1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
Since the start of the module I feel I have developed, in particular, the skills of documenting my working practices as well as my researching methods. Beginning way back in June through the Summer Brief 'What Is Good?', the task involved us collecting a large amount of quality, in-depth information on fields that we have a personal interest in and this helped to change the way I think about researching overall. I have also built on my ability to blog and document my work both more regularly and in greater volume. During this module we have also had regular seminars in Photoshop, Illustrator and particularly InDesign which have really helped to fill gaps in my knowledge that have enabled me to work more efficiently and professionally. Elements of these seminars also directly related to the design for print part of the module and helped to tie everything I was learning about the printing process together.
2. What approaches to/methods of design practice have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
With this module being print and packaging based most of the skills developed during this time are connected to printing and production processes. Further things that have informed my approach have come from the seminars and workshops, all of which have improved my technical understanding of the printing industry, from the different methods of printing available to industry terminology and vocabulary. I have tried to absorb as many little hints and tips as I can, whether it be a rule to use when working with type and layout or how to professionally put together artwork that could be sent off to a printers.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
A particular strength I have identified in my work during the course of this module I feel is my ability to clearly and concisely communicate a message to an audience. I think through my working practices I am able to make an idea very accessible to a specific demographic. I also think I am starting to really understand how to better document my work and understand the benefits of doing so, as constant self analysis helps me to make quicker decisions that are also better informed. With a greater volume of documenting it also increases the value of my blog as it becomes a much more focused and important tool that can be used in the future to refer back to.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these more fully?
There are a couple of problem areas in particular that I feel I am yet to properly address and both of them are linked together. Firstly my decision making is still not quick enough. I am still reluctant to make mistakes and this hinders me especially in the early stages of a brief. Secondly, once I have an idea, I latch onto it and I'm almost afraid to wonder away from the core concept and explore wider avenues surrounding the theme. However, since I feel I have properly realised these problems, I am very determined and more confident that I can address them moving forward into the next module.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing this?
- Make decisions quicker and constantly evaluate why I am making these decisions so that my work can move forward at a more rapid pace whilst being better informed.
- I have started to discuss my work more regularly and informally with classmates which I found to be very beneficial and I want to make sure I do this from the beginning of the next module as it can really help to quickly solve problems that would take me a lot longer to figure out on my own.
- I want to take more advice from tutors and any studio help that is available to me as sometimes I feel once I have an idea I can do everything on my own and become less susceptible to taking onboard others ideas and viewpoints.
- Maintain my researching throughout the majority of my project instead of containing it to the initial stages of a brief.
- Begin scheduling and planning my work earlier on in the project as I have realised that getting a large amount of ideas, tests and experiments produced in the early stages will vastly help me improve my decision making and enable me to make better use of my time.
6. How would you grade yourself in the following areas: (where 5=excellent, 4= very good, 3= good, 2 average, 1= poor)
Attendance - 5
Punctuality - 5
Motivation - 4
Commitment - 5
Quantity of work produced -3
Quality of work produced - 4
Contribution to the group -4
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