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

I feel my research skills have improved massively, with the ‘What If’ brief being a guideline to what research is required for a project. The Collection 100 brief has looked at a different way of information collection, for example, the facts, opinions and objects.

Skills in software again have improved as I imagine they will at the end of each module, in the Photoshop brief I learnt how to export a number of Photoshop files into a PDF presentation. I learnt the very basics of putting together an image sequence together on Final Cut Express from exporting images to a batch on Photoshop. I enjoyed learning Final Cut so much, I decided to incorporate it into my Collection 100 Product brief, and learnt how to video on camera, play it back into the computer and edit the project using the timeline, the blade tool and selection tool on Final Cut Pro. I then had to learn to export it to the correct movie format so that it could be burnt on to a DVD. I learnt a few more things in Illustrator, from a peer, they explained the best way for me to create a net, which involved using the pen tool, this again was quite an important skill for the Collection 100 brief, as without it I would not have been able to create suitable DVD packaging.

I learnt book binding this term, which was really interesting; however I was quite ill so as much as I enjoyed it, I really didn’t want to be there. It is something I would definitely like to learn again, and integrate into my briefs of the future. I was pleased with the end products that I had created; they look quite professional and smart. I feel this has been quite an essential skill for my Graphics work, as if I wanted to create a book; I would have had no idea.

I have spoken to more people this term; for example, I have spoken to second and third years, which happened through approaching them for help in one of my briefs, last term I had not spoken to them. Also I spoke to some older students briefly as I was lucky enough to be able to sit in on a talk to the second years from a Graphic Designer.

I have started to plan out what to do with my time which is a skill developed from the Time management PPD session. This helps me to work to certain targets for specific times to make my aims attainable.

The Visual Language – Photography day brief has helped me to look more carefully when considering frame and format, which was considered when photographing my yellow object for the Photoshop brief. What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? Categorisation has been an approach to my research in a number of ways, for example, the Collection 100 – Photography brief was the small introduction to categorisation, as the photos had to cover, words, textures, people and places.

The What If brief looked at categorising research based on its form for example, quantitative, qualitative, primary and secondary. Collection 100 was heavily focussed on categorisation and the workshop about methods of categorising before the brief was issued at Christmas. I have also learnt to look deeper into research, and question things to help solve the problem, for example in the topic of homelessness we realised the high amount of deaths from drug abuse in recent months, and questioned why aren’t those people getting help, which lead the project on to be about informing rough sleepers of where they can get medical help.

What strengths have you noticed in your work and how have/will you plan to capitalise on these?

I think my level of creativity is quite a strength in terms of format, for example creating a stencil/sticker idea to navigate rough sleepers to medical help for the What If group brief, and a lot of other groups made posters, and so I have learnt and will quote, ‘Posters do not always solve problems’.

Also in my Collection 100 Product brief I created a film, as publications featuring jokes, usually are written down, on the internet, in crackers and in joke books, which have clearly been done before.

Back up research is quite a strength in my work, and shows how I have arrived at certain outcomes.

What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these fully?

Again, I seem to leave my sketchbook work until near the end, although I was much more organised with it than the previous module, I did leave some bits until the end, which ends up creating unnecessary stress for me.

Another weakness is my graphic abilities, when looking at my work I feel I am not always that adventurous, although creating a film was very out of my depth, in terms of the printed work, I would love to learn illustration, to get out of the idea of using computer type all the time.

Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

- This is probably an issue I will always try and improve, but my time management is something I will try and manage differently, especially with printing, to allow room for technical hitches.
- My development work needs to be kept together so it all feeds into one in continuous flow, as some development is in my sketchbook and some on my blog.
- I will try and present better at crits, I am normally not a nervous person, but I do worry sometimes presenting an idea to a small group as it can feel a little pressuring, especially when it may be an idea that is something out of the ordinary.
- I will try and learn not to be so pessimistic about my work; this is an issue I have had since school, and something I do aim to overcome. I am not entirely negative in the fact that I say, “My work is rubbish”, but I do tend to say, “I am not entirely sure about this idea…” so I need to learn confidence better.
- I will learn to dissect the problem properly before trying to jump into something too early; this is something I learnt in the What If brief.

Attendance – 4/5
Punctuality – 4
Motivation – 4/5
Commitment – 4/5
Quantity of work produced – 3
Quality of work produced –3
Contribution to the group - 4