BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN Module Code
OUGD503
Module Title
Design Process
LEVEL
05
END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION NAME
Melissa Hardcastle
1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them? The main skill I feel as though I have developed through this module is my time management. This module has required a lot of work which has forced me to be more organised and encouraged me to work quicker and more efficiently in order to be able to meet the various deadlines. Another skill I feel has progressed by doing this module is by ability to use the Adobe Illustrator software. Previously it was the one that I would consider myself least confident in, however in doing briefs that requested submissions that requested work in Illustrator file format, it meant that I had to develop my knowledge and practice, by using the software.
2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? The main approach to design production that I have developed is being more aware of the final outcome once it has been printed. Working on this module has encouraged me to think more about the printed collateral and physical outcomes, whilst I am actually generating ideas and designing. I would say that another method of design production that I have developed is working In a partnership and seeing the benefits of sharing ideas and building on them together to create solid concepts and design decisions.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these? One strength in my work that I can identify is my confidence in approaching different areas of Graphic Design that, prior to this module, I had not yet worked within. Another strength in my work that I believe to be one I should capitalise on more often is my ability to design for pattern. The briefs for which I was asked to design surface patterns were the ones that I enjoyed working on the most, and have shown me that I am capable of doing so. I believe this is something that I recognised and capitalised on during this module as I completed more than one surface pattern brief and it will remain an interest of mine for future competitions and briefs.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future? One of my weaknesses that I can identify in my work is that I feel as though I could have completed more briefs for the Individual Practice studio brief. I am pleased with how much I did manage to do, however after realising how quickly I was able to do them, I feel as though I could have pushed myself further and perhaps completed 1-2 more briefs. Another weakness Is that I feel as though I should have completed more Live Briefs to create more diversity within my work submitted for Studio Brief 1. This is something that I will have to work on In future and I will do so by ensuring that my work always remains varied.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these? I will force myself to become even more involved and committed to collaborative work as I feel as though I could have perhaps done a little more when working in a partnership for this module. From this I will increase my ability work with another designer and the opportunity to share ideas and skills will be good practice. I will vary the briefs that I do a little more in terms of what is being asked of me to design. For the first studio brief, three of the completion briefs that I completed were to design surface patterns. They were all different from one another in the sense that the theme/concept was always different, however I feel as though I could have perhaps benefited more from working on briefs that required different design solutions and outcomes. From this I would expect to gain more first hand knowledge of the different design areas and improve upon my existing design skills. I would also like to source briefs from a more varied amount of hosts, I feel as though, had I allowed more time for actually sourcing the briefs, I could have perhaps found better or more diverse briefs to work. I would also preferred to have worked on more live briefs and will aim to seek a better balance between live and competition briefs in the future which should benefit me as a designer and improve upon my practice. Another thing I would do differently would be to work on more briefs that required work in the areas of design that I am not as experienced in i.e. Logo and Packaging design. From doing this, I would expect to gain a well-rounded understanding and diversity in my ability to design.
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
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X 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.