OUGD503 - Design Process 2: Responsive (Individual Practice Evaluation)

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

I feel as though I have developed a lot of skills during this module. Being in control of my workload and having the responsibility to manage my time effectively and meet the deadlines set by myself has enabled me to grow as a designer and understand what is expected of me, and what will be expected of me when I graduate. I have managed to complete several live briefs for clients which has allowed me to develop my communication skills and I now feel much more confident when it comes to explaining breakdowns to clients in terms of cost as well as making sure I am regularly in contact with them so that they know the work is progressing. Being able to negotiate as well and not necessarily produce one of my preferred designs is something I have learnt to accept as well, as the client is always right and we have to give them what they want. 

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

So far, for the clients I have been dealing with, as well as the Fedrigoni YCN brief, I have been working digitally. The final product for Fedrigoni will be produced using the laser cutter as well. I therefore feel as though I haven't had much of an opportunity to experiment with a variety of different finishes, however it hasn't ever been necessary or appropriate. I do feel as though in terms of production I have learnt a lot when dealing with printers. I have been in contact to get quotes for particular jobs and have been able to deliver the final product successfully to my clients. This is something I value highly, as it is so important to know how to deal with industry professionals and get the job done to a high standard.

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

I think for each of the briefs I have completed I have shown a considerable amount of development. I feel as though this has been beneficial to me as well as my clients as I have been able to see how the initial idea developed in to the final product, which was considerably different in all cases. I think I need to make sure that I continue to work in this way, as it allowed me to identify the strengths and weaknesses with my design ideas, and this enabled me to produce final designs which I was happy with. I also think it is crucial to make sure that the client knows exactly how many changes can be made before the work is started, as the job can go on for too long otherwise and gets out of control.

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

I feel as though the way I presented my work in the final crit wasn't as professional as it could have been. I need to make sure that I concentrate on this for future briefs and revisit any that I have already done, to be able to use the work I have done and include it in my portfolio. I also still feel as though I could complete more live briefs and so I am going to make sure that I do this before module submission.

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

- I am going to continue to work on my time management, as this is something that can always be improved. Through doing this I will make sure that I take the time to balance between working on several briefs at once, as opposed to trying to get them done one at a time, as I feel as though this has worked for me so far.

- I am also going to try and work on more live briefs which involve a wider variety of outcomes, as this will benefit me in the long run when I am showing my work online.

- I am hoping to be able to use different production methods in the future, and perhaps be in contact with even more printers in Leeds to gain a larger contact list.

- I am going to photograph my work professionally.

- I will also organise more crits as I think they are invaluable and so worthwhile even if they only take up 15 minutes out of my day.

6. How would you grade yourself on 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 (4)
Quality of work produced (4)
Contribution to the group (4)