What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
There are a number of skills I feel I have improved though out this module. I now feel like I now understand how to engage in academic writing and feel that through going to the academic writing classes that my writing skills have improved and I was able to apply the skills I learnt to my extended piece of writing. I feel like my research skills have greatly improved, I now know how to approach and focus research, it is important to not waste time during the research stage of a design brief or this extended writing so learning how to focus my research and make it as specific and relevant was very useful and will be something that will continue to be useful in other modules in the research stage. My organisation skills have been tested through this module as I began research when we broke up for summer and have only just finished now, that is a lot of sources, books, quotes, etc to keep organised so that I could access them when I needed to, although I probably could have done it better, my organisation skills were definitely improved and I was able to keep onto of the organisation of research. I have developed better communication skills through the primary research stage of my research project. I had to communicate with a number of people and form question that would get me the most useful and valid responses, so by taking the time to do this I realised that although it does take longer, it is best to really take into consideration exactly what you want to get out of the scenario. From doing this I got really useful replies which I was able to use both in the written element of the project and the practical side.
I have gained a great deal of knowledge into how the creative process works and applied it directly to graphic design which has helped my personal practice as a designer. Through understanding the power of innovation and how it is achieved I feel more confident to go forward in the design world. I always had the worry in my mind of 'what happens if I run out of ides' and so on, but now that I understand how it all works I no longer have this fear to hold me back.
I approached my practical project wanting to create something which communicates a strong message as I think the way that people have a hang up on creativity needs to change. I wanted to communicate how beneficial creative thinking is to the graphic designer but also create a conversation, not just force the message in people face. The range of my project allowed me to do this as I could approach each product slightly different to gain a different voice.
In terms of production skills, I have furthered my book binding skills. I wanted the book to visual represent the messages it was delivering so the best way to do this was to break the mould of the book by using books within books and several binds making the book into a an interactive piece. This was a very complex bind and involved a lot of planning but I feel it is successful and works well with the message of the book.
I feel that my stengths in this module have been the research skills which as I said I will take further and apply to all other briefs and module. I really enjoyed really delving deep into a subject especially one that I have such a strong interest in but I did no know much about, where as now I know a lot about my research subject and feel like I have gained so much from all the knowledge. In terms of my practical piece I believe I have successfully achieved synergy between my practical piece, research and essay. I have taken onboard all the information and research and developed it into something new. I am also happy with the primary research I undertook. I got some really valid interesting primary research and I can see the importance of it and really don't think my essay or practical outcome would have been as rounded without it, so this level of primary researching will definitely be developed into my other briefs
My organisation was probably a weakness. I wrote plans and tried to stick to them as best I could but when obstacles appeared such as pressure from other modules it made my planning crumble. I need to develop my ability to share my time between module. I also think my crafting of the final product needs work as something always seems to go wrong which could be solved by leaving enough time to make mistakes during the crafting which I will start to do from now on as it is a shame to not create something which is executed perfectly as so many hours have been spent on it.
Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
- Research, I put myself massively behind through researching the wrong things at the start. I was reading really interesting books and they were relevant to my subject but just not to the academic level of the things I should have been reading. So I will definitely research with focus from now on to save time
- Leave enough time to make mistake in the final crafting of the product this will improve the overall aesthetics of the piece and make it look more professional for portfolio shots
- conduct more primary research. I did a lot but it was so beneficial that more would have been even better.
- Begin to write earlier, this would have abled me to get over the writing hurdle quicker, but I may not have been as well informed starting sooner.
- Photograph work professionally - this would communicate my work better and is something which I should definitely put into the time frame
How would you grade yourself in the following areas;
Attendance: 4
Punctuality: 5
Motivation: 4
Commitment: 4
Quantity of work: 4
Quality of work: 4
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