Personal & Professional Practice: Study Task 02 - Why am I here? What do I want to learn?

5 reasons why I chose to study on this course:

1. Location - Leeds as a university location for me was the only option. It isn't far from home, my Mum is from here and my brother attended The University of Leeds before I came to do my foundation last year. All of these factors meant I was already familiar with the city and its youthful and ever-developing status. I felt that I would be overwhelmed by going to London due to its size, whereas Leeds I feel is small enough to get to know and navigate with ease - yet big enough to still have the city-feel.

2. The LCA Reputation - Having attended multiple open days at Leeds College of Art and carrying out extensive research into the institution before hand, I found that the reputation of the college alone was reason enough to want to attend here - it being the highest ranked independent art college in the UK was especially reassuring that this was where I wanted to study. Although I had numerous people question my ruling-out of the possibilities of studying in London, I never had any doubt in my desire to study a LCA. The college also has an impressive list of alumni, including Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Damien Hirst.

3. The Facilities - Access to industry-standard facilities is naturally the best way to acquaint yourself with equipment and environments most similar to those that will be experienced in life after university, which is why the facilities of LCA are so renowned. The print possibilities here are endless, the library has an extensive collection of books and journals, and the studios are creative spaces. The state-of-the-art resources here allow for full potential to be discovered, exceeded even, which is what I want to achieve.

4. Graphic Design Specific - Having researched courses prior to applying to university, I found that many courses in this field were a combination of multiple practices - such as Graphic Design and Illustration, animation or visual communication - which is not what I wanted. I explicitly wanted a course that was specifically focused on the singular practice of graphic design. Here at LCA, all the courses are very much subject specific, making it the perfect course to meet my desired requirement.

5. Foundation Diploma in Art and Design - Having completed my foundation at the Vernon street site of LCA, I had been fortunate enough to have met some of the graphic design tutors multiple times before interview, taking part in workshops to experience the style and subject of some lessons and attending subject talks on the structure of the course and receiving invaluable information - all of which confirmed this course to be the right one for me. My experience on the foundation showed me the dynamics of the institution and I thoroughly enjoyed the year, and so was confident my time at Blenheim Walk would also be enjoyable.

5 things that I want to learn during my time on the course:

1. Theory - Despite having already been familiarised with the main theories of graphic design during my A-Level graphic design course, such as the Gestalt theories of visual perception, Johannes Itten's colour theory, and György Kepes language of vision, I wish to expand and enhance my knowledge in design theory to be able to make more informed design decisions that go beyond purely aesthetic gratification.

2. The Specifics - Learning the specifics of how the design process works in industry is something I desire to learn, such as how to produce work to specific requirements and how to achieve them within a restrained time-scale.

3. Skills - Having developed some skills during my foundation to a certain extent, such as screen, lino and mono printing, I wish to develop some of these skills further as well as develop new ones - such as manual type-setting and printing thereafter.

4. Networking - Learning how to network with established industry professionals is something I desire to achieve on this course in order to be able to provide myself with possibility of opportunity and work experience in the field of graphic design. I feel this is also something that would develop my confidence individually, making it an important skill to learn.

5. Types of design - I would also like to learn about the different types of graphic design in detail and what each of them entail, such as editorial design, web/app design etc.

5 things I think are my strengths:

1. Knowledge in design theory - The first term of my graphic design A-Level required me to complete Johannes Itten's preliminary course, as taught at the Bauhaus. This has proved to be completely invaluable to me as I have progressed through to further education. I feel it has given me a head start in the understanding of design and how to make appropriate design choices.

2. Study of English Literature - My study of English literature I believe has significantly impacted my capability to write and construct writing, aiding my ability in essay writing and analysing using apt terminology. This skill has been transferable to the subject of design in that I believe I am able to analyse and evaluate the work of others, and my own, successfully and confidently.

3. Skills in processes - Both my A-Level course, foundation course and personal experimentation have provided me with a diverse range of knowledge in processes that can be used to enhance the message communicated through a piece of design. These include emulsion, acetone and cover-film transfer, screen, mono and lino printing, heat-transfer foiling and also film photography and dark-room print development. The foundation course also taught me how to consider things differently and how to generate more diverse ideas.

4. Adobe Creative Suite - I now have three years experience in using adobe programmes such as photoshop, illustrator and indesign. This enables me to have the confidence to produce any idea I come up with digitally or hand-produced, comfortable in the knowledge I am able use the programmes to extend and refine designs.

5. Perfectionist - I am always content in knowing that anything I have produced is up to the highest possible standard I can achieve. I am able to recognise when I feel I have produced something un-successfully and in doing so devise a plan to change and improve. My constant self-critiquing allows me to identify when I feel something isn't quite right; I am always willing to make improvements when and wherever possible.

5 things I would like to improve on:

1. Social Confidence - Something I struggle with significantly is my ability to talk to new people. It is something I fear will act as a hindrance to opportunities that present themselves involving social environments, such as networking and attaining clients, as well as presenting and public speaking.

2. Time awareness - Although I regularly make lists and prioritise tasks, I regularly fall short of the completion of these tasks as I underestimate how long it takes to carry out certain processes to the standard I want to achieve.

3. Safeness - At times I feel that I have a tendency to produce the same style of work over and over again. I would like to have diversified my practice and abilities in experimenting with a range of styles, though maintain an identifiable aesthetic that is my own consistently. Letting go and being spontaneous are not strong traits of mine.

4. Self expectation - I have always had a high expectation of myself to constantly be excelling in all that I endeavour in, criticising myself for anything that doesn't meet my personally set standard. With failure as my biggest fear, it becomes draining at times trying to maintain all aspects under such personal scrutiny. I would like to improve on becoming more acceptant of some things being out of my control, and that not everything can be 100% all of the time.

5. Mental organisation - Although in terms of physical organisation I am somewhat excessive, when it comes to psychological organisation I begin to struggle. I find it hard to configure myself when I have too many things to consider at once which at times can affect my work ethic. I would like to improve my ability to separate simultaneous concerns to be able to organise myself and take action more successfully.

5 things that inspire me:

1. Home - Whenever I go home for the weekend I come back feeling more inspired. I feel that being surrounded by familiarity and the dynamic of being home somehow evokes a rational mind from which I am able to come up with a higher volume of ideas and motivations.

2. Interior decoration - I love sourcing objects and pieces from different places to create a cohesive visual aesthetic that communicates a particular style. Everything from the pieces themselves to the arrangement thereafter. Picking and choosing from a particular starting point, such as a colour, to create something that is visually gratifying is very much enjoyable to me.

3. The old - I find great inspiration in that which has gone by in time and the way things were and what people used to do. I treasure the notions of good manners, smart dressing, letter writing and going for walks.

4. Conceptual Ideas - Ideas that are concept driven, that are somewhat clever in what they have achieved. Metaphors and things that visually communicate through the suggestion of an idea. Things that really make a person take time to consider inspire me.

5. Attention to detail - One of my greatest inspirations is attention to detail. I revel in identifying accents and small additions that surpass mundane standards. There's something in being able to identify the most subtle of additions to a piece of design and seeing what a substantial affect it has that I am obsessed with.

5 examples of design that demonstrate my fields of creative interest.