All students are asked to take part in seeking out freelance and open design briefs over the academic year in the Work Based Learning module. The module helps to reinforce the understanding of working with others, and taking advantage of the chance to find and complete projects that appeal to us. I hope that in writing this, it will help me put aside any negative feelings about the past few months, and see the opportunities I took advantage of, and any enjoyment I got out of them.
I’m going to split up my thoughts of the module quite simply as ‘hardships’ and ‘enjoyment’, finishing off with my thoughts on the module overall. Of course, my feelings are more complicated than that, though I want to keep this post from being too lengthy. Anyway, the amount of trials this year definitely feel enough to warrant their own section.
HARDSHIPS
The end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 were rocky, and fraught with problems, so it’s not difficult to understand the past academic year has been undercut by many issues that diminished the quality of learning and education.
I’d mentioned it in an older, specific post, but one of the open briefs in which graphic design students across all year groups tacked was for the company Siemens. I found understanding the brief difficult! It was a ‘logo design’ project, but the logos were desired to be illustrative, and the visual language of sports teams that was desired, was not associated with the workforce. I felt glad to have created anything looking like a half-functional logo by the end. Work churned out by fellow students was very competent, but ultimately, no student work was chosen. A staff member at the wind farms instead created their own logo for use. Who made it? I don’t know. (But…. it’s… not good.) It’s very saddening to have wasted a lot of passion and time and effort.
Because of the effects of the Covid-19 virus on world-wide economy and all types of business, some of the briefs that students worked on would be put on hold, and perhaps they will never be seen to the end. The briefs that I worked on while in Switzerland with Festland were for a website build for a French-styled boutique called Le Soir Le Jour, and the other was an entire apprenticeship recruitment campaign for the energy-providing company EW BUCHS. I made illustrated assets and mockups for freebee merchandise, mockups and idea germination for a social media campaign, storyboards for filming video, and rough illustrations for the poster and flier design. It’s a shame that the work put into the advertisement campaign and website building have no end results to speak of.
I also fell into trouble shortly after returning home amid the Covid-19 pandemic, finding my license to important computer programs and run out. The programs I needed are not cheap to rent, and I had to be careful about what I was spending my money on, given that the pandemic meant that I didn’t have any workplace to go to. I later found access to the programs through the course, but by that time, the deadline of one of the projects I had already past. In fact, I have not heard back to understand the end result of the logo redesign.
ENJOYMENT
Some of the projects that I took part in to contribute to the Work Based Learning module did see completion. I was lucky to work on short projects that were fun, while also helping me sharpen my digital skills.
The chance to work overseas was a great opportunity. I can’t say it was without stress but it was an experience I’ll cherish. I think I made friends and hope to keep a connection with the agency I worked at. Given the circumstances, I sent out a postcard to the company, and some other items in the post to one of the staff because tactile mail at this time is something to be appreciated, however old school it is.
Even if a number of briefs that I worked on were not seen through to the end – for whatever reasons – the better understanding of different design jobs and the requirements needed I came away with it worth the time spent.
END THOUGHTS
Recently, I had a video tutorial with a tutor – actually, I’ve had a bunch of those lately since conventional lessons are non-existent at present – and we talked about the expected outcomes of a designer’s projects. Not all projects are seen through to the end. Not every brief is made by a client with a solid understanding of design. Most ideas won’t even be developed past rough ideas because only so much resources can be spent on the ‘right ideas’. So it’s not ‘bad’ to see many thoughtful solutions to problems left unrealised. It’s just… how it is.
As stated, the time spent on the unfulfilled briefs was not an entire waste of time or effort. I still widened my skillset and I gained a better understanding of some tools. That a number of briefs I took on did not make it to the very end is unfortunate, but I can accept it. I’m going to look forward to future projects that allow me to craft something great!
DESIGN WORKS 
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