End of module self evaluation OUGD301

BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN		LEVEL	06
Self Evaluation	Module Code	Module Title
	OUGD301	OUGD301
Name    Charlie Crosby	Date	12/12/2012

End of Module Self Evaluation

Overview At the beginning of this module I set out to focus my practice on branding and identity. However, throughout the module I have picked up on many different skills and techniques that have inspired me to be more innovative, experimental and self-challenging. I’ve really enjoyed the briefs that I’ve written and selected to work on which is a pleasant change, as I’ve not always engaged with the set briefs during level 4 and 5. To write my own and develop them has been a great opportunity to explore the creative opportunities around some of my favorite topics and learn more about others. Specific skills development. Book binding – I’ve always had an interest in book binding since my first workshop in my foundation year at MMU but I’ve never really developed it as a skill or put it into practice. Some of the briefs I’ve been working on this term have pushed me to work with publication or editorial design that has lead me to learn more about book binding and getting a good quality bind. Perfect binging in particular has been a style of bind that I could never really master until this year. I would like to work more with book binding for its hands on craft element and the satisfaction of having a hand made, high quality product. Laser cutting – before level 6 I had never used a laser cutter, nor did I know how to prepare documents for laser cutting or even the possible outcomes and materials that can be used. The reason for leaving it so late to learn this skill was mostly down to thinking it was too difficult or long winded to learn which put me off it in the past. However, I forced myself to try it for my MONK brief as it would fit with the aesthetic and branding I was going for and it proved to be much easier and straight forward than I had first anticipated. Once I was taught the basics for what I wanted to do and how to prepare the content and files it was incredibly easy and I even found myself showing others how to use the facility shortly after. It’s definitely a valuable process to learn about and I plan to experiment with different materials for future briefs. Foil blocking – this is a tricky print finish to perfect and it didn’t always come out very well when I tried it, so essentially its still a skill that I am developing and learning about. I don’t like to use foiling unless it ties in really well with the concept of my design. For the VIEW brief it became an integral part as I was working with holographic foil and the design was based on holography and the process of creating holograms. Embossing – embossing is one of my preferred print finishes as it gives any brand a unique and bespoke feel. I looked into copper plating and woodblock press embossing but never practiced them for any of my briefs. I did how use embossing tools and do a lot of it by hand for the BIKOLOGY brief. Screen printing – with screen printing its hard to get it right each time with so much to remember in the process and there are so many specifications and considerations. On top of this there is so much room for experimental screen printing that it’s hard to refine it. With my collaborative I investigated screen printing onto fabric which isn’t too dissimilar to printing onto paper. The technique is the same but it takes some practice to get a good knack for it. Strengths Concept development – I find that I enjoy my work a lot more when I work to a concept and have it echo throughout my branding and design choices. This is a real strength as It justifies why I’m doing everything I’m doing. The development process is different for each brief I undertake but I think it’s been a pillar for my briefs and something that I’ve really got to grips with. Logo design – in the past I wouldn’t have said this was a strength but the way I look at a brief and the things I’ve began to consider when analyzing briefs and has improved massively this term which has improved my logo designs. Brand and Identity Time and project management – This hasn’t been a massive strength but I have made a significant effort with it for this module and I’ve managed to get the majority of my work to a standard that Illustrator – I’ve become very well acquainted with Adobe Illustrator and I work best with this particular software to produce a massive amount of work quickly. It’s been a key tool for my development of logos and applying the various brandings across different media and print formats. Time management and organization when working with others – I asked Marty what he thought my main strength was when working together and he said that I was good with managing my time and getting things done. If I need to do something I got it done, I wouldn’t start it and leave it unfinished. Also I would work efficiently and rationalize a lot of the collaborative work in order to get the job done. I do agree with this somewhat but I’d say it could also be considered as a restrictive trait that may hold me back sometimes from being innovative and pushing my briefs further through taking risks. Areas for improvement Editorial, type and layout – this is something that I would normally steer clear of but on several occasions in my briefs for this module I have found myself wanting to create a deliverable that is focused around type and layout. Along with book binding I would like to develop my skills in type setting to broaden my skillset and develop myself as a well rounded designer. Project management – my project management has been fair but it still needs a lot of improvement. I think that I need to be strict with myself when planning to work on several briefs at the same time. Design for web and screen – so far my design work has been orientated around print and I’ve focused on developing my knowledge and skills in different processes. It’s become clear that I need to work more on digital design and design for web. I would like to focus on methods to link print and digital to push the boundaries of the two closer together. Presentation – I think my presentation of my work has greatly improved but still I think that my submission boards could be improved greatly if I had placed the text down the left hand side in a column and broken each board down into more specific parts of the brief. The content I’ve written for them in hindsight was perhaps a bit too general and could have gone into greater detail. Consider more – take into account the possibilities of final outcomes more towards the start of the design process to save time when developing my briefs. Things I would do differently Research more thoroughly and in a structured fashion to gather information about my subject and relate it to contextual influences to inform my design decisions. Research is something I can either neglect or get lost in, it’s never a sensible medium. I think this may be down to project management but I would probably spend a specific amount of time researching and defining design approaches, print finishes and production methods I would have been more proactive with taking my designs from screen to print, being around some of my peers I’ve picked up on the different ways in which they work and develop their designs and I feel that I definitely would have pushed all my brief further if I had done more test prints and made critical developments and design choices. The editorial and hand crafted products that I produced definitely would have benefitted from this sort of practice. Take on more small briefs and one day projects. Although I didn’t respond to some of the briefs I undertook in a way that I had originally wanted to because of the time constraints, I would have liked to have still challenged myself to some smaller briefs alongside the bigger projects. I would definitely have made more use of the facilities at Vernon Street for binding more publications and getting copper plates made to experiment with more processes and finishes. I would definitely use InDesign more and work more often in the software where it’s appropriate. I have had plenty of workshops in the software but rarely use it and now is the time to put it to good use. Over the coming months I want to greatly improve my type and layout skills and knowledge to develop my confidence so I can take on live briefs that require those skills. Summary Overall I have really enjoyed the briefs I’ve worked on this module and I feel a massive improvement in the quality of my work. There has been a definite shift in my motivation, attitude and approach towards designing and developing my work. I plan to keep this positive note up and carry on through into FMP. I have high hopes for my FMP and the development of some of the work I’ve started this term with potential collaborations and extensions of briefs and also live, freelance work on the horizon.