BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN
LEVEL
05
Module Code
OUGD202
Module Title
DESIGN PRODUCTION - DIGITAL
END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION NAME
CHARLOTTE BOURKE
1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them? Throughout this module I have developed so many skills. Firstly, my decision-making has become so much more directed and efficient. I decided quickly exactly on what subject matter I was going to look at, and began to research accordingly. This has helped in such a way that I have completed my work to a standard that I am happy with. I have been decisive and quick in all that I have done, progressing with my project at a rate that has affected my final outcome in a positive way. Another skill I have developed would be my experimentation and open-minded attitude towards the brief. I figured that if I didn始t know the software at all to begin with I might aswel have some fun with the project. Fun was had- but not at the expense of quality, which leads me to my next skill- concept solidity. My concept was to generate interest in rocks through colour, sound and movement. These were my three main areas I wanted to focus on, I thought that if I got these aspects right then the tone would speak for itself. I think I have applied this skill very effectively because of the final tone and the way it feels. Finally, on a more technical level, I have learned new software. I am happy with what I have come out with as it shows competence with the programme- the fact that I have followed my storyboards fairly closely shows that I know enough to translate what was in my mind onto paper, onto screen. However, this skill could have been applied much more effectively through more complex sequences.
2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? Designing for screen on paper, translating onto the screen. My approach to storyboarding has informed my design development process immensely. Creating these initial ideas helped me so much when it came to actually designing on the screen. It forced me to think about camera angles, movement, pace, timing, text entry etc. Because of this detailed storyboarding I now have a justification behind everything I始m doing. Another approach would be getting myself used to the software by creating the smaller sequences first- like short, manageable sprints, rather than long marathons. This kept me interested, yet also kept me sane- I could handle the problems I encountered because they were never detrimental to the success of my project because of the length of the sequence. Because of this I then would avoid making the same mistakes on the sixty-second title sequence, which could cause me to go insane. My sanity throughout this brief has helped me keep a level head when dealing with such a complex programme as After Effects. My general approach to this brief was to keep myself interested and enjoy what I始m doing. This meant that sometimes I did things that were arguably pointlesslike colouring in storyboards to a very bright extent, rather than getting on with moving image work. However, I counteract this argument with the fact that completing these tasks is what kept me excited about the work I was producing, therefore, pushing me further to work harder.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these? Primary research has been my main strength within this brief. I have travelled to multiple museums and the Lake District to obtain primary resources. I have capitalised on this research by using colour schemes from collected imagery, shapes for my packaging, and photographs for stop motion. This has informed my work to give it a solid grounding and a sense of legitimacy that is evident through the visuals of the sequences. My experimentation is another key strength of my work, more so in Studio Brief 2. It is in this brief where I got to grips with the software and began trying out different approaches to visualising my ideas. I have also started to think about design for time- 4D in a context away from After Effects. It is a new way of looking at design for me and one that can be exploited conceptually aswel as visually.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
Technically is where I feel my main weakness lies- especially for Studio Brief 1. If time allowed I would have loved to further develop my ideas visually. I think that most of the sequences could be much more relevant to the word that they are supposed to be depicting. I think perhaps I got too carried away with the development and experimentation of TopTen, and forgot about the low quality of the Silent Movie sequences. I will address this in the future by always referring back to the brief to remind myself of what has to be done, along with referring back to my blog to remind myself of what I have, in fact, completed, and to what extent / quality it is completed. Another weakness of this module, for me, was my time management. I was in the studio from nine in the morning until nine at night for a very long time, and I do not think the amount of work I have reflects this at all. I need to learn to engage as much as possible and not get distracted from the task in hand (as I do). My commitment cannot be argued, but my productivity most certainly can. This is something that needs to be addressed desperately.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these? 1. Decide. I need to become much more decisive when it comes to a point in all of my projects where I put off making a decision that could change the outcome. I need to embrace this chance and work with it, not dawdle and procrastinate 2. Listen to more music. This is no exaggeration. I have come to realise that being in a studio environment whilst playing music through my headphones increases my productivity tenfold- I focus my energy on the task at hand without getting distracted. 3. AM & PM To Do’s. I need to keep focused throughout the day, rather than having an hour burst in the morning and two in the afternoon. If I know exactly what I have to do then the chance of getting distracted by the impending and unknown workload that may hit me at any second is considerably lessened. FOCUS. 4. Ask for more peer feedback. A few times a week (aside from course crit sessions) I want to get together a different group of people to give me feedback on my work. By using different people everytime I will have to always keep in check my audience as if they knew nothing about my project- increasing communication through the work, not through word of mouth by me explaining to them ‘what it all means’. 5. SLEEP. It is a fact this module that I have not looked after myself at all. This has affected my work because it has affected my attention span dramatically. I’ve found myself running from one end of college to another only to realise I don’t know where I’m going and why I’m going there (more than once). This is unacceptable and I will resolve this problem for the next module. I expect from this to be more focused / productive / coherent.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an 驶x始)
5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor 1
2
3
4
5
Attendance
x
Punctuality
x
Motivation
x
Commitment
x
Quantity of work produced
x
Quality of work produced
x
Contribution to the group The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.