End of Module Student Evaluation BA (Hons) Illustration Module Code: OUIL503 Responsive Name: Sophia Watts Student ID: sw255328 Please identify where the evidence for each of the learning outcomes is within your submission and how well you feel you have met the learning outcomes. Please also grade yourself in relation to the learning outcomes using terms: poor, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent (Note - This is so that the team have an understanding of how well you feel you have done. It is not an indication of the actual grade you may receive.) Learning Outcome
Evidenced where? Blog, Visual Journal, Roughs, Final Illustrations, Storyboards, Development Sheets etc. (No more than 75 words)
Your grade Using words: > poor, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent
5A4: Make appropriate use of a range of research methods to investigate a topic and produce work relating to the critical, cultural or social context of art and design. (Knowledge & Understanding Research and Critical Awareness) 5B3: Generate ideas, concepts, proposals, solutions and/or arguments using the language, materials, processes and techniques of a designated discipline. (Cognitive Skills - Problem Analysis, Problem Solving)
Blogging helped me to record elements of research and express my thought processes. Working on multiple briefs I found this particularly useful to refer back to. Roughing and drawing through my ideas was also a valuable tool for me and is very much a part of my process. This module required me to read a lot of books, as I was very interested in the publishing briefs, which helped to inform my work.
Very Good
Roughing is primarily where I generated ideas, evidenced on my blog. I also drew a lot of mind maps in this module, which was a way of helping me pick out the best concepts. Using a variety of materials and working out which was appropriate was something I considered. Feedback & crits were particularly useful to me near the beginning of the module, helping me to distinguish what the best ideas were.
Very Good
5C3: Respond to set briefs or proposals in a professional context. (Practical Skills - Visual Quality and Conceptual Development)
I feel that my final outcomes demonstrate the gradual professionalisation of my practice. In particular, the folio society brief gave me new experiences in a professional setting. Craftsmanship is one of the strengths of my practice overall. I identified aesthetics I admire and want to produce through contextual research, evident on my blog.
Excellent
5D3: Exercise selfmanagement skills in managing their workloads and meeting deadlines/apply interpersonal and social skills to interact with others. (Key Transferable Skills, Organisation, Communication and Evaluation)
Tackling the workload over a longer period of time meant that I had to set myself mini deadlines in response to the actual deadlines of each brief. Sometimes this was stressful but overall I am happy with the way I managed the module. This was important during the collaboration brief and taking minutes of our face-to-face meetings was very useful, the evaluation and progress of this can be found on my blog.
Excellent
Summative Evaluation Initially I was a bit nervous about starting the responsive module, mainly because it required me to put my work out there for everyone to see, outside the bubble of University. The idea of entering competitions was really daunting and not something I felt ready for at all. However, the biggest lesson I learned from this module was realising the importance of being able to push myself out of my comfort zone, opening up more opportunities and contributing to the development of my practice. I found working on a variety of briefs really exciting and I loved the process of choosing the ones that interested me. The research I did for each project fueled my desire to do the work. Particularly with the publishing briefs, I had the opportunity to work from literature, which is something I enjoy. Often, I can get a bit bogged down using the same material for a while, but having a breadth of research methods enabled me to learn new things about a variety of topics. This was especially refreshing with the shorter projects, as I didn't have time to get bored. Originally, the prospect of working as part of a team scared me. I have always relied on my own work ethic and trusting and working with people from other creative disciplines seemed risky. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well our team managed the collaboration project. Together, the campaign we created was a blend of our strengths. Taking minutes of every meeting meant that everyone was confident in their role as part of the team. The organisation of our group reminded me of how important time management is, especially when working with clients. I struggled with this aspect when working on my individual briefs, especially as some of the deadlines for my projects were alongside that of other modules. I nearly didn't do the Folio Society brief because of this but I am glad I persevered with it, although it became very stressful to keep up with all the work I had on at that point. Looking back there are things that I would do differently, drawing through my ideas more, particularly with the Stratford Literary festival brief, would have enabled me to develop my design to the point where I was completely happy with it. Having said this, because of time limitations I realised how much work I am capable of doing under pressure. The general professionalisation of my practice was greatly influenced by the things I have learned during Responsive. Designing presentation boards was completely alien to me, however, I found that putting all the work in one place and being able to explain key elements of my ideas concisely helped me to think about the appropriateness of my work within a professional setting. Learning new skills was also a big part of this, and having the freedom to be able to switch techniques with every brief was a welcome change. I used this opportunity to hone in on my digital skills, as I felt this was an aesthetic within illustration that I admired but needed to learn more about. Because of this, towards the end of the module, I bought some of Kyle T Webster's Photoshop brushes, which have now become a part of my process, filtering into the projects I am currently working on. The diverse range of brushes and the ease of alteration is what I enjoy most about working with digital media. This method is something I wish I had discovered earlier, some of my Illustration Friday images look a bit too digital and I like to add charm by including analog processes within my work. This relationship between a technique and the subject matter is something I am considering a lot more in my practice. Gaining an insight into the creative industry through entering competitions was something I was not expecting. Being on the long list for the House of Illustration/Folio Society brief was a complete surprise and gave me a lot of confidence when it comes to showing people my work. At the awards night I spoke to variety of practitioners, ranging from students like me, to people who have been working in the industry for decades. This opened my eyes to what a diverse place the industry is, and confirmed my desire to become a part of it. Another crucial lesson I learned from Responsive was figuring out the areas of illustration that I enjoy working on most. I realised how important meaning and narrative is to me, which relates to publishing and editorial briefs. Contextualising my work is something I will continue to think about as I progress on the course.