BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN
LEVEL
05
Module Code
OUGD202
Module Title
DESIGN PRODUCTION - DIGITAL
END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION NAME
Dom Rugman
1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them? Pre production – Storyboarding/Time lining Over the last couple of modules I have become a lot more prone to focusing on idea generation and exploring ideas before realising them in any kind of software. OUGD202 in particular has been quite a ʻkey frameʼ so to speak, in my progression as a designer, more specifically in my progression as an idea generator, trying to explore a range of concepts, ideas and processes in an attempt to get closer to a realised product. Story-boarding an time lines have been a great aid in this module, recording and especially organising ideas, a necessity when taking time into consideration. I can think of a number of occasions throughout working, especially on the main sequence, in which I had to refer back to paper in order to get my thoughts and ideas collated before proceeding. Masses of software knowledge – Iʼm a bit of a software geek at heart and love being introduced to new methods of production. The technical side of OUGD202 has been tedious at times to say the least, but with Mikeʼs sessions being taught in the well-rounded and methodical manor they are, it was fairly easy, soon picking up the bare essentials, and more. The underlying idea behind my sequence was to not only produce a relevant piece of motion graphics, but really show-reel the skills and techniques Iʼve learnt throughout the module and show them in practice. I felt myself (as always) being overwhelmed with interest for the software and focusing the majority of my attention to experimenting and getting acquainted with it, often naturally diverting my attention from the aforementioned storyboarding/idea generation stages. In terms of skills and putting them to good use, Iʼve attempted to apply technical software approaches as and where possible; write on techniques, track motion, 3D camera layers, sound manipulation, still simple I know, but a vast progression from nothing. My organisational skills have been forced to book their ideas up dramatically, digitally that is. Naming files and keeping track of folder and their content has been one thing Iʼve stuck too, taking a little longer at the time of save but saving so much once everything is entwined with After Effects. A skill Iʼve grown to enjoy and will continue to practice. 2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? -The idea of storyboarding ideas as a generative process was quite daunting at first, not knowing the software was a big factor of this. I wasnʼt sure of the capabilities of the software and moreover my personal abilities to create what I was designing. Sticking to simple storyboarding outcomes at first, the silent movie brief was a sturdy way to approach the idea of using this method to generate ideas, easing the process in.
Time lining was a method Iʼve rarely experienced and came as a massive benefit to the process. One of my main struggles with storyboarding was in fact conveying the time over which the frames played out, not so much in the initial silent movie phase, but definitely more so throughout the main body of my sequence idea generating stages. Chopping up (photographed) storyboards, I was able to get a firm idea of how long/short transitions between frames were and where the key frames sat amongst these, quickly identifying cluttered/empty periods of time between each – Saying I took full advantage of this process would be a lie, it aided me massively in certain sections of my animation process but overall I feel I couldʼve benefitted further with more attention to detail and multiple examples. 3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these? Broad experimentation across a various body of software, introducing new techniques and methods of producing visual material has influenced my response to the second studio brief of the module. All the imagery Iʼve used throughout has been either created by or heavily manipulatied by myself which is a strong pointer with regards to originality and a personal aesthetic approach. Ever growing software skills with regards to After Effects, Iʼve really enjoyed playing around with techniques and absorbing as much technical knowledge as possible, benifiting me massively when it comes to realising ideas from paper to screen. The paper<->screen relationship is one that has always been apparent, but until this module the paper->screen relationship has become not only present, but a die hard necessity. Through this my drawing skills have continued to be put to use, but also producing rough sketches and quickly layed out storyboards Iʼve developed a more precise style of rough drafting My contextual evaluation has ascended considerably over this recent module, scrutinizing and discussing elements of motion design and relating it to my own design practice. I think my own creative thought process has become a lot more considerate due to a wider level of evaluation throughout my context work.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future? As much as my pre-production side of the module has improved, I would still say there is a lack of gradual development, especially in the documentation of these processes - Doing little sketches whilst working and loosing them or not blogging them has been too common of an occurrence and eventually ends up with a much less flowing development of work. The continual evaluation of my work hasnʼt been on top form this module, again due to the immersion of myself in After Effects, I found myself experimenting and producing work, then moving straight onto the next idea or the fine tuning, skipping the reflection on decision making and design process. As is always the case, next module I want to keep on top of the evaluation from the beginning, its too easy to feel comfortable with a mediocre work output in the initial weeks, but this is where decisions and evaluation is crucial to the informed development on oneʼs project and becomes evident in the later stages. Personally I feel my resolution is less graphically orientated and more in the region of animation. For me that has come as a weakness, purely in the sense that it isnʼt the kind of aesthetic I would usually work toward. I think the context had a big role to play in this however, sticking to an 8-bit style flat colour aesthetic didnʼt really allow for experimentation into obscure compositions, transparencies, typography and effects. On the other hand it could be said that working outside my comfort zone hasnʼt been ideal, but starts to prove that I can apply my skills and ideas to more diverse areas of design, still producing a full body of work with appropriate resolutions.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these? ∆ A further and wider generation of ideas in the early stages of the module/brief. This has donʼt nothing but benefit me when and where Iʼve applied it and I need to capitalise on this a LOT more in order to produce well informed and thought out practices. ∆ Keep a constant evaluation on the go, maybe dedicate a post that I can keep referring back to, updating my progression week to week and my goals for the next week ect. I think posting this to my blog and having it as a personal (but still public) deadline will encourage me to commit to the completion of tasks I set myself. ∆ A wider body of primary research, talking to people about whatever it is Iʼm designing for, finding physical things related to the topic, going to places, reading more books, generally become the most informed I can become before I start getting seriously into the aesthetic side of a project. ∆ Not entirely different to the way Iʼve worked in this module but staying in college late through the week is something I will do differently in the sense that I will do it even more so in future modules. It is by far the most productive area to work in and has proved so beneficial throughout this module and can again only benefit me from here on in. ∆ Create stronger connections between the context side of my work and my practice. I feel they are slightly detatched at the moment and need to get them running more fluently. Again like the more heavily informed approach to my subject matter, it will inform and direct my design to much greater degree.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ʻxʼ) 5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor 1 2 3 4 5 ∆ Attendance ∆ Punctuality ∆ Motivation ∆ Commitment ∆ Quantity of work produced ∆ Quality of work produced ∆ 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.