Colour Research: kuler.adobe.com

Kuler is a website that allows you to create or obtain a variety of colour palettes. 

You can upload your own images to kuler and create a palette using colours from the image or if you prefer, you can create your own from a colour wheel. The site offers suggestions for what colours work well together, or you can customise your own.

I like to use kuler to create my own palette as it helps me to keep a consistent colour theme through my work and I will therefore be using it for my portfolio!

Font Research: Dafont

Dafont is my first port of call when trying to design some great typography.

As I have dcided to go with a magazine layout, font is extremely important in bringing a whole new look and feel to the magazine as I have discussed in my magazine research findings. Below are some examples of fonts that I feel will work best for my idea of a layout.

Layout Inspirations: Programs/Guides

I have not only found inspirational layout design with WAH's Book.

I visited Isle of White festival last year and bought a guide whilst I was there, which was basically a book with some great imagery and really good graphics. Here are some examples:

 The guide is formatted centred around the festival, and therefore has a big music vibe. I enjoy music and this kind of a layout would reflect my interests a great deal. However, I would not say music plays a massive part in my life and therefore think this would not be a suitable way to represent myself. It may also look like I want a carreer in the world of music also, which would be good if it happened but it is not an area where I am planning on headingt.

The colours are all really bright yet muted down to create some gorgeous colours. The opacity levels wil be working overtime if I create my CV?portfolio around this style. However, I like the relaxed vibe it produces.

I also checked out a guide from Comedian Jimmy Carr's tour recently, which has been formatted with Jimmy in it to make a really interesting booklet rather than just a set list of what is on tin the show. Although I would not necessarily style my portfolio in the same way, he has some really funky looking images and styling shots with illustration thrown in for good meaure.

(Please xcuse the upside down Pictures!)

Whilst both of the guides I have looked at may not be directly related to what I am doing, they have both offered me some great information and example, especially in terms of colour and font.

Layout Inspiration: WAH Nail Art Book

I recently puchased the 'WAH Nails Book of Nail Art,' as I love their nail art pens and wanted some inspiration on some more designs. However, whilst checking out the book I realised they have an amazing layout and style that showcases the work of WAH off to a great standard.

Therefore I scanned some images of the book to share as inspirtaion:

The Cover

This highlights straight away what the book is about as 'Nail Art' takes priority on the cover. The black on white design is quite striking and is made more interesting with added flashes of hot pink! I love the colours and the style of the art work. I am not the biggest fan of illustrations such as the hearts in the corners as I think they can sometimes look a little bit childish.

The book opens to this photo montage of polaroid styled snaps of the owner of WAH Nails and also author of the book Sharmadean Reid.This is another good way of sharing experience with an employer and showing them what you do and how you have got to where you are now However, you have to be careful when selecting images for something as formal as a CV as you do not want to maske a basd impression on them. I like the effects on the majority of them images on these pages, especially the polaroid  snaps theme.

Throughout the book, their are pages with helpful tips and instructions on nail art. The title fonts used are reall decorative and I like the articl style to the structure on the paragraphs. This relates the book to a magazine. I like how the headers are made to be bolder and the coulours are consistent through out.

Title pages between sections are used to break up the book to keep it interesting rather than just a list of different designs. This looks really good, however, my portfolio will not be as big as this book and therefore it will be able to afford not to have so many breaks. 

The majority of the book however, is dedicated to different nail designs and patterns. I love how the whole look of the pages really comes together. They have a consistent pink striped header at the top of the screen and the font style is kept consistent through out, which brings the layout order, however, the fonts chosen our so nice and creative, despite the text being pretty much black on white- they still manage to look really fun and on trend.

I was also inspired by the backgrounds used on some of the pages. They have various designs which include, stripes, checks, graphs, etc. They are placed on the back subtley and suit the whole graphics nature for the brand which is essentially promoting graphics for your nails!

I have found this book extremely useful. Although, I will not follow the layout exactly as is in the book, I will definitely be taking away elements in terms of font,, background graphics and colour.

Layout Ideas

The layout for my CV and Portfolio design has to reflect my own personality to make it relevant to me and the direction I want to take in the future.

The areas I am most interested in are PR or Visual Merchandising. I am also interested in working for a magazine and even being a freelance proffesional blogger.

Therefore I have come up with the following ideas for a layout design for my portfolio:

1) A window display theme, with props and mannequins as background visuals and my work being the main focus. The issue with this design is how I will effectively structure my CV. I could get around this by having my CV as stickers on the 'window'.

2) A press pack layout design. This could become really diverse in design. It could be a box template, with my CV and work showcased on different areas of the box, as seen in my research of creative CV designs earlier. However, space will be an issue with this design.

Another take I could have on the press pack layout is by taking the elements that make up a press pack and using them in my design. Forexample, my CV could be the Press Release with dates of experience etc. on business cards appropriately formatted in a creative way. My work could then be showcased in a digital 'booklet.'

3) A website/online magazine layout. A website layout would be fairly simple to do but I do not know if this is creative enough for my portfolio. I do not want it to look boring and unimaginative.

4) My final layout idea is to have a magazine layout. This is relevant to the majority of the areas I am interested in progressing in and also reflects my own interests as I am an avid fashion magazine reader. There are so many varieties of magazines and layouts, fonts etc. I will be able to create a design that suits me and is fun and interesting.

My CV: Updated

I had recently updated my CV before the project began as I sent it out for an internship position. However, one of the things I have learnt from my research is that a good CV does not need to be more than 2 pages- and mine is double that at 4! Therefore I have edited through my CV and updated it again and I have managed to get it down to the perfect amount of 2 pages:

Name, Address etc.

Original:

Curriculum Vitae (C.V)

Name: Kate Murray

Address: 50 Hunts Cross Avenue, Woolton, Liverpool       L25 5NX

Telephone: 0151 428 96                            Mobile: 075452357

Email: KRMurray1@uclan.ac.uk

Updated:

Curriculum Vitae (C.V)

Name: Kate Murray

Address: 50 Hunts Cross Avenue, Woolton, Liverpool       L25 5NX 

Telephone: 0151 428 96                             Mobile: 075452357

Email: KRMurray1@uclan.ac.uk                    Driving License: Full

I updated this section by simply decreasing the font size on the address and by adding my driving license information.

Personal Profile

Original:

Personal Profile

I am an ambitious and hardworking student, studying Fashion and Brand Management at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in Preston, which I am currently in my second year of. It is a very broad based subject which covers everything from Marketing and Promotion to Buying and Merchandising.

Updated:

Personal Profile

I am an ambitious and hardworking student, studying Fashion and Brand Management at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in Preston. It is a very broad based subject which covers everything from Marketing and Promotion to Buying and Merchandising. My interests include Fashion, Literature, Journalism, Cinema, Music and Travel

I have updated my personal profile to include my interests, as I had them in a seperate section which was taking up more information than it needed to.

Objective

Objective

I am very interested in the Promotional and PR side of the business and I am therefore keen to build experience within this area for the future.

I have not updated this part of my CV as I was happy with how it was. I think it explains what I want and where I am headed and gives my CV some focus.

 

Skills

Original:

Skills

Research Skills: Primary and Secondary research skills developed for essays, reports, photo-shoots and workbooks; via the Internet, textbooks, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.

IT Skills: Good skills in creative packages such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop as well as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. I have a good understanding of Social Networking and how to communicate on it. I am currently developing my skills on Indesign also.

Teamwork: I work well within a team and enjoy working both as part of a group or independently as required.

Problem Solving: All of my projects involve complex, time constrained problems to overcome. I enjoy the challenge and work well with them.

Communication/People Skills: I express critical opinions through research and essays; I have lots of experience of dealing with people and knowing how to communicate with them well through good customer service development whilst working.

Self Motivation/Time Management: I am highly motivated putting myself though A levels as well as achieving a diploma in Fashion at College before Coming to University. I have worked constantly since I was 16 to help fund myself through all of my education. I work well to a deadline and have excellent time management skills.  

Dependability: I have been placed in many positions of trust by employers from money handling to dealing with sensitive issues whilst working at a Pharmacy.

Providing Excellent Customer Service: All of my employment has been customer focused and I therefore have great understanding of meeting a customer’s needs. 

Marketing: I studied Marketing as a minor subject for 18 months during my University Course and covered issues from buyer behaviour to creating an outline marketing plan for a company (DJ Miles Coffee)

PR: I have recently just finished a PR project that involved creating promotional materials including a press pack and goody bag for a chosen brand.

Updated:

Skills

Research Skills: Primary and Secondary research skills developed for essays, reports, photo-shoots and workbooks; via the Internet, textbooks, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.

IT Skills: Good skills in creative packages such as Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop as well as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. I have a good understanding of Social Networking and how to communicate on it.

Teamwork: I work well within a team and enjoy working both as part of a group or independently as required.

Communication/People Skills: I express critical opinions through research and essays; I have lots of experience of dealing with through good customer service development whilst working.

Self Motivation/Time Management: I am highly motivated, working constantly since I was 16 to help fund myself through all of my education. I work well to a deadline and have excellent time management skills.  

Dependability: I have been placed in many positions of trust by employers from money handling to dealing with sensitive issues whilst working at a Pharmacy.

Marketing: I studied Marketing as a minor subject for 18 months during my University Course and covered issues from buyer behaviour to creating an outline marketing plan for a company (DJ Miles Coffee)

I have updated the skills section by just being more selective and abit more concise with what I want to say. I have eliminated the Problem Solving and PR sections as I felt that they were both pretty much covered in other areas.

 

Interests:

Interests

Fashion: I like to read Fashion magazines, fashion and lifestyle blogs, shopping, as well as keeping up with current trends.

Literature: I enjoy reading a range of literature in my spare time

Journalism: Watching the news and reading a range of publications to keep up with current events

Cinema: I enjoy going to see new releases with friends and discussing them.

Music: I love going to see local bands at gigs as well as visiting festivals and concerts. I enjoy most genres of music.

Travel: I enjoy going to new places and exploring both in the UK and abroad.

This section was removed altogether as I felt that it was unecessary. As I mentioned earlier the interests were moved into my personal profile to be much more concise.

 

Education/Qualifications

Original:

Education and Qualifications

2001-2010

Liverpool Community College

Level 2 National Diploma in Fashion Retail, Distinction

Level 3 BTEC in Fashion Retail, Merit

Gateacre C.C School

 A-Level:  

·         English Literature, A

·         General Studies, B

·         Psychology, C

·         Biology, C

GCSE:

·         English Literature, A

·         English Language, A

·         Art, A

·         Sociology, A

·         R.E, A

·         Science (Double Award), AA

·         Child Development, B

·         Maths, C

 GNVQ:

·         I.T, Merit (B)

2010- Present

University of Central Lancashire

·         Fashion Brand Management BA (Hons), Pending

Updated:

Education and Qualifications

University of Central Lancashire: Fashion Brand Management BA (Hons), Pending

Liverpool Community College: Level 2 National Diploma (Distinction) and a Level 3 BTEC (Merit) in Fashion Retail

Gateacre C.C School: Four A-Levels (A-C) and Nine GCSE’s (A*-C)

There is a massive difference in this section. By simply summarising rather than listing all of my qualifictaions, I have saved lots of space and prospective employers can still see what I have acheived. I have also put my most recent qualification first whereas before I had my GCSE's first.

 

Work History

Original:

Work History

2006-2008

Deysbrook Pharmacy

·         Cashier

·         Dispensary Assistant

·         Role involved Opening and Closing the store; Introducing a Locum Pharmacist into the store each week and showing them the computer system; being trusted to dispense both prescription and over the counter medicines; having good quality customer service.

2007-Present

Woolton Picture House

·         Cashier

·         Kiosk Staff

·         Usherette

·         Role involves Opening and closing the cinema; handling both small and large amounts of money; selling both tickets and confectionary; having excellent customer service skills; working both within a team and independently.

2008-2010

Anfield Stadium

·         Bar Staff

·         Team Leader

·         Role involved working within a team in a fast paced, dynamic environment; team leader ship skills when running the bar; having good customer service skills and being able to deal with problematic situations under pressure; handling money; good understanding of health and safety and food hygiene.

Updated:

Work History

2006-2008

Deysbrook Pharmacy

·         Cashier and Dispensary Assistant: Role involved opening and closing the store; being trusted to dispense medicine; having good quality customer service.

2007-Present

Woolton Picture House

·         Cashier/Kiosk Staff/Usherette: Role involves opening and closing the cinema; handling money; having excellent customer service skills; working both within a team and independently.

2008-2010

Anfield Stadium

·        Bar Staff/Team Leader: Role involved working in a fast paced, dynamic environment; team leader ship skills when running the bar; having good customer service skills and being able to deal with problematic situations under pressure; handling money.

I have not changed too much in this section, I have just made it a little bit more concise to save space.

Work Experience

Original:

Work Experience

·         2 weeks work experience at Alder Veterinary Hospital. My main duties were in the reception area dealing with clients. (2005)

·         Visual Merchandising Experience for the Corsetorium in Cavern Walks, Liverpool. I worked as part of a team to create a Halloween display in their window. (2008)

·         Visual Merchandising Experience at Abakhan Fabrics, Liverpool. I worked as part of a team to dress two windows for the store using products from the store itself.

·         2 days experience working backstage at a College Fashion show. Duties included, dressing models, getting models to runway, helping out front of house, greeting guests and taking them to their seats.

·         I am currently working on a project with my University for Debenhams. It involves styling a Photoshoot using merchandise from the store.

·         I have an ongoing internship in a busy PR office for Jewellery Company, Jon Richards. Duties include assisting the PR team in day to day office tasks, send-outs and logging any coverage for the represented brands.

Updated:

Work Experience

·         Visual Merchandising Experience for the Corsetorium in Cavern Walks, Liverpool. (2008) and Abakhan Fabrics, Liverpool. (2009)

·         2 days styling experience working backstage at a College Fashion show. (2008)

·         Styling Experience with Debenhams, Preston (2012) and Missguided at Manchester Fashion Week (2012)

·         I have an ongoing internship in a busy PR office for Jewellery Company, Jon Richards. (2012-Present)

Again, I have not changed too much here, I have just made it much more concise. I have also updated it with some recent work experience and eliminated anything that was not relevant.

References section:

Original:

References: I will be happy to supply on request.

Please feel free to visit my Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages to find out more about me:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=737479143

https://twitter.com/#!/Kate_Muzza

http://pinterest.com/misskmurray/

Updated:

References: I will be happy to supply on request.

Please feel free to visit my Social Networking pages to find out more about me:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=737479143

https://twitter.com/#!/Kate_Muzza

http://pinterest.com/misskmurray/

http://fashionfallows.tumblr.com/

Here I have changed the font size to save space and I have also included a link to a blog that I have created.

More Magazine- Other interesting Articles

More Magazine also has tips for writing cover letters an interview techniques. Whislt they are not directly relevant to the creation for my portfolio, I think they are worth a look as it is all part of trying to land that perfect job!

More Magazine: Cover Letters

Nailing an Interview

How Volunteering Can help you get Work

Interview: Body Language

One of their articles online included this video from More's deputy editor with more tips for writing CV's and Cover letters:

I think the section in this video "Don't be too Wacky" is really good. It has reminded me whilst this is a project for Uni and does need to be creative and innovative, it is important to keep in mind that at the end of it I will have something to send out to potential employers. Therefore, I should not go overboard with my design and really push the limits of what I can do as it could end up having the opposite effect that I want. Instead, I should play to my strengths and remember to keep any prospective employers in mind.