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16 NO PLASTIC SLEEVES
De ning Your Own Brand Attributes
A good place to start thinking about your own brand statement is
by
re ecting about the work youve done, the person you are, and
the
creative professional you want to be. In order to do this, there
are some
key questions that you should ask yourself. Write down the
answers
that you come up. Trust yourself and listen to your intuition
throughout
this process. You should also think about getting the opinions
of others
whom you trust. Ask faculty, clients, fellow designers,
photographers,
artists, etc., how they would characterize the work you do and
the
creative person they perceive you to be. Ultimately, you want to
focus
in on descriptive key words adjectives and adverbs that can
begin to
de ne your brand statement.
Re ect on Your Work
Ask yourself some key questions:
What kind of work do you like to do?
What kind of work do you do best?
Was there a particular project that you really enjoyed working
on?
How would you de ne your talents and skill set?
How would you describe the styles, forms, and concepts with
which you prefer to work?
How would others describe your talents and the work you do?
(If you dont know, ask.)
What does your body of work say about you?
Is there something missing from your body of work that you
think
you need?
Re ect on Yourself and Interests
Ask yourself some key questions:
How would you describe yourself as a creative professional?
How would you describe yourself in general - your
personality,
work ethic, beliefs, etc.?
How would others describe you? (If you dont know, ask.)
Are these qualities communicated through any of the pieces
youve worked on?
What do you have to offer a company or client?
What types of experiences engage you?
What do you nd most interesting about the world around you?
What do you nd most interesting about photography, art,
and/or
design?
Whose work in uences, attracts, and inspires you? Why?
Re ect on Your Future
Ask yourself some key questions:
What kind of work do you want to do?
What kind of creative do you want to be?
Are you doing the kinds of things now that you want to be
doing
in the future?
If not, how can you position yourself to get to where you want
to be?
What kind of company or client do you want to work for?
What kind of company would t your lifestyle? Are there
compromises you are willing or not willing to make (travel,
moving to a different location, long hours, etc.)?
Where do you see yourself in one, two, or ve years?
Is there someone in the eld who you admire? Would want to
emulate? Why? How did they get to where they are?
This is your opportunity to invent yourself for the rst time, or
reinvent
yourself all over again. Think about where youd like to be two
years
from now. How about ve or ten years? People change jobs and
even
careers often throughout their lifetime. Now is the time to
think about
what you want out of your career.
By de ning what you show based on what you truly are and
what
you want to do, you create a self-selection process: you are not
for
everyone. You are different . Be courageous enough to show that
you
see in a way no one else does. 4
Doug Menuez, Photographer
D I S C O V E R Y
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17 BRANDING
There are many different places where one can nd sources of
inspiration. Keep in mind that you cant create in a vacuum. Find
what
will help get your creative juices owing.
Looking Outward
Try looking outside of yourself for things that inspire and
appeal to
you. Go to museums and galleries; browse the shelves at
libraries and
bookstores; ip through industry magazines and online portfolios.
Look
at the work that other people have made and ask yourself whether
or
not you want to create similar work. If so, try to de ne what
you are
looking at or experiencing. Try to gure out what characteristics
de ne
a particular piece that you are drawn to. What makes it stand
out?
What makes it meaningful to you? What does it communicate about
the
artist who made it? Try to be conscious of the various visual
things that
you are drawn to: patterns, signs, graphics, images, lms,
typefaces,
or anything else to which you feel a connection. You should take
some
time to explore the things around you.
Genres and Styles
While there are many places from which to draw inspiration, an
easy
place to start is with a history of anthology or style book.
These
types of books explore numerous genres throughout the history of
a
particular discipline. Youll nd artists who have explored any
number
of concepts, styles, and techniques. You may nd that you are
drawn to
the postmodern, deconstructed typographic styles of Ray Gun and
Fuse
in the 1990s; or the vibrant psychedelic posters of the 1960s;
or the
sardonic images of a 1930s photomontage. Perhaps you will
connect
with the clean, clear objective design of the Swiss Typographic
style
or the expressive illustrations of Push Pin Studios. Perhaps you
will
be drawn to American modernism and the abstract, symbolic
graphics
of Paul Rand, Lester Beall, and Saul Bass. Maybe still, a
painting will
inspire you, or a landscape, photograph, texture, or
pattern.
Photographers should look to both photo history as well as
contemporary approaches found in commercial photographic
production. Perhaps your work is more in keeping with the
late
20th-century study of typologies coming out of German
photography
or you like the freewheeling framing of Winogrand. Look to
fashion
photography, which has always repurposed historical forms
such
as: reportage, early color, alternative process, Polaroid,
snapshot
aesthetics, and plastic or alternative cameras.
Explore a variety of mediums and forms in your search for
inspiration.
If a particular genre or artist inspires you, try to determine
what it is
about their work that you nd so appealing. Think about how this
is or
is not re ected in your own work and the type of work you want
to do.
Does a particular design style match up with how you de ne
yourself
and your work? Will referencing it help communicate your
unique
qualities as a creative individual?
Process
Keep a sketchbook of inspiration as you search and explore.
This
process may take some time. If the end result is to be
meaningful, it is
important that you de ne a brand that is re ective of your own
unique
vision, talents, abilities, and personality. In the end, you
should feel
con dent about your own creative identity.
I N S P I R A T I O N
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18 NO PLASTIC SLEEVES
J U D Y R E E D - S I L V E R , P R O M O T I O N A L M A T E R
I A L S ,
Calabasas, CA.
The girl in the image is my mother-in-law from 1930. The bird
was
my wonderfully goofy pet ecelectus parrot, Saul. The patterns
used
here are not of a particular era; even though I do get
inspiration from
vintage colors, patterns, etc., I try to make the
patterns/colors t the
subject. I generally like to work with bright colorful patterns
in my
pieces as a layering effect, incorporated with painted
backgrounds.
Judy Reed Silver
N A O M I H A R R I S, P O R T F O L I O W E B S I T E, New
York, NY.
Naomis website plays with the look of 1970s kitsch.
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19 BRANDING
Trends
Consider that certain industries tend to align themselves with
certain
trends. Think about what is popular in concept and style for
the
moment. Look to industry leaders, organizations, and
publications to
nd articles and visual examples of what is being called the
latest and
greatest. Consider trends not only from the market you are
currently
in, but also trends evident in the industry that you want to
break into.
Ask yourself: What concepts, visual forms, or attitudes are
being
represented? Then consider if you are already aligned with these
or
even if want to be.
K E N N Y K I M , S T U D E N T P O R T F O L I O A N D P R O M
O T I O N A L M A T E R I A L S , Kansas City Art Institute.
This piece, in uenced by postmodern digital and
urban graf ti trends, combines graf ti and digital
type, comic book symbols, bold shapes, symbols,
lines, and eclectic cutout images to communicate a
dynamic, raw, and experimental feel. Keeping the
design limited to grayscale helps to unify all the
elements together into one cohesive piece.
