Speaking from Experience// Self Evaluation

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

Seeing the this module has been running throughout the whole of first year I have to scan my brain when thinking about what I have achieved. This first thing that pops to mind as it was the last thing I create is ‘Speaking from Experience’. The brief itself I found relatively simple but considering that I had a million other things on my plate at the time from other modules I started to discover how hard this course can really be. I ended up staying in late after college, working whenever I had the chance. Its easy to say that it really took over my life and I am glad I experienced it as it will be great practise for the future and I am sure that next year things will only be harder. The brief ‘Who are you’ I enjoyed also, however I kept pushing the brief aside whenever it cropped up. Telling myself that I could afford to leave it to pursue other briefs from other modules. When I got down to it I found it very hard to get started and it was the first time I had to base a design on somebody’s personality. When I finally came up with a design that I knew could work I thoroughly enjoyed the process. In terms of basic skills I have developed, again I have been using other programs apart from photoshop and I can feel my self improving on them.

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

For ‘Speaking from Experience’ I did loads of design sheets, no thumbnails though but loads of spider diagrams. Thinking about it I really needed to do these, as there were endless things I could of done for it. I decided to break up all of my ideas on to different sheets so that I came up with the best and strongest idea. To be honest the idea I ended up coming up with was very simple, but it worked and I know it worked. Apart from that I simply worked from the computer, making duplicates if I thought there was another look in design I could go into or if I was worried something in the future in terms of my design wouldn’t work and I couldn’t fix it. Apart from that, I feel that’s how I have been approaching this brief. I do also look at lots of secondary research, as this is a good way to get inspired and get cracking!

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

I feel that I have pushed my work for this module to a high standard and in a result of this, clearly documented this on my blog. This is a skill I have been getting better at this past year and in my opinion it’s a very important skill for this course as it is easily the best way to express your views about you work or any other designs you may have done. I think the main thing that I have improved on it the software I have been using. Over the last few modules I have been pushing myself off photoshop and have been slowly getting used to programs like illustrator and indesign and one thing I am beginning to recognise is that these programs are much easier to use that photoshop. It been something I have been telling myself to get better at and I have worked hard to do so, making sure I spend loads of time getting better at them and going well out of my way to do so. I am sure that I am going to carry on getting better at as the course goes on and something that will improve my work greatly. Overall this year had been one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I don’t think I have ever experience so many ups and downs in such a short amount of time! The course is slowly changing me as a person but I can feel it is changing me into a better, more confident young graphic designer.

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

Again, the main weakness in my work is the lack of thumbnail design sheets. Throughout the whole of this year this has been something I have repeatedly come back to as a ‘weakness’ but I never seem to benefit from them. For some reason I can get an idea and then get straight onto the computers. When ever I do end up doing thumbnail design sheets its after I have actually done the final design and that’ not how it works! I think next year I will have to at least try with design sheets before running into a brief. Everyone else does them so I am sure they are a good idea. The main weakness that really bugs my is my final outcome for ‘Speaking from Experience’. Not in terms of design but how the design was printed. The print rooms down stairs have been very busy over this past year and I wasn’t able to book a print slot which meant I have to print upstairs. The main problem with this was when printing double sided the printer doesn’t line the two sides up perfectly causing cutting to be bad and very inaccurate. Once I had cut my book the layout because random and not correct. This is something that was well out of my reach unless I went to a printers but looking at budget I doubt I would be able to afford it.

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

Time Management- I will become more organised and in a result more comfortable with the workload.

Worksheets- More design development might improve my final design/ Thumbnails

Workshops- Expand on them, look into them further. I would very much like to become confident with screenprinting. Something I have been able to access quite easily this year but haven’t.

Printing- I wasn’t able to print my work to a level I was happy with- Make sure I book the print room down stairs in good time.

PPP Blog

- Do more! I feel that there isn’t a lot on there but I can’t seem to find anything else to go on it.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

(please indicate using an ‘x’) 

Attendance : 5

Punctuality : 4 

Motivation : 4 

Commitment : 4 

Quantity of work produced : 4 

Quality of work produced : 3

Contribution to the group : 4