Personal Branding Final

Here is my final personal branding.

I really like my business card. I think the work that I've put into it has paid off. I must have revised and redrafted my icons about 6 times in the end. I'm still not quite happy with the sound icon but I've run out of time to keep changing it now as I must prioritise my work with only a few weeks to go. I have spent time lining everything up and ensuring the positioning is good.

Here is my CV. I decided the photoshop versions I did a long time ago were a bit wasteful. Also they didn't enable me to put much text into them, so I went for a more traditional MS Word version. I have still sectioned off each part using a line (the blacked out text at top is hidden on this blog). I have kept the colour scheme the same. I think my icons and logo add in a nice design aspect that will help it to stand out when people read it. It's just a shame that the Employment section is so empty but that's what happens when you're starting out!

Here is my new version of my DVD cover. I've lined everything up across the front, back and spine. After doing a test print yesterday I found out that the template I had been using was wrong. I therefore decided to create each section manually in separate Photoshop documents before bringing them all together. I changed the layout of my icons, running them horizontally along the bottom of the front cover. This cover has the same branding as my business card and a similar design to my website when that is put online. I may change the spine to be black as well, but for test print purposes I need to distinguish where it is so I can see if it folds in the correct place when put onto the DVD case.

DVD Portfolio

I have spent some more time thinkig about my idea for a DVD portfolio. These are the dimensions of a dvd case.

I have been researching into getting the DVD case and inlay processed for me elsewhere but it seems to be pricey everywhere. Another drawback is that the DVDs seem to only be offered in batch starting at 500. I only need a a few copies of my portfolio so it would be cheaper for me to process it myself.

My next step is to do some test printing and ensure I am using the right sizes. I may complete the inlay using a series of high quality pieces of paper with my work images on.



References
http://www.hvs.co.uk/printdimsbookletdvd.html

Boards

My work towards the exhibition for this week has been to help get the boards ready. Now a final design has been chosen we need to put everyone's work on their board. It is quite a time consuming process because continuity needs to be the same across all boards. This means we have strict rules to stick to when it comes to positioning and font sizes.

Everyone has different images and there are four possible combinations of board layout.

3 Landscape
2 Landscape, 1 Portrait
2 Portrait, 1 Landscape
3 Portrait

The most common board layout is 2 Landscape, 1 Portrait.

Here is an example of a board that has been completed. In this case we had to stretch the top image because it is a one off panoramic image.

Portfolio Idea 1

Here is my first portfolio idea. I decided to use the theme of a dvd case containing a dvd that would showcase some of my work. This means that the details can be enclosed on the case. I will place my cv bio on the back of the case (once it is complete and not rubbish!).

I have placed my logo and icons at different points on the case to hammer home my personal branding.

I am aware that carrying a dvd case into a job interview isn't necessarily a realistic proposition. The employer would be unlikely to have a dvd player on hand to watch work straight up and it would waste time in the interview. However, this could be a good option to send off work through the post to potential employers.

Personal Branding Improvements

My work in the last week has concentrated on improving my personal branding image. I have added another colour to my pallet to add a bit more variety. I have changed my icons and my logo as well. I also started to create my website template.

The only thing I changed with the logo was to add a stroke of my new colour, in this case red. I think this improves the aesthetics of the logo. I also changed the colour of the JE in the middle to white. This makes it stand out better on the black background. I am going to use white text on my website and business card so this will maintain the continuity.

I changed the icons. The first thing I did was to give them the same ring logo as my logo. I then proceeded to add some red into them to highlight detail. I think this works nicely apart from the sound design icon which still needs some work. I also added some text to explain what each one is, just incase there is any doubt.

When placing these on my business card idea I was able to see the results. I don't think there being four colours is too much. I decided I want my name and logo to be the main focus, that's why the icons are now smaller.

Combining all of the things i've done so far I was able to come up with a first website template. I have used the new icons and logo for this.

I also traced over a picture of myself to create a silhouette which I have placed at the top. Again it uses the same gold, red combination. This is central because my main skill is sound designing.

The navigation bar on the left shows the buttons and how they will change when hovered over (wings appear). The content will be in the larger box. This box will have a scroll bar within it, meaning the outside of the page will not scroll down. The only thing lacking is maybe my name at the top somewhere, but that will be made clear in the about section.

Final Work

Here are the images that will be used for me during the exhibition. They are now edited to be at the correct resolution. I selected a still shot from my animation last year as my final piece. I have also edited the City Storm title page to be A4 size. It looks better this way.

Business Card Edit

Here is the near final version of my business card. I have adjusted the icons to make them a bit less dull and boring. I have also changed the positioning of the text and images to make them line up properly.

My next step will be to create my cv using this theme along with my website.

It was also observed thismorning that my logo looks similar to the Chinese word 正.

According to my research online, 正, or 'zheng' means a number of things depending on the context.

straight, upright

right, proper, correct

exact, standardized, just so

primary, chief, main

first

pure, unmixed

pretty

honest

placed or situated in the middle

just now, right now

straighten

put right, rectify

(shapes) regular

(mathematics) positive

These are all positive words, which is a very good thing. In particular, the words proper, pure, honest and rich would be good associations to have.

It may be a coincidence and the logo wasn't designed to represent this word, but it's interesting none the less!

Business Card Idea 3

Here is my third business card idea, incorporating my logo. I have decided to make the icons less prominent. I have also scrapped the blue and gone with gold, which is the colour of my logo. This means my three colours are black, white and gold.

According to http://crystal-cure.com/gold.html, gold has a few meanings.

Color Gold

It is no surprise that gold symbolizes wealth used wisely, but it is also the symbol of good health. People who favor the color gold are optimistic. Gold Energy The tibetan Buddhist believes in 5 sacred stones: the crystal for light, turquoise for infinity of sea and sky, coral for life and form, gold for the golden ray of the sun, silver for the light of the moon. Gold is intimately linked with Divinity and those gods associated with the Sun. It symbolizes wealth and success. Put some gold in your life when you want: increased personal power relaxation and enjoyment of life good health success

Wearing Gold Wearing gold in everyday life increases personal power, and promotes courage, confidence and willpower. Gold chains worn around the neck preserve health.

I have removed the (blue) ring around the icons and it looks much better. I still think there may be some placement and alignment issues between the four items on the card. I also need to decide whether the two gold bars surrounding my name should stay or not.

I have also began to stylized my website to contain this theme.

www.jeagle.co.uk