OUGD404 Evaluation

1.  What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

Over the course of this module I have developed many new skills. From the SLR work shop I now know how to use a SLR camera. I learned about light exposure and how to adjust the camera to compensate for different levels of light. I have also gained skills in photoshop and illustrator due to the inductions we had, this has been very helpful and I keep learning new software skills every day. I think you can definitly see a change in my software skills as the module has gone on and I feel quite comfortable using these computer based programs. From this module I have also learned more about screen printing and also I have done some foiling in the what is a line brief. O am really happy with the outcome of this project and I think you can tell how much effort has gone into it.

2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? 

Research has helped with this module especially with colour theory as this was quite difficult to get to grips with at first but after reading up on internet articles I feel more comfortable with the theories. I also have enjoyed the type and grid aspect of the module. At first drawing thumbnails proved quite tough but slowly I got the grips of tyhings making it really easy to reproduce my layouts on in design.

In terms of software development, my skills have improved greatly in photoshop, in design and Illustrator. I have been getting to grips with the different effects and shortcuts available which has made the design process allot easier.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?  

I feel one of my strengths from this module is my hand crafted  skills. I am extremely happy with my what is a line Banana Cook Book and I am happy with how it has turned out. I even made some book covers and embossed them which is a nice touch I feel. I am very keen to keep up this hand printed investigation as it is something I would like to carry on. I really appreciate hand crafted work.

Another strength in my work I feel would be the thumbnail sketches. At first i found them quite difficult but after time they became a bit easier to do. I slowly got to grips with the possibilities of layouts and quite enjoyed the process. I think this is a useful technique to apply to my work from now on.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?  

One of my main weaknesses would be the quantity of work. For this module my time management skills were particularly poor I found that due to the other work load of the course. I didn't put in enough time to this module. The end of the module came allot sooner than I expected so I was not able to revisit as many tasks as I would like. I find it very difficult to balance my time and this is something I still need to work on. I am planning on starting weekly calenders in order to make sure I get everything done on time.


I feel the quality of some of my work was not quite as good as I would of wanted for instance the first few type tasks which were done at the start of the year were not as good as I they could be to the standard I am working at now. I have learned my lesson this year, and next year I am going to try do my work the day I get it and for long modules like this I will make sure I regularly revisit tasks.

5. What things would you do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from this?

1. More design sheets will help to develop my final outcome and also make the design process more informed.
2. Do the work when I get it and revisit tasks to get a greater body of work and better understanding of the course.
3. Experiment more and leave my comfort zone this will give me a greater knowledge of graphic design and the processes available.
4. Read more books and articles.
5. More research would definitely help me with my content.