OUGD406 Evaluation

What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

I have continued to work with my skills on indesign, attempting to experiment more with layouts and creating

an actual publication, as in my It's Your Choice brief, where I created a travel guide. 

I also attempted to develop my skills in illustrator, working from hand rendered to a digital version of an

illustration in the Erik Kessels poster brief. I wanted to begin to try out new things and new skills in this module,

and I feel that attempting to create digital illustrations for the posters was effective, and took me out 

of my comfort zone design wise. I also learnt more about designing for different formats and sizes in the 

Stamp It brief, which meant creating a legible and effective design to fit on a very small area, and creating 

something engaging and readable was a challenge.

Social networking and its importance in modern design was also something I learnt about in the Communication

Is a Virus brief, and creating something that will immediately attract the audiences attention was something 

I am beginning to work on because of that.  

Another skill I have tried to develop in this module is using photography in my work, which is something

I had not tried to do whilst here at LCA for fear of the images looking awful. But then I realised that I can never

learn to get better if I don't even give it a good go, and I was happy to take some time away from the screen

and actually attempt to take some interesting images. 

What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

I am now beginning to understand more and more the importance of design sheets when it comes to layout

especially, although I still feel uncomfortable doing this for some reason. In terms of exploring formats and

sketching down thoughts, I am happy to work with design sheets, but when it comes to getting a feel for

the look of a design, I am always happier to begin experimenting straight onto screen, even when I feel

it costs me some time when I could have simply mapped everything out onto paper first. 

In terms of producing designs, I haven't really had the time to experiment in a way that I would have liked to, 

so that I could push more with the formats of my work, and creating a product that looks professionally

 finished. For example, my its your choice booklet is saddle stitched with a heavy duty stapler, but I would 

have liked to explore other techniques that would have made it stand out a little better, and be less generic. 

What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

As always I find it quite easy to create a light hearted message in my designs, and I like to think that my

sense of humour comes across as a positive aspect of my work, especially with the Erik Kessels brief

and my use of illustration. The illustrations were also something I was very proud of having never really

done work like that before, and it is something I would like to explore more over the summer and into

the next year. 

I also think that I am beginning to develop a love and a strength in layout and editorial, although I am aware

that I am still learning the fundamental principles. Publication design is definitely an area I am keen to work 

in more often, and I hope to be able to capitalise on this interest and improve my work in the near future.

What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

A particular weakness for me in this brief was creating an appropriate serious message in the stamp it brief.

I found that to be the most challenging brief of the year, as coming up with an interesting and fresh concept

for it in terms of promoting environmentalism was hard, because there are so many design cliches when 

working under the umbrella of eco friendliness, and also the idea of fitting a good design into such a small

space was tough and I do not feel like I did a particularly good job in the time allotted. 

It was also difficult for me to get my head around as a brief, because the ideologies of eco friendliness 

contrast significantly to the method of distribution involved in mail (use of paper, ink, transport etc)

and the way we as graphic designers interact with the environment, as we are always using electricity for 

our digital equipment.

I also found weaknesses in the finishing of my products and again attention to detail has tripped me up, as

I spot silly mistakes in my work that set my work apart as amateur, such as spelling errors or a lack of

 precision when cutting and folding my its your choice booklet.

I think my contribution to the group in Communication is a Virus could have been stronger too, and although 

I did work on designs for the brief, mine were not as strong as the final designs created by Joel, whose

designs were more immediate and engaging, which was basically what the brief was asking for. 

Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. Pay more attention to the detail, and set aside more time at the end for finishing the resolution so

I can feel more satisfied with the end result.2. Begin to experiment more with different formats and methods of presentation.
3. Use design sheets more in the initial stages so that I can better plan my designs and manage that time

better.4. Focus on developing my illustration skills so that I can begin to explore different methods and styles that

I am happy with.5. Attempt to communicate different messages to the audience instead of just creating things that are light

hearted, as in the professional world I will need to be able to communicated both serious and light messages

to audiences. 
Attendance - 4
Punctuality - 5
Motivation - 3
Commitment - 4
Quantity of work produced - 3
Quality of work produced - 3
Contribution to the group - 3