Costa del Sol Chadwick level 6 graphic design

Today we had a silent crit so I decided to show my most complete current work in progress. I think I put too much emphasis on the punk style of the brand in the short description at the bottom of the page as a lot of the comments were fairly centred around experimenting with typically punk tropes such as DIY style manipulation and deconstructed or mixed letterforms.  As these are not what has been requested by Joe I won't be indulging in these aesthetics too much but also I must ensure I maintain the punk spirit throughout development. There was some preference for the more cursive face ideas such as the second down on the right and the bottom right as these felt more human or DIY. I think the second down on the right should be developed even if not for this project as it contains some beautiful forms. There was also some pointers as to which example of two of the lefthand typefaces should be used with the upper of the two being deemed too confused, a factor I had myself though as ...

Today we had a relatively dry but essential session on terms/conditions and invoicing. I would have said before the session that I had invoicing down but there was some key elements such as VAT and taxation that I have not been considering at all. When it comes to terms I realise that I have never made a client sign a contract and even though as of yet I've been very lucky with it I am fully aware that this will not always be the case. Our list of terms was nearly complete with the acceptance that there have to be claused in place for changing briefs, rigid conditions of payment and some kind of licencing/ intellectual property agreement for the terms of use. All of which all partys should agree on. As I'm a student I often don't think about the risks of not writing out terms because of the safety net that the loan provides but it would be good practice to write a set of these up before the end of uni and start using it on all clients for any major projects.  Wh...

Yesterday I got back from a very fun yet somewhat disappointing visit to Berlin. Starting with the fun bit I left Berghain at 12pm yesterday and have been discussing the project that I'm going to do with my friend Zoe all week so I'll try and do a separate blog for that studio development. However, the disappointment comes after my studio visit and work at artist collective Live From Earth with Tim Linacher fell through. I had been preparing for this by listening to the released tracks by the collective and delving into Tims typographic style. Unfortunately, as I travelled to the studio address in west Berlin Tim informed me that he had been taken ill and wouldn't be able to show me round, this was frustrating but it happens. Hopefully, I will be in his mind for any subsequent work as I grow by craft and keep producing work. I am also kicking myself that I didn't manage to at least find the studio and get a tour but I asked around at all of the offices in the complex a...

Documentation is key - beautifully shot pictures with correct lighting and using a dslr or even a photographer is essential “Your portfolio is only as good as the weakest project” Employ a simple grid system to help layout your text and image and have a consistent aesthetic throughout. “It doesn’t have to be complex, but it must be considered” Include contact details Establish a consistent done of voice Develop a master doc and back it up as you go The documentation of work is more important than the work itself Export your portfolio at less than 4mb - choose a tailor selected set of 4 or 5 projects that you feel suit the studio you are applying for and make sure it’s not too big Follow up

Last month a guy called Joe contacted me via Instagram to request some custom typefaces or the use of existing stuff as promotion for 'State of Denial'. Described as  “a sustainable fashion and fine art collective, focussing on inward frustrations with mental health and sexuality to a more outward frustration with the British government and environmental destruction." To me, the collective has a definite punk ethic and aesthetic which has received plaudits and publicity from some pretty big UK musical artists and is set to feature in an upcoming Coeval magazine article which will hopefully give it some of more of the attention it deserves. After dabbling in typographic sketches for them over the last month I've decided to refine the work into brief 11 and will potentially use it to replace another brief later in the month.  Joe cited the MYRIAD poster on the left and the two @rembagram type experiments below as his main inspiration for my commission alongside my t...

Over the last few days, I've been working on a new aesthetic for my personal branding that moves away from my previous geometric, silhouette and better reflects the new direction of my craft. The previous logo has been in place since last year and doesn't reflect the calligraphic nature of my craft so it was a ripe time for a change. However, I do still enjoy the emphasis on structure and silhouette within my previous logo so maybe the is room for further abstraction of the new form. The previous logo below: Another element I'm still keen on from the previous branding is the overlayed vector on an image as this gives a personal touch to something that otherwise and appear quite detached from the human interaction it is trying to portray. Drawn out with my calligraphy pen the new emblem is supposed to convey all three of my initials S F C. This is also part of a potential future move away from the name 'Sol Chadwick' to (for now) Sol Fox Chadwick. However, per...

Today we presented our updated studio practice briefs and proposals, along with a rough time plan of how we shall execute it. I prepared my presentation fairly quickly and the slide order was a bit all over the place but it was a good opportunity to display my new personal branding on the first slide. In general, it seemed to go down really well and the task was a nice way of gauging where everyone is at and reassuring me that I'm not behind at all. With two briefs nearly sorted as in ready for some final tweaking and printing then design boards I feel in a strong position with 4 and a half weeks to go. I spoke well over the 5-minute time limit which I feel like was a good sign even if I do maybe need to work on the conciseness of my presentation skills, a script may have helped. The feedback was fairly quick and limited from Amber and Nick but maybe because I had talked for ages and it was the end of the day also though this really wasn't a bad thing as I accept this was jus...