Tuesday 29 January 2013

OUGD405 - Evaluation

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

Throughout this module we have been taught a lot of new skills. I am now much more comfortable with using Illustrator and Indesign. I have learnt how to develop my time management even more than I had in the previous module, and this has allowed me to perform much more successfully when responding to briefs in a sense that I have been able to stay relaxed rather than worrying that the work isn't going to get done. I think that because the module has been so research based it has helped me improve my skills greatly. This is because I have been able to get much more inspiration from the research I have found but at the same time I have enjoyed discovering facts, figures and products out there linking to my research theme (labradors). I also learnt the value of primary research and constantly being aware of the brief in hand, allowing ideas to develop even when I am not directly completing a brief, for example when in shops and products or adverts are surrounding me, relating to my research theme. I also think that during our 'How to' group work, we worked really well and everyone made an effort to get involved and participate in helping the rest of the group. This made the workload much more manageable and fun. As a result, we were able to successfully apply our ideas to our design work and distribute the leaflets in time, before our presentation.

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

In order to fulfil the briefs I have been given I firstly start by researching the subject. I have done this by carrying out primary research, so producing questionnaires, watching documentaries, and also taking photographs. Secondary research has including researching online to find any useful resources. I then produce developmental drawings which allow me to then apply my drawings digitally and progress to a final idea. At the end of the process I always experiment with stock and sizing to ensure that my work is legible and to the highest standard I could possibly achieve.

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

I feel as though I have worked just as hard throughout this module as the previous one. I have developed skills where packaging is concerned and have really considered the most suitable nets, depending on what they are for. I have continued to blog alongside producing my practical work which has enabled me to stay on top of my work and not fall behind. I have also stepped out of my comfort zone and have used colour to produce my postcards, which I am really pleased with, as the pastel colours came out just as I had hoped. Similarly to the last module, I have surprised myself by using many of my own illustrations within my work as opposed to simply creating work using text and minimal design. I therefore feel even more confident in applying my drawings and look forward to developing them even further.

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

I could perhaps develop my typography skills in terms of developing my own typefaces to use within my work. I will consider this in the future when completing briefs. I would also like to become more confident in using the pen tool on Illustrator. However, I am glad that I didn't use it for my labrador packaging, as I wanted it to have an authentic feel to the drawings, rather than everything being produced digitally.

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

  • I will perhaps use Indesign to create editorial/publishing if I get the chance to as I would like to develop these skills in order to decide the route I would like to take with this course.
  • I will continue to develop my primary research skills and make sure I use an even wider variety of sources to collect information.
  • I will apply what I am learning with Fred in the colour theory to the next module, this will allow me to gain knowledge and use colour more successfully.
  • I will develop my type skills and consider which fonts I should use for certain pieces of work in order to make them closely representative to the subject matter.
  • I will continue to read the books I have bought to gain more knowledge about every aspect of graphic design, this will allow me to produce stronger pieces of work.



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