Amanda Jane Jones
I have looked at a freelance designer because that it something I want to become in the next 10 years. This is something that I could work towards whilst working for a graphic design agency. I have looked at Amanda Jane Jones because I feel her work has synergy to how I am currently working, and her work also corresponds to my kind of taste level. Another female working as a freelance graphic designer is encouraging too, and I do believe that females and males work in slightly different ways, although the audience does not necessarily dictate how the gender of the designer reacts to a brief. All designers are competing against eachother however freelance designers usually need to build on a portfolio where word of mouth and networking are essential for keeping clients and gaining new ones. I feel that I could design and create a better looking website that functions in an easy to understand way in comparison to hers. Her layout it a grid, with fixed size boxes containing snapshots of her work.
Her experience and about section:
Amanda Jane Jones
freelance graphic designer and letterpress artist
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Feel free to e-mail her at:
amandajane@kinfolkmag.com
You can also say hello on twitter!
Strengths - This particular designer has made lots of connections within the general art and design world, and is a blogger on the side of her freelance career, and so this has contributed to her success and exposure to potential clients. She always uses her full name, that happens to have a nice ring to it, and this is a kind of signature that works for her. It's a feminine identity and sets her apart from other designers that are female and may only be using two of their names or using a name that isn't their own at all.
Weaknesses - Her website is hosted by Cargo Collective and so it is not her own domain, and this kind of website has been associated with portfolio sites looking and feeling semi professional. I have the overall feeling that having my own domain name and website would make me and my work look more professional, even though I am post graduate still. There isn't too much personality in the layout and design of the template she has used on Cargo, whereas if she had made her own template or customised it a bit more this would have made her work stand out more and inject some personality into the site.
Opportunities - There isn't many opportunities to collaborate with another freelance designer although that would be the only way to work with this designer. There wouldn't be any point of an intern working for a freelance designer for obvious reasons.
Threats - She is older than I am however If I were to become a freelance designer, there are some similarities in that we are both females, and her work has synergy with mine.
Small graphic design agency
Robot Food
This company is one that I am aiming to work for after I graduate, and so I want to make sure my work constantly has synergy with theirs. They specialise in the food and drink packaging and branding sector, which is the area I have stated I want to concentrate on and work towards working for. They are based in Leeds, just outside the city and they describe themselves as a 'brand building agency'.
"Robot Food is a results driven, innovative brand-building agency – born by the ambition and obsession of an independent creative collective. Spurred by big agency experiences, we stray from the well-worn path, to offer a more hands-on approach and a service second to none. As an intimate team with a wealth of creative intelligence, we fine tune brands from the inside out, telling believable brand stories… and our attention to detail is remarkable."
Strengths - They have made the effort to come across as a small and personable agency, and they have also made themselves appear that way, avoiding the corporate aesthetic. They have concentrated on working for a particular sector, the food and drink business. Whether it be branding collateral and web, or just packaging they have a niche appeal. This will set them apart from other agencies of the same size that work for a wider range of sectors.
Weaknesses - The information on their website could be layed out so in the categories of the type of work they have done so the potential client knows exactly what they can do without having to make vague guesses by just looking at their projects. Categorising the branding, packaging, print and other aspects of their work would make their company easier to understand. The name of the company makes them sound immature too, and although Robot Food would relate directly to the sector they target, it still sounds unprofessional to a certain extent, however that may be down to personal opinion.
Opportunities - I would like to approach them for a studio visit and hopefully an internship, and this would be the opportunity window for me to work with them. This could have a draw back and damage my chances of employment with them post graduation if they don't like me.
Threats - The threats to this company are other UK based independent studio's or agencies that work for the same food and drink sector. B&B are a very similar company however they aren't based in the UK, and Here Design Studio are based in London and are a slightly more up market version of Robot food, and the type of company Robot Food perhaps aspire to be like.
Large graphic design company
Elmwood
About:
Put simply, we help brands uncover what’s special and different about themselves and tell the world about it. There’s the thinking and words in brand strategy and brand language through to the visual magic of corporate design and packaging design. Our digital work brings all this together.
Strengths - Elmwood are huge, and have offices based internationally. This means that they have established many contacts over the years and they have worked hard as a company to achieve the status of being an internationally renowned 'brand design consultancy'. They have a huge client base and have a reputation to live up to. They started in Leeds and grew to huge proportions and so this is something that they can brag about.
Weaknesses - Many companies are evermore working with the smaller independent studios or agencies, because they feel they can bring something personal and non-corporate. A corporate feel is something that a large graphic design consultancy risks. The kind of clientele that Elmwood work with are often large corporations. ASDA for example are one of them, however many people may not know that ASDA has it's headquarters based in Leeds, the starting place of Elmwood, and so this means both companies can work closely geographically together.
Opportunities - I know that students have worked for Elmwood as part of work experience, which makes a lot of sense as they probably have the resources and enough staff to work with students or post graduates. As a large company I would expect that they would have enough work to keep any number of students occupied for a week or two. Something that a smaller agency or company would perhaps not be able to offer.
Threats - Other large graphic design companies are in direct competition with Elmwood, however I think more smaller studios or agencies are almost in equal competition because often they offer a point of difference to the corporate aesthetic that larger companies often offer.
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