BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN
LEVEL
05
Module Code
OUGD202
Module Title
DESIGN PRODUCTION - DIGITAL
END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION NAME
SOPHIE WILSON
1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them? Throughout this module I have learnt an incredible amount- particularly in software skills and concept development through both After Effects and more traditional hand-rendered approaches in motion graphics sequence development. Throughout my design development and my approach and resolution in my final outcomes (my title sequence and ident series) I have tried to apply new skills and techniques that have been taught in workshops sessions and software tutorials to my final designs, and have enjoyed experimenting with various different effects, methods and techniques- which I believe have been effectively utilsised and showcased within my work. Through storyboard development, and working with After Effects itself, I believe that I have become far more organised and methodical in terms of my way of working- in a far more systematic and structured way of concept development, designing and documenting my work.
2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? Throughout this module I have been largely dependent on hand-rendered and vector-based design production, which I feel has proved most suitable for my target audience- inspired by rounded, geometric forms. Using the Adobe Illustrator software, I created simple, minimal designs that communicated my subject matter in a clear and representative way. Throughout the initial stages of the design development process, I considered various design outcomes which were discussed with my peers to engage feedback and a visual response. As aforementioned, working systematically through methods and techniques that we have been introduced to, such as storyboarding and applying these to timelines has certainly helped me to feel more organised, and to be able to produce a full, wellrounded body of work for my final design outcomes.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these? I think that the greatest strengths within my work is my visual outcomes and methods of communication. For my specific target audience, I wanted to ensure a minimal, yet eye-catching design, which would not only inform, but also entertain. From interim crits and feedback sessions, I feel that I have successfully achieved this, and have received a positive response to my design outcomes and way of working which has inspired me to work more closely in creating designs for this age group in the future.
Also, having never worked with motion graphics/video before, aside from some simple stop motion animation at college, I feel as though I have learnt a vast amount about the After Effects software, and now feel that I can effectively understand and relate to the methods used in digital production- and think that my increasing literacy and understanding for this has been evidenced through the progression of my digital designs (particularly comparing my ‘Silent Movie’ (Studio Brief One) to my ‘Top 10 Things’ (Studio Brief Two) outcomes).
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future? Time management was a real weakness within this project- and a necessity in terms of organisation for the After Effects software, and motion graphics as a whole. Although I am pleased that I managed to get the work finished on time, if I were to have started at a much earlier stage, I could have produced a more varied sample of design outcomes and assets to give more variation to my ‘Top 10 Things’ design outcomes, as well as having a far more polished and considered final outcome. Although I didn’t procrastinate, as such, I felt that I often prioritised badly- particularly in the example of creating my packaging design before finalising and burning my DVD for the module hand in. In the future, I will ensure that I don’t start work on what I enjoy most first, but prioritise with the level of importance, or assessment deadlines. I also would have liked to experiment more with the visual outcome and overall “style” of my designs. Although I found them effective and suited for my target audience, it would have been good to experiment with methods of delivery to achieve a more varied and unique set of design outcomes. 5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these? 1. More research into moving image and existing examples of motion graphic design- looking at designs inspired by, or created for, my specific target audience and ways in which this could influence my design. 2. Experiment more with different motion graphics and software effects for more varied experimentation and application of software techniques- to increase the potential for not only learning and personal development, but also for a more varied aesthetic in my design outcomes. 3. Manage my time more effectively and ensure that I don’t prioritise incorrectly- which will ensure that my design development, research, and final resolved outcomes(s) are at a consistently high level. 4. Taking more care in creating finished, visually communicative storyboards in an effective waypracticing my hand-rendering techniques to ensure that high-quality design can be achieved efficiently in a short time scale. 5. Create experiments with software straight after software tutorials so that methods and techniques stay “fresh in the mind” and I don’t have to return to them at a later date, and, consequently, spending more time than necessary in the physical design process.
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 X X
5
Attendance Punctuality X Motivation X Commitment Quantity of work produced X Quality of work produced X Contribution to the group X 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.