END OF MODULE EVALUATION: OUGD406

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

The skills I have developed through this module have been extensive. Firstly I have been introduced to some new software that I had never used before called Indesign, It's something that I am really interested in using further as most of the work I had done before starting my degree was based on editorial design which is something I see as a future career prospect. I have specifically learnt how to created a book and that in order for the book to be printed correctly the pages have to be in a multiple of 4. In my other module (design principles) I had created a book were I hadn't used this and during production it was unreadable. I have also learnt at lot of ways to experiment with type and image on Indesign through the day tutorials we had with technician mike. I really enjoyed these sessions and blogging them as we did them because when creating designs or other projects I could refer back to them as useful notes. I have applied the skills I have learnt through creating a double page spread for my animal brief were I experiment with grids and margins.

I have also learnt how to clean, prepare and do screen printing on fabric, this is something I always wanted to experiment with and I am glad I had the opportunity in the final module to do this before we leave and enter the second year. I also learnt what settings I had to set my design into in order for the screen print to work effectively which saved time.

2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design

I have taken a new approach to the way I generate my idea's, I think I have progressed in the amount of thumbnails I use to do in previous modules which I think has been very beneficial for me to create a multitude of designs. 

Another approach I have taken to design production is the experimentation with different stock and sources. For my group project we ordered in special stock to fit our magazines aesthetic and since doing so it's something I want to experiment with further such as foiling, screen printing and embossing. 

Also for the communication is a virus brief we had to mass produce our magazine, it was interesting to have to make certain adjustments to the magazine in order for us to get it printed in time, considering costs and also the design. All these factors towards producing this magazine informed me on what the limitations can be in design and how they affect the overall product.

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

In this module I have been assigned to a lot of online roles, in communication is a virus I set up the blog, twitter and Facebook account which enabled me network with people and designers who wanted to work with our project. Also for speaking from experience I was assigned to creating the blog, spotify and instagram sites. Before even knowing I wanted to do graphic design I was always designing blogs and making websites for people. I think this area of design is something I am really interested in working more into and I have brought the adobe web design package so I can capitalise on these skills over the summer break.

I also have significantly started working with the other adobe software more to better my skills and I think gradually I am coming more accustomed to designing they way I see things in my head physically. I will also capitalise on my skills by experimenting with the software over the summer.

Another thing I found not specifically a strength but an interest in is music and event design. The live brief we got for design is about doing really inspired me and I enjoyed the process. To capitalise on this I have started looking into studios like the Kate Morross studio and looked at her work as a source of influence and I've started to collect posters of designs I like as a reference of what I would like to produce gradually.

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

The weaknesses I can identify in this module are the drawing aspect of design, I know that I don't have to be amazing but I think that if I took the time to practice more my thumbnails or illustrations would look more neat and presentable.

I also think that in order for me to grasp a better understanding of design I need to look further into up to date blogs and attend more exhibitions to see whats out there. Over the summer I would hope to attend some.

Another weakness of mine is not being able to juggle my workload. I think in order for me to be stress free and feel organised I need to set up a routine of just getting things done straight away instead of leaving it to the last minute and it not reaching it's full potential.

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

1. I would like to take on a more creative and designing role in group work, I feel like I haven't really produced a lot of physical design in this module and even with the online content I had done for communication is a virus, it wasn't completed due to all the other peoples work not being finished in time which made it look unprofessional. I think by doing this I can develop my skills further and also it would boost my confidence.
2. For the design is about doing brief I really liked the painting I did for the jesse ware sleeve but when I uploaded it to the competition it lost it's resolution and was saturated really badly and didn't look how I originally intended which was quite disappointing. If i had the chance do it differently I would check the colour modes and even to a test print or a test upload before fully submitting my work for future live briefs.
3. I would of liked to have more time on the communication as virus brief, although we worked really well as a group and got great interaction from our work, I feel like if I had more time when the magazine content was produced I really could of made some headway with the blog design. I did make some of my own design decisions using my initiative but sometimes it was a waste of time as it didn't go with the rest of the other designs. I think if I was more confident in pushing my ideas in group work then I would have sped up the design process.
4. I would of liked to have experimented further with Wallaby dps. I felt liked I focused more on the content than the design and I could of experimented further with the things I learnt in mikes sessions
5. I would like to continue to experiment further with different stocks and methods of designs like letter press because I want to broaden my design skills further than just doing everything digital. I think this will make me a well rounded designer.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance				x
Punctuality				x
Motivation				x
Commitment			x
Quantity of work produced			x
Quality of work produced		x
Contribution to the group			x