OUCE255 - Enterprise and Innovation Task 3

Promoting myself will be the only way of gaining recognition within the design world and the only way of increasing my potential client base. Without advertising and promotion how will anybody hear about me? When talking about promoting myself as an individual rather than my prospects to start up and run a business there are many factors to consider. Below are some facts and statistics gathered in relation to creative clusters up and down the U.K and how Designers are regimented from county to county, North to South. Data gathered by the Design Council shows some key facts to consider when evaluating an area of the country to work in. 1. 87% of design businesses employ less than 10 people 2. 16% of design companies are in the North of England 3. Only 23 % of design companies are in London 4. 57% of design companies say they collaborate with other companies or practitioners on client briefs 5. 28% of designers are free-lance. Other Information shows where the countries creative clusters lie (below), I want to work in a shared unit/building constantly surrounded by inspiring and creative people giving me the possibility of collaborations etc. To decide on an area of choice I firstly needed to find out what parts of the country are ideal for this environment, what area’s have a high amount of people working in creative industries, mainly looking at the arts. The geography of innovation highlights key areas where I would consider working. One of the main area’s that sticks in my mind is Bristol, Even though its most popular creative industry is Architecture the city has one of the densest collections of creative practices. It is known for its street art and graffiti that I think would have a huge impact on the style of work I’d aim to produce. Bristol holds has the largest database of creative freelancers relating to population, It’s position is ideal as It takes around 2 hours to get to London and 3 hours to Manchester so travelling around the country wouldn’t be an issue. My main Marketing method would be online promotion, constantly blogging current and up to date work whilst keeping in contact with others working in the creative industry. This would involve networking on a friendly basis, for example advertising artists/illustrators on my website if they advertise me on theirs. Personal selling to family friends and existing clients will be a stepping stone to working as a professional. Exhibitions, E-marketing and Sale promotions will be a way of targeting my audience whilst building on my own personal public relations. Once I have a database of customers the consistency of work should be frequent if not constant. What do ‘they’ want to hear? Customers and clients want to know what I have to offer them in relation to every other illustrator and graphic designer out there, what makes me unique and what makes me different? Marketing myself will be a procedure where I stress the strengths I have which single me out as a Designer and advertise my skills. What should I say to ‘them’? Potential customers need to know my highlighted strengths and the way I work in order to understand how I would execute a brief. Through mail shots/emails/personal work I want customers to pick up on my passion for drawing and illustrations, my keen eye for layout, mixed media and web design. How will I communicate with ‘them’? Communicating with clients will be a very personal procedure, I’m not a fan of talking to people online as I find it very impersonal. Instead communicating through Skype, via the telephone and arranged meetings will help me to understand what my clients want of me on a face to face level.