Website - Nearly Live!

WWW.LAURENFORRESTER.CO.UK

Happy to say my new website is nearly up and running - all the templates are in place now just waiting for a good friend of mine to code them into a wordpress template then I'm good to start uploading - check back soon, should be done in the next few weeks!

Portfolio Update - May 2011

Website Mock ups

So, I was going to spend today finishing off an fmp brief - but as always I've been side tracked.
I started talking to a friend of mine again about coding my website, and he's got some free time on his hands so I figured why not just go for it today!

I never really wanted a really posh portfolio site - it seems a bit fake for me in a way.. I've always been one for honesty, and I like the idea of having a blog that I'm able to update and open discussions on, as well as having my portfolio available if people are interested. It also allows me to not only post the finished pieces of my work, but the construction and development process.. This whole idea fits my way of working so much better - and it also means that once the template is up and running it's incredibly easy to update.. I have a habit of totally forgetting html coding moments after I've finished with it.

Anyway, here's the basic layout in a few variations -

Visit - Brand New____

Another studio visit - this time with the more print based studio - brand new. I really enjoyed speaking to the guys down there, conducting and interview for my context book just turned into a chat.. which was quite fun.

I left them with my mini portfolio/leave behind book, which they seemed to really appreciate - and as I left they asked my if I'd like to come back for a placement at all - to which I said yes, obviously. Placement starts in July, after I've moved house and everything - Pretty excited about that!

They seem to have a really hands on approach with their interns, and I was talking to them about my limited digital experience, they seemed really positive that they could change that anyway. Overall a great experience and confidence boost!

PPD Presentation

I had my presentation yesterday morning - it would have gone better if I wasn't so damn nervous! I was absolutely fine til I got up! No amount of preparation, or non-preparation seems to have any effect on it either.. I guess confidence is something that comes with practice when it comes to this kind of thing. Anyway - freaking out aside - I was relatively happy with how it all went, and watching everyone elses was really useful too as they were all so different. You can really start to see where everyones going, and all the various pathways they're finding for themselves - it was difficult to compare my presentation against everyone else for this reason, everyone is doing different things! But I'm happy with what I included, it's all relevant to me and my own practice.

Visit - Teabag Studio

Went down to Teabag Studios the other day to conduct an interview (I'll upload it when I've got it typed up! But I also went to scope the place out - they had some interesting ideas on where graphic design seems to be going, or rather where their own place sits within the market, I think they're pretty focussed on going down the digital route - which I think is a bit sad, because there's always a need for printed stuff - everyone likes to hold things in their hands physically.. you cant always have something on screen, but I certainly understand their logic anyway.

I'm not sure I'll follow it up with a placement request - but they were a lovely couple of guys and a nice studio.

Portfolio / 'leave behind' Booklet Finished

Really happy with this booklet so far - it will continue to develop and change as I do, but for now it does the job nicely!
The selection of work I have included differs from that of my mini PDF portfolio - which most agencies will have seen when I initially email them anyway.. So it's a nice way of getting them to see more of my work without having to flick through my whole portfolio. Also, I plan to vary the content of the booklet depending on the studio I've contacted - I have quite a varied portfolio after 3 years of studying, and not all of it is relevant to everyone I contact!