✺ FEEDBACK ✺
By using social media, I have had access to some direct feedback from my target audience, which has been really encouraging overall and gives me more confidence that by continuing with this project in the future, I will be able to gain more exposure, potential opportunities and have a portfolio that may appeal to professionals in the industry.
GATHERING FEEDBACK
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I utilised Instagram's Sticker feature in my Stories to ask my audience for feedback as I concluded my final major project. Users were able to quickly choose from simple 'either/or' options and this interactive, informal approach provided me with a better response rate than asking people to go to another website and complete a survey. It also allowed me to respond to comments and enhance interaction with my audience.
From this feedback, I aimed to find out what kind of content people preferred, what they would like to see more of, whether they found Emsie through adverts and if they might be interested in buying art from Emsie one day.
Summary of findings from the above Instagram Stories feedback session.
MOST VIEWED & LIKED POSTS
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The illustrations that received the most likes were the three that I chose to promote with Instagram's Promoted Ad feature.
Two Instagram Reel videos had significantly more views than my other videos, at over 3000 views. I haven't been able to determine why these videos were more successful than others!
The three most liked posts and two most viewed videos (no audio) can be seen below.
EXAMPLES OF FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS
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Many comments I have received have come from outside my friendship group, from strangers. These comments are important as they are a more genuine insight into who my target audience is and what they think of my work:
Responses to my Instagram stories question asking audience to describe my work in a few words.
This has helped me to identify how my illustrations are perceived by others and can influence my brand identity and future design projects.
Some positive comments on my Instagram posts and examples of interaction with audience through replying to comments promptly.
✺ TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT ✺
SOFTWARE SKILLS
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I intended to familiarise myself with new software including Adobe Illustrator, however I found that with the amount of work I had set myself in the given time frame, I was able to complete my projects more time-efficiently using the software I was already familiar with, such as Procreate and Photoshop.
I know that having technical competencies in Adobe Illustrator will be a vital skill for future design roles, so I will learn to use this software in the coming months while applying for jobs.
My skills with Procreate improved greatly during these last few months, and I am now much more confident with the software and can create work more quickly and decisively than before.
ILLUSTRATION
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My illustration skills have improved greatly over the course of this project, and I feel much more confident in being able to create concepts and make decisions with my drawings such as composition, colour and drawing style. My style will still evolve, as it can take years to develop and hone your skills as an artist, but I now have the foundations of a brand identity and am able to showcase my illustrations to prospective employers. I will continue to create new artworks and aim to diversify my portfolio in order to appeal to a broader audience and potential clients.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Having been away from social media for over a year, I was reluctant to start using social media platforms again, however I know that as a business or a creative today, you must be on social media and be able to utilise its features to maximise exposure within your marketplace and your target audience.
In these last 6 weeks of starting an Instagram account for Emsie, I am feeling better equipped with the knowledge and techniques in using social media effectively, and these are skills that are transferable to future roles I may pursue within social media, content creation or marketing. Moving forward, I am now able to demonstrate to future employers that I can build a following online and create content to engage with audiences on social media.
TIME MANAGEMENT
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I knew from the outset that I was being very ambitious with this project given the time frame, as developing an illustration style, creating content and maintaining social media channels would take time. My aims to create a set of brand guidelines have fallen short, but it was important for me to prioritise creating content and setting up social media. Creating branding at the beginning would have resulted in a delayed start to starting social media, and would have been more difficult to create a brand identity when I didn’t yet know how my illustration style and content would evolve over time.
Ultimately, my time management required me to prioritise developing my mini projects and creating the accompanying illustrations and social media content.
✺ WHAT NEXT FOR EMSIE? ✺
I will continue to build on Emsie now and in the future, as it is an important tool as part of my creative portfolio. By maintaining my social media channels, growing my audience and making new work, I hope to use Emsie as a professional portfolio to share with potential employers, clients and collaborators. As I build the brand, depending on the response I get from my audience, there is scope to make Emsie into a brand I can develop into a full-time business as a self-employed creative, as a part-time freelancer, as a hobby or to supplement my future income by starting to sell my work through printed products such as cards, gift wrap, stationery and wall art.
By the end of 2021, Emsie aims to:
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Have an official brand logo, and a clear identity for Emsie brand
Have a fully-fledged website reflective of the brand
Continue to share new works to Instagram and interact with my audience
Create a package of illustrations/designs for a few of my key favourite brands and tag them on social media as a way of networking and making myself known to these brands
Take part in Instagram drawing challenges such as ‘Draw This in Your Style’ and ‘Inktober’ to increase my chances of exposure and to network with other creatives
Post more regularly to TikTok and create content more tailored to this platform
In the near future, Emsie aims to:
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Create samples of printed goods to gage potential to sell work online
Create business cards to be able to share with prospective clients in person
Set up an Etsy shop or use Instagram's shopping feature to sell printed goods
Approach potential stockists with print samples if all else is successful
