About me

My reason for applying for the post of Graphic Designer is to develop the skills acquired over the past three years. I feel you can learn within a University environment, but to actually put that learning into practice is very different. I feel that the post will offer me the opportunity and the challenge to develop existing skills and to acquire new opportunities of working in marketing, branding, print and social media.

Working for River Island has definitely prepared me to work in a fast paced environment such as Graphic Design. While the two jobs are very different they share some of the same working pressures. In particular having good organizational and creative skills as well as working well individually and as part of a team. These skills have been developed over the years and I feel has helped prepare me for this post.

While working at Quiksilver in Cardiff, the manager asked me to design a variety of promotional material. This included posters for events such as luggage promotions, sale events and special occasion's such as Mother's Day, all of which were used in store. I also produced lanyards for the staff to wear to identify us to customers. These lanyards were adopted for use in the Cardiff, Bristol and Trostre stores. This was my first experience at working with clients and ensuring that my designs matched the brief. I had to be mindful of the fact that any designs or images created remained the property of Quiksilver unless otherwise specified. It was interesting because I was able to adapt my working style and photography with an already existing brand and create designs specifically for the store.

In July I was approached by Angela Smith the project development officer for Projectpiece to help create a brand identity. This is an unpaid project which I feel will further develop my skills. So far this as involved designing a logo, business card, a number of posters and promotional material for upcoming events and fundraisers. This is my first commercial brief since graduating and involves a lot of problem solving, working under pressure for deadlines, independent time management and self dedication.

Overall my experience at University has prepared me the most for the job. The course itself, has taught me to extend myself and achieve the best I can and to strive to do better. This involves ensuring the best quality of work to the highest and most accurate standards. It has also ensured that I work to the strictest time management. I have trained myself to complete the project in advance of the deadline, to give me time to adjust and alter the designs if necessary. The social side of University has also Helped develop me both personally and professionally. It has given me confidence to express myself, to take pride in my abilities and to take charge of a situation. These are all qualities required for a career in Graphic Design and hopefully I will be able to demonstrate these skills if I am successful in this application.