Interim Self-Evaluation

List five practical skills that you have developed. When have they proved useful?

• Using a mac - As a PC user, I had never used one before this course, so it took some getting used to, but now I feel confident and have even been able to help friends out.
• Using illustrator - This new skill, which I am still learning more and more about, has improved the quality of my work as well as making certain processes quicker and opening up many more possibilities.
• Screen printing - I now feel much more confident than I did before this course about screen printing, having properly learnt the processes, which has proved useful in creating prints which I feel have much more of a special quality than digital prints.
• Colour theory - This is something I didn't really think about before, but after the visual language sessions with Fred, I have realised how important it is and I now feel that I am choosing colours that work well together and have relevance to my design instead of just random colours.
• Grids - Learning about grids in Lorenzo's visual language sessions has made my work neater, easier to read and has made it look more professional. This was especially useful when creating my own book, and when designing a magazine article.

List five transferable skills that you have developed. What have you used them for?

• Time management skills - I have had to develop these skills to make sure that I am not behind with the amount of work for different briefs set. These skills are transferable as they help me to keep on top of other things and stop me from wasting time on pointless things such as watching lots of TV as I would have previously done.
• Organisation - The main thing I picked up on after Jo's time management workshops was the importance of organisation. I have always made to-do lists, but sometimes ignored these, so learning more sensible ways to organise my lists means that I am now more capable of keeping myself organised in more ways that just to do with course work, for example, remembering to take library books back on the right day and keep appointments.
• Sticking up for myself - In group work I had to explain and defend my ideas, and I have also had to do this in crits. This skill is a confidence skill which can be transferred to many different aspects of life, such as making me feel more confident with dealing with messy/noisy flatmates.
• Team work - Having to work in three group work briefs already this year, I think my team work skills have greatly improved. I now feel that instead of agreeing with others ideas, I am confident to put my own across. This is a transferable skill which will be greatly beneficial in other areas, such as in my job.
• Trying different things- Instead of sticking with my first idea, and keeping work the same dimensions and media as I would usually do, I have done a lot of experimentation this year. This confidence to not just stick with what I know works has been transferred to other things, such as trying out new recipes in cooking.

List five things that you have achieved. How have they helped you progress?

• I have achieved a first in my critical studies essay which has made me feel more confident about my writing skills. Everything I have learnt in this subject has helped me to understand more about the origins of Graphic Design which has helped my design context progression.
• I have achieved 98% attendance, which is the best attendance I have ever had. This has stopped me from missing out on any work.
• I consider being able to look after myself now an achievement. I can now cook, clean, do my laundry.. etc. Looking after myself properly has helped me to progress into a more responsible adult.
• Being able to take criticism of my own work now is also an achievement to me. Previously, I felt insulted/put off after hearing negative responses to my work, but after the crits we have faced this year, I know now that constructive criticism is the best thing to help my development, by letting me know what I need to do to improve.
• I count positive responses I receive from my peers and my tutors towards my work to my an achievement, as they show me that I am improving and learning. They help me to progress by making me feel more confident about my own work, as I believe we are all our own harshest judges!

List five problems that you have had to face. How have you overcome them?

• In my third group work brief, we changed our idea half way through, however, I preferred the previous idea, so didn't feel as enthusiastic about the brief at that point. I overcame this problem by discussing our new idea with Jo in a crit, and ended up feeling more motivated about this new idea.
• In each group work, there have been people in the groups that have not contributed as much as others in the group. To over come this problem, I have kept my blogs up to date, and annotated which work I have done, so I feel that I will be fairly marked.
• At the start of the year, I felt that my limited software knowledge was slowing me down, especially as so many others seemed to be so confident with the software. However, after the inductions and speaking to technicians, I now know a lot more about software, such as illustrator, and am enjoying learning more all the time.
• I have had to face disappointment with my module grade, which was really off-putting as I felt I worked especially hard in the module. After my tutorial with Amber, I realised what it was that I hadn't done, so will overcome this with more experimentation in the next module.
• I haven't been able to afford things that other students have, such as Macs/course books/software, so to overcome this problem, I've made good use of the mac suites and library, and spent longer days at college. I think I have got more work done this way than if I owned the items myself anyway now.

List five facts that you have learned. When have they been useful?

• I have learnt that there is no such thing as free time for Graphic Designers! This was told to us many times at the beginning of the course by Fred and Amber, but I didn't realise how true this was until we first starting receiving the briefs. This fact has stopped me from wasting time doing pointless activities, as I feel guilty when I do, knowing that there is always graphic design work or research I could be getting on with.
• I have learnt to book a slot for digital print or to get here for 8.30am, as otherwise I will be wasting precious times in queues with other stressed out students!
• I have learnt that three hours worth of work done at home can be done in an hour at college. This has made me stay behind to finish my work at college, which has been useful, as it has saved me time in reality.
• I have learnt that 12 hour days at college are actually really rewarding and make you feel like you have achieved something. This has been useful, as it has allowed me to get a lot of work done.
• I have learnt that mistakes are often more useful than having the right idea initially. Through changing my mind, having bad ideas and making other mistakes, I have probably saved myself time in the long run, as I now have a better idea of what I need to know before continuing on with an idea to know if it will work.

List five things that you will never do again. Why?

• I will NEVER choose a subject that it is impossible to get primary research for, this really effected by observation for my dinosaur project, which also happened to be the longest brief of the module!
• I will never forget to put the eggs in my typogateux cake again, as it looked good, but tasted disgusting.
• I will never leave blogging until the end of a brief again, as it is so hard to catch up on, and it means that bits inevitably get missed out.
• I will never choose a subject that I am not interested in out of choice, as it meant that I didn't really enjoy the brief. I believe the no news is good news brief could have been so much better if I had chosen something really gripping, rather than choosing an article about Katy Perry and Russell Brand's wedding, however, we did not know what the brief would be when we had to choose our article.
• I will never leave an important part of a brief until the last minute, as I did with the packaging side of the product and packaging collection 100 brief, as it meant that I rushed this aspect of the brief, whereas I spent a lot of time on the other aspects of the brief, leaving me quite unhappy with result, and I think this poor response also effected my grade.

Which of these words describe the way you work as part of a group?

- Confident - Passive - Ethical - Open - Vocal - Decisive -Informed - Critical - Determined - Considerate - Tolerant - Withdrawn

Which of these qualities do you most appreciate about yourself?

- Honesty - Originality - Commitment - Responsible - Flexibility - Creative - Ambitious - Focused - Punctuality - Humorous - Organised - Criticism

Which of these attitudes best describes the way you worked at the start of the group brief?

- Organised  - Impulsive - Entertaining - Focused - Laid back - Direct - Informed - Critical - Objective - Committed - Flexible - Entertaining - Passive - Unrealistic - Indecisive - Ethical

Which of these attitudes best describes the way you work now?

-  Organised  - Impulsive - Entertaining - Focused - Laid back - Direct - Informed - Critical - Objective - Committed - Flexible - Entertaining - Passive - Unrealistic - Indecisive - Ethical

 

After completing this self-evaluation after a briefing with Fred on 31/03/11, I looked back at my targets for the year, which I wrote on 25/9/10 (link), and I am pleased to say I have achieved, or am on my way to achieving nearly all of my targets. This really makes me feel pleased about my progress and everything I have learnt, through mistakes and successes. Soon it will be time to think of some targets that I will be aiming to achieve next year!

Visual Language: What is a line?

Our own brief

Written by me:

The Brief:

I am to produce a body of work that visually investigates the following definition of what a line is: "A mark indicating position, connection or boundaries."

Considerations:

I will photography and draw peoples palms and look into how reading the lines of a palm can supposedly tell some one's future.

Target Audience:

Adults, not just those who are interested in fortune telling.

Tone of Voice:

Light hearted, entertaining, informative.

Background:

I will need to research palm reading, as well as different drawing styles.

Mandatory Requirements:

I will need to draw regularly, and ensure good time management.

Deliverables:

A set of notebooks/sketchbooks and drawings/images in an organised, rational and considered format.

A final piece showing my collection of drawings/photographs.

Written by Will:

The Brief:

You are to produce a body of work that visually investigates the following definition of what a line is: "A mark indicating position, connection or boundaries."

Considerations:

You will use photography and draw peoples palms and look into how palm reading is based around lines that supposedly tell the future. This could be analog or digital photography. You could get interesting results with a fish eye camera.

Target Audience:

Adults, designers, artists, creative types.

Tone of Voice:

Light hearted, entertaining, informative (in relation to palm reading), visually interesting to look at.

Background:

Research into palm reading. Research into various different drawing styles: - continuous line drawing - still life - drawing with opposite hand - drawing blind folded. Research into photography and which camera to use.

Mandatory Requirements:

Set out a certain period of time each day to create a routine for drawing your hands, managing how much you want to get done each day/week.

Deliverables:

- Set of studies in sketchbooks/notebooks

- Final poster - outcome of body of research

Action Plan

Action - Research artists, illustrators and photographers (look at Jemmy Cowalt and Rob Gardiner). Get at least four books out of the library that will help. Research the hand in science books to get a better understanding of what you are working from. Experiment with photography (fish eye, Diana, Polaroid etc) and drawing (- continuous line drawing - still life - drawing with opposite hand - drawing blind folded) techniques and begin to consider which process you will use. Deadline - 22nd March

Action - Start to take photographs of hands, and begin to draw from these in your chosen styles. Research palm reading and what the lines on the hands mean. Ask Amber and other students about your work as this is the last chance to show other people before the Easter break. Deadline - 29th March

Action - Continue with photography, and start putting together studies of hands in relation to what you have found out about palm reading. Reflect on progress and consider if you are following action plan properly. Deadline - 5th April

Action - Continue to produce hand studies. Explore and try out different ways of presenting ready for starting the final piece. Reflect on progress and consider if you are following action plan properly. Deadline - 12th April

Action - Decide which stock you will use and what size the final piece will be. Begin to work on final piece. Deadline - 19th April

Action - Complete all work for 26th April

Evaluation

I would've liked to screen print my final pieces, as this is a process I have recently learnt and what to use this skill, also, I think there is a better quality to hand printed final pieces than with digital printed pieces. However, by printing my final pieces in the digital print room I am still pleased with the outcome. I didn't have the opportunity to screen print my final pieces as I had work commitments that didn't allow me to come back to Leeds during the Easter holidays.

I didn't work as well at home as I would've done at college because of the distractions as well as not having as good equipment and facilities to use. Also, it was difficult to know if I was on the right track as I didn't have the opportunity for feedback crits to hear responses from my tutors and other students.

I really enjoyed this brief as I did quite a lot of drawings I didn't feel too precious about them so got to be experimental with different styles. I also enjoyed the secondary research as I think I learnt quite a lot from this and looked at some images that may inspire future projects.

Although I didn't use my fish eye photographs in my final piece, as I was unhappy with how these particular photographs turned out, this is something I will continue to experiment with in future projects as I like the unique results from the other photographs.

I don't think I managed my time too well as I had planned out in the time plan as I ended up spending quite a long time learning about palm reading and reading others palms, yet I don't think I spent long enough on my final piece.

I had a lot of ideas for this project but didn't have a lot of time due to me having my elective during the Easter holidays and having work commitments, so I think I could've gone further with this project if I had managed my time correctly.

Final Pieces

Poster

Booklet

Communication Is A Virus

Week One Pitch

Issues raised
- Take care with presentation of design boards - white boarders need to be chopped off
- Design boards may be easier to read if they were portrait as there is a lot of text
- The concept board makes the idea sound new and exciting, but the other boards start to talk about what has already been done
- Example leaflets are interesting but need to move away from these for a new idea

Actions to be taken
- Primary and secondary research - look at websites such as Leeds volunteer society, free cycle, peoples supermarket (channel 4 programme) and websites where you can click and companies give
- Could make publications to advertise a charity that you can volunteer for
- Research into the psychology of why helping others feels satisfying
- Need to make sure what you create is eye-catching, interactive and easy to follow so people don't just throw away any postcards/mail shots you make
- Be careful not to harass or irritate people, such as people with buckets in town centres do
- Would be good to actually host your own event, such as the Leeds RAG week events that are taking place this week
- Need to let people know that giving more is simple
- Let people know what they can achieve in what amount of time, let them know there are more valuable ways to spend their time, such as half an hour watching hollyoaks could be half an hour giving blood, which is saving lives
- Make people realise they do have time to help, there are simple things they could add to their daily routine, and there are ways that everyone can help
- All the group should actually do something to help a charity, such as volunteering, donating to charity or giving blood and write about their own experiences

Week Two Crit
- There should be some visual consistency between the posters, this could simply be that they are the same orientation and dimensions
- Each poster could contain a question which triggers a response to motivate
- Need to help the viewer to be inspired and understand why they should do the suggested activity and what it can do for them e.g. going for a run benefits fitness
- Need to make the viewer think in a different way, and have an impact on their mind
- The responses could be personal to the things the people in our class wanted to change
- Could make the viewer feel guilty or positive, which could effect their motivation
- Could include a link to a website or more advice of where to go next
- Could attach the designs to relevant products
- Look at artist Anthony Burrill and his motivational typographic posters
- Look at self-help books for motivational phrases
- Make sure the type on the posters is legible and that there is an impact on the viewer
- Hand rendered type related to the theme
- Motivating the viewer is more important than providing them with a practical outcome, but how do you motivate?
- Prints seem to have more sense of value than digital, especially framed prints. This is something to research. If the posters were screen printed they would have more value.
- The concept is challenging, thought provoking and inspirational
- Need to re-work design concept boards for the presentation next Friday, which needs to include a PowerPoint presentation which lasts between 5 and 10 minutes.

Final Feedback

This is feedback we recieved on our presentation from group 7, aswell as from Jo and Amber

These are the questions the group had to consider while giving us feedback:
Was the concept clearly defined?
Was the context clearly defined?
Was the method of delivery clearly defined?
What methods were used to gather information?
What methods were used to evaluate information?
What methods were used to distribute information?
How was the problem resolved?
How could the problem be resolved more effectively?
Was the problem delivered in the correct context?
Did the problem communicate with an audience?

 - Liked the concept, think it is strong
- Might be better to challenge people rather than be too nice to them and guide them
- Fear motivates more than positivity, so could include facts and figures
- Posters are aesthetically nice but there isn't much depth and meaning
- More of a 'kick up the butt approach' could work
- Liked the posters but don't think they are motivating
- Would be worth creating other products that are more relevant to students
- It would be good to test the products now that you have actually produced them and to see whether they work
- The posters seem a bit girly so a different approach would be better for males
- Posters worked for Kirsty, she did think they were motivating
- Liked the logo, thought 'help yourself' was a clever title, could make more use of this logo
- Some of the type styles didn't relate to motivation
- The different skills of group members is useful
- How would you give the products out? Have you tested it? Does it work?

Final Pieces

Matt's Designs

Stickers

Posters

Websites

Kirsty's Designs

Posters

Screenprints

Kirsty modelling her t-shirts and bag

My Designs

Shopper Bag

Posters

Final Products

Steph's Work

Screenprints

 Doiley

Tearable poster

 

Poster

    

Fridge Magnets

Mitch's Designs

Posters

My Evaluation

I think this has been a really difficult brief because of it being group work. There are always problems with group work, such as some people not putting in as much work as others but I also think there are benefits to group work. For example, I have learnt new skills on photo shop and illustrator from Kirsty and Steph, who knew a bit more than me. I hope I have also been able to teach the others in the group something too. It was good that we could all put in our different skills, as we discussed at the beginning of the project. I have been inspired by others work, and tried new ways of working. It has been good to discuss ideas with others, as they may notice flaws that you don't, or suggest other things you haven't thought of. I think I personally work hard in group work briefs as I don't want to feel like I am letting the rest of the group down.

Earlier on in the year, when we did other group work briefs, I think it was easier because people weren't as confident about speaking out so would tend to agree with ideas rather than to fight for their own. This isn't necessarily a good thing, but now, with everyone willing to speak out, there are far more conflicting ideas to choose from. At the same time, this is good, because it allows for a really original idea to be chosen.

I'm not sure if our answers to the brief show the keywords we described ourselves as at the beginning of the year: motivated, fresh, talented, edgy and innotative. There were certain times where we were all not motivated at all, so to try to solve this we had regular group meetings, and discussed our ideas with Amber or Jo where possible. We did try so hard for our work to be fresh, and hopefully showcased our different talents through the variety of work. I wouldn't say that what we produced was edgy, but we did try to use innovative, however, due to various restraints, I don't think our idea worked as well as it could have done.

At one point we felt we had come to a dead end with our ideas, as we felt it had all already been done before. Some members of our group had different opinions about where to go next than others. After a crit with Jo, we decided on a good idea that we all felt positive about. However, I don't think our ideas execute this idea to its full potential. Other groups had made their briefs live and we hadn't, which really let us down. I feel that we had so much opportunity, as our initial concept was good and received really positive feedback in the crit, but we didn't produce the quantity or quality of work we could have done. I don't feel as if our final pieces actually answer the problem of getting people to give more. I think they look good, but don't actually work. We should have tested the posters and products to see if they were actually motivational before our presentation. 

Design is about doing. Letter, Word, Sentence, Paragraph.

.Opposite - Blue & Orange, Red & Green, Yellow & Purple

These are opposite colours on the colour wheel

Concept - I will spell out the name of a colour with objects that are the colours opposite. I will do the same for the opposite colour, and include this underneath so the idea is obvious.

Crit

How much is it worth?

In our crit, we worked out roughly how many hours we thought we had spent just on this brief, to help us to work out how much our work would be worth if we were professional graphic designers.

Mon- 5 Tue- 0 Wed-2 Thurs-7 Total-14 hours

Charging £100 an hour would mean this work is worth £1,400

Feedback

It is a good concept, and is interesting because it is 3d, but some photographs may need to be retaken to ensure that the images are sharp.

Things to consider

Is the concept clear? I think the concept is fairly simple so can be understood by everyone.

Is the typography legible? Some letters are not as easy to understand as others, but I think next to the other letters and with the use of colour it is obvious what the words are.

What stock would you print it on? I am not sure yet, I will need to experiment in digital print, but I probably won't print the posters on to snow white paper as the contrast between the white and the colours is too harsh.

Receipt

Final Piece

My Evaluation

Despite this only being a one week brief, I am really pleased with my final posters. The pieces are quite different to what I would usually do, due to the restrictions with the brief, but I am happy about this, as it has pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to do things differently, and as a result, I am really pleased with how this has turned out. I think considering the time we spent everyday on the brief was a really good way of reflecting that I think I will use in the future. With so many other things going on also during the week, I do feel as if I left the designing of the final piece until the last minute for the final crit. However, after the final crit, there was still an amount of time before the piece had to be submitted for the competition. So, after the feedback I received in the final crit, I went back and neatened and edited the images to ensure that all of the letters were clear and easy to read. I have printed each poster onto A4 gloss paper in digital print to ensure the best quality presentation. 

End of Module Self Evaluation

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



I have learnt how to create a moving image, something which I enjoyed greatly as I have never done anything like this before. I haven't put this new skill to full use, as I decided not to make a moving video for my Collection 100 product, but would like to create a video in a future module.


Through the photo shop workshop, as well as through my own experimentation which followed, I have learnt a lot about photo shop. Previously, the processes I had been using to edit my images had been destructive, meaning that I couldn't go back to the original image if I needed. This workshop has been useful, as I created all of the dinosaur pages in photo shop, so I had the opportunity to apply the new things I learnt to my Collection 100 work.


I have learnt about different book folds and binding. This practical research process inspired me to create a concertina book for my Collection 100 final piece. The prospect of creating a book previously had always seem daunting, so I had always stuck to flat pieces. By doing something different to what I would usually do I feel much happier with my final piece. 


I learnt how I can translate data into graphics through the task of plotting life events into a graph, as well as researching info graphics in the What is Graphic Design for Screen brief. I haven't applied this new skill to my work for Collection 100 as I didn't think info-graphics were relevant for my target audience, although in hindsight, simplifying the information I gathered may have been possible with the use of info-graphics.

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

In this module I have learnt a lot about research, from why it is important to different types of research. I have done a lot more of it, and made sure that it is relevant. Previously the only research I really did was secondary research of images. For this module there has been both primary and secondary research, as well as qualitative and quantitative research. I have used the internet and books, as well as other approaches, such as setting up facebook groups, questionnaires and actually testing out my product.


In particular, in the What If group brief we did a lot of research, not only of graphic design, but with our audience to make sure there was actually a place for our idea. Through this research I have learnt that what I think is needed or is a good idea may not actually be the best idea, the only way to know which idea would work the best is to find out what the target audience are looking for and to test the idea. Therefore, I think the primary qualitative research which I gained through methods such as questionnaires and responses to a facebook group has been the most informative to help with my design process.

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



I have realised that when things don't go right this is not a weakness, in fact, mistakes and wrong decisions are useful, and that is what this module has been all about. Unlike in the previous module, in this module I haven't just gone with my first idea, no matter how good I think it may be. Instead, I have thought of many ideas, tried out different things, as well as letting my ideas develop and change because of things that have inspired me, things that have gone wrong, as well as comments I have received in crits. 

Learning about type and grid in a visual language session has made me ensure that there is a visual consistency with the grids of all my products. This was especially important when creating a book with over 100 pages. Previously I wouldn't have made sure my measurements or layout were exact. 

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



Despite a lot of progress, I haven't improved on all the things I wanted to in the last module. I think the quality of presentation is still a weakness in my work. I haven't really experimented with different stocks and paper sizes as I had wanted to. I think creating stickers to go with my book for Collection 100 could have made it more exciting. 


A weakness is not making sure that my product is understandable earlier on. Through this module, I have learnt that the ideas and thoughts in my head may not be what other people see. Especially if a product has to do the talking for itself, its important that I regularly ask for feedback from tutors as well as asking the opinions of others, in particular the target audience. 


I think I should have thought more about the content of my Collection 100 book before starting to actually create the pages. I did initially plan to make cards, so when I decided to make a book instead I should have thought more about the content, instead of straight away turning my ideas for the cards in to a book. I created 100 dinosaur colouring pages as well as activity pages and introductory pages. If my idea had been 100 pages instead of 100 dinosaurs, I think I would have had more time to concentrate on improving the quality of each page. Also, I could have included more activities and this range would have been a better way to keep the readers attention. 


With a book you have to consider how the pages work with each other when placed next to each other on a double page spread, but as I had initially planned to create cards, I hadn't put much thought in to this. There were some pages I had to re-design after not considering this until later on in the project, and there are still some pages I am unhappy with. If I was creating the book again, I would create more mock-ups before making the final piece, so I could ensure that all of the parts of the pages were where I wanted them.

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

In the next module I would like to learn how to use different software, as I feel that there could be a better programme to edit book pages on, instead of photo shop, which is more useful for the manipulation of photographs, as can be seen through the postcards I created for the photoshop brief. I think if I knew of a better way to arrange the pages on the computer before printing, I would be happier with the layout of the final piece.


Next time I think I will create more mock-ups of my product, and print these on different stocks and at different sizes. This is a similar to how in the previous module I wanted to ensure that in future I was not rushing in with my first design idea. I need to not just choose the simplest stock or size, or the first one I think of, but to experiment. I think I will be able to create much more exciting, eye-catching pieces if I was to do this differently next time. 


I think since the last module the way in which I work has improved, as the PPD time management sessions made me realise the amount of time I spent doing things. However, I am still not managing my time as effectively as I could be, especially during stressful times. There were a lot of things going on at once at the same time as this module, such as the critical studies essay and visual language work, and at times I have struggled with completing my work. If next time I kept more up to date with to-do lists, and planned ahead about what needed doing, I wouldn't need to rush to complete anything but could ensure every piece of work was the quality I intended it to be.


I think I need to consider what is the most important part of the module. I realise I have spent quite a while on the photo shop brief as I found it the most enjoyable and because I found I was learning a lot through my experimentation. Yet, due to the time I spent on this, my Collection 100 work suffered slightly.


Next time I will consider the cost of the product I am making before I start to make it. I was aware that the costs would affect the product, and I feel like I have limited my designs because of this. In future, if I can plan ahead for what I will need to print, I could have the best quality printing and good stock instead of choosing the cheapest stock in the end as I had so much to print. With about 30 a3 sheets for my Collection 100 book, this would have been quite expensive to all print in the digital print room.

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

Visual Language: Book Fair

Design Work

Week One Crit

We had a crit with other students to discuss our initial ideas, asking questions about stock, colour, crafting, process, format, and whether or not the book works as a poster as well. 

Issues Raised

- What stock will be used? Plain white paper can look cheap, it would look better on a thicker stock, maybe with a texture or colour behind it.

- Will you hand draw the images or create them on illustrator? It may look more professional on illustrator but will take longer to do.

- The text inside on the poster looks too much in comparison to the other pages, and also it doesn't have any shape to the layout. You could re-arrange the layout and maybe have a big three in the middle instead.

After the crit I decided to create a developed version of my book, re-arranging different aspects.

Week Two Crit

Considerations

Format: A4

Stock: I will try printing my book on to different stocks, ideally something with colour and a slight texture that is still thin, such as parcel paper or newsprint

Interactions: Just something to look at

Is it image, text, or text/image: Images made out of text, possibly hand drawn and scanned in, or created on illustrator

In our second crit we had to explain our ideas and reasons to a different group of people than in the first crit. After explaining my book, showing my mock-up and listening to others feedback, I realised that I was still unsure about my book, as I thought the images looked a bit scruffy, and I was worried I do not have the skills on illustrator to create the images. So I decided to go along with an early idea - a book containing text and illustrations about the significance of the number three in children's fairytales and nursery rhymes. I will still keep the book the same format, and still intend to print on the same stock. It was a difficult decision to change my idea so late on in the brief, as it meant I wouldn't get the feedback I had received recieve for my first idea, and obviously I had a lot less time to complete my book. However, after asking my peers about this decision, the general response was that the second idea was stronger.

Final Book Screenshots

Photographs of Final Book 

Books with belly bands

Front Cover

Book pages

Inside Poster

Showing hot dog fold

Evaluation
I am much happier with my final book since changing my idea, although this left me with difficulties, such as a shorter time to work with, and not having the opportunity to present my new book in class crits. I have experimented with stocks of different colours, textures and weights for this brief, which I haven't really done before, but I think the use of a different stock allows for a more exciting final product. I think as the outcome of this brief has always been about the physical book, I have taken better care with my presentation, which is something that I previously noticed I needed to improve on. I think the restrictions on size and layout have actually helped me within this brief, rather than limiting my design as I first worried they might. 

Time Management

Week One

Activities

In the PPD session we noted down activities how we think we spend our time, then put these into categories which we gave an estimated percentage for, based on how much time we think we spend on these activities.

College Activities

Travel, tutorials, library, mac suites, workshops, visual language, cts, crits, studio time, blogging, lunch, breaks, procrastination, ppd, lectures, research, planning, library shop

Domestic Activities

Washing up, tidying kitchen/bathroom, preparing food, cooking, eating, putting stuff away, tidying bedroom, washing clothes, sleeping, showering, getting dressed, weekly shop, hoovering

Social Activities 

Facebook, nights out, phone calls, shopping, days out, texting, conversation

Other

Part time work, watching TV, reading, travel, going home, going on computer, drawing, general wasting time

General Activities

1. College work 25%

2. Travel 5%

3. Tidying/cleaning 5%

4. Shopping 5%

5. Eating 5%

6. Speaking to friends 15%

7. Going out 5%

8. Relaxing 5%

9. Sleeping 30%

College Activities

1. Blogging 20%

2. Visual language 10%

3. CTS 10%

4. Travel 5%

5. Breaks/lunch 10%

6. Mac suites/library 10%

7. Studio time 15%

8. Tutorials/workshops 10%

9. Briefs/lectures 10%

This week we all have recorded what we have been doing and how long we have spent on each activity to help us to see how we really manage our time.

Week Two

Ways of time wasting

- Oversleeping - Naps - Staying up late - Lack of motivation - TV/Games - Facebook/Socialising - Sitting around - Not getting work done on a Wednesday as not in college - Procrastination

How to stop wasting time...

- Combine tasks together e.g. cook with friends - Write what you need to do in a list, either colour code, order or give a letter to determine which task needs to be done first - Set watch faster than the actual time - Do a little bit everyday rather than leaving everything until the last minute - Plan ahead for the week - Leave time to plan every day - Try to stop doing things that make you feel guilty for wasting time

Why manage your time?

- Sense of accomplishment - Professional - Prepares you for a working environment - Makes you more employable - Time is money - Feel less stressed - No guilt - Be on top of your jobs 

Long term goals

What do you want to achieve by the end of the course? I would like to achieve a 2:1, have great knowledge of Graphic Design, have done various work experience placements and made contacts in the industry.

What is your ideal job? I am not yet sure as I am still learning about Graphic Design and am not sure how I would like to specialise.

What kind of practice/business do you aspire to be a part of or do you want to run your own? This depends on the circumstances, but I think I would like to go freelance and be my own boss.

Do you want to work in this country or abroad? In this country.

What special interests are important to you? My hobbies are important to me although I do not get a lot of time to do these because of the time spent on the course. Ideally I would like to have more time to pursue my hobbies, such as rock climbing and hiking, however now because of the course I don't have a lot of spare time so when I do get time to relax I usually do something which seems like time wasting such as watching TV.