Progression

This is Legolas, you can obviously tell from the bow and the colour. I'm currently still designing backdrops and character designs to then make animating easier and less hassle. It's raining and it's cold as well. Food time.

Animation beginnings

After we presented our animatics and pitched our ideas we were given the go ahead to start work on our animations. For the first period I worked on an external project I have while I had some ideas before later starting on animation related work.

In Illustrator I created the above image as a mock-up for a background. Sticking with the themes of simplistic, and trying to use circles for a constant theme throughout. While I am happy with the sky, creating land with circles is a bit trickier. 

During lunch I also created the image below, inspired from some logo designs I saw earlier which used shapes and colours as a font face. While I didn't do that, I did make two shapes with vibrant and bold colours.

Gaben

Today we learned about the bone structure tool and made bad animation things, I chose to use the face of our sweet prince, Gaben. To actually structure it was easier than it looked, simply dragging and dropping things onto things and creating restrictions. 

This would act as an alternative to animating as you can create poses which it then 'tweens' to. Useful for making subtle movements. 

Phoneme

This morning we look at Phoneme/lip syncing. From using an audio extract from a film and a mouth chart found online we looked at the basics and how to sync the different stages of the mouth to the time line using a graphic symbol. Now finally graphic symbols have some relevance to me and I know what they can be used for. Although in hind sight I don't think I'll be using this method very often in the future as I do not plan to animate anything. Ever. Still useful to know and understand it to a level.

New assignment

We started a new project and I decided to recreate a scene from the Lord of the Rings. I've done a few seconds of animation to sound, however it is in rough to make a plan for animating it at a later date. More later~

Flash: For Computer Games

Mentioned websites (Will open in a new tab)

Newgrounds

Realm of the Mad God (Chrome store)

When making a piece for a project for example a game, many people would first try to create parts of it themself using tweens and such. However this has proven to be messier and results in a larger file size in comparison to doing the same thing, but using code instead. Creating scenes and animations with code is perhaps more difficult to pick up and learn how to do, however using code to do animations and events is much more ‘lightweight’. Meaning that it reduces the overall file size, it also decreases the number of frames you use and can make the file more organised. Flash also has different plugins that can be used, for example Box2D is physics based engine which can be used in games and interactive applications. There are a lot and a huge range of plugins to choose from. Some cost money and some are free, but because of the availability the internet has given us, there is a much larger resource of plugins, tutorials and other such useful resources available to us.

NewGrounds.com is a popular and well known website which is home to a vast array of different Medias, from art work to full games. This site is known as a hub for Flash games and movies. Flash games are very popular because they can normally be played in a web browser window, embedded into the website. Running flash applications in a browser require the user to have the Flash plugin installed, while most people who avidly use a computer and the internet this is not a problem as they will most likely already have it installed, because many other common and popular applications use Flash player. However there is still a demographic of people who do not use Flash or cannot view it. This is to be taken into to consideration when designing a Flash app; people using older versions of Flash player, less able computers, slow internet connection and possibly disabilities, this is because the internet has given a wide access to a great variety of demographics and thus more things are needed to be taken into consideration when making something to be used by a vast amount of people.

When coding things within action script and Flash it is a common convention to use Camel humping or Camel Casing, this is where you write a word/phrase then another but with a capitol, for example “gotoAndStop”. Camel casing exists outside coding and has done for a long time. The name is fairly self-explanatory but still, it is called this because the uppercase letters look somewhat like that of a camel’s humps. Doing this not only for pieces of code but instance names too can neaten things up. It can easily become a habit when naming other things too. As well as using camel casing to neaten up code people also use “Comments”. These are parts of the code that will be ignored, often used to simply comment throughout the code structure with helpful reminders and notes. This hugely helps when more than one person is working on a piece of code as it can be used to explain what is happening.

A main point of a video game is the interactivity of it from the user. Some games have little interaction and are very linear, whereas some are open world and allow the user to explore on their own and do as they please. Simply because of the nature of Flash based games, many are small linear worlds. However there are open world Flash games, such as Realm of the Mad God, a MMO-RPG game made in Flash and available on the Chrome webstore. This is a great example of how indie games have become very popular and because of the internet the ability to publish a product has become much easier, especially with companies such as Steam. Allowing people to vote for games they approve and like to be published and purchased via steam. Removing the need for publishing companies and essentially, making it easier for things to be published.

Games and applications are made for many different reasons for example an individual could make a product out of boredom or because they were commissioned to do so. There is a key difference between the styles of outcome for each of these scenarios, if someone made a game for themselves it would be a very personal project and it would definitely show in the outcome. However if they were to make something for someone else and to a specification and brief it would not be anywhere near as personal as before. Some games have been made for a company to act as advertising. For example Coca Cola’s stretchy hand application/game was very popular and went viral. This was obviously made to advertise, not as a personal project somebody made. Whereas a game such as ‘Time fcuk’ from one of the creators of Super Meat Boy, he explained the meaning behind the game and the relevance it had with his childhood. This is an example of a very personal project. When planning a game, depending on the genre and type, for example if a game is being made for a larger audience and for a company, a lot more thought and planning could go into it for the sake of the company they are developing/working for. However equal amount of planning could go into a smaller project, if somebody releases a bad game, they are going to be known for it and it is their reputation on the line.

Upon thinking about platforms for flash games, you normally think of web browser although that is the main platform there are plenty of standalone games and games on mobile devices. (Even some published through Steam). Touching on games for mobile, they use its own version of Flash, Flash Lite. Flash CS6 now has the ability to output to AIR for Windows, iOS and Android, making it much easier to create applications across multiple Medias and platforms.

When planning a game several things should be taken into consideration are documents which display the flow of the game, and how any in game mechanics will work for example crafting or how a player would navigate and use a menu. If the game involves characters then some form of storyline is normally required to further immerse the player into the game and to feel more involved with the game world. The graphic style of a game is also important as it can determine whether people will play the game or not. If a game is visually unappealing some people will not play it because of that. To make a visually appealing game time needs to be taken into looking at other art styles used in video games. A very iconic game for its visuals is Borderlands, the game was based around a comic book like environment and the art style really sold it. Other games such as Cyrsis and Crysis 2 have incredibly high quality visuals, often known for having a high system requirement list, the visuals themselves actually known for being very realistic yet futuristic. Sounds are also a key part of any interactive application because it directly communications with the user and gives them feedback and responds to their actions. Sounds can also immerse the player into the game world more by using ambient sounds and music which, when done right can help the game immensely. Having high quality sounds for interactions is also important, having low quality and bad sounds for something will put users off and make them not want to continue or do that certain action again.

From analysing and  looking at other games you can easily create a list of things that really make the game what it is, be it an amazing soundtrack to beautiful visuals every game has a stand out point. From discovering this you can now look at games in more depth and identify the work that has been put into it. From this, you can also respect indie games and Flash games more, every game takes time and effort to make and the more time put in the more it shows.

(Like the logo? it's the most recent one I've come up with, ignore the grey, blogger hates transparency.)

Game 100%! (not)

I've struggled through this assignment, and it's at beta stage I would say. Not completed due to time constraints and such, but there is evidence of a game there.

I'll be posting the e-zine to go along with it soon. This certainly has been one of the harder projects for myself. Although I might not be happy with it, I'm glad I got it this far. (I also never want to use AS3 or Flash again. Photoshop pls)

Progress

With the second level made, I'm taking time doing some more preproduction and will focus on the game over the weekend. 

More to come later.

Production

I've started doing more pre-production and trying to slowly get that done rather than neglecting it. At least Word doesn't throw errors at me when I try to make changes. Development on the game itself is rather slow.  Soon I will sit down and work through it, probably at home, late at night whilst intoxicated, because that is when true genius shines through. Clearly.

It will be done, eventually. At the moment we don't have any other assignments so I don't have the excuse of being overwhelmed with projects. Aside from personal ones. Which normally consists of making something in Photoshop or staring at a configuration file for a few minutes. 

Note:
I need a sausage roll. 

Today was not a Flashy day.

Today I tried to make a new level, today was not the day for making new levels. Revert all changes and close. Back to planning. I'll try to re-create the first level with the second one, if that makes sense. So simply, to code the level from the ground up. Rather than re-using other code.

I've started the design file and will continue adding to that as I go along.

Edit, I deleted all the code for the second level and started again. The end of the first level is throwing the errors. I'll Ask Julian for help because what is as3 and how do use it.

Game Progress

Progress thus far with my game, slowly developing. Need to re-texture some things and make more levels before releasing it for testing.

Definitely not the type of game I would have played or even tried making before this project. Still not a fan of Drag and Drop but it certainly is an interesting genre. When done right anyway.

Advantages and disadvantages of free lance & Contract

One of the main advantages of freelance work is the freedom to do as you please and do what you want with your money, to a certain degree. One point is you do your own taxes and thus can save money from doing so.
Generally speaking free lance rates are higher and get paid more than someone on contract, however this is only over a short period of time. Although this does mean you do not have the security that someone who works contract has. 
Once you have gotten to a point where you have made a name for yourself and are financially stable you can pick and choose what jobs you take and do. However before you reach that point, you may have to do things that you do not agree with just to get some money. 

A huge bonus of working contract work is the security, depending on the contract you have, you can't just not have a job one day without some notice. Tax is also done for you and taken out of your pay, this can be a plus if you're fine for money and you don't need every penny, however you then have no control over where it goes. Although, again there is more security that you will have money in your bank the end of the month. Whereas with freelance (private) clients don't have to pay you legally for up to 90 days. (Others have up to 30 normally). Many bigger firms have pension plans which are mostly stable, however if you work in freelance pensions are your problem so to say, and you need to organised and get one yourself. 

Getting money from banks is easier when you have full time contracted work , rather than freelance. This can make a huge difference when trying to get a mortgage on a house. However during a contracted job, you cannot decline it, or decide you don't want to do it. You have to do it. You also have fixed holidays, however you do have paid holidays and other circumstances where you aren't working. However with freelance, if you aren't working, you aren't making money. Simple as.

Analysis of 10 real world Designer role jobs

Midweight Designer - Brand Communications Agency

Recruiter

Gabriele Skelton

Posted - 10 September 2012

Ref - FW/B22589

Location - Surrey

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Branding, Digital / Web, Graphics, Print

Job Functions - Designer

Salary - £23-28k

Further information

Based in picturesque Surrey this Brand Communications Agency are in a period of growth. Founded 15 years ago by two creatives, they have built a healthy reputation for creative thinking and sharp commercial perspective for clients large and small.

The time is ripe for them to take on their first permanent designer and so seek an ideas-driven Midweight Graphic Designer to make a valuable contribution to the company, both creatively and commercially.

This is a small company and as such this designer will be expected to get on with it to a reasonable degree and get involved at every stage of a project from concept through to final, including client and supplier contact as well as keeping atop of administration.

An opportunity with huge potential and an excellent second job for a designer with the following:

+ At least 2 years’ experience as a designer in an ideas-driven Brand Communications Agency with specific experience across branding, identity, literature and ideally digital.

+ A portfolio that demonstrates creative thinking and commercial awareness
+ A good degree in a relevant design-related field
+ An absolute passion for design

Although there are plans to move to central Guildford where they will be more accessible, all interested candidates must currently have their own transport.

Please understand that we are only able to respond to successful candidates.

Follow us on Twitter @gabrieleskelton

The job is a midweight position meaning that it is required/recommended to have experience in the industry. The description lists the companies Twitter as well showing their connections with the online world.  It also states that applicants need their own transport, something I do not have and would need before applying if I wished to be considered. The job is also too far for me to apply for currently without moving.

Junior-Middleweight Graphic Designer

Recruiter

Bespoke

Posted - 10 September 2012

Ref - 14419

Location - London

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Discipline - Advertising, Branding, Digital / Web, Graphics, Packaging, Print

Job Function - Designer

Salar - £22,000 - £32,000 pa

Further information

A global market leading London agency is seeking a junior/middleweight designer to join their team. You will be working as a key member in the design team for an agency who are renowned for being the pioneers in creativity in how they approach and tackle their projects. The suitable candidate will have previous experience working with high-end retail clients, where they have also collaborated within 3D environments.

As well as exposure to some truly exciting and creative projects, the company its self has plenty of additional perks and prides its self on being an extremely enjoyable and motivating environment to work and develop in.

This job has a very short description in comparison to other ones I have looked at, it does not list many qualifications needed either.  This does not offer much information for the position and what is required of an applicant. From what it does state, I do not qualify for the position as I do not have experience with high end retail clients and is something I would need before applying, I would also need to be closer to London.

Photoshop Visualiser

Recruiter

become

Posted - 13 September 2012

Ref - 8078

Location - Central London

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Digital / Web, Graphics, Packaging, Print, Other

Job Functions - Artworker, Designer, Other

Salary - £20-25k

Further information

Exciting opportunity for a budding Photoshop visualiser to really make their mark.

This design company specialises in the branding and packaging of drinks from traditional spirits, to international wines and premium international brands.

They urgently need a Photoshop visualiser who can produce slick 2D and 3D, (in Photoshop not a 3D package), visuals of bottles and labels from drawn scamps. Minimal experience is required however you must be able provide a strong folio of examples and be able to work from a loose brief, adding your own creative input to perfect the finished visual.

Great opportunity for an aspiring Photoshop wizard with tenacity.

This job also has a short description, the description is also written very informally “Great opportunity for an aspiring Photoshop wizard with tenacity.” However the job does have low qualifications and would appear to be easy to qualify for. This would be a good job to apply for at a low entry level to then gain experience. Although because not much detail is given in the description it gives the impression they didn’t think too much about it when posting it, which then makes you question it further, again I am too far away to consider a job this far away.

Integrated Designer

Recruiter

The Fix Creative

Posted - 07 September 2012

Ref - CBM191

Location - North London

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Branding, Digital / Web, Graphics, Print

Job Functions - Designer

Salary - £24-28,000

Further information

Middleweight Level

We are looking for a creative designer with previous experience working in a brand focused environment. This is an opportunity for the right individual to make this role 'their own’. We are looking for someone with ambition and enthusiasm to become an important member of the team. The role will involve working across print and digital projects; any coding experience is desirable as would be experience working with CMS’s.

Based in north London, we are a creative collection of individuals, we work together as a team across a range of disciplines with a variety of clients. We encourage individual thinking and are looking for an intelligent creative to join this fast paced and vibrant environment.

Working in brand communication creativity is paramount; we are, as a team, always looking for that special ‘idea’.
 
You have an eye for detail, 3+ years experience working in a similar field and - digital would be preferable but as mentioned above - creativity is King. (Some flash & HTML experience would also be important).

Evidence working with integrated identity / branding projects is important as would any previous App experience.

If this sounds like you, you’re a team player, looking for a position where you get to make a difference (and can appreciate a good coffee) then please apply with your CV and DIGITAL examples of work.

This job has a well written description with a touch of informality near the end “(and can appreciate a good coffee)” This is the type of company that I would feel most comfortable applying for and possibly working for. Without use of a list it clearly and neatly lists the points that an applicant should have. The job is based in North London, which in regards to where I am currently, is too far away for me to possibly work there, and would not be financially viable for myself currently.

Designer

Recruiter

Blue Skies

Posted - 14 September 2012

Ref BSMLM0069

Contact - Laura Mercer

Location - Warwickshire

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Branding, Digital / Web, Graphics

Job Functions - Designer

Salary - £22000 to £25000 per annum

Further information

Designer, up to £25000, Warwickshire, Design Agency, Permanent This design agency work with some of the most prestigious brands in the music, games and fashion sector and have exciting plans to grow rapidly over the next 12 months. Due to this growth, they are looking for a designer to join their team who has a portfolio packed full of campaign work across both print and digital. As a Designer for this agency you need to have a serious passion for current trends and be able to create a large amount of clients` graphics with little to go on. So someone that can interpret a basic spec and add their thoughts to it. The agency is based in a pretty town centre with ample shops nearby. The ethos of the agency is to work hard but have fun at the same time, so music is always on, the environment is relaxed and casual and the owners often buy in pizzas and the beer fridge is always well stocked! This is a great opportunity for a Designer who is looking to grow and develop but also someone that is up for a challenge! Designer, up to £25000, Warwickshire, Design Agency, Permanent Blue Skies Marketing Recruitment specialises in marketing jobs across Creative, PR, Clientside, Account Handling and Executive. We offer unrivalled opportunities across all specialisms and industry sectors, presenting you with only the best marketing jobs. Although we try to respond to all applications, the high number we receive means this isn`t always possible. If you have not heard from us within 72 hours, please assume that your application has not been successful. For more information, visit www.blueskiescareers.co.uk and we`ll make sure we do our best to find you the perfect marketing role.

This job requires a good portfolio of both digital and print work. However the information provided shows a calm and relaxed work environment which sounds attractive to work in. However I feel that the way they have presented the description is rather messy and un organised – one long paragraph. Given my chosen sector I would say that appearances do matter and layouts should be considered before posting/publishing.  As stated above the job is based in Warwickshire, which I would consider to be too far away for myself.

Junior Designer

Recruiter

become

Posted - 11 September 2012

Ref - 8079

Location - South London

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Branding, Digital / Web, Graphics, Print, Other

Job Functions - Designer, Other

Salary - Excellent

Further information

Become vital!

We are looking for a talented junior designer with at least 1-2 years commercial experience under their belt to join this successful retail brand as they go from strength to strength.

This is an opportunity to work with a collaborative team across a diverse range of creative projects including catalogues, customer communications and promotional materials as well as some digital and web.  We are looking for someone able to bring quality, freshness and consistency to all visual materials and, as such, your contribution will be highly valued.  There is huge potential to develop your skills and become an invaluable member of this creative team.

What we are looking for:

At least 1-2 years experience in a commercial design studio, either in-house or agency side.

Proven design layout skills with sharp attention to detail.

Ideally some experience working on retail brands with strong commercial purpose to your designs.

Solid artworking skills and print production knowledge.

Someone with a proactive and positive attitude who is keen to work within a small, friendly & talented team

If this sounds like you we would love to hear from you today.
 

This job has a very warm and inviting tone to it. They very clearly display what they are looking for. I also like this job because of the tone they have taken with the post and the clear layout for specifications they have used. Although to qualify for this job I would need to gain more experience, specifically in the retail. Currently the job is based in the South of London, which I would consider too far away for me, in regards to moving there as well.

Junior Designer

Recruiter - Major Players

Posted - 12 September 2012

Ref - 60739

Contact - Katie Smith

Location - England, London,

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Branding, Editorial, Graphics

Job Functions - Designer

Salary - £22000 - £24000 per annum

Further information

Junior Designer - Business Communications - Central London - £22 - £24k

This independent design consultancy where founded over ten years ago and since then have been creating great communication for leading businesses ever since. They work from all ends of the spectrum with projects ranging from branding positioning through to employee engagement; occasionally breaking the mould completely to work with various fashion related clients.

Based in Central London they have a wonderful office, very close to a major station. They agency as a whole has a great atmosphere, end even the MD can be found making tea and washing up the mugs!

Curious about this role?

The agency is constantly growing and so the superb opportunity has arisen for a Junior Designer to join their team. The clients will range from global automotive and aerospace clients to the odd smaller studio project.

The key day to day tasks for the Junior Designer include:

*Interpretation of briefs through creative brainstorming.
*Providing appropriate support to the Creative and Design Directors.
*Assisting in building and maintaining strong client agency relationship.
*Gradually claiming full ownership of work through the development of ideas through to delivery.

Curious about the ideal candidate?

This is a very open agency so the ideal Junior Designer shouldn't be afraid to speak up! You will need experience within similar business communications agencies. You will be a conceptual thinker with a talent for bringing ideas to life through beautiful crafting.

Key attributes of the Junior Designer:

*Past experience as a Junior Designer, specialising in brand communications.
*Creatively minded, able to forge strong concepts coupled with beautiful styling.
*Ability to manage own work load, as well as taking a commercial project through to delivery.
*Portfolio demonstrating a passion for business communications and brand development.
*Presents work and concepts with confidence and self assurance.

This is a Junior Designer position within a wonderful Central London agency, working with some impressive clients! A real gold dust role that is sure to be snapped up quick!

To apply for the Junior Designer role make sure you click the Apply Button now! 

 

From reading the job description above, the first thing I noticed was a spelling error, however after that I have seen that the post is also a very warm and inviting one, inviting junior designers to apply for it. It also has a slightly informal tone yet lays out what skills and qualifications are needed.  The job is based in central London which I consider to be too far away for myself to even apply for. However the description Is very good and definitely sounds like something I would want to be a part of. To be able to apply for this position I would need to gain previous experience more specifically in commercial and brand designs.

Middleweight Designer

Recruiter

Posted - 14 September 2012

Ref - 1501437

Contact - Rebecca Day

Location - England, London,

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Graphics

Job Functions - Designer

Salary - £30000 - £35000 per annum

Further information

My client is a creative design agency, based in Putney who are unique in creating exciting branding and design concepts for the retail market.

They are currently looking for a middleweight designer to join their design team, creating exciting branding ideas for a number of retailers across both the UK and the rest of the world. As a middleweight designer you would be involved in the concept and design of the full branding briefs from the creation of POS materials to front end website design.

The ideal candidate will have extensive previous experience within working in a design studio. My client is looking for a highly creative designer with strong evidence of branding and POS work within their portfolio across a number of print and digital mediums.

If this sounds like the ideal role for you, what are you waiting for? Click Apply and attach your CV and portfolio.

 

This job is aimed at middle weight designers, which I am not. However the description is clearly laid out and presents what the desires qualities are for a candidate. Despite not being able to qualify for the job, to qualify I would again need more experience.

Freelance Middleweight Designer

Recruiter

Purple Consultancy

Posted - 19 September 2012

Ref - kk190912b

Contact - Purple Consultancy

Location - England, London,

Contract Types - Contract

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Graphics, Print, Retail

Job Functions - Designer

Salary

£150 - £200 per day

Further information

This is a well-established, global brand that is on the wish list of every Designer! Middleweight Designer you will be leading and challenging design briefs by using your creative flair to produce exciting in house branding concepts. They are all about ideas and the conceptual the better!

You will be working on refreshing and creating their brand across different touch points and promotional material. You will be part of a creative team and be able to refresh and create quirky sub brand identities to create unique concepts.

This client needs someone who has a folio full of fantastic creative thinking! You will be working for a fashion icon and it's a great opportunity to get exposure to a great brand!

Don't miss out! Apply now with your CV and FOLIO for this Middleweight Designer Role

Please note that due to exceptionally high levels of response, we are only able to get back to those applicants who have been successful.

 

The first freelance opening I have come across and it has a good impression, due to my lack of experience I would not qualify for this opening. However, for the same reason I cannot comment on the pay. This is also the first contract opening. It is still in London though, which means it is too far away for me to even consider. However I would need to improve myself in the print aspect of design to feel comfortable enough to apply for the job.

Graphic Designer

Recruiter - Michael Page

Posted - 25 September 2012

Ref - MPDW13261157

Location - Northampton

Contract Types - Permanent

Hours - Full Time

Design Disciplines - Branding, Digital / Web, Graphics, Packaging, Print, Product, Retail

Job Functions - Designer

Salary - £23,000 - £25,000 p/a + benefits.

Further information

FMCG
Northampton
Permanent ⁄ £23000 - £25000

• Layout pages, draw logos, redraw logos, do text corrections;
• Produce High quality and lifestyle presentations using product showing correct logo positioning in line with the customers brand guidelines.
• Layout and design of pages for local (product specific) mini catalogues.
• Produce additional local marketing campaigns to support Central strategies
• Presenting finalized artwork and concepts to UK Sales Director and Sales team
• Thinking creatively to help produce new ideas and concepts for generating business through marketing activity.
• Working with a wide range of media, including photography and computer-aided design;
• Contributing ideas and design artwork to creative planning meetings.
• Keeping abreast of emerging technologies in new media (particularly design programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign) as most graphic design work is now completed on a computer.
• Develop, document, and maintain process support documentation as required.

Who we're looking for
• Creative
• Fluent in English both orally and in writing is a must;
• Ability to juggle several projects at once with staggered deadlines.
• Must have the interpersonal skills to be able to effectively work with internal and external customers.
• A team player
• School: Graphic Design degree or equivalent
• 1-2 years working experience.
• Understanding of industry.
• Proficient with MS Office and Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign.

Where specific UK qualifications are required we will take into account overseas equivalents.
Please note, any salary/salary range and benefits described in this advertisement, are indicative only. The actual salary offered to the successful candidate may vary and will be dependent on skills and experience.

From the payment and the description and requirements they desire the job is primarily aimed at junior level designers. However, they want ones with a degree or equivalent in design, something I do not have. The location of this job is in central England, North East of London, which is still too far away for me to apply for. However the other requirements are achievable, such as being proficient in Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and MS office. The job also requires the applicant to have good English, both spoken and written, while this isn’t something I would worry about I would have to be sure to check my documents or any information for any minor errors as it could make the difference between getting the job and not. This is a job I could see myself applying for in future, or something similar.

From analysing these jobs and looking through openings I think I now have a better idea of what is expected of me and what other companies do and expect. Of the jobs I have written about there are a few I would seriously consider/apply for. These are the ones that had a good clear display of information and a slight informality about them.

http://jobs.designweek.co.uk/job/361800/integrated-designer/

I like this opening because it displays information neatly and cleanly, it’s very basic and easy to understand as well. The slight hint of informality “looking for a position where you get to make a difference (and can appreciate a good coffee)” Which is what pulled my attention, as well as the text formatting, using italics and bold to make the description stand out from everyone else’s.

http://jobs.designweek.co.uk/job/362240/designer/

This posting also has a friendly atmosphere about it; however, the layout of the description is rather poor in contrast to the last one I mentioned.  Whether it’s the informality or the beer fridge and pizzas, I would strongly consider applying for this.

http://jobs.designweek.co.uk/job/362693/graphic-designer/

The very last one I analysed is another I would seriously consider because of the layout, however I am very under qualified for this position, but it would act as something I can work towards, and is somewhere I would like to be eventually, career wise.

*Virtually all of the jobs listed were in and around London. London would not be viable for me because it is too far away for me to move to currently with my financial situation. The cost of living in and around London is also much higher than other places.


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