Project Purpose
From January 2022 to April 2022, I have worked with the Oklahoma metal band, PHNX DWN to create promotional material as well as merchandise and social media posts for their upcoming self-titled debut album. Each week I spent anywhere from 10 to 18 hours working directly with the members of the band to create new and original designs. The time spent working on the project included meeting with the band every Sunday and keeping in constant contact with lead guitarist Kane Kirby. Due to the band’s fluctuating schedules and concerns about the covid-19 virus, the project evolved and changed to meet the band’s needs.
The Project
By the end of the project, I created 8 designs total that could be used as either merchandise including shirts, hoodies, hats, and stickers, or as designs for covers for future singles and album covers. I also created 10 drafts for the band’s social media posts and collaborated with the band to brainstorm giveaway ideas to boost engagement on their social media pages. Every Sunday I would meet with the band via zoom to discuss and brainstorm ideas. Throughout the week I would send designs as I was working to Kane Kirby for input before emailing the finished designs to the whole band for final input.
Challenges
The 2 major challenges that came with the project included accommodating the band members’ schedules and the technical issues on my end.
- During the 3-month period, personal emergencies and life events delayed the recording process for the band. This caused the project to go from being more social media-heavy to focusing more on the graphic design aspect of the project.
- After reviewing test prints of the designs, we learned that resolution was too low and damaged the quality of the product. This forced me to go back and remake some of the designs in higher quality which put added stress on my computer causing technical issues in the last few weeks of March which halted the progress of the project. However, this extra time allowed me to further improve the designs in question and strengthen the overall product.
Overview of My Experiences and Personal Takeaways
Overall, this was the hardest yet most rewarding project I have ever undertaken in the past 10 years I have worked as a freelance graphic designer. To be able to work for clients this creative really pushed me out of my comfort zone as well as encouraged me to try new things and adapt my style to fit their personal needs. This was an amazing experience and I look forward to working with PHNX DWN again in the future.