For my first client project, I contacted my cousin Rob Cutler. He has a successful fitness company. I offered to design some social media content and banners to boost his presence and to gain a brand image and tone. I also offered to design some merchandise for his clients. Using the content I made, I would also use this for print media such as leaflets, business cards etc. I would also redesign his website as a working prototype if I was able and had the time. We would communicate with each other over email for the majority of the project, but we also had Zoom calls to have more face-to-face meetings. After the Zoom calls, I would send Rob a follow-up email outlining what we had discussed to make sure I hadn't missed or misunderstood anything. I would attach any media I had created in the meantime for him to review and then we would discuss his likes and dislikes and any changes he wanted to be made. We would also discuss the design such as the fonts, colours and icons used, so Rob as a client was very involved with the project to achieve as much satisfaction as possible.
Throughout the project, I researched other fitness companies, whether they were independent or a chain of companies to see how they were operating. I also took into consideration what my client had done previously on his own. I looked at past social media posts he had created, how they looked and what colours he used. As he already had a logo made by a different designer, I carried the colours and font used for it, into everything that I have made. I started by making some icons that could be used throughout. These icons represented what my client offered within his company. I hand drew them with the final touches using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. I later created a background with these icons, which included a dumbbell, candles, spa, water bottle etc. I would use this background on the social posts as my client liked it and I used it for the background on an email template. I also sketched a rough draft of a new website style and layout, however, I was unable to create it in time, but plan to finish it in my own time if my client still wants it. I also created some merchandise, such as water bottles, hoodies and a workout mat. I created a brand board for Rob, so he can give it to another designer if he ever uses one, which will give them a clear indication of the fonts and colours I have used. They will also be able to see the differing logo variations that I have created from the original one.
One skill that greatly improved over the course of this project was my communication skills. This includes communicating via emails and over video calls with clients. This is something that I had very little experience with beforehand. I made sure to keep constant and consistent communication with my client, and I followed up with check-up emails if there was a significant time gap between emails. I kept my clients updated with what I was doing or if I had any questions. I attached any work that was new or updated to maximise my feedback and to quickly act on any alternations. Another skill that developed was using and understanding Adobe Illustrator and XD. I used Illustrator to create vectors for the icons used. I then used XD to create social media posts. I do have previous experience with XD but I got more comfortable using it after this semester and improved my skills with the tools available.
To manage my time and the tasks that I had to complete for this project, I used and updated a Gantt chart. This helped me keep on track and monitor any tasks, I was yet to do. It also meant that I was able to move tasks around if I needed to or if I needed to give myself more time. This meant that I could also schedule a meeting with my client and have new work to show them in time. I believe this was effective as I was able to complete all of the tasks required apart from designing a working prototype of a new website. If I were to do this project again, I would use a platform like Trello that I could update regularly and that I could share with my client. Doing this would be beneficial as they would be able to see what I was working on and how regularly I would update the tasks.
I think this project went well and a lot of work was achieved. I had a few problems with getting feedback from Rob due to some personal circumstances on his end. However, I still emailed or messaged him consistently throughout the project to keep him updated. Due to the circumstances, we didn't have as many calls as I would've liked, but the ones we did have went well. I am very pleased with the work that I have created and Rob has assured me that he also likes the work. In the future, I would like to manage my time better to be able to complete the website prototype, but I will continue to develop it.
