well as my future prospects.