Based on the principles that have been introduced so far in the PPP2 module, investigate who you are as a creative in relation to who is out there looking for creative talent.
Write a list of all the possible client groups that use graphic design in the development, production, distribution, promotion and/or communication of their products or services. Identify one client group that reflects your current ambitions within the graphic design area (music industry, retail, publishing, education etc.) and focus on identifying:-
- What skills / interests you have and how they relate to the needs of your client group?
- What skills are needed and what skills do you want to develop?
- What are your professional/creative aims and how do they relate to the needs of the client group?
It is essential that you make references to the ʻ4 Psʼ from the PPP2 Presentation. This is an exercise in applying that theory – it is not appropriate to write about the theory itself. Demonstrate your understanding of it by actually using it.
PRODUCT
The business has to produce a product that people want to buy. They have to decide which ‘market segment’ they are aiming at – age, income, geographical location etc. They then have to differentiate their product so that it is slightly different from what is on offer at present so that people can be persuaded to ‘give them a try’.
PROMOTION
Customers have to be made aware of the product. The two main considerations are target market and cost. A new business will not be able to afford to advertise on national television, for instance and would not wish to because its market will be local to start with. Leaflets, billboards, advertisements in local newspapers, Yellow Pages and ‘word of mouth’ would be more appropriate.
PRICE
The price must be high enough to cover costs and make a profit but low enough to attract customers. There are a number of possible pricing strategies. The most commonly used are:
- PENETRATION PRICING – charging a low price, possibly not quite covering costs, to gain a position in the market. This is quite popular with new businesses trying to get a ‘toehold’.
- CREAMING – the opposite to penetration pricing, this involves charging a deliberately high price to persuade people that the product is of high quality. Luxury car makers often use this strategy
- COST PLUS PRICING – this is the most common form of pricing. Costs are totalled and a margin is added on for profit to make the total price.
PLACE
The business must have a location that it can afford, and that is convenient and suitable for customers and any supplier.
List of client groups within graphic design:
- packaging
- publishing
- retail
- branding
- animation
- music industry
- fashion industry
- identity
- fashion industry
- education
- website design
- print
Currently I am quite interested in Branding and Identity I have recently been branding a restaurant which has been really enjoyable, I have been experimenting with screen print too, this is something I would like to carry on with. I find this allot more fun than sat in front of the mac screen all day. I would also like to look into the music industry more as this is something I have been interested in for a long time now.
What skills / interests do you have and how they relate to the needs of your client group?
Over the duration of this course I have been developing my skills in print production. THrough the OUGD504 module I have had the opportunity to experiment with many different printing process, which has been very beneficial but also fun. I have learnt about foiling, screen printing, embossing, de-bossing, laser cutting and other processes. My interest in experimenting has lead me to undertake personal projects with have developed my skills further. I have been producing products to a near industry standard finish, taking into consideration stock, texture and finish.
I have also been considering promotion. For the ISTD restaurant branding brief, I considered how I could get the establishment noticed. I mocked up a website in order to give the public an idea of what the Company is about. I also looked into telemarketing for my YCN lego brief, in which I created a animated advert proposal. I have been exploring different ways of promoting from flyers, to billboards, to events etc. In order to create a strong company image I created a series of products for the restaurant such as beer mats, place mats, menus, etc that would all be situated in the restaurant and available to take away promoting the restaurant.
From the print module I learnt about costings for comercial print, by contacting printers and using online resources I got the basis for printing in the industry this will come in handy in the near future.
What skills are needed and what skills do you want to develop?
I think in order to work on my profesional design finish I will need to develop my software skills. Although I am fairly comfortable with most of the Adobe programs, there is allot of room for improvement. There are still many tips and techniques to learn in order to become fluent in these programs. I feel that my work sometimes needs that bit of tweaking to improve it, but by skills let me down.
I also need to experiment more with layout, I feel my publication skills let me down a bit, This will come in handy when producing editorial work. I fall down in this area with typography too. This is something that scares me a bit, I dont seem to know wheat font to use or where to put it.
What are your professional/creative aims and how do they relate to the needs of the client group?
My creative aim is to become a better designer. Through practice research and experimenting this can be achieved. I feel my need to better myself will be something a client would be interested in, as I like to keep pushing myself, trying out new things. I also want to develop a business head, and improve on my presentation skills. I think this will ensure that I am working for the right price, and will know how to approach clients and deal with the knitty gritty business end of things. I think by devloping these skills it will be easier to pitch my ideas, and to cover all aspects of design from production to pricing.
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