OUGD403 DESIGN SKILLS:END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION

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

Throughout this module I think I’ve developed quite a lot of new skills and techniques that I had very little knowledge or none at all before starting this course.  When I first started the course my background knowledge on the digital aspect of graphic design such as Illustrator, Photoshop and other digital media based programmes was non-existent.  Having to use it in the first nine weeks has at least familiarised me with the tools and I am now more and more interested in learning how to produce good quality work with these programmes.  I have also learnt how to effectively use a blog, at the start of the course I found it hard to get into a regular routine with blogging research and work in general but as the weeks have gone on I’ve begun to find it useful and effective.

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

-Constantly blogging has helped me to develop research more, just looking on websites for ideas and designers approaches to various works.  I think having shorter briefs has helped me to generate ideas quicker, sometimes having one week to produce something makes you try out various methods because your'e on a time limit.  I think generally having to be in the studio must of the time in a creative working environment has helped to generate and produce ideas, this is a contrast to my foundation where the timetable wasn't as scheduled.

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

-I feel whilst being on this course my general understanding of graphic design and techniques within graphic design have improved vastly, I feel from looking at the briefs that I've submitted for this module its not as easy to see because i'm at a transitional period where i'm putting these new skills into practice (Illustrator) and so some of the briefs looking back, I don't think, are done as well as they could of been after undergoing two months on this course.  I think within these first few months of being here i've made huge progress just generally building a foundation for better work to be produced as time goes on.

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

I tend to be slow with generating ideas, if I could think up a number of ideas and test them through design sheets and various other progressive stages then by the end of it I would have an idea that I could fully develop.  Also time keeping, I usually start with the idea and come back to the research later, however from the final brief we did I found myself changing ideas and developing further due to looking at other designers work, if I could keep on top of all aspects of the brief (design sheets, development work, research and the final piece) I feel overall my work would be a lot more successful.  Another weakness is my lack of knowledge on Illustrator which I have been trying to improve as the weeks have gone on, the first brief where I had to design an alphabet, looking back, now that I feel more advanced, I could do a lot more with the brief.  I feel you can see an improvement from one of the first briefs where I used Illustrator to create the alphabet in contrast to the final brief of this module where I used Illustrator to create my proverb in the tone of voice of a hairdresser, I think theres an improvement in terms of technical  skill.  I feel I need to try physically getting things down on paper to go through a process of elimination of ideas rather than just trying to think of a final idea.

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

-Make a point of completing design sheets before starting to make my final piece, this will help me generate ideas quicker, and have a better developing body of work to support my final idea.

-Use the library more in order to get a wider range of research for my Design Context blog

-Start my final idea with more time to develop it to the best possible solution instead of cutting it fine and not always getting to do what I would of liked to because of lack of time.

-Use different techniques to produce work, screen printing, laser cutting and become more familiar with Illustrator 

-Try and do a bit of development work and blogging on a daily basis to stay on top and become more engaged on the brief by constantly surrounding myself with it, i.e taking a camera with me everywhere to photograph research etc.

How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

5=Excellent, 4=Very Good, 3=Good, 2=Average, 1=Poor.

Attendance -4

Punctuality-4

Motivation-3

Commitment-4

Quantity of work produced-2

Quality of work produced-2

Contribution to the group-2

OUGD403 DESIGN SKILLS:END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
Throughout this module I think I’ve developed quite a lot of new skills and techniques that I had very little knowledge or none at all before starting this course.  When I first started the course my background knowledge on the digital aspect of graphic design such as Illustrator, Photoshop and other digital media based programmes was non-existent.  Having to use it in the first nine weeks has at least familiarised me with the tools and I am now more and more interested in learning how to produce good quality work with these programmes.  I have also learnt how to effectively use a blog, at the start of the course I found it hard to get into a regular routine with blogging research and work in general but as the weeks have gone on I’ve begun to find it useful and effective.


2. What approaches to/methods of idea generation have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
-Constantly blogging has helped me to develop research more, just looking on websites for ideas and designers approaches to various works.  I think having shorter briefs has helped me to generate ideas quicker, sometimes having one week to produce something makes you try out various methods because your'e on a time limit.  I think generally having to be in the studio must of the time in a creative working environment has helped to generate and produce ideas, this is a contrast to my foundation where the timetable wasn't as scheduled.


3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
-I feel whilst being on this course my general understanding of graphic design and techniques within graphic design have improved vastly, I feel from looking at the briefs that I've submitted for this module its not as easy to see because i'm at a transitional period where i'm putting these new skills into practice (Illustrator) and so some of the briefs looking back, I don't think, are done as well as they could of been after undergoing two months on this course.  I think within these first few months of being here i've made huge progress just generally building a foundation for better work to be produced as time goes on.


4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
I tend to be slow with generating ideas, if I could think up a number of ideas and test them through design sheets and various other progressive stages then by the end of it I would have an idea that I could fully develop.  Also time keeping, I usually start with the idea and come back to the research later, however from the final brief we did I found myself changing ideas and developing further due to looking at other designers work, if I could keep on top of all aspects of the brief (design sheets, development work, research and the final piece) I feel overall my work would be a lot more successful.  Another weakness is my lack of knowledge on Illustrator which I have been trying to improve as the weeks have gone on, the first brief where I had to design an alphabet, looking back, now that I feel more advanced, I could do a lot more with the brief.  I feel you can see an improvement from one of the first briefs where I used Illustrator to create the alphabet in contrast to the final brief of this module where I used Illustrator to create my proverb in the tone of voice of a hairdresser, I think theres an improvement in terms of technical  skill.  I feel I need to try physically getting things down on paper to go through a process of elimination of ideas rather than just trying to think of a final idea.


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

-Make a point of completing design sheets before starting to make my final piece, this will help me generate ideas quicker, and have a better developing body of work to support my final idea.

-Use the library more in order to get a wider range of research for my Design Context blog

-Start my final idea with more time to develop it to the best possible solution instead of cutting it fine and not always getting to do what I would of liked to because of lack of time.

-Use different techniques to produce work, screen printing, laser cutting and become more familiar with Illustrator 


-Try and do a bit of development work and blogging on a daily basis to stay on top and become more engaged on the brief by constantly surrounding myself with it, i.e taking a camera with me everywhere to photograph research etc.


How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
5=Excellent, 4=Very Good, 3=Good, 2=Average, 1=Poor.
Attendance -4
Punctuality-4
Motivation-3
Commitment-4
Quantity of work produced-2
Quality of work produced-2
Contribution to the group-2

OUGD403: PROVERBALLY YOURS//MESSAGE AND INTERPRETATION CRIT FEEDBACK

CRIT FEEDBACK

OUGD403: PROVERBALLY YOURS// MESSAGE & DELIVERY CRIT FEEDBACK

WHY IS A CRIT A GOOD LEARNING TOOL?

 What is a crit?

-constructive criticism 

-voicing your opinions to help others

-discussion about concept behind work

-a time to explain process of development 

-pitching ideas/offering solutions

-generating ideas as a group

Five reasons why a crit is a good learning tool:
-To become more confident about your work, to be able to articulate professionally what your work is about.  Helps to present work visually and in terms of presenting skills
-Broad range of ideas enables you to progress further, a new perspective on the work
-Helps to take constructive criticism 
-Constant feedback
-A chance for you to explain your idea and show your development so far
Five questions you could ask about any piece of work:
-What process of development did you go through to get to this final stage?
-Whats the reason behind your choice of colour/typeface/format/layout etc.
-Whats the inspiration behind this work?
-What is it designed for/trying to communicate?
-Are you satisfied with the end result or would you of liked to develop it further/change something about it?

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

OUGD403 CRIT FEEDBACK/QUESTIONS:

Five things I will give feedback on?
-Appropriate mailing list
-Whether the design suits the content/context/proverb/format
-Communication
-Whether new product from current brief suits the previous briefs posters
-Proverb clearly stated


Five questions that will help me assess other peoples work:
-Does the mailing list have appropriate contacts?
-Do the designs suit the content and context of the work, does the format work well in relation to the message being sent out?
-Does the work communicate effectively?
-Do the designs from the previous brief (proverbally yours) work well with the designs for the current brief?
-Is the proverb clearly visible and somehow linked to the overall final result?

WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN PART ONE//OUGD402

Identify 5 examples of Graphic Design appearing in different contexts:

-advertisements
-smartphone software
-branded clothing
-packaging
-websites

Stella Artois 4% campaign:
Design, layout and typography:
Mother London
Paintings by Robert McGinnis
http://bfourb.com/root/stella-artois-4-campaign/

Smart phone software:iPhone 4

Branded clothing:

Packaging

Web design

What is Graphic Design?

'Graphic design is the most universal of all the arts.  It is all around us, explaining, decorating, identifying: imposing meaning on the world.  It is in the streets, in everything we read, it is on our bodies.  We engage with design on road signs, advertisments, magazines, cigarette packets, headache pills, the logo on our tee shirt, the washin label on our jacket.  It acts on our emotions and helps to shape how we feel about the world around us.'  -'What is Graphic Design?'- Quentin Newark.  

The first set of posters are an advertisment campaign for a popular beer, Stella Artois.  From first glance its not obvious that its advertising beer, the images are subtle and have a retro feel to it, 1960's and has a holiday theme running through the campaign, abroad.    A very modern example of graphic design is the iPhone and Apple in general, it is designed very graphically, things such as apps and the general layout of Apple products rely on visual appeal as well as its obvious functions.  The third design I chose to show in a different context to the others are on fabrics/clothing.  Brands often use graphically designed logos and designs on tee shirts which will all have to of been done by a designer.  My forth type of design is probably one of the most popular, packaging, which is everywhere.  Recognisable brands design logos and packaging to associate themselves within the advertisement world.  And lastly web design, which is a massive part of graphic design as we rely more and more on the internet and computers everyday.

Identify 5 examples of Graphic Design performing different functions:

-to instruct/guide

-to warn

-to entertain

-to promote

-to raise awareness

TFL: London underground tube map

Road signs

                      Theatre Poster: Birdsong                'Keep Calm...' Poster

NHS Drinking campaign posters

These five designs all have different functions, the first one is a map designed to instruct people on the London underground.  A complex set of instructions, if your'e not familiar with the underground.  A basic design of stops and the lines that each stops are on.  This isn't a work of graphic design to visually please anyone, it is purely to instruct people.  The next set of design is probably one of the most iconic works; basic road signs, these are also to instruct but abide by.  Basic block colours with one word or just basic symbols, to the point and simple, to insure saftey.  The third design is a poster promoting a west end show, this is promoting entertainment whereas the others were either informing, warning or persuading.  An interesting image and the title of a famous book made into a show, already has a fan base so doesn't need to do much more than give the title.   The forth poster is a spin on an original poster 'Keep calm and carry on', it has been made for comical effect, light hearted, and has no other purpose than to purely entertain.  The final poster i chose that has a different function is a health warning.  Created by the NHS to raise awareness to people about the harm and effects of drinking.  This poster shows the most information and facts about its topic, with fitting images.

Identify 5 examples of Graphic Design delivering different types of messages:
-Warning
-Fictional
-Instructions
-Campaign
-Propaganda

 'Fire kills, you can prevent it' warning poster

Fictional  Graphic Novel illustrations 

Instruction manuals

(left) UNISON campaign poster against slavery (right) Nazi propaganda poster

All these posters deliver a different message through graphic design.  The first one is a very basic design with obvious imagery, its not for visual appeal, its trying to make a quick and informative point, a warning about an important topic.  It uses limited colours for a standard design but I think this works well as its not distracting and allows the advert to address the point quickly and effectively.  Essentially, it is a warning about fires in the home, the font used is big and bold, effective and eye catching.  The second function of delivering a different message within design is illustrations within graphic novels, it doesn't highlight an important message compared to the first one, its a fictional message to compliment the story in the novel.  The third design is an instruction manual from Ikea, which is quite recognisable around europe.  This is sending out a set of instructions on how to communicate to someone a guide of what is appropriate actions to take in order to successful achieve whatever it is that comes with the instructions.   The forth poster is a massive contrast to the fifth poster, the unison one uses basic graphic design of quite a symbolic image relating to the topic being addressed in the company colours.  It is a campaigning poster engaging the audience in an important issue, the font sits at the top of the page simply stating the purpose of the poster.  The final poster is a propaganda poster from the Nazi party encouraging anti semitic behaviour, using abusive and exaggerated images of Jewish people to persuade the general public to blame a race.  All have worked in different ways and all send out a different message through the use of graphic design.

Identify 5 examples of Graphic Design produced using different media:

-Letterpress

-Photography

-Installation

-Web Design

-Motion Graphics

Letterpress:

Photography:  Nick Knight 

 Installation: Saatchi Gallery (London)

Web Design:

Motion Graphics:

Blockhead- The music scene:

All five of these things are different examples of graphic design produced using different methods and techniques.  The first thing i chose was Letterpress, photography which had become increasingly more popular as an art form in recent years.  These are shots taken by Nick Knight.  Installation (Saatchi Gallery) and web design both use differnet methods and lastly motion graphics which takes animation and video footage to create the illusion of motion.

Identify 5 examples of Graphic Design produced at different scales:

-window display

-book card design

-business card design

-billboard advertisments

-stamp design

Window displays: Selfridges London

Book cover design:

Business card design:(small scale)

Billboard advertisement campaigns:

Stamp design:

All of these designs differ in terms of scale,some on a larger scale than others but all use graphic design to create these works.  The first set of designs on a large scale is the window display in Selfridges, London.  This is on a big 3D scale, an interesting design attracts costumers and lures them into the shop.  This scale of design is a big contrast to book cover design.  A cover of a book is quite important, it initially attracts the reader, or has a helping hand in drawing attention in alongside with the reputation of the book/author and the blurb.  The book cover designs are interesting and eye catching, and fitting to the context of the book, which is the exact criteria needed for a successful design.  Business cards are an example of graphic design on a very small scale.  The design on a business card is very important as it gives a subtle impression about the person and their work.  Some business cards will keep it simple with basic type and information, others however, will have a design or basic logo, probably depending on what profession the individual is in.  Another large example of graphic design is billboard ads, these have to be eye catching and persuasive because ultimately it is advertising, most billboards are product based but the more interesting the design of the billboard is the more viewers it will attract.  All three examples chosen I think work well and are definitely eye-catching because they are different and don't take the standard approach of 2D poster designed work.  The last example is one of the smallest examples of graphic design I could think of.  A selection of special edition stamps created by Royal Mail featuring famous quotes and characters from Shakespeare's plays.  Although the design of stamps wont be taken into account as much as the design of a billboard they still need to be created and be functional to serve its purpose.