20 Examples of Want / Need

QUESTIONS I WANT TO ASK

1. How can I balance my time and ensure that I get the most out of every brief?
2. How can I ensure that I can get the job and not have to be a free-lancer?
3. How can I make my work and my portfolio stand out from other designers?
4. How can I get my work noticed while I am still at college, to give me a step up for when I leave?
5. How can I keep focused and motivated through out the year when there are so many briefs, modules and other things going on, and to keep the balance?
6. What professional printers can I afford to use to print my work over the year?
7. How can I keep the cost of printing my work inside my budget / loan throughout the year, both in college and outside college?
8. How can I ensure that I don't waste time on briefs / dissertation / research over the year and not get too distracted with just one of them?
9. What can I do / learnt / try out that will help me develop a style personal to my designs?
10. How can I push my designs further and be brave to 'break the rules'?
11. How can I ensure that I still make the most of uni life and my time left in Leeds and still do well this year?
12. How can I keep on top of dissertation research and writing, and stop procrastinating?
13. Am I pushing my designs as far as I can?
14. Are my concepts water-tight and going to allow me to have the best possible design outcomes?
15. What seminars / sessions do I need to attend to ensure that I have all the skills I need to have to prepare me for when I leave?
16. Am I critically evaluating all my work enough and is it helping my design development.
17. Am I blogging everything effectively?

QUESTIONS I NEED TO ASK

1. Have I spelt everything right?
2. Have I put in the correct colour and print specifications?
3. What do I need to include in my portfolio to make it stand out?
4. Am I making the most of my time in college and is it aiding my professional practice?
5. How can I get the attention of design studios that I want to work for?
6. Am I doing enough to ensure I have a good online presence and ensuring people can access and know about it?
7. Have I show cased my work in a professional manner?
8. What are studios and companies looking for in the personality / character of a designer?
9. What type of studio / company do I want to be working for - large / small and the location?
10. Can I really afford to live in London straight after University?
11. How can I work around going travelling for 6 months in September after university and still be able to come back and find / keep a job?

RESEARCH I WANT TO DO

1. More primary research - it will ensure my work is more focused, personal and relevant, it can also inform my design. This is something that I have lacked in the last 2 years. 
2. Current design events, talks, seminars; to find out and explore the design world outside college. 
3. Design competitions / briefs; involvement in recognised associations and competitions is looks good on a CV and shows experience to working to a set brief and to a deadline. 
4. Competition outside college; find out what the other graduates and students are designing on other courses and how I can stand apart from them.
5. Influential designers; I dont currently have any designers / studios who's style influences me, this could help me chose the direction of design that I want to go in. 
6. Research into the sectors and subject of design that I want to go into; currently most of my subjects are either music, drink or cosmetic based. I need to work out what inspires me most and what kind of design jobs there are out there for that.
7. List of contacts who I can ask feedback of my work from and professional advice on how I can develop my work and take it further.
8. Current topics that interest and inspire me; news, philosophy etc and how I can bring them into my work to give my concepts more meaning
9. Library books; bake out at least 2 different books per week to expand my design, designer and product knowledge.
10. Dissertation primary research; focus on who I want to speak to and make my research informing
11. Find designs / work that inspire me, keep a scrap book of these, it may help to keep informing the direction that I want to go in. 
12. Design techniques, processes, tutorials and techniques - improve my design methods and keep my informed. 
13. Typography, grids; important to keep up research and expand on what I learnt last year. 
14. Current and new materials; especially for print; keep up to date with new methods and materials that can be used. 
15. How my dissertation research can inform my design practice. 

RESEARCH I NEED TO DO

1. Design Studios; find out what it is like to work in a large and small design studio and how they compare. Research which one I would be more suited for.
2. Placements; looking into the range and variety that are available and how I can be chosen for them. 
3. Contacts; research different designers, companies and studios that my work relates to and ask them for feedback about my work
4. Current affairs - be up to date and in the know
5. Competition - the graduate that are already out there and looking for work as well as the students graduating the same year as me. 
6. Studio Visits; get a feel for different studios / sizes / people and design strategies that each of them work to. 
7. Working abroad; what jobs are there, what to they involve, do I need to speak the language, how do they different from design jobs here, cost & contacts
8. New designers, what work are they doing and how have the achieved to be recognised
9. Who can I collaborate with students outside uni for briefs; their style and how they work and what are their expectations. 
10. Design magazines; recent articles, interviews and keeping up to date with designers

SKILLS I WANT TO DEVELOP

1. Web design; everything today is based around the web - I want to be able to keep up to date with the most current types of design, it is also in high demand by companies and well paid
2. Font Design; this is something that I have wanted to learn since arriving at College
3. Hand rendered type; combination of love of drawing and love of typography, I think that it is important to be able to use pen and paper before starting on the computer. 
4. Drawing skills - good to have a balance. Since arriving at college I have not spent much time on ensuring I can design by hand as well as on the computer and I feel this is a big error. 
5. Photography; I need to learn out to use my SLR properly and make the most of it, as well as being able to use the studios and the lighting equipment properly to take high quality photos of my work, as well as incorporating photography into my work. 
6. Grid / Layout; to be able to be accurate, professional and appropriate 
7. Concept building; having strong concepts and variety of them to make the most out of every brief and explore all the opportunities available. 
8. Presentation skills; to be able to pitch my ideas and present my work professionally, effectively and clearly. 
9. Writing skills; to be able to communicate effectively to the target audiences / tone of voice/ sophisticated manner (for dissertation). 
10. Photoshop; my skills in this program are not as high as they are in illustrator and this is holding me back. 
11. Indesign; I have previously avoided editorial briefs because I am not as well practiced in this as I would have liked - I want to be able to use this to a professional level and without problems
12. After effects - I am interested in motion graphics feel that they are an important part of design. 
13. Branding; very interested in being able to do this properly however my lack of ability to define something effectively stops my from exploring branding more
14. Making decisions quickly; to save time and move on quickly.  
15. Microsoft Excel - to be able to keep on top of finances and information - key to organisation
16. Print processes - designing to a professional level and making sure I know all the print specifications etc
17. Problem Solving / idea generation - have a set of skills in place / a working process that allows me to explore every option of a brief
18. Time management / organisation - to keep on top of work and life outside college.  
19. Advertising skills - to be able to easily catch the target audience's attention

SKILLS I NEED TO DEVELOP

1. Confidence in presenting my work, not to panic
2. Confidence in my ability as a designer which will allow my to try out more challenging briefs
3. Design strategy - clear method of working that also demonstrates my organisation
4. Communication - explaining my ideas and designs clearly to clients / other designers
5. Organisation - keep on top of finance, briefs, deadlines, paperwork, emails
6. Time management / Deadlines - need to be able to work to set deadlines and leave a few days spare before hand incase of problems, not waste the clients money / hours
7. Problem solving - solve a brief that a client sets / project management
8. Typography - knowledge and skills in font families, layouts, appropriate typefaces for different tones of voice, kerning, size, tracking (and in advertising).
9. Creative thinking - to be able to go beyond what the brief / client is asking for, to push the boundaries and design something that is unique and eye catching
10. Print processes and costing - shows professionalism and avoid messing the client around with budges
11. Understanding of marketing - the promotion of brands / products and people and an understanding of the social media - this is what most clients will be interested in
12. Customer relation skills - listening carefully, understanding and interpreting their wants, needs and expectations clearly. 
13. Business; having a basic understanding of the fundamentals of the business world; branding concepts, visual identity
14. Software; Microsoft Office, Adobe Elements, Quark Express, Fontographer, Final Cut
15. Technology, understand  how to use and know about the latest technological developments that will help and be used in the design world; cameras, macs, apps
16. Talking to professionals and other designers on the same level; being able to use technical design language. 
17. Target audience - being able to define and communicate effectively to them.

PRODUCTS I WANT TO PRODUCE

1. Packaging for food and drink - physical nets and print outs, exploring different materials that I can print on
2. Packaging for drink, proposed designs that I don't have the resources to print because of the material but that explore and exploit different materials, shapes and uses. 
3. Editorial / Zine exploring typography that develops my Indesign, grid, layout and primary research skills. 
4. Website promoting new music nights in Leeds - easy access for students, all the nights are in one place so easy to find, rather than having to go searching on Facebook or ticket websites. 
5. Website informing and promoting Curious Eats catering agency - updating the current website to look more modern, stylish and inviting. 
6. Event promotion - advertising for a underground house night music in Leeds / London
7. Motion Graphics Branding - food and drink
8. Printed promotion - large and small scale, advertising
9. Typefaces; personal to me, designed in relevance to certain subject matters. 
10. Interactive piece of packaging / print - engages the target audience - function print. 
11. Range of business cards exploring typography and colour and materials - how they relate to the subjects
12. Shop promotion for new food / drink / cosmetic

PRODUCTS I NEED TO PRODUCE

PORTFOLIO I WANT TO PRODUCE

1. 1. Show concept and idea development, lateral thinking and problem solving
   2. Typography skills - hand rendered and computer generated font design
   3. Grid skills - editorial work and typography choice
   4. Software skills - range of programs that I am able to use
   5. Web Design - I have a diverse range of skills and I am up to date with most popular type of design
   6. Self branding and promotional pack, visual demonstration of who I am and what I am about as a designer. 
   7. Range of different type of briefs; collaborations, live, self initiated, skills, research driven 
   8. Presentation - use of typography and grid, show that I can present work professionally and clearly in a chronological order. 
   9. Print processes - show that am aware of what is involved in creating a piece of print and that I can work to a professional level. 
   10. Use of colours, understanding of colour theory and applying appropriate colours in my design. 
   11. Range of packaging; physical and proposed. 
   12. Photography; ability to photograph my work at a professional level, use a camera and lighting equipment properly. 

PORTFOLIO I NEED TO PRODUCE

1. Creative - show innovative designs and creative thinking, that you can push the boundaries of design
2. Diversity - range of skills and interests that can be applied to anything
3. Passions - what type of grapahic design that Inspires you
4. Problem solving
5. Collaborations
6. Live briefs / working with a client
7. Range - show that you can exploit all the design opportunities.