SB3: Who Am I As A Designer (Manifesto Initial)

Before starting to write my manifesto I decided to mind map qualities, skills and concerns that I have as a student and a designer. 

Skills & Abilities

• Typography
• Composition
• Concept driven work
• Software skills (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign etc.)
• Group work
• Various production methods - books, zines, screen print, digital print etc.

Creative Concerns

• Not being productive enough
• Not having my own design style
• STRESS
• Not being good enough
• Not producing ideas quickly
• Not being able to communicate my ideas verbally properly
• Design in music - cultural appropriation? 
• Design that thinks of the audiences = top priority
• Design that thinks of the audience experience
• Subtle design that helps audiences
• Space & Layout 
• Appropriate typography
• Attracting the audience, but not manipulating them in any way
• Create design that is free for interpretation

Professional Competence

• Evaluate a client's strength and weaknesses
• Analyse group ideas
• Evaluate the audience demographic in order to relate the design/produce to them
• Know appropriate methods of production for commercial use
• Commercial Competence of design

After writing down my thoughts I realised that I was writing them while thinking about advertising, which was something that I already wanted to do and said before from last year as well and would like to continue to in the future. 

I want to continue to develop my skills and knowledge about how I could use them to 

create design that centres around: audience interaction and participation, client individuality. My personal aim as a student is to be able to fully evaluate and analyse the persona of the demographic that I am designing for so that I know what appropriate design elements I could use in order to create effective Graphic Design; as well as know and create design which suits the style and aesthetic of the client/brief. Therefore, in the future my personal aim is to be able to hopefully work in the advertising field where I would be able to interact and communicate with a range of different clients and tackle different briefs in order to further broaden my design spectrum. Although, designers in consumerism has been a topic within Graphic Design (First Things First), I think that it's not necessarily a bad thing, as a designer first of all I have the right to work in an environment where I'd like to work I'd also like if they have the same ethics and principles as I do. Design in Advertising isn't just about high consumerism and persuasion but it's also platform where design can be expressive and fun. 

These day's especially, consumers are becoming more design literate and are becoming more aware of brand advertising. Consumer's shape their identities with the brands they consume and buy into, and therefore creating "persuasive" or "manipulative" advertising through design would be kind of pointless in a way, as consumer's will only consume products that they want and filter out one's they don't want. That's why I think creating design that's rather fun, exciting and somewhat accommodating isn't bad. Also, advertising is literally about "producing advertisements for commercial products and services", so there's always going to be some part that will catch a consumer's attention, which can be interpreted as manipulative and disruptive OR according to their style, because as humans we are constantly evolving and creating/adding things to ourselves and our identity through consumerism. 

Another concern, I have is not having my own style. U like some of my peers it seems that they have a style or process that they like/ prefer and help them have their own design identity. but for me I feel like I don't really have one. And, with not having one, I feel kind of out of place sometimes as I feel like I shiuld aslo be at a stage where I have a certain process I can call  "my own" - BUT on the other hand, not having a style isn't necessarily a flaw. I can also put it to my advantage and be versatile and flexible. I can allow myself to use processes or styles which I think are appropriate to the client and brief.

Thoughts & Reflection:

After listing down everything and writing down my thoughts, I think that my manifesto is going to centre around my aim to create fun and expressive design that can adds to a person's identity and something that audience's will be willing to engage with rather than it being manipulated or persuaded to consume it. Living in a fast paced era where design trends can come and go, it's important to always make something that people will find interesting so this is my aim.