For Black Friday, design platforms like TheFutur and Doméstika reduced their prices for a considerable amount, which motivated me to buy some courses and products.
- UX Masterclass with the design consultant José Caballer
- The Perfect Proposal Kit written by Ben Burns
- Course in editorial design with the graphic design Spanish legend Oscar mariné
- Digital Art direction with the amazing Adrian Somoza
- Typographical syntax with Raquel Marín
- Got tickets for #thefutureiscoming London 2018
I tweeted and published images in Instagram to let them know that I got their courses and what I think of them.
Monday 27 November 2017
Applications - Production (Writing)
The following texts have been written in order to include them in the publication that is going to be made.
In our western society, we understand the world in an individualist way. We are all special, with our own dreams and ambitions. However, in countries like Japan, there's a more communal mindset. Important decisions in the life of a Japanese person must, above all, somehow contribute to society.
None is better than the other. Here, we deal with our own problems and in Japan they do the same with theirs, that are not few. This thought is born from observing my environment: the collective obsession with being different, special, unique. And for what? Being different is a virtual goal many want to make you believe they know how to reach and speak to the rest of us as if we were lost. I don't feel like I'm lost, I live here! In the middle of general bewilderment.
Phrases like "be yourself, everyone else is taken" have a very wide acceptance. It's a sentence that doesn't look like hiding anything negative, but the way I see it it's a way of fleeing forward, of recognising that there's still a way to be special if you are audacious enough. Even if that formula looks ordinary and boring to you.
Chris Do, graphic designer, says: "the idea of being original is both ignorant and arrogant. Ignorant, because you don't know what's come before. Arrogant, because you think it was all you". This quote changed my life as creative. Once this is understood, the frustration from trying to stand out, being special and the need recognition goes away. It's not a question of stop being original for fearing being perceived as ignorant or arrogant, but of recognising that originality is overrated and it's something completely subjective. It's all right not to be 'special', so it is if one is. However anyone wants to express their identities, it's their business.
This reflection was going to be closed with a joke that turned into an anecdote, and it's a better conclusion. I was going to say, in a comic sense, that the best choice would be to practise 'active mediocrity'. After looking it up on Google to see if anyone else has thought about this, that's how it has been. David Perkins says: "The world would be a better place if most people achieved active mediocrity rather than passive erudition".
For a moment, I felt special and Mr. Perkins has given me a lesson of humility demonstrating me that I wasn't being clever, but an ignorant.
You are going to die
It's interesting what we often consider 'wasting our time'. Generally speaking, we don't like to think about death. It's hard for me to believe that fearing death it's human when I see how animals react to life threating situations.
Since a few years ago, I've become more conscious about my own mortality, and that has tremendously helped me in my life. Knowing that tomorrow can happen anything to me doesn't obsess me, but it makes me relativise many aspects of the day to day. I put much more time and attention to the people that truly love me, to the activities that make me feel good and less time to discuss about politics on internet. I might feel bad for not cleaning over the weekend, but it makes me feel better to think that instead I've been having a good time with my friends or partner.
Confucius said: '"People ask me why I buy rice and flowers. I buy rice to live and flowers to have something to live for". This is one of the most honest and human quotes I've ever encountered, and it's closely related with what has been previously said, since the money is just a way to materialise time. Yes, we waste a lot of time and yes, we spend money in what others consider wasting it. Flowers are the dangling carrot that makes the donkey to move forward. Material whims or presents with a sentimental value looking for the reaction of our beloved ones meet the same purpose. Let's spend our time enjoying.
If you are not enjoying while reading this, then you are wasting your time.
--------------------
We know everything
There's a quote in the film Se7en where David Mills (Brad Pitt) tells Lieutenant William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) "The point is that I don't think you're quitting because you believe these things you say. I don't. I think you wanna believe them because you're quitting". It's one of those phrases you've got to repeat a couple of times before it's properly interiorised.
How many times do we take for granted facts because it's so much easier than questioning them? Unconsciously, we convince ourselves that we believe certain things and we zealously defend them without even been sure that we know what we are talking about. We bother in doing so because it's easier than judging our knowledge.
An example of this is recycling, a habit that is part of our lives and seems to have a positive goal, but that depends on what part of the planet you live on. Recycling is about making the system sustainable, a system that is harmful in many other ways than just the environmental. Indisputably, this western system of ours exterminates forests, species, poles... and that has to stop. Although, it also obliterate human lives. Lives that seem to have moved to the background. It's not a good consolation that in 20 years we will be contaminating much more less if to sustain our wellness we've got to exploit more children and adults in other continents.
Another interesting scenario for this question would be to admit something like the concept of 'gravity' wasn't discovered, but invented. It's incredible to see people defending that gravity exists just equally as in the medieval it was defended that the Earth was flat. Science helps us to understand the universe, and its value is incalculable for human beings. It's the tool we've created throughout centuries to understand and use our environment a bit better. But what was science once, it's been denied in our times. What makes us think that we are right nowadays? Maybe some years in the future from now we will look at the theory of gravity with pity as it's sometimes done with stellar maps from the past, where the Earth was the center of everything. Maps which, by the way, were of great utility back then.
Don't be like Lieutenant Somerset. You don't believe something so you can quit.
Interlude: Contradiction. You may have noticed by now some contradictions. What life would this be without contradictions?
Chaos
One of my favourite reasonings is from Werner Herzog. He says "I believe the common denominator of the Universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility and murder". When one contemplates the quantity of destruction across the cosmos, the natural way of animals and, in short, nature, it's clear that humans are the anomaly in this system.
We like to humanise animals. We even humanise the weather and believe that it understand and discerns between good and evil, but it's not like that. Good and evil are human creations. But, on the other hand, human beings are also destructive. We must remember that, despite all the conflicts and wars we are living nowadays, we live in the most pacific period in the history of humanity. That says a lot about us. The only thing we know is capable to bring what we understand as 'order' to what we consider 'chaos', is our reasoning.
It seems that it takes a lot from us to admit that we are not capable of everything. That for the universe, we are insignificant. That doesn't mean that we can't achieve amazing things despite our goals are part of a micro-universe in the cosmos. We can do that and more. However, the Mount Everest is full of corpses that were once highly motivated people and probably much more prepared than many are at the time of confronting the challenges in their lives. Why then that effort in convincing ourselves and others that if you try with all your heart you can achieve anything? I strongly believe that this is the new 'going to find yourself in India' from the 90's, a trend in a world of competitivity.
That famous quote of "find what you love and let it kill you" comes to my mind, and I think it's a good phrase. It's better to die doing what you love than living in anguish. Elon Musk once said in an interview that 99% of start ups fail. Ideas only find their way of working through failure (another debate would be the ideas that work in our world and what reflection those are of our society), even if the failure is as species. Once you achieve everything you wanted, then you have everything to lose. Why don't go for it when you have nothing to lose?
The difference between both approaches is that one is about enjoying the trip, while the other is getting obsessed with a goal, that of not being achieved, can produce much suffering.
Smartass
It's easier to be clever than to be kind.It's not strange to encounter individuals that know more about football than football players, more about politcs than anyone else and more about your profession than yourself. Nowadays, it's great to have almost the totality of the human knowledge in our pocket, but with so much information at our disposal two things that I've noticed, at least, take place.
The first one is something called confirmation bias, which consists of only taking as valid information the one that favours your point of view. Something that I find particularly interesting is that, when looking at the top of the social pyramide one can find that two mass media of opposed ideology might belong to the same owner. It's not because they don't have the morals (which is quite possible), it's because they don't participate in this duality, they only perpetrate it. But oh well, that's another debate.
The second is the myth of the perfect reasoning. Giorgio Nordane explains it in his book 'Psychotraps' much better than I'd be able to: "There is a psychotrap that is only characteristic to the most inteligent subjects and the most intellectually elevated. It's the idea according to which all problems and difficulties of life can be faced through a reasoning that respects the criteria of rational logic. It's what Paul Watzlawick defined as the hypersolution of rationalism: to deposit our trust, often blindly, in our ability to analyse any human phenomena, enlightened by the light of intelect, and reach the explanation and contorl through an overwhelming logic. This sublime self-deception is the result of thousands of years of philosophy and logic that, from Aristotle onwards, have succesfully guided men for him to develope the intelligence and capacity to manage reality. Although, when this becomes a rigid and absolute form of analysis of each phenomena, the process changes from functional to disfunctional".
In other words, nor did we inform ourselves so much nor we care about it. We believe we can analyse by ourselves, and most likely I've falled in this trap throughout this publication.
Going back to the first phrase, "it's easier to be clever than to be kind', what do you think? If you are having dinner with your family and someone impetuously decides to make a comment about politics that totally contradicts what you think and is totally bollocks, is it easier for you to be clever or kind? what is most important, to respect the moment and be considered with the rest of the guests or start an argument just for the sake of defending what you consider is true?
I have no idea
"Don't listen to other people's advice. Nobody knows what the hell they are doing". Signed, a 93 year old.
Feedback:
Since I'm going to make two versions of this publication, one in Spanish and one in English, I decided to write it first in my native language (Spanish) and then translate it to English. I shared the texts with family and friends to get some Feedback on it. One friend was particularly analytic, and he told me that I needed to back up better my arguments. I told him that it wasn't my intention to make a truthful publication, but more like a reflection of my personality and the way I see things. In that case, he said, it's noticeable that I wrote this. I didn't want to write something that felt fake or pretentious, and he said that it isn't like that, it's authentic, which is exactly what I was looking for.
Saturday 18 November 2017
Applications - Feedback
When deciding the topic for this publication, the project encountered a crossroad. The idea, in principle, is to design a zine to get the attention of my dream studios. It is between creating something quite plain that is hard to be disliked (let's say, colour schemes in tv series) or do something more controversial (in the lines of Dave Chappelle, Richard Pryor or even Bukowski). In other words, I have to decide between doing something that can't be disliked or risk it and create something that people can either love it or hate it. The self-indulging answer would be to do what I love doing and if others don't like it, then it's not worth to work with them anyways. It's better to leave an impression (good or bad) than leaving none. But before going making this choice, I thought it'd be much better to get feedback at this point and see what other people thought. Would others carry out a project that can get quite personal and might give them bad reputation or would they do something that is generally considered 'nice'?
I explained in detail the problem to others as it follows.
The problem is that most of the things I like to read (and breathe) about, can be quite controversial. For example, I like Charles Bukowski, or provocative comedians like Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor. I like stories where one doesn't know who is the good guy and the bad guy, because 'evil' has a very good justification for what they do. Let's say, for example, the TV series Utopia or Black Mirror.
I have a notebook where I write down quotes from different sources, and they are normally quotes defying common sense. I've noticed a pattern in them. In principle, they are all quite pesimistic, but when explained, they have an interesting positive turn. I have in mind the zine giving first a quote and then a small text explaining it alongside some photographs. One that can be quite shocking is, for example, 'you are going to die'. And then, explain it: "Personally, it helps me a lot the fact that tomorrow I can be dead, or in an hour. That makes me relativise many aspects of my life and I dedicate less time to the nonsense. I don't waste my time in empty arguments on internet or trying to understand what doesn't need an understanding. Under this prism, I enjoy so much more the good times in my life with the people I love". Of course, not every argument will have a happy conclusion or will be this graphic, but it's not necessarily a depressant publication... more like a deep one. With arguments like this, it is easy to create an impact with a title and then leave a positive thought behind.
When I weight it, despite not being an autobiographical zine, it'd be about the things I'm interested in, and I don't know how positive can be being this honest. But, at the same time, personal projects and stuff that is this honest it's what caughts my eye, and I believe many other creatives would agree with me if I say that it's better to leave a negative impression than to leave none. Also, it is always so much more interesting when something is done because one believes in it instead of creating something to please others.
Despite being this sure about certain aspects, at the same time, I am not so sure. Should I go for my controversial idea or should I keep it for all audiences? When I think about the target audience, I think designers from studios want challenging people. And I think something beautifully designed can be done by many, but I've always thought that my strength is the reasoning behind the design decisions and that's why I sometimes think this idea is perfect. Some people have told me I'm quite good at writing, so it'd be another skill to include. But I have that feeling of "I don't want to risk too much".
These are some of the answers I got from others after explaining myself.
1) I'd personally do something that reflects myself and my own interests. Rather than something I thought other people might like. Big studios aren't interested in being pandered to, they want to see something interesting and an expression of yourself. Something that asks an interesting question, or solves a problem. I wouldn't over think the situation, or try and work out what the person you send it to might be interested in. Make the zine an extension of who you are and it'll come out a million times better and also be more interesting.
2) Don't think i'd be bothered with design if it was all about the other person whether it be a client or people in general. Your personality is your individuality so you should use it, not everyone will like it either way, can't live life without taking risks otherwise ideas and work will just be conventional and you might get bored.
3) Would always rather make something that people love or hate, than something that people feel indifferent to. I know that's a cliche but I feel it's a cliche for a reason. Legit no point in playing it safe, be brave, explore, break new ground, piss people off, stir up a reaction.
4) I think you have to ask yourself the question, “Is this work going to be representative not only of who I am currently but also who I want to be?” If the work would be true to you both now and later then go for it. It’s putting yourself out there honestly and being prepared to be evaluated honestly as well.
5) I don't think the "bleakness" of the concept will matter much as long as the design is also good. Showing off something with personality and passion is always the right way to go, in my opinion. And I'm guessing you know this too. I'd say go for it. If they react badly, they might not be the people you're a good fit with anyway. I had a job interview yesterday and had some sympathy cards in my portfolio. That's what they liked most of all the things, because they liked the ideas behind them. So, definitely not the most happy things, but that didn't matter.
6) If nobody hates it, nobody loves it either. Push it toward the less predictable option, put your own personality into it. If a studio/agency is put off by it, it was never the right fit anyway.
It's interesting to see how unanimously they encourage me to do what I want to do instead of playing safe. I also have the feeling that this is the project I will feel more proud of, so I will follow their advice.
I explained in detail the problem to others as it follows.
The problem is that most of the things I like to read (and breathe) about, can be quite controversial. For example, I like Charles Bukowski, or provocative comedians like Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor. I like stories where one doesn't know who is the good guy and the bad guy, because 'evil' has a very good justification for what they do. Let's say, for example, the TV series Utopia or Black Mirror.
I have a notebook where I write down quotes from different sources, and they are normally quotes defying common sense. I've noticed a pattern in them. In principle, they are all quite pesimistic, but when explained, they have an interesting positive turn. I have in mind the zine giving first a quote and then a small text explaining it alongside some photographs. One that can be quite shocking is, for example, 'you are going to die'. And then, explain it: "Personally, it helps me a lot the fact that tomorrow I can be dead, or in an hour. That makes me relativise many aspects of my life and I dedicate less time to the nonsense. I don't waste my time in empty arguments on internet or trying to understand what doesn't need an understanding. Under this prism, I enjoy so much more the good times in my life with the people I love". Of course, not every argument will have a happy conclusion or will be this graphic, but it's not necessarily a depressant publication... more like a deep one. With arguments like this, it is easy to create an impact with a title and then leave a positive thought behind.
When I weight it, despite not being an autobiographical zine, it'd be about the things I'm interested in, and I don't know how positive can be being this honest. But, at the same time, personal projects and stuff that is this honest it's what caughts my eye, and I believe many other creatives would agree with me if I say that it's better to leave a negative impression than to leave none. Also, it is always so much more interesting when something is done because one believes in it instead of creating something to please others.
Despite being this sure about certain aspects, at the same time, I am not so sure. Should I go for my controversial idea or should I keep it for all audiences? When I think about the target audience, I think designers from studios want challenging people. And I think something beautifully designed can be done by many, but I've always thought that my strength is the reasoning behind the design decisions and that's why I sometimes think this idea is perfect. Some people have told me I'm quite good at writing, so it'd be another skill to include. But I have that feeling of "I don't want to risk too much".
These are some of the answers I got from others after explaining myself.
1) I'd personally do something that reflects myself and my own interests. Rather than something I thought other people might like. Big studios aren't interested in being pandered to, they want to see something interesting and an expression of yourself. Something that asks an interesting question, or solves a problem. I wouldn't over think the situation, or try and work out what the person you send it to might be interested in. Make the zine an extension of who you are and it'll come out a million times better and also be more interesting.
2) Don't think i'd be bothered with design if it was all about the other person whether it be a client or people in general. Your personality is your individuality so you should use it, not everyone will like it either way, can't live life without taking risks otherwise ideas and work will just be conventional and you might get bored.
3) Would always rather make something that people love or hate, than something that people feel indifferent to. I know that's a cliche but I feel it's a cliche for a reason. Legit no point in playing it safe, be brave, explore, break new ground, piss people off, stir up a reaction.
4) I think you have to ask yourself the question, “Is this work going to be representative not only of who I am currently but also who I want to be?” If the work would be true to you both now and later then go for it. It’s putting yourself out there honestly and being prepared to be evaluated honestly as well.
5) I don't think the "bleakness" of the concept will matter much as long as the design is also good. Showing off something with personality and passion is always the right way to go, in my opinion. And I'm guessing you know this too. I'd say go for it. If they react badly, they might not be the people you're a good fit with anyway. I had a job interview yesterday and had some sympathy cards in my portfolio. That's what they liked most of all the things, because they liked the ideas behind them. So, definitely not the most happy things, but that didn't matter.
6) If nobody hates it, nobody loves it either. Push it toward the less predictable option, put your own personality into it. If a studio/agency is put off by it, it was never the right fit anyway.
It's interesting to see how unanimously they encourage me to do what I want to do instead of playing safe. I also have the feeling that this is the project I will feel more proud of, so I will follow their advice.
Time organisation
For this year time organisation, I found out the best approach was to set deadlines for the briefs based on the module deadlines. So I thought the best idea would be to organise these deadlines in long, mid and short term.
Having a general vision of the year and marking the module and brief deadlines helps to distribute the time and have a clear vision of where the projects can fit.
For this type of organisation I'm using the bullet journal methodology which is very useful to get things done in an estimated period of time.
Each day of the week has a certain brief or part of a brief to focus on. The things that need to be done are updated here.
Year organisation
Having a general vision of the year and marking the module and brief deadlines helps to distribute the time and have a clear vision of where the projects can fit.
Month organisation
For this type of organisation I'm using the bullet journal methodology which is very useful to get things done in an estimated period of time.
Week organisation
Each day of the week has a certain brief or part of a brief to focus on. The things that need to be done are updated here.
Tuesday 14 November 2017
Applications - Research and some ideas
The studios I'm planning to get in contact with are similar in style and personality. I've had the chance to speak a couple of times with the designer Chris Do. He told me the best thing I can do is choosing my 3 favourite studios and 'copy' what they do. That's an advice coming from an Emmy award winner! I've done my research and already have a shortlist of studios.
- Madrid:
Fetén Studio *
Zoom
M&CSAATCHI
Tres Tipos Gráficos
Saffron *
- Barcelona:
Oxigen
Atipus
Querida *
Solo *
Loud
Toormix
Mucho
Putos Modernos
Two Points *
Hey
Achos
This idea of making a zine can be something that can be taken further, can talk about my interests without talking about me and, more importantly, will call the attention of those with similar interests. This became very plausible when looking into very different publications: they all speak about many different topics. The secret? They do it in such way that looks interesting, and a pattern I've noticed is that designers like to tell stories in unusual tones of voice.
For example, I found myself reading a football zine. I'm not interested in football, but they were talking about the football in China, the stories behind the football players with beautiful layouts, typography and photographs, much different from the usual context the football is delivered into. But this made me clearly see that football is so much more,and it can be re-invented by looking at it from a new prism and giving a whole new context to it. There's no reason for me to not do the same and talk about a specific topic that interests me and make it interesting.
I even bought the beautiful zine "Pet People", which is about pets and their owners to remind myself that a publication can be about anything I want and some people might find it interesting.
In addition to this, I did an online course in editorial design with the legendary Spanish designer Oscar Mariné. It helped me very much in understanding editorial design more, discovering new references and visual styles. The course itself was pretty basic, but had some insights in the composition of a page that were worth knowing.
These are other publications found online that also helped in shaping the idea for the design.
Zoom
M&CSAATCHI
Tres Tipos Gráficos
Saffron *
- Barcelona:
Oxigen
Atipus
Querida *
Solo *
Loud
Toormix
Mucho
Putos Modernos
Two Points *
Hey
Achos
Although, making something like branding/ad campaign for the mere sake of showing off skills, might not be the best way to convince a designer. If I get a job in my dream studio, I'm not always going to be able to pick and choose only client jobs that really interest me. So this should be done following a similar pattern, like branding a competitor of one of my favourite studios' clients.
Another idea was to make a publication about myself. Talking about who I am, what I've been doing this 5 years in the UK. I'm quite confident with my street photography skills, so that's something I've thought could help me proving some versatility. Also, I've started shooting with a film camera, which can be quite distinctive, as well. The publication could go alongside a poster. Alec gave me some feedback and he pointed out that my fears could become a reality and if this is not approached with caution, it can come across as egocentric or just be a little aimless.
A publication with a tighter purpose and a more clearly defined subject would be tphotographsographs around an idea. It will be a photographic challenge and will also allow me to use my design skills to great effect to set the tone and narrative of the publication. Alec suggested me to visit Colours May Vary and Village to get ideas, and that's what I did.
Another idea was to make a publication about myself. Talking about who I am, what I've been doing this 5 years in the UK. I'm quite confident with my street photography skills, so that's something I've thought could help me proving some versatility. Also, I've started shooting with a film camera, which can be quite distinctive, as well. The publication could go alongside a poster. Alec gave me some feedback and he pointed out that my fears could become a reality and if this is not approached with caution, it can come across as egocentric or just be a little aimless.
A publication with a tighter purpose and a more clearly defined subject would be tphotographsographs around an idea. It will be a photographic challenge and will also allow me to use my design skills to great effect to set the tone and narrative of the publication. Alec suggested me to visit Colours May Vary and Village to get ideas, and that's what I did.
This idea of making a zine can be something that can be taken further, can talk about my interests without talking about me and, more importantly, will call the attention of those with similar interests. This became very plausible when looking into very different publications: they all speak about many different topics. The secret? They do it in such way that looks interesting, and a pattern I've noticed is that designers like to tell stories in unusual tones of voice.
For example, I found myself reading a football zine. I'm not interested in football, but they were talking about the football in China, the stories behind the football players with beautiful layouts, typography and photographs, much different from the usual context the football is delivered into. But this made me clearly see that football is so much more,and it can be re-invented by looking at it from a new prism and giving a whole new context to it. There's no reason for me to not do the same and talk about a specific topic that interests me and make it interesting.
I even bought the beautiful zine "Pet People", which is about pets and their owners to remind myself that a publication can be about anything I want and some people might find it interesting.
In addition to this, I did an online course in editorial design with the legendary Spanish designer Oscar Mariné. It helped me very much in understanding editorial design more, discovering new references and visual styles. The course itself was pretty basic, but had some insights in the composition of a page that were worth knowing.
These are other publications found online that also helped in shaping the idea for the design.
Applications - Brief interpretation
The first brief of this year is to increase our presence in the industry by creating our own website. That's a project I carried out last year and I laready have my website published under my own domain alexzorita.com and from there all my social media profiles can be accessed. All of them are professional profiles During summer, I also designed a template for my cover letters, CV, portfolio and invoices.
For this year, I had planned something different. Something to make sure I was going to be able to get the job I want. For that, I wanted to make something like an "application pack". I wanted to make something that could make a good and powerful first impression. I don't want to be that guy that pretends to be called by just leaving my CV. I want to let them know that I like what they do and I care about what they think of me.
The initial idea consisted in a flat box that would contain my CV, cover letter, business cards, a printed version of the portfolio and 2 or 3 notebooks with different grids for logo design. Everything with my brand and logotype on it. I also wanted to take advantage and use this project to collaborate with someone else that would help me with the packaging. Although, after speaking with Alec at the very beginning of this project, Alec gave me a better idea: to make a physical publication of similar work to show them I understand what they are doing. A single publication could be tailored for the studios I'm interested in as a fictional project based on similar briefs they've had in the past.
For this year, I had planned something different. Something to make sure I was going to be able to get the job I want. For that, I wanted to make something like an "application pack". I wanted to make something that could make a good and powerful first impression. I don't want to be that guy that pretends to be called by just leaving my CV. I want to let them know that I like what they do and I care about what they think of me.
The initial idea consisted in a flat box that would contain my CV, cover letter, business cards, a printed version of the portfolio and 2 or 3 notebooks with different grids for logo design. Everything with my brand and logotype on it. I also wanted to take advantage and use this project to collaborate with someone else that would help me with the packaging. Although, after speaking with Alec at the very beginning of this project, Alec gave me a better idea: to make a physical publication of similar work to show them I understand what they are doing. A single publication could be tailored for the studios I'm interested in as a fictional project based on similar briefs they've had in the past.
Saturday 11 November 2017
Instagram peak
I'm working on a project in collaboration with the photographer Sara Acosta. I've been building the publication we are making together and I thought it'd be a good idea to share some of the work I've been doing. So I uploaded it on Instagram.
Interesting and annoyingly enough, I get no likes. I normally get about 10 likes automatically after uploading something. I've always thought that the algorithm helps you a little bit and there are always people liking your stuff, so you visit their profiles. But this time, those likes didn't even arrive. I even thought I messed the algorithm up.
Sara didn't know anything about this, and she decided to re-post my images. What happened was something that wasn't that great, but it definitely surprised us. She got nearly a 1000 likes for one of the pictures, becoming the most liked picture in her Instagram. She has a bit more than 1300 followers, and I bet she gained some because of that picture.
It was very funny to receive a message from her asking: 'what is going on???'. I felt useful, and I'm glad she is getting the attention her work deserves. This is a good start for her to understand how much I can help her and increasing my network in my hometown.
Interesting and annoyingly enough, I get no likes. I normally get about 10 likes automatically after uploading something. I've always thought that the algorithm helps you a little bit and there are always people liking your stuff, so you visit their profiles. But this time, those likes didn't even arrive. I even thought I messed the algorithm up.
Sara didn't know anything about this, and she decided to re-post my images. What happened was something that wasn't that great, but it definitely surprised us. She got nearly a 1000 likes for one of the pictures, becoming the most liked picture in her Instagram. She has a bit more than 1300 followers, and I bet she gained some because of that picture.
It was very funny to receive a message from her asking: 'what is going on???'. I felt useful, and I'm glad she is getting the attention her work deserves. This is a good start for her to understand how much I can help her and increasing my network in my hometown.
Friday 10 November 2017
A friend from my childhood
People sometimes say that coincidences don't exist. I, on the other hand, think that the universe is just chaos and random things happening all the time.
Just when I've made up my mind in going back to Spain (it'd be a dream come true if I could find a job in my home town Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), suddenly and out of the blue a friend from my childhood has found me on Instagram with some projects he needs help with.
This person works in marketing as a freelance, helping businesses with digital positioning. As a preamble, he said that he wanted to talk to me because he needed a graphic designer for a couple of jobs. I was astonished after our first meeting about all the jobs he had for me. Only one of them was big enough to consider it a project, but that definitely opens doors for others in the industry to know about me.
The first project he needs me to work with, it's a website for a company that sells hardware and construction materials. The one they have now is way too outdated, confusing and lacking of any kind of design reasoning. This might become one of the projects for OUGD603
Just when I've made up my mind in going back to Spain (it'd be a dream come true if I could find a job in my home town Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), suddenly and out of the blue a friend from my childhood has found me on Instagram with some projects he needs help with.
This person works in marketing as a freelance, helping businesses with digital positioning. As a preamble, he said that he wanted to talk to me because he needed a graphic designer for a couple of jobs. I was astonished after our first meeting about all the jobs he had for me. Only one of them was big enough to consider it a project, but that definitely opens doors for others in the industry to know about me.
The first project he needs me to work with, it's a website for a company that sells hardware and construction materials. The one they have now is way too outdated, confusing and lacking of any kind of design reasoning. This might become one of the projects for OUGD603
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