BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN Module Code
OUGD503
Module Title
Design Process
LEVEL
05
END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION NAME
Ellen Setterfield
1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them? Throughout this module I have improved on all of my skills. I think this is partly down to how free and self directed the module was. I was able to experience working with clients, dealing with printers and working on competition briefs. I would say that my design practice is constantly improving with time and this module has given me more confidence to approach briefs that aren’t set by LCA. One of my main achievements from this module has been producing digital mock-ups and proposals. Learning how to take a design and put it into context saves time and money on printing and more than likely looks more professional than a printed outcome. This being said, I have also improved on my photography skills throughout this module and I am comfortable using the equipment in the photography area. My interpersonal skills have also been massively improved, as I have had to have communication with printers, clients and people working in industry. This has given me a taste of the responsibilities I will have when I go into industry after university. Collaborative Practice was something completely new to me; I found it difficult to choose a partner at first, as I wanted to be sure that we both had similar aspirations and interests when it comes to design. I worked with Adam on an interactive website proposal and I think it is some of the best work I have produced at LCA. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Adam and I would be happy to work with him again in the future. This area of the module helped me to work on my leadership and team work skills, I was appointed the ‘chief organiser’ which meant that I had to arrange meetings and keep all paper work in order, along with this role I also had to work as part of a team, something I will definitely have to do in industry, this brief gave me the opportunity to do this and I think that it will help me greatly when I come to leave college.
2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? I have worked on a wide range of briefs that all had different design outcomes; mostly I have worked on digital resolutions as I have produced mock-ups on screen instead of printing. My software skills have improved no end throughout this module and I hope to develop my skills more in the future by learning how to use After Effects to give digital design a more responsive feel. I have worked on a few print projects and these have been produced both by myself and at commercial printers. Doing this has given me the confidence to speak to large companies about printing and producing my work and has also given me an idea of how much it will cost to print full colour, 2 colour and monochrome. The website that Adam and I developed allowed me to look into web usability in more detail, something I have wanted to for some time. I was able to work on the concepts and ideas for a brief
whilst Adam worked on his strengths, illustration. I have realised that planning of a website is a lengthy process and cannot be done in just one week, like I have in the past.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these? My strengths within this module have definitely been communication, planning and teamwork. Had I not had the confidence to approach clients about possible work I might not have had as many live briefs as I do now. I think that communicating with people professionally and confidently is very important in the Graphic Design sector and I feel that I can do these things by myself and with others. In the future I intend to continue to make more contacts and work with a wide range of clients to ensure that I am always challenged and always working. My teamwork skills have always been a strong area of mine; I find it enjoyable to work with someone, most of the time. The collaborative brief helped me to use these skills within Graphic Design, which is something I needed to do. I think that I worked well at my role of leader but I also feel I worked very well with Adam throughout the brief. I intend to continue to collaborate in the future and I would welcome any client to work with me also.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future? My weaknesses within this module have been time-management and project weighting. I gave myself a lot of work to produce for Studio Brief 1 and this meant that my YCN brief took a backseat for a substantial part of the module, though this did not hinder my design outcomes I do feel that I could have managed my time more efficiently which would have allowed me to work on more live briefs. I spent too much time on some briefs only to have the client decide to go with another designer; this was frustrating but also a learning curve for the future. I also agreed to do most of the work for free as they were for friends or people I knew. This was a mistake as I spent valuable time on designing logos and stationary which I should have been paid for. In the future I will be sure to establish a price and payment before any design work is produced and I will also try to manage my time by looking at briefs and prioritising them.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these? 1. Allow more time to work on briefs. I will gain a less stressed week at the end of the module and also be able to spread my time equally. 2. Given myself time to learn to use After Effects. I would have been able to show how a website would actually work, giving another level to my design. 3. Blogged from the very beginning. I would have less blogging to do at the end of the module. 4. Worked with commercial printers from the start. I would have saved myself time and money on producing print runs for clients. 5. Tried to visit studios and professionals for any feedback on my work. This would give me confidence to talk to new people and would also give me feedback from people working in industry right now.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’) 5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor 1
2
3
4
5 X X
Attendance 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.