OUGD103 Evaluation

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

During this module I feel that I have become more ambitious in terms of product development than I have been on previous projects, particularly during the collaborative and 'Speaking from experience' briefs I have tried to push myself further out of my comfort zone by testing out alternative resolutions. Also I feel that my time management has further improved as we have had to juggle several tasks at one time whilst attempting to be more adventurous with my product development which increases the workload. Finally, after the previous module I stated that I wanted to get back to some more hand drawn, illustrative work as I felt I had done a lot of computer based work and I addressed this through my illustrated vogue posters as well as the hand drawn imagery and type work on the collaborative brief.

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

I think that over the course of this specific module my primary research skills have developed much more through the use of qualitative, in depth questionnaires that gave direct feedback from the target audience during both the 'Communication in a virus' and 'Speaking from experience' briefs. During the 'Virus' collaborative project me and my partner collected a good volume of secondary quantitative data and statistics however this turned out not to be relevant to the idea we eventually settled on however I suppose it did help us to narrow down our target audience to something more specific.

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

Over this module I feel that my illustration work has been a definite strength which was particularly successful on the Vogue poster project. On future briefs I would like to incorporate this more and combine it with more computer based work to give a polished, professional finish to the hand drawn work. Another strength I think has developed during the 'Speaking from experience' brief is my branding of a product range. During this project where we had to create numerous resolutions I tried to establish a clear brand to link the different outcomes together and make it appear as a professional series of products.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these more fully?

In terms of weaknesses, although I said my time management has improved, I think that there is still room for more improvement but also I tend not to record how I manage my tasks as I usually just do it mentally. I think by making more of a concerted effort to document my time management it would help me to look at how I use my time and also help me to plan more effectively which I would hope to make me more productive. I also think there is a bit of a weakness in my blogging which links from the time management issue as quite often I build up a back log of work which I then tend to blog all at once instead of blogging consistently on a daily basis. This can cause problems when it comes to analysing and commenting on the posts as its sometimes difficult to remember back to the project.

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

- Blog more often and consistently to help me analyse my work.

- Develop my technical skills further on Adobe Illustrator and InDesign to add more dimensions to my work.

- Continue to push my illustrative work as this could help me to create a stronger identity as a designer.

- Make the most of the resources on offer such as screen printing and letterpress as it will help to show my diversity as a designer.

- Conduct larger volumes of research and be more selective in terms of the information I gather to help direct my projects better.

6.

Attendance: 5

Punctuation: 5

Motivation: 4

Commitment: 4

Quantity of work: 4

Quality of work: 4

Contribution to the group: 4

Brief: Speaking From Experience - Evaluation

What problem did you identify?

I chose to address the problem of informing new students to the BA Graphic Design course at Leeds College of Art about appropriate design related places that could benefit them during their studying in the city of Leeds. When first moving to a new city and place of study it is easy to settle on using solely the facilities closest to hand but I wanted to encourage students to make the most of creative sources across Leeds through my product range.

What evidence did you find to support your decision?

Across the duration of the first year I had often noted fellow students wanting to know where to find particular resources to aid them in their work. Even though there are many city guides about Leeds listing what the area has to offer, there was never anything specifically design related and so I chose to address this initially by developing a 'Designer's Index' which would form the basis for further product development.

What methods did you use to gather your evidence and what forms did it take?

As the brief title was 'Speaking From Experience' I started by drawing on my own knowledge and experience from the past year thinking back to places I have found beneficial. I also informally asked other students in the class for resources outside of College that they thought useful as well as consulting different existing city guides, maps and listings.

What methods of research did you find useful and why?

I found all methods of research used during the project to be both successful and useful. Speaking to fellow students and drawing on my own experiences of the first year was always going to be most appropriate as we, at the start of the year are what has now formed the target audience for this brief. Then by looking at existing informative guides and catalogues I was able to gain an understanding of how to layout the information I was gathering in a clear and concise manner that would create the easy use, quick reference index that I wanted.

How did these inform your response to your problem?

By looking at the research I had accumulated I was able to be selective of the information that was included in the products that I was developing. For example, in terms of the booklet I narrowed down the wide ranging list of suggested places into three categories each of which had 12 resources listed within them, 36 in total with the three categories being - Galleries and Museums, Materials and Resources, Places of Interest. To keep the consistency going, when developing the calendar I also included 12 events and overall I felt that this was just the right amount of information to include.

What research could you have carried out that would have proved more useful?

I think the research I could have undertaken that would have proved more useful would have been on the subjects of distribution and product development. I would have liked to look into different ways that my products could be received by my target audience and also to have investigated a slightly more adventurous range of products although I am pleased with what I have produced as I believe they are very useable and useful things to have upon starting the course.

List five things you have learnt about the design process over the last five weeks:

- Learnt more about building a brand and maintaining consistency across a product range.

- Keep target audience in mind at all times.

- Have clear concepts and messages ready for crits in order to get valuable feedback.

- A range of products do not have to look the same.

- Learnt to be selective of information to communicate.

List five things that you would do differently next time:

- More research into product distribution.

- Investigate into a more adventurous product range.

- Put together a proper research questionnaire instead of asking people informally.

- Start designing the digital side of the product range earlier.

- Design some supporting illustration work for the brand.

Brief: Speaking From Experience - Final Crit and Further Development

Brief: Speaking From Experience - Final Products

Brief: Speaking From Experience - Feedback

Has a problem been clearly defined? (What is it? Is it a genuine problem? Is it appropriate?)

- The problem is to help students become a graphic designer in Leeds/ a guide to being a good designer. There is a good reason for this product, it will be very beneficial. It is appropriate for first year BAGD students.

- Yes, first year graphic design students not knowing where to go in Leeds. It is definitely a genuine problem and would be really useful.

Is the audience being taken into consideration? (Is the tone appropriate for the audience? How will the audience engage with it?)

- Yes, first years are unsure where to go and it is specifically focussed on their course too. A book/index.

- Yes it is relevant and appropriate to the graphic design students and would be very useful to know, it works as a pocket size book.

What further research is required/would be beneficial? (What/Where/Who/When? Practical/Theoretical/Both?)

- Survey/Questionnaire to highlight the problem primarily. What existing booklets are missing Eg. information they are not addressing. Perhaps a bit of illustration/imagery? COuld maybe develop it into a website, or interactive disc? Physical map? Stickers on the floor? Research front of book design.

- Could be useful to look at map; if someone doesn't know where they are going, what would be the starting point? College? Not so many streets? How would students get a book and what would make them take one?

What methods are being used to document the research/ development? (Is the research appropriate?Are they effective?)

- Sketchbook, sheets, lists; effective show of development, quick, easy access.

- There is a lot of relevant research, maybe a bit of primary research to help with directions to the places.