Digital portfolio

It is a different purpose compared to the booklet, the booklet is mainly for giving people and pocketable. However, the digital version is in A3 landscape so that the size is a larger and wider than the booklet which allows viewers can look clearly to the images. It will be uploaded online through "Issuu" which is accessible

Depending on the event such as exhibition, this A3 portfolio will be printed and shown on the table so it is more comfortable to visitors, working with my other personal branding materials such as business card or the booklet, everything linked to each other.

https://issuu.com/yc265365.1619/docs/digital_portfolio._compressedpdf

I will upload this link through my social media account so that people can have a look of it.

(6C2),(6D2)

Promotion for my personal branding

Rather than my business card, I also designed a publication to show most of my best designs from my design journey, basically, it is connected to my business and my personal website so I used the same colour and typeface. This publication allows people to know more what I produced if they are interested, they can contact me.
(6C2)

Printed business card

I printed my business cards using Matt Laminated Card (350g Double-Sided Coated Art Paper) so that the quality is a lot better than 250g Double-Sided Coated Art Paper, the card won't easy to be folded.
(6C2)

Evaluation for personal branding

I feel really useful to design a personal branding for ourselves is very important because it allows designers to promote themselves and show their works to different clients. 

I really like the final design of my personal branding, it worked quite well on different materials. The website and publication linked to my business card.

If I have more time, I will try to start a new social media account such as Instagram and use it as m personal branding account as many designers have personal and branding account, hence, I think I should follow this.

Social media account

In order to promote my own branding/works in digital social media, I decided to use Instagram as my main platform as it is the most common social media application that people use every day. Basically, I set up two accounts for my own business, one is for my personal use as well as my designs, while the other one is for my photography account. Rather than designing stuff, I also like to take photographs because I think it is the best way to record and capture things which are good for memory.

The reason that I use my personal account as my design because I don't like creating too many accounts which makes me messy, moreover, as it is my "personal branding", "personal" should include my daily life which I would like to share with my friends, clients, etc, rather than just looking at my design. I want them to know me more.

I posted some of my works on my personal and design account also with my daily life, I also recorded the process of how I did the works because it is also important for audiences to know how I came out with the design instead of just the final designs.

While, my photography account, I mainly just posted some photographs that I think is attractive, no matter in the UK or Hong Kong or even other countries.
(6C2),(6D2)

My personal site

https://yc265365.wixsite.com/michaelllllllll
This is my personal website which shows some works that I did in the past so that it helps to promote my personal branding and let more people know.

Basically, I followed some of the site layouts and keep it with a basic structure. I created a very relevant quote to describe my brand-"I draw what I want.". I really like it, simple but meaningful. It is true that I only draw what I want and I won't draw something I don't like/want.

At the homepage, I added a form for visitors if they want to contact me, it is easier for them to contact me, they just need to fill in some information and the content, if they click the "Submit" button, it will send to my email directly which I will check every day. As a result, it makes everything more convenient.

Generally, the site included the works that I like the most including graphics works and characters illustrations. It fully showed my interest in the design industry to the audiences. I used the same background colour as my business card so that it makes more connection with each other.
(6C2)

Site interface/layout

Since I didn't have any experience to write any site before so it was my first time to write a site for myself. Therefore, I looked at some interface example in order to make myself have a clear idea that what my site should look like.

Generally, most of their site looks really simple and they have a simple quote about their brands on their homepage. This helps the audiences to get known what the site generally is about. It is a really helpful guide for the audiences and telling them what generally the brand is. I will create a simple quote about my personal brand and add it on my site's homepage.
(6B2)

Personal business card

Simply, I designed a basic business card which helps to promote my personal branding as being a freelance. Due to the fact that I have a large interest in Japanese anime and I looked at some examples of how the simplified characters drawing in Japanese anime so I tried to draw myself in that style in order to keep everything be simple on a business card.

It was interesting to draw myself in a Japanese manga/anime style and use it to promote my personal branding.

I wanted to choose a bright colour to use in my business card because I think it matches my personality more(Always thinking positive). I decided to use this bright yellow because it works well with my digital illustration. I put it on the back side, while the front side is my personal contact details, for example, my personal site, email contact or social media account, etc. I wanted to keep everything looks simple on the business card so that it won't look massive. I tried to use geometric shapes to build the character "M" which helps people to recognize my name easier.
(6C2)

Idea of my personal brand

Integrated my interest and my ability in graphic design, I want to design something like Japanese manga character for my own brand. For example, an anime style drawing of myself. Due to the fact that I have a large interest in the Japanese anime industry and it is what exactly I want to work in my future with graphic design knowledge. Hence, I want my personal branding to be similar to it.
(6C2)

What I like the most in the design industry?

As a typical Asian, I watched a lot of Japanese animation since I was young until now I still often watch some Japanese animation. I am a huge Japanese anime fan because I like the illustration style in Japan, especially the style of the characters.

Therefore, I want to try working in this industry in Japan if possible. When I watch the animation, I am not only watching the story but also looking at their animation style, every anime has their specific styles. While, the fact is that my major is graphic design so it is slightly different to Japanese animation, therefore, it may be challenging to me, however, I would like to apply the similar illustration style into my graphic works.

I looked at many examples as inspiration and I think I can create some similar in my graphic design career e.g brands or some Japanese style of illustrations.

It is true that I am a person who really addicted on the Japanese anime/manga style of illustration, however, it is too difficult to draw because Japanese anime style of illustration is very detailed, especially the eyes. Therefore, I looked at those simplified versions of Japanese anime style sketches which I think is more fit to my ability.

Simply, they can be matched with the graphic works for example posters or even web interface. Therefore, I think this is the point that I can focus more on. (6A2)

This is the typical Japanese manga/anime character look like, as it is really detailed so it is quite difficult to draw without learning the theory and skills that how to draw manga characters, especially the colour and shadows. 

While, these are the simplified style of Japanese manga character drawing, everything is simplified so it is much easier for me to draw this kind of things. (6B2)

Personal branding description

Basically, my personal branding related to my personal interest, I like branding designs and Japanese anime/manga. Therefore, my personal brand will mainly focus on branding designs also with Japanese anime such as illustration, graphic posters, etc. Moreover, I am planning to build up my photography business as well because I like to take pictures all the time.

"After 5 years"

  It is 9 November 2023, I am working either in Hong Kong or in Japan depends on how my Japanese fluency. I am originally from Hong Kong, I have learned Japanese since my university life. I am not speaking Japanese fluently but at least I am able to read most characters.

  Work in Hong Kong is the minimum requirement for me after graduate because Hong Kong is my hometown so I supposed to get a job in there. However, live and work in Japan in the anime industry is one of my dreams since I started to become a designer because I am a really big fan of Japanese animations since I was a child. Hence, I studied Japanese in the past which is one of my unique technique.

  Currently, I am working in the graphics industry in HK, I am playing basketball during the weekend every week with my high school classmates because of one Japanese animation which is called “SLAMDUNK”. It made us fall in love with basketball when we were in high school, the animation was really memorable not matter it was almost 30 years ago and that’s is also one of my favorite Japanese animations and it also made me feel interested in the Japanese animations. Basically, I go back to home to have dinner with my family after work, it is quite common in Asia that living with parents before they get married and it is one of our cultures as well. 

  In my spare time, I have to study Japanese and the drawing technique in order to prepare to work in Japan. 

(6B2)

Process of doing the publication

  To be honest, making publication isn't my interest in my design practice, I don't have interest doing that, however, I know that it would be a better way to present my creative report and I can practice and learn from the process due to the fact that my skill of making publication is really weak and bad. Therefore, I decided to make a physical publication rather than just making the digital publication.
  Actually, I remembered that I made a leaflet publication in Module 503 studio brief 1 so I have some memory of how to do it, however, I wanted to try something that is similar process but looks quite different. I didn't want the pages be flipped this time so I decided every pages faced the same side so that readers can read it easier.
  Basically, my publication was in A5 size as it is the best choice for a small publication. Hence, I printed two per a page but not include the first and the last pages as they were the cover. Then, the steps were quite easy, just fold the pages face together then just use the glue to stick them together ( for example page.3&4 stick on the empty side of page 2), it may be hard to understand in here but once I did the actual publication, it was really easy to understand and make sense.
  I quite like the output even though it may not looks perfect but I tried my best to make the steps simpler because I am really bad making publication, I think the outcome works well but the paper may be too thin so I may try some thicker paper next time.

How did I contact with my interviewers and how did I did follow up with them?

  Basically, I did the interviews through email as it was the easiest way to contact with people and it would be the most confident way for people to reply as they can do it anytime which make everything easier.  

  Moreover, I was nervous doing interviews through a video call because of the language barrier but I understand that I should tackle the problem as soon as possible.

  Once I got their reply, I kept chatting with them through the email, by looking at their answers, I did some research based on their answers such as their favourite designers which may inspire me. Hence, I did some research and looked at their works.

My illustration did in this year

  Since I have an interest in illustration, I drew different characters to improve and practice my illustration skills, I know that I still have many things to improve especially colouring but I really enjoy doing illustration. I mainly draw with pencil and fine pen first but sometime I drew it in computer. I prefer drawing in computer to be honest as it looks more realistic but drawing with pencil can improve and practice more about my hand drawing skill.

Interest in Japanese anime

  Being an Asian, I am sure that most of the asian love Japanese animation because they are really popular in Asia. I watched a lot when I was child and I have a lot of Japanese anime toys especially "Gundam" and "Kamen Rider". That's the reason why I am a big fan of Japanese anime. When I become a graphic design learner or designer, I still can't stop how I love Japanese anime even though I grow up. Therefore, I also like to draw different anime characters, I think it is really fun. I think the Japanese drawing skill is really different with others, it looks really details and realistic. Especially the colour. Hence, I want to learn from it. In order to practice my interest, I did some Japanese anime character drawing in the studio brief 1 in module 505, it was a really interesting brief  because it is what I am interest so I feel really enjoyable while I was doing the brief. Also, I always looked at how people draw the characters so that it can influence me a lot.

Questions that usually ask in an interview

  It is true that interview a people that you don't know may be quite nervous as you may not know that person that much. In order to make the interview easier and not that serious, I looked to a website about how do people usually start with during an interview. Therefore, I can apply this knowledge into my creative report interview. I divided it into different stages so that it make more sense. 
  
Stage1:
  To start with, we should ask some simple questions first, it seems like normal talk with a friend. For example "What was your first ever job?" It makes the interviewer feel more friendly to answer a question.

Stage 2:
  Afterward, we can start to ask some deeper questions but still keep the question simple. For example "Why did you get into advertising?", "What’s the most surprising thing you have learned about the creative sector since working within it?". 

Stage 3:
  In this point, we can start to ask about their design career, those questions above were a starting point to make friend with the interview, it is also an interview skill that is really important. Here, we can ask "What campaign or work have you most enjoyed being a part of?", "What have you learned from any mistakes you’ve made in your career?", etc.

Stage 4:
  In this point, we supposed to be friend with the interviewer so the questions can be quite straightforward. For example "Best book you have ever read?", "What is the most exciting thing about your job?", " Who is your favourite person to work with and why?" or "What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?", etc.

  These are just some examples of questions, of course we can ask any questions that we want to know but the most important thing is to understand that we should make the interview "Step by Step" which means we can't ask some straightforward questions at the beginning, we should begin with simple questions so that the interviewer would feel easier and friendly to answer.

Digital Issuu creative report publication

https://issuu.com/yc265365.1619/docs/creative_report_publication1