1.What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
I have developed range of skills primarily researching skills. This module has shown me how to research properly and I have learnt how to reference using the correct references systems which was something that I initially struggled with and had to get my head around. I have opened my influences to different designers with different styles through the sessions with Jo and I have developed communication and group work skills through the timetabled sessions and crits.
Throughout the module I have been fascinated by both modernism and postmodernism, I have developed and extended my knowledge of the two topics through extended research, research towards the essay component of the brief, the postmodernism exhibition in London, as well as research towards my final practical brief 'Theory into Practice'.
I have developed my use of typography, something that I have wanted to include in one of my briefs throughout the year and never really had the opportunity. I took this open brief as an opportunity to explore and develop the skills I have and the new skills that I have picked up throughout the theory into practice brief.
2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process.
Production has really affected my final product as I produced a series of postcards that were linked together in order for my audience to interact with. This meant that my print needed to be double sided A1, however the printers in digital dungeon don't cater for this, and after speaking with Jams he explained that this kind of print would cost between £300 and £400 a sheet. This was clearly not reasonable and with only 8 days until hand-in I had to find a compromise. I decided to print the designs single sided and stick the two back to back.
Unfortunately this means that my final designs are not quite to the quality I would have hoped for, and the interactive elements are not as successful as I may have desired. Despite this, I have learnt that I need to consider the final outcomes and how possible it is to produce the final product before beginning my designs. This is something I can take forward with me into second year and learn from my mistakes.
I think that within the Theory into Practice module I got too carried away with the designs themselves, distracting myself away from the theory aspect and focusing more heavily on typography, clearly this reflecting on the comments from my final crit and this is something for me to work on in the PPP brief I am currently working towards for a different module and also within briefs I will work towards in second year.
I am also gaining more confidence in my design process structure, working with initial design sheets, hand drawn design sheets, digital plan sheets and then digitalising my design sheets to create my final designs. As each brief passed I gain more confidence with tis process and am becoming better at planning out my initial idea's on paper before taking them straight to an Apple mac and producing a digital design.
I have used a variety of sources to help back up my designs, and I have referenced these within my publication emphasising my focus on 'theory into practice'.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I have researched thoroughly throughout the module and feel I am gaining confidence with using sources and references books, and websites etc. I have become more efficient with producing work in this module and have managed to structure my time well by completing tasks when they are set in order to reduce the amount of work towards the end of a module, my time management skills are improving with each module and I am maturing in myself as a result from this.
I have created a range of developmental work towards my Theory into Practice module and this has helped me to develop my designs effectively and work towards a final outcome with a certain style or identity that works between all my products.
I have really enjoyed the academic side of this module, writing up lecture notes after each lecture and researching artists etc. This has allowed me to take a break from more design based work in other modules and work towards gaining more background knowledge in topics studied throughout the lecture programme.
4.What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
A major weakness within my theory into practice brief was getting too carried away with the visual aspect and forgetting to focus on how the designs relate to my chosen topics of modernism and postmodernism, however I initially chose with style of my designs because I tried to combine both modernism and postmodernism, despot this, it became clear in the crit that this confused the audience and my designs became very unclear.
Another weakness was not using the designer book effectively, despite filling it with designers over the duration of the course, I don't feel as though I have used these artists to my benefit within my designs, I would like to look at these in more detail over the summer and inter second year, as many of them are very suited to my own style and i could strengthen my skills from using these artists as inspiration.
Another weakness was not researching my essay thoroughly, although I visited an exhibition in London which I found so interesting that I didn't want to leave and was probably the key aspect in making me fall in love with modernism as a movement in design, I feel like I should I read more books and used more sources, however for a first essay in this style I am extremely pleased with the outcome and can work on further research in next years context of practice module.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
- Produce more background research and post it onto my blog ( general things that interest me, further research into lecture topics etc ). I really enjoy the theory behind design and so this is something that I feel quote strongly about.
- Gain more confidence, I was incredible nervous for the Theory into Practice Research presentations that we completed on the 30th March in front of half of the course group, I am hoping to work on this before the PPP presentations in two weeks. All the information as there, I just get very nervous and rush through the presentation leaving no time for people to appreciate and absorb what I am saying.
- I need to concentrate on meeting the requirements of the brief and not get carried away with what I think looks good and concentrate on what suits the format, and content and combining the two together to create an effective outcome.
- Ask more questions,I need to ask my peers more often what they think of my work, what could improve it etc. Kind of like a miniature crit session that will help me keep focused on the aspects that meet the requirements of the brief I am answering.
- Use my artists more effectively, base my designs on artists that I have research throughout the module, this will link my designs better to the context and the content of what I have previously been looking at, and make my outcomes stronger in relation to the brief.
6. How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
Attendance – 5
Punctuality – 5
Motivation – 4
Commitment – 4
Quantity of work produced – 4
Quality of work produced – 4
Contribution to the group – 4
