I started by setting up my account and following some established blogs on advertising, design and illustration on Blogger. I followed all of my coursemates' blogs so that I could comment on their posts and read about things that they had found or seen. I started visiting other blogs such as CR Blog, Fubiz and Coolhunter, I even commented on a few of their posts. I had also subscribed to Marketing magazine so I used that to help keep me up-to-date.
I found that writing my blog really opened my eyes. I was of course reading blogs and magazines by choice but I also found that even when I was just doing some shopping or watching TV I was much more critical of everything around me, taking note of interesting pieces of design that could “go in my blog”. I wanted to visit museums and exhibitions. I do not think there are many museums in Leeds I have not visited. I also went to London, York, Oxford and Paris. Having a camera on me all of the time helped me to get photos for my blog whenever I saw something interesting or worth sharing.
I discovered loads of new design works through conducting my blog. When I did an “Architectural Tour of Burley Road, Leeds” I was really surprised to find out that there was much more to the buildings along that road than meets the eye. I learnt about Brutalist architecture (Leeds International Pool, Roger Stevens building – seen on a poster), saw a completely solar panelled wall and spotted Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired architecture (Leeds Magistrates Court). I discovered an appreciation for Salvador Dali's work. When I visited Espace Dali in Paris I was really intrigued with his work and decided to do a bit more research about him. I was surprised to find that a really like surrealist art. I managed to view original printing presses in Leeds Industrial Museum and the Museum of London. We had learnt about the printing press in lectures but it was great to see it for real. These are just a few examples of things I have found out that I doubt I would have had I not written a blog.
I started to read. When travelling to London everyday for one of my placements, I had half an hour free to read every morning and afternoon. I picked up Derren Brown's “Tricks of the Mind” first and rediscovered the joys of reading. I took on “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess, this was a tough read but I was completely engrossed in it for two weeks. Since starting my reading for my dissertation I have posted about one of the books but I intend to write about more of them. That will not only give me a reference point in future years if I want to revisit a book from my dissertation but also show to visitors of my blog that I have been reading design-related books.
When picking what to post about I at first just posted things I liked but as I got more used to blogging I began to choose which pieces of inspiration I would write about. I started to form opinions and be much more critical of design works. I reviewed the “What the Flock?” campaign by Magpie Communications which was apparently forwarded to the agency, I hope my criticism was constructive!
I think as a designer it is a great asset to have a blog that is up-to-date and with lots of entries. I have a link to it on my website which means potential employers and clients can see that I am actively watching the design industry and always looking for inspiration. It shows that you are always looking for great design and making critical judgements. It is also an opportunity to showcase your most current pieces of work.
In terms of using the blog to support the research for my dissertation and final project I intend to use it more for this purpose in the coming weeks. I posted “Catch of the Day” on 2nd May 2010 which, although I did not realise it at the time, became the inspiration for my one week brief and then for my dissertation. As I carry on my research I will use the blog to record books I have read and online videos or images that I find. Having an electronic scrapbook as well as a physical one is really vital now that research can be in the form of a short film on Vimeo for example.
In conclusion, I would recommend writing a blog to all designers, whether junior or experienced. As a young designer it becomes part of your portfolio and encouragement to get out there and actively looking for examples of intriguing design. As an experienced designer it keeps you up-to-date with current trends, alerts you what your competitors are doing and pushes you to work your ideas hard to produce better pieces of work. I have been visiting museums, reading books and blogs, observing architecture and watching films that I simply would not have had it not been for this project. I have become much more critical and analyse design from several points of view. I am going to carry on blogging, probably mainly in the advertising and online categories, because I really find it beneficial.
