OUGD203... Ongoing Evaluation

Week One [Monday 13/02/12] Reading Week

This week has been mainly for recovering from all the hard work from the last module, but I have had a look over the YCN briefs. While none stand out as me really wanting to do them, there are some interesting ones that I think I could be good at, however, they aren't set out as well as the briefs we are given from college so defining what they want exactly may be a bit harder. I don't know how next term will work out yet and haven't really been able to pick out a specific person I want to work with, I just know I want to work with someone I haven't worked with before.

Week Two [Monday 20/02/12]

Since choosing our brief as a partner, I haven't had much time to do anything for the brief, as I have been so stressed with the five books I need to make for image, and all the enterprise and group business tasks that need to be done for wednesday. After that though, I am happy that my focus can be this module, so hopefully I can create some of the best work I have done. Choosing our partner was a very very stressful task, as I was worried about who I would end up with. I am glad I am working with someone with a totally different style from me, as hopefully we can learn things from each other. I am also glad I am working with someone outside my friendship group, as the tutors recommended we do, and working with someone different was already something I said I wanted to do. We need to keep ourselves organised, make targets and stick to them, and continue to evaluate our progress each week to ensure we don't get behind. I think we have chosen a brief that suits us, and I am excited to see what we end up making of it.

Week Three [Monday 27/02/12]

Again with enterprise tasks to finish and image work to do, I feel I haven't spent anywhere near as much time this week on my YCN brief work as I would have liked to. However, with other things nearly out of the way, I am ready to put all of my time in to this brief. We have a lot of ideas and have asked different tutors and others for their opinions to help our development, as initially, we were quite worried as we have chosen the Peacocks brief, and they have gone in to administration. We need to just spend plenty of time finalising our idea next week so we can get on with it and not get behind, as I want to develop my ideas and not have to rush into the final piece.

Week Four [Monday 05/03/12]

After making our design direction boards for the crit I felt much more confident about where we are going with this. I've spent a lot of the time this week researching and now I think we just need to get on with designing now we have our idea finalised. I don't think for the time we have had we have produced a lot of work, but neither have the other groups really, and this is probably down to the amount of other deadlines we have had going on. I have relaxed a bit this week as I have finally had the time to, and I think this has been quite good for me as I have been getting stressed, but I know that next week I will have to work really hard to make up for this. I think the part now of designing and playing around is the fun part, and although we don't have much time left, hopefully we can create some really well made designs that I will pleased with. I already think that Chloe's type driven style is rubbing off on me a bit, which is good as I felt a bit stuck in my ways with my design style, so I will enjoy designing some posters using type as well as image.

Week Five [Monday 12/03/12]

After having my progress tutorial with Fred, I feel a lot better about this module now. I know what I need to do to create better design work and therefore to get better marks. This is to link my design context blog into my design practice blog, and then to continue to research. This is better than just doing research at the start, and then going on with the designs. I've started doing this already with the website designs, and found myself being influenced by lots of the things I have put on my design context blog. Another thing I need to do is create lots of experiments for something, before deciding which design to go with. Normally, I'd think of all the ideas in my head, and then just get started on what I thought was the best idea, but now I need to draw or make these ideas, and then ask for feedback from others, and then get started on the best design, maybe taking elements from the other designs I have made along the way. Again, I've started doing this with the website design. I feel like I have been working quite slowly as I have done this, but at the same time, it is better to create less outcomes that are better designed that rushing to complete many things.

Week Six [Monday 19/03/12]

This week I have been continuing to concentrate on what Fred talked to me about in my progress tutorial last week. I have spent ages developing the web design, rather than just going with my first idea and tweaking this, which is what I probably would have done without Fred's advice. The amount of relevant research that I have done also has helped me to improve. I've created a website design and an overall feel for the campaign that I am very pleased with. I was happy to receive compliments and positive feedback about this design in our crit on wednesday. Our feedback said that my design is getting across the theme that we are going for, and is an improvement on the original designs. I feel like I have worked hard on this module, and for once, I'm not panicking now we're coming towards the end of it, but instead I am happy with what I have produced. I think this is a much better way of working.

Week Seven [Monday 26/03/12]

This week we have finished everything for the YCN brief. I feel like I have worked very hard on this brief, but I don't know if there is five weeks worth of work there. But at the same time, I have had lots of other deadlines such as image, YCN and CTS. See YCN evaluation.

Week Eight [Monday 02/04/12] Easter
Week Nine [Monday 09/04/12] Easter
Week Ten [Monday 16/04/12] Easter

I have used these three weeks to catch up with image work and work for other modules, so that when I am back at college, I can concentrate on this module. I have done the task of choosing the briefs I would answer, and at the moment, I feel a bit nervous about what we have to do, as I'm a bit unsure of whats going on, but after the workshop next tuesday I am sure I will feel excited to get started. After doing the YCN brief, I have realised how poorly some briefs are written, and you do have to spend a while picking them apart to make you sure what you are creating is needed. However, there were a few briefs that really stood out to me that I would like to have a go at.