1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
I think one of the main skills that has developed are my skills in the print room. I have an ever growing interest in print and have been looking for excuses to push my screen print practice. This module allowed me to experiment and play with glow in the dark inks which has been a really fun and rewarding process. I had quite a few problems in the print room initially, I had bought glow ion the dark phosphorus powder online which turned out to have quite thick particles ion which didn't exactly fit through the screens. It managed to give a covering of paint but the ability to glow was quite poor with this powder. Fortunately one of the technicians had ordered some proper glow in the dark binder to test something out. She was kind enough to let me use it for my prints.
My time management skills have definitly been on form this module. I havn't been stressed out at all to be honest. I have planned and organized my time to allow room for errors. I managed to get all my illustrations completed in a few days of solid work which set me on track to get in the print room. I had left myself loads of time after printing in order to set up my exhibition. I was all set up and photographed last week so these final few days have been very relaxed
2.
What approaches to methods of design production have you developed and
how have they informed your design development process?
This module has really helped develop my conceptual thinking. At the start of the year It was all about producing good looking work, but as the year has gone by it become apparent that a good concept beats a good design any day, but its getting the balance of a good concept and good design that is important. The workshops have helped to expand my creative thinking of how a brand can be extended and pushed through all different kinds of media.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalize on these?
I think another plus is my curiosity to try something a bit different, I feel too many people rely on james to print stuff out when sometimes it can be more fun or relevant to try different production processes. This module I have experimented with the laser cutter and screen printing, I have gained new knowledge about each of the process which will help with future projects.
I have gathered an extensive amount of research this module for 505 and it has definitely helped along the way, after researching for what is good I felt like I was an expert on glow in the dark, this made it easy for me to explain and talk about my concept in crits as I could cover every question asked.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
Presentation Boards are not one of my strong points, I think I need practice presenting information as I often feel my concept boards look unprofessional. Experimenting with different grids could improve the layout of my boards. I sometimes use too many images and don't take advantage of the white space.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
Time Management
Time management went great this module, but I did find I had to work on some small tasks way past when I should of. It didn't come as a problem though as I had left myself enough time to get it done. But next time I will do my work when I get it depending on what over work is due in.
Experiment with Different Programs
I think it will be useful to get to grips with programs I have not given much time such as After effects and photoshop. I find it hard to mock things up as my photoshop skills are not up to scratch. Sometimes it can make a big difference showing how your work can look in context so this is something I would like to develop.
Developing a Concept
My
concepts have become stronger over the course of the module, and I have
begun to think more about the message rather than the aesthetics of the
design. It is important to keep pushing ideas to try and
produce clever work.
Photographing Work
Allthough I did develop my photography skills over the module I still think there is room for improvement as not all the photos I got of my products were great. I think it makes a huge difference taking nice pictures as it makes the products looks professional and sometimes can emphasise the finish.
Better Design BoardsMy design boards arn't up to scratch and definitly need improving. The better the design board the clearer the message.
6. How would you grade yourself in the following areas?
(5 = excellent, 4=very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor)
Attendance = 5
Punctuality = 5
Motivation = 5
Commitment = 5
Quantity of Work Produced =5
Quality of work produced =4
Contribution to the group = 4
