End of Module Evaluation

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

During this module I have tried to use software a bit more in an attempt to give my work a more professional finish. Previously a large amount of my work has been handcrafted, photographed, slightly edited and printed out. This module however I have actually tried to create imagery within the software, with the ideas and designs taken from sketches. I feel slightly more comfortable using some of the software now, however my knowledge is very limited and due to this lack of confidence my work suffers. Conceptually, I consider my work to be quite strong but it is often let down by the resolution. 

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

In previous modules I have noticed that I have tended to identify very general, or difficult to convey, problems to solve. This has resulted in the design process becoming more difficult than it has needed to be. I have been determined this time to identify problems which are very precise and can be summed up in just a few words. By picking something very precise, I have found it easier to think around the problem; considering why the problem exists, how it effects people, similar problems that exist and how they have been approached. Research has driven a lot of my resolutions this module, being more informed about what peoples opinions are and studying effective design has undoubtedly strengthened my work. 

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

I believe that the concepts that have been driving my work more recently have been a lot stronger than previously. Understanding the problem and being able to explain it to others really helps when evaluating whether a solution is appropriate or not. A lot of my work has relied on interactivity from audiences to work. Using interactivity like this is quite interesting because it allows my design to change depending on the audience. This is a tactic that really interests me and I have been reading up on, in particular the thought process behind the audience and how emotions can effect how well the message is communicated. I find that this interactive sort of design is really difficult to design successfully, because you have to consider more than one outcome. Not only does the "start" design need to be visually engaging and persuade audiences to interact with it, it also needs to allow enough room for changes to be made and for the "changed" design to also be visually engaging. 

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

Although I have probably already mentioned it a few times, I feel my biggest weakness is not being comfortable with software. This is something I plan to address over summer, so that when I come back in September I will feel more confident within the programs and will hopefully be able to learn a lot more next year. I also believe that my work lacks impact. I don't think it manages to entice audiences very well, although the feedback has been good from crits, I think my work needs to be more visually engaging. The ideas seem to be there, but the execution tends to let them down a lot of the time. As an attempt to "sort this out" I am going to be looking at a lot more designs which do have a lot of impact. The designs I have been looking at so far, consist mainly of their illustrative qualities, ability to draw or craft, and the ideas behind it. I haven't been looking much at design that has immediate impact and how it works, so perhaps by looking at that sort of design I can start to understand it a lot more and use similar ideas in my work, if necessary.

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

1. While working on a brief, use the A3 folders to keep it organised and in an appropriate order. The last brief I have done this and it has helped me so much. I have been able to look back on previous ideas and refer to research a lot more easily. It also helps other people to understand the process I have come through to get to my final resolution.

2. Come in earlier. On days like Wednesdays where it is free studio time I tend to come in at about 11 and soon after starting to work I'll have lunch and before I know it I've probably lost 4 hours, which could be spent a lot better. 

3. Teach myself some basics in software. I just need to start off simply and do some tutorials so that next year if I want to be able to do something I won't be too daunted to not try it. I'm really annoyed with myself for not doing it this year and so summer will be my opportunity to rectify this.

4. Look more at pre-existing design. I already look at a lot of design but a lot of it is very similar. I would probably benefit from looking at a more varied selection so that I can learn about different approaches, other than just more examples of the same sort of work I like.

5. Bring food in with me. If I'm hungry I can't concentrate, and I resent doing work. I think by bringing some sort of snack in with me I can continue to work without having to leave college for the shops and I'll stay in a better mood to work. This is probably a really trivial bullet point, but I think it will genuinely benefit me. 

5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
1 2 3 4 5
Attendance 5
Punctuality 4
Motivation 4
Commitment 4
Quantity of work produced 4
Quality of work produced 4
Contribution to the group 4