EVALUATION

Critical Evaluation and Self-reflection

The ‘Our Museum’ project was a great opportunity for me to learn the importance of understanding the brief and the clients’ aims. I became aware that, as a designer, I need to be able to recognize the clients’ needs from a different perspective than that of the clients themselves, as they most likely don’t have a designer point of view.

I feel I’ve been successful with the depth of work I have completed during the research phase and idea generation. I came up with many different concepts and did not let my personal choice overwrite the team’s decisions, which resulted in the outcome not necessarily being the one I would have ended up with myself, but it does not mean it is less strong or less right and this is something new that I have learnt. It is satisfying that our logo has been shortlisted, especially as it was my design idea that has been chosen by the museum to represent our team.

I think the strength of my brand and logo design that it has a strong concept. It responds to the brief and resonates to my team’s proposal.

The brand uses gradient colours which I think is a brave choice, but it felt appropriate as it has a function, to represent the community and the dynamic in the design with maritime shades.

My font choice is a non-conventional, display typeface which gives character to the logo and one that is matching the intention of talking to artists and creative individuals, as well as to the local community. It is a flexible design which can be used in many different forms, varying the elements of it according to its current audience. At the same time, this is also one of its main weaknesses as it became too complex and less contemporary. This is something I wish to focus in the future, to be less complex and illustrative in my designs. We got feedback from peers and the tutors regarding that and I did agree with it, but the group together decided at the last minute not to make the changes. I believe that simplifying it would have improved its success.

Designing as a team, we had to overcome a few obstacles. Having had years of experience in teamwork, some of them as a team leader, I had expectations towards the team based on my own experience. It has been a learning curve to me to recognise and accept that my peers’ understanding of teamwork is different because they don’t have a working background. Tackling this challenge meant that I needed to become more open minded, patient and to offer a good example. I aimed to demonstrate that teamwork is not putting individual results next to each other and presenting them together, but it is more of working towards one goal together in order to succeed.

I tried to encourage them to strengthen each other’s concepts in those fields where we have weaknesses, so I shared my work regularly with them, asking for feedback and suggestions. I ended up being the engine of the group (I got this feedback from the group itself) pushing work forward, arranging meetings, encouraging teamwork, giving and asking for feedback, answering everybody’s questions, etc. which resulted in my becoming

overwhelmed with the workload. I had the impression that because I am pushing it so hard, it is easier for them to lay back. I was disappointed with the pace of work and the amount of participation from some peers which resulted in the project not ending up with the professional standard I would have expected of myself. However, I believe that under real life employment circumstances it would have worked out differently, assuming that the colleagues already knew their job and what they would be expected to do.

On the plus side I have to mention that these issues didn’t develop to a personal level, I did get a lot of positive encouragement as well and overall, we had a positive atmosphere during our discussions. The teamwork did improve compare with what it was at the beginning of the project, so it is a success from that point of view. We have stayed in touch as a support group and regularly discuss our course work.