A little taster of my designs up and working..

This was a quick turn around with not the photographs I am going to use for the end of year show, however it is sitting pride of place at the UCAS fair for Leeds College of Art

Delivery for Kim!!  ..

 I am soo happy with them!

Talk with Steve Edge..

The talk with Steve Edge was amazing!

He spoke about how to get your personality and a personality of a brand over. Find the story of a brand and tell a good story then you will be remembered.

Truly inspiring and a humble representation of someone completely happy in his job and extremely successful too.

Filled my little book of quotes.

Design Strategy Presentation..

WOW! I was looking through design inspiration and found my own work!!!

http://lookslikegooddesign.com/graphic-design-kim-sandford/

Another mention on someone else's blog!

http://www.typethatilike.co.uk/?6943afc8

So I was found by a fellow type enthusiast that likes my work!
All helps to get my work seen!

Good promotion gets work seen, develops reputations and is key to establishing and advancing the practice of all artists.

As well as creative endeavour, being a visual artist is a business, and promotion is a vital component. To progress, artists need outlets for their work – exhibitions, sales, reviews – all of which are controlled by someone else.

Finding exhibiting opportunities and developing relationships with key individuals are important goals for most artists. Promotion isn't a quick fix, but the continuous work of being visible and building a reputation.

1. Preparation

If your work isn't documented, it may as well not exist.

In order to promote yourself, you need to have a certain amount of clarity around who you are and what you do.

• Look at what you want to achieve, and how you can progress to that point.
• Make sure you actual have some work to promote (even the greatest marketers need to actually produce the goods).
• Being administratively prepared will also help you.

Images

If your work isn't documented, it may as well not exist. When sending images think quality over quantity. Take note of image size, dpi, and file or the medium type requested.

Low-res digital photographs (usually 72 dpi) are handy for emailing, but be careful to also archive high-res images (usually 300dpi) for other usage. Always label your submissions.

Text

Always have a statement on your practice, an up-to-date CV (professional arts related only), text on works and bibliography ready.

This will allow you to easily and quickly respond to interest. Be sure to update this material frequently, as and when your projects come to fruition.

2. Increase your visibility

To get your work seen, you need to have had your work seen. This may seem to be a catch 22, but there are plenty of ways of generating visibility for your practice:

• apply for open submission exhibitions
• take part in arts related events, such as seminars, workshops and conferences
• create your own initiatives.

Rather than directly approaching a specific gallery, you could apply for any open opportunities they run or where they are acting as an invited curator.

If curators and galleries know what you do, they can decide if it is attractive to them. It is certainly more advantageous to put yourself in their eye line than trying to foist yourself upon them or send unsolicited packages.

3. Networking

Our working lives are web of networks.

Socialising, attending private views and networking are important ways to meet and get noticed by key arts personnel.

Networking may seem to be a disingenuous and painful activity. However meeting and talking to other members of the arts is not only beneficial to you, but also to them. Curators and galleries need artists, and writers need topics.

We all want to work with the best and most suitable persons. In order to do this we must have knowledge of them. Networking allows these circles to support each other.

Our working lives are web of networks. The person next to you in your studio, degree course or exhibition may all open up opportunities. But remember to be polite and friendly – don't just try to corner someone or harass them into offering you a break.

4. Building relationships

Should you meet someone interested in your work you can send them further information or direct them to your website. Alternatively you could invite them to visit your studio.

How best to present yourself will depend on practice. For example, a painter may need physical proximity to show their work to best advantage. If the majority of your work is ephemeral, time or project based, rather than existing as a physical object, it might be more appropriate to send as copies of documentation.

5. Professionalism

Be aware of the quality of material you are sending out.

When all your hard work pays off and you do get a break make sure you are prepared for it. Whether sending material, returning an email or just having a business card to hand.

Where a break turns into an opportunity, ensure that you're professional at all times in your dealings. No matter how good your work is, tantrums, delayed installs or bad behaviour will put someone off working with you again. By reputation, stop others working with you also.

If you deliver work of quality in a competent manner that initial relationship could extend to referrals and continued support throughout your career.

6. Promotional material and tools

Press releases and statements

No matter what stage of your career, you will need to do a certain amount of writing and speaking about your work. Learn how to write with confidence and clarity, be concise and pitch your tone to match your aim. Take note of deadlines and include details of how to get images or further information.

Invitations

Be aware of the quality of material you are sending out. Ensure that the images are good quality, attention grabbing and represent your practice in the best light.

Business cards

Business cards are handy, not just for passing on personal contacts but also directing people towards information on your work and your website.

Get them professionally printed as their quality will reflect on you and your practice. Have them with you always - you never know who are going to meet.

Website

An online portfolio can be an invaluable tool. It provides the facility to research your work or be directed towards documentation without having to formally request it.

Key components should be: images, a biography and statement. Make sure the site is easy to navigate and not full of visual trickery (unless your work is technology based). Keep it clean, simple and let the work speak. Keep it updated regularly in order to bring people back to check on your progress. A poorly-constructed or out-of-date site may well have the opposite effect to promotion.

You can learn to create your own website or have someone create it for you There are also online galleries which offer space (for example Saatchi online) but take care to find reputable options that would be good for your profile.

Remember, if you do decide to put your work online, you should see your website as a tool to be used rather than just hoping that people find it.

Mailing list

If you go to the time and effort to make contacts, then you need to maintain them. Compile a database of contacts or keep a mailing list. Make sure it is easily organised, easy to update and private.

To create your list look at who you know, have worked with or is already interested in your work such as: other artists, tutors, curators, galleries, buyers, arts writers, publications, your local arts officer and those you deem relevant to your career.

Keep contacts informed of important information only: exhibitions, awards, residencies etc. Do not bombard them with your every creative thought. Although galleries have their own mailing lists make sure that invitations go out to your key contacts also.

7. Dealing with the media

Artists need outlets for their work – all of which are controlled by someone else.

Journalists and critics can form close working relationships with artists, writing frequently about their work and helping to build a public profile.

It is possible to build a rapport with the arts press and publications based on your reputation and the quality or artistic content of your work. Local press are usually more interested in the community aspect of the story. They may also be more reliant on the information you give them or your interpretation of your practice.

You may not be presented in the way that you hope to be by local press. To combat this, supply your own images or ask for control over photography used.

When doing interviews or contacting press know what you are going to say so you can control the message. Make sure you are clear, not over wordy and include vital information: what, where, when and who.

Remember if someone has been positive about your work make sure to put them on your mailing list and make regular contact where warranted.

Johanna Bonnevier - I really love her work and the style of work she produces, and after the replied email she seems lovely too. 

After speaking with Johanna I would like to possibly send through some questions to go into my design context book of which is work that inspires me and the sort of work I want to be involved in. 

Applying for the SH awards.. Fingers crossed something comes of it!

I sent some samples of my work to Interbrand a while back and spoke to a guy from there who was lovely and gave me feedback on my work and was very helpful.

I have now got back in touch with him as I found out that they were looking for graduates for internships of which I would love. Even if there was only an oppourtunity to go down and maybe a placement.. Fingers crossed!

 Article in The Yorkshire Post about the briefing from HeBe media - EXCITING! 

Logo Re-think!

After talking with Andy Lodge he gave me some really good advice and also some ideas!
Like I wasn't sure about putting my photography and graphics together, yet they are attributes when it come to a job.

So Andy Lodge gave me the idea of flipping the K for two personalities and two sides of my portfolio so I can flip the portfolio one way and have my graphics and one side have my photography.

However keep the separate K for jobs of which is graphics focussed or that I dont want to show my photography to. So keep the flipped K for my portfolio.

My Website.. 

I am happy with this design whilst I am working on other projects. However when I get to it I want to make it slightly different and also use my own URL to make it look more professional

www.cargocollective.com/kimsandford

This week I found out that Paul Young wanted to see Elliott and I again to work with him on branding his new range of jeans!!

I am OVER THE MOON! I am soo happy to be given this opportunity as this is exactly the type of work I want to go into and be doing in the future.

HEBE MEDIA OPPORTUNITY

Went to an awesome briefing for HeBe Media today;
They are a communications business looking to work with creatives creating promotional mediums for small interesting underground scene cultural businesses.

Its was soo inspiring! Loved the video they created from an event in Barcelona and also the idea of being apart of one of their events would be amazing! So I signed up to be in touch with them.. Hopefully I get to work with them as it looks awesome!

Business and people skills

I always did think that I wanted to work at a studio as I want to be in that environment, and I still do. However I found this article about businesses and I think it very much applies to the way you talk and treat people you may work with or for (by David Airey):

Don’t try to accommodate every customer. The more you do, the more you can potentially dilute your initial strength that people loved you for. Sure, it’s a balance; just keep it tipped the correct way.

Building a better business is certainly about giving the customer what we want e.g. the plumber who tidies up after his/her work. But it’s also about


giving the customer what he/she didn’t realise they needed e.g. a text telling of the exact arrival time at your home to start work.

Don’t use email for anything that needs the expression of emotion unless you have the skills of a Mills & Boon novelist. No: see them face-to-face or pick up the phone.

Your corporate culture is not something that can be ‘rolled out’;


it is the sum of what individuals do on a day-to-day basis. And understanding why they do what they do.

Notice how the small stuff can really wind you up when you’re in a line for a coffee or dealing with your bank. Does your business do that to its customers?

More important than great offices, a cool logo and a function spreadsheet is


a sustainable, differentiated, profitable idea on which to build your business.

Yes it does matter. Many people really do mind that ‘customer parking’ has no spaces, that reception has last month’s business magazines, and that the account manager had an indifferent attitude.

Never talk negatively about a team member who is not present.
Talk to him or her.

Everybody sells. Everybody talks value, everybody dissolves resistance to purchase, and everybody spots sales opportunities. Sure, there are some in the business (salespeople) for whom it is their final and number one accountability. But everybody sells.

Why do you want to be big? Quite.


You really want to be profitable. Which may or may not correlate with size.

Make price the smallest issue. The one which is just a simple question — and how much is this/and what are your fees? — not a big debate nor negotiation. How? Through talking and illustrating and referencing the tremendous measurable value and benefit they will get when they become one of your customers.

Business card design - I wanted to keep it simple yet interesting. Therefore I want to print these designs onto something like brown card OR i might try grey board! 

I love this idea as a mail out. As it is versatile to adapt to your new work and also allows you to mail it easily, and function together. 

I think I might try something like this, and that way I can change and adapt what is posted inside to who I am sending it to.

New PDF to send out to studios using my new logo. 

Bumping into an oppourtunity..

Over summer I bumped into a random girl in the bank, and started chatting, as the conversation went on I heard the words:

'I work in London doing graphic design'!!

WHAT!?

She was called Sarah Bell and worked at Interbrand..
And has given me contact information for interbrand to send some work to and ask for a placement.

New logo - I decided that I needed something really simple that would fit on various different designs etc. And also convey my style of graphics; I think it does show that most of my work is modern/simplicity.