INTERIM EVALUATION//OUGD402

Evaluate the problems that you identified and had to resolve within the briefs this year:

I think an important problem I've had to solve so far with all the briefs is having to have all the outcomes made digitally (Adobe programmes) I'm really glad I've been made to use illustrator/photoshop because its definitely something I would of avoided as all my previous work was hand rendered.  I do however think it limits ideas sometimes because I'm working to a usually short timed brief and so I always feel like I don't have enough time to research, generate ideas, draw some design sheets and then learn some new techniques on the programmes to create the designs I have as potential ideas in my head.  Another problem, my time management skills.  Again and again I've found I'm not leaving myself enough time for the final design, the majority of the time for each brief is spent on researching, design sheets and trying to think of an actual idea.

PROVERBALLY YOURS (OUGD403)

This was one of the first briefs we got at the start of the year, looking back the outcome was pretty rubbish, the three posters were hand drawn because I had no concept of Adobe.  It looks unprofessional, the use of colour is bad because I think we were limited to two colours plus stock and so hand drawing it wasn't a good idea.  After everything I've learnt over the past six months I definitely think if I was handed this brief now the outcome would be improved drastically.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES HOT DOG BOOK (OUGD404)

I quite enjoyed making a hot dog book for the first time, a problem I had with this which has happened a few times is printing.  I have to be exact with measurements on inDesign etc. and print out test versions in the mac suite, even though I did this, type was still managed to be cut off when printing the final 10 copies.

PHOTOSHOP BRIEF/POSTCARDS (OUGD405)

Something that I do constantly, I found especially with this brief, not giving myself enough time to actually produce the final piece of work.  I think it happened with this one more so because it was running along side the '100 things..' brief which was a long project.

Evaluate the key considerations that you had to take into account when investigating briefs this year:

After being on this course I've realised there are a lot more things as a graphic design student that you need to consider rather than just what the final piece looks like.

GENERATING IDEAS/DESIGN SHEETS:

-I've never had to do so much prep work before starting the actual design, this has definitely helped improve the quality of the final outcome.  Design sheets, which I hated doing at first, is a great way to get things down and generate ideas.  The amount of design sheets I've done in the last two modules compared to OUGD403 has increased.  I think design sheets allow you to get a basic idea of potential designs without going to the trouble of designing them first which would waste a considerable amount of time.

RESEARCH:

Research was a massive part of '100 things' OUGD405, this was where I learnt the importance of research and also the importance of a varied body of research, primary/secondary, quantitative/qualitative.

AUDIENCE:

Target audience is a massive part of graphic design, which I hadn't realised until starting the course.  At Camberwell there wasn't as much emphasis put on this.  I think most of my designs were done with little or no consideration for my target audience.  This is obviously an important factor as graphic design is all about communicating a message and with no clear target audience that only makes it harder.

Evaluate the research activities that you had to undertake in order to resolve the briefs this year

Research is something else I've found to be important and useful when doing any brief, when doing OUGD405 I learnt the importance of primary research, making surveys is something i've done this year that gives you good feedback about what design direction to take.  Secondary research is something I rely on heavily, however, I've learnt to try and use reliable sources, this is key, if you design something with incorrect information its sending out the wrong message.

Evaluate the examples of secondary research that informed your design decisions

I think for secondary research I rely way to heavily on the internet, and should try and use different sources to get some information. Also you never know whats reliable on the internet.

Evaluate the examples of practical research that informed your resolution

I found doing questionnaires and surveys helped to get a better understanding of an audiences point of view.  I want to start incorporating photography into my projects more, using your own images instead of ones off the internet.

Evaluate the breadth of visual investigation that you explored before deciding on your design direction

Visually I've looked at quite a few images, for example with the '100 things' a lot of my research was looking at old packaging, old record sleeves, the general style of things from that period of time that I was researching. I tend to draw up my designs visually before hand on design sheets, however, I find on most of my design sheets I do tend to write just as much.  A lot of my visual research is done on the internet or just from things that catch my eye in general, I should start getting resources from the library and other places for future briefs.  I look at some designers I like to get visual inspiration for things like type, layout etc.  I found when I was doing the Rain Poster Brief OUGD406 I tried to look at various poster designs to see if I could get any ideas on design and style.

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Systematic, Stimulated & Intuitive Approches

The approach taken for the last brief: STAMP IT!//OUGD406

-Stimulated

-Intuitive

-Systematic 

I used a stimulative approach at the beginning  to draw inspiration from the internet, I looked at previous work that answered the brief before to help get an idea of how other people had responded to the brief.  I then looked t facts and stats to get information about the topic.

Intuitive approach: I drew some ideas out on designs sheets, to get an idea visually of what I was going to create.

When I'd decided on an idea, what the message was I wanted to display and the basic idea/style, I used a systematic approach to make my designs, the style, consistency etc.

OUGD406//STAMP IT EVALUATION:

What skills have you developed through this brief and how effectively do you think you have applied them? What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
-Working on this brief has really helped me to try and successfully deliver/communicate an important message.  This was a brief in particular where the message had to be clear and concise because it involved important issues and the format was to such a small scale.  At first when trying to design my final set of stamps I was finding it hard to try and fit as much image and text on because I was aware the type might not be legible when coming to print.  I feel in this brief, doing research was essential to aid my final designs as my stamps were based on facts about recycling.
What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these? 

I think, at first, I found it hard to work on such a small scale, obviously I designed the stamp on a bigger scale but you constantly had to think about how much you could put on the design because when scaling it down it could go wrong.  I found once I printed out a size tester the design still managed to work, i was quite surprised with how much information I could fit on a small stamp.  I found the research I'd done to be useful, this was a brief I found research to be essential as I knew very little on the topic before hand.  I think the stamps worked as a group because the style and imagery were consistent along with the facts that hopefully engaged the audience.
What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future? 
I struggled to get the actual design started, I'd done a few design sheets to generate ideas and came up with quite a few basic ones which I could picture, however, when trying to design them on illustrator it didn't work or look the way I wanted to at all.  This is down to me not having a clear understanding of the programmes, it can be frustrating, visually having these ideas in your head and knowing what you want your designs to look like but being restricted because of the lack of skill and experience.  I also spent too much time researching things that then became slightly irrelevant to my final designs.
Identify things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these? 
-Not leave the final design so late on, this should be something I start to develop half way through the brief, not towards the end
-Explore different aspects of illustrator/photoshop to try new and interesting designs
-Pay attention to the brief in detail, read it until it is completely clear and know exactly what is expected.

1ST SEMESTER REVIEW//THINGS I HAVE LEARNT ABOUT MYSELF PERSONALLY & PROFESSIONALLY OUGD402

10 things that you have learned about yourself as an individual and as a learner. These should reflect your personal development and individual journey since the start of the programme:
ONE.
Time management, I can't decide if I've become better or worse at it!  In terms of punctuality, I've definitely become better, I'm on time for college usually, whereas before I was always late to things.  I don't think I've become any better at actually managing my time effectively, I have more things to do and more responsibilities than I've ever had which I think makes it a lot harder to successfully balance an academic, social and domestic student lifestyle.
TWO.
Responsibilities, since moving to Leeds I've definitely learnt to grow up a bit more.  Things like laundry, cooking, paying rent etc. aren't going to get done if I don't do it.  Its definitely something thats made me more independent and I feel like I've progressed over the last six months in terms of growing up.

THREE.
Moving out, Im really glad I moved out of London and to Leeds to experience a new city, to meet new people and to become more independent.  I think Leeds is a great city to be a student in and I'm enjoying myself.  Its also made me appreciate going home and back to London, its always good to go back there and see my family and friends, I've also realised how much i miss my dads cooking.

FOUR.

Meeting people, since moving here I've met a lot of great people, I like the social element of living in Leeds, its got a good atmosphere and a good mix of people.

FIVE.

Sleep!  It never really bothered me before, but since starting the course I've learnt to appreciate a good sleep.  When doing a-levels and a foundation I never had a full timetable where you had to be in for 9:30 everyday, I've learnt I can't really go to bed at three in the morning every night and carry on getting up that early, it just doesn't work.
SIX.
Financial situation, Ive learnt that I'm not actually that bad with money, the occasional slip up here and there but generally i can budget,  I haven't had to ask my parents for too much, which is good considering I have no loan left after rent.  I have learnt though, that if I want to pay for things through summer, I'm going to have to get a job fairly soon, its just finding the time to fit that in with a full time course, domestic responsibilities and a social life!

SEVEN.
Looking after yourself, i've learnt I have a pretty rubbish immune system, its real easy to get run down when your not looking after yourself properly, I've been ill a few times and its all down to things like not getting enough sleep, skipping meals, dehydrating yourself and just generally not being as healthy as I should.
EIGHT.
Graphic Design, I never knew one thing could consume so much of my time...
NINE. 
Photography, since starting the course i haven't been using my camera as much as I use to, I really like taking photographs and using them for design work, because of heavy work load its hard to get to do it sometimes, but I want to start using my camera again.

TEN.
Coming to uni's made me think about the future, and all the things I want to do in life, life is short and theres so many things to do, I want to make the most of my time here because it goes so quickly.


10 things that you have learned about yourself as a designer. These should reflect your growing awareness of your own interests within graphic design as a subject, discipline and profession...
ONE.
Adobe, I think in terms of being a graphic design student, the biggest progress I've made is working with Adobe, in particular, Illustrator and Photoshop.  Before starting the course i'd never even opened the programmes, I had absolutely no concept of how to work with them but after practicing and being forced into using them to create different projects I've found its not as hard as I first thought.  I really like the style and final outcome of creating work on Adobe, however I sometimes miss doing more hand rendered type things.

TWO.

Organising, I've learnt writing lists is a good way for me to keep organised, I like being able to see everything I have written down in front of me, it seems to make it more manageable, even if it is slightly overwhelming sometimes...I like writing things down rather than sketching, notes, lists, reminders, all help me to manage the work load better.

THREE.

Graphic Designers, before doing my foundation I didn't even know I wanted to do graphic design, I hardly knew any graphic designers, just fine artists, since starting the course, and especially doing all the context of practice tasks, I've learnt so much about famous graphic designers and contemporary graphic designers.  Ive discovered some of my favourite designers through some jo's workshops and through research on my d.c log.

FOUR.
Working professionally, being in the studio from 9:30 till 4:00/5:00 everyday as definitely helped me to get into a routine of working better, the studio is set out like a professional workplace, with a creative atmosphere and like minded people.  I appreciate the studio because not all institutes supply the students with practical equipment as good as ours.

FIVE:

Crits, Since the start of the course we've pretty much had a crit every week or every other week, I didn't like them at first but I think its a great learning tool as it helps to get feedback on your work, generate new ideas, and be inspired by other peoples work.  When reading a disappointing bit of feedback on your work its easy to take it personally, however, its got to be taken constructively, no one will ever say it can't be improved.

 SIX.
Blogging, I'd never blogged before I came to LCA, at first I found it hard to keep on top of it and do it daily but now I think its an effective way of recording progress, showing work more professionally and monitoring the work load.  Now its something thats a daily occurrence, that happens as a habit rather than a chore.

SEVEN.

Money, being a graphic design student can be quite pricey, I didn't have a mac until january, but I don't think i could do the course as well without having one, it constantly relays on you blogging, using adobe, and researching, all things that you need a laptop, and personally I feel a mac, for the most professional graphic design work.  Printing also adds up a fair bit...

EIGHT.

Learning, group work, since starting the course I feel I know so much more about Graphic Design as a subject, things that I never even knew about before such as colour theory, type and grid and aspects of typography that id never looked at.  The lectures have given me information on a broad range of topics such as film, visual communication, modernism etc.  Whilst I've been here I've also worked on group briefs several times, this has been a great experience, and we've had successful outcomes, its good to be able to put peoples ideas together and create designs.

NINE.

Screen printing, this is something thats interested me for a while but I've never been able to try it, since coming here and getting a broader understanding of techniques and designers I've liked the look of screen printing even more and its definitely something I want to try with some projects in the future.

TEN.

Progress, I feel like I've made a lot of progress being on the course, I've never had so much work or worked so hard before, I think my skills have improved and I've learnt so much about the subject since september, Ive also become more interested and engaged in the subject.

MANIFESTO TASK//OUGD401

MANIFESTO TASK:

-First I decided to get an idea of what a manifesto actually is, and look at some examples so that I could take influence when making my own personal one.

A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifesto

SOME EXAMPLES OF MANIFESTO'S:

We are essential to success in this increasingly complex, technology-fueled age.

We are evangelists for the combined power of technology, creativity and communication.

We know that good design is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

We are the stewards of a new economy driven by the consumer, hungry for ideas.

We create simplicity out of complexity. We use our talent to serve, define, inspire, plan and create.

We are driven to see the entire landscape, identify patterns and create sustainable solutions.

We believe in the nobility of creating solutions that are elegant, effective, measurable and beautiful.

We are the conduit for the information people need, the things they seek and the human connections they crave.

Manifesto of “The New Designer”
– by Ken Hanson

VISUAL MANIFESTOS:

FAVOURITES: -Friends are more important than money

-Drink fresh water and as much water as you can.  Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.

I like these two points on the second manifesto, the first one because I think its important to not lose site of what matters, to be financially stable/successful is important but people you care about (friends/family) are the most important thing.  The second point because I think its something i should consider a lot more, I always forget to drink and end up dehydrated and with a headache.

I really like the whole message of this manifesto, a positive outlook on life, points I like in particular are:

-This is your life, do what you want and do it often

I think thats a good attitude, lives short, you should spend your time doing things you love/enjoy.

-If you don't like something, change it

-If you don't have enough time stop watching t.v

I think this applies to me, I don't watch that much t.v but I feel like I never have enough time and when I stop and think about what I'm actually doing, its not as much as I should be, I just feel like I'm wasting time achieving nothing.

-STOP OVER ANALYSING, LIFE IS SIMPLE.

-Open your mind, arms and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences 

I like this because I think life is about trying and experiencing new things

-TRAVEL OFTEN 

This is one of the things I want to do most in life, I think its important to travel the world, experience new cultures and see different things.

-Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating.

I think life is about creating memories with people and doing what you enjoy, its important to be happy.

http://www.visualnews.com/2012/02/21/manifesto-fever/

http://benpittdesign.wordpress.com/2011/11/

FAVOURITES: -Put down the remote get off the couch and do something

-Create to learn a bit more about yourself

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/04/08/five-manifestos-for-life/

The Writer: Leo Tolstoy
While they betray a bit of the self-hating introvert, Tolstoy’s “rules for life,” originally written when he was 18 years old, do contain some useful gems. In particular, the notion of managing your energy and prioritizing based on goals (no. 5), and of managing your finances wisely by always keeping a low overhead (no. 9 & 10)

1. Get up early (five o'clock).
2. Go to bed early (nine to ten o'clock).
3. Eat little and avoid sweets.
4. Try to do everything by yourself.
5. Have a goal for your whole life, a goal for one section of your life, a goal for a shorter period and a goal for the year; a goal for every month, a goal for every week, a goal for every day, a goal for every hour and for every minute, and sacrifice the lesser goal to the greater.
6. Keep away from women.
7. Kill desire by work.
8. Be good, but try to let no one know it.
9. Always live less expensively than you might.
10. Change nothing in your style of living even if you become ten times richer.

FAVOURITES:

-Have a goal for your whole life, a goal for one section of your life, a goal for a shorter period and a goal for the year; a goal for every month, a goal for every week, a goal for every day, a goal for every hour and for every minute, and sacrifice the lesser goal to the greater.

The Marketer: Seth Godin
The always insightful Seth Godin shared his “Unforgivable Manifesto” with artistHugh MacLeod a few years ago. His observation about the short-run vs the long-run in point 5 is particularly incisive, as is the notion that we’re all marketers in point 7 – it's just that some of us don’t own it.
1. The greatest innovations appear to come from those that are self-reliant. Individuals who go right to the edge and do something worth talking about. Not solo, of course, but as instigators of a team. In two words: don’t settle.
2. The greatest marketers do two things: they treat customers with respect and they measure.
3. The greatest salespeople understand that people resist change and that ‘no’ is the single easiest way to do that.
4. The greatest bloggers blog for their readers, not for themselves.
5. There really isn’t much a of ‘short run’. It quickly becomes yesterday. The long run, on the other hand, sticks around for quite a while.
6. The internet doesn’t forget. And sooner or later, the internet finds out.
7. Everyone is a marketer, even people and organizations that don’t market. They’re just marketers who are doing it poorly.
8. Amazing organizations and people receive rewards that more than make up for the effort required to be that good.
9. There is no number 9.
10. Mass taste is rarely good taste.

google images

FAVOURITES:

-We want to inspire you to do more, to be more, to feel good lost and explore always.

-In order to be, you must do.

FAVOURITES: - Travel to explore the planet

-Get off the hamster wheel occasionally

-Do something fun everyday 

After looking at various Manifestos, I've put together a personal manifesto:

   ______________________________________________

MY PERSONAL MANIFESTO

+PLANNING: Use time wisely, get things done, don't waste time doing pointless unproductive things..

+TRAVEL: Try new things, go to different places, experience other cultures!

+SMILE:Be positive, life is short.

+Take photographs, make a visual diary, create memories, have something to look back at and remember!

+ORGANISE: Don't leave things till the last minute, get them done without rushing, the outcome will be better.

+Make lists and keep track of what needs doing

+DON'T WORRY: No matter what it is, worrying only makes you feel worse...life should be stress free

+ A good deed goes a long way, help people out, be kind, be generous, be helpful, the favour will be returned

________________________________________________________

COMMUNICATION IS A VIRUS//TRY SOMETHING NEW//DIET GROUP EVALUATION OUGD406

D - Describing - What is It?
I - Interpreting - What is it about?
E - Evaluating - How good is it?
T - Theorising - Does it solve the problem?


D-Describing - What is it?
Our group decided to create a campaign that encouraged students, new to Leeds or living in Leeds to try something new.  Our 'try something new' was to get students to listen to and experience a new genre of music different to their usual preference.  We felt Leeds had a diverse music scene perfect for allowing students to branch out and experience a whole new genre, atmosphere and night out.  We researched into nights out/gigs in Leeds to see what nights were on and who would be playing in the recent months, using that information we made 5 c.d's, each one based on one genre.  Our genres were Reggae, Hip Hop, Indie, Jazz and Motown, we made five of each c.d and then distributed them around college.  The idea is someone would select a c.d of a genre they wouldn't usually listen to and listen to the five tracks we selected for the c.d, they would then give feedback on our 'Fresh Music' twitter/facebook page about the c.d and tracks.  They can also ask for further information about the genre and when the gigs/nights out will be held in Leeds, we give them information on the venue, where to get tickets, dates etc.


I - Interpreting - What is it about?

It was about getting people to try something new, in our case try a new genre of music.  By giving people the easy option of the c.d being made and the track list selected all they have to do is play it and they've already tried something new.  I think the way we distributed the c.d's made it easy for our target audience to try something new because most of it was done without them having to go to too much trouble.


E-Evaluating - How good is it?
The concept worked well, initially we found it hard to come up with the concept and tried various different ideas. If we had more time, the idea would have had more time to be developed and we would have had more time for feedback. The idea of introducing new music to students in Leeds was effective; university is a time to try something new and Leeds is a great city for diversity in music. We initially agreed to set up a Twitter page in order to gather feedback, but the responses on feedback were slow. We set up a Facebook account in addition and over the weekend the responses we quick and helpful. We each put one of our playlists on the Facebook enabling the people who hadn’t picked up a CD to listen to each different genre; Reggae, Jazz, Motown, Indie and Hip Hop.

T- Theorising - does it solve the problem?

in many ways, we did manage to solve the problem and get people listening to new music through the cd handout but we didn't receive sufficient responses and feedback online which was how we measured the outcome of the brief. by transferring our information and music online using twitter and facebook pages, we were able to give our users an easier way of responding and commenting. we still did not receive as much feedback as we originally wanted but the cd's made a good impression and created some interest in the studio, and all 20 cd's handed out were gone within a few hours.