OUGD602 - Studio Brief 3: First Year Reflection

In preparation for the final presentation of this module, I reflected on the first year of the course as it will show me if I completed the aims I set out for myself, and what I learnt and how this shaped me as a designer.

To start this, I looked back to the original questions we were asked to answer in our first ever PPP session.

Why did I choose to study on this programme?
The emphasis on the professional industry
The intensity of the course
Constantly pushed to reach my potential
Prepare myself for the professional industry
Small class sizes - easier to communicate with people

What do I want to learn during my time on the programme?
How to prepare myself for the professional industry
How to get a professional finish into my work
Learn the software fully
How to analyse and evaluate my work
How to combine different medias of working to create the best possible outcome

Skills that I think are my strengths.
Presentation and layout
Typography
Generating ideas
Photoshop
Screen Printing

Things that I want to improve.
Drawing
Analytical skills
Written work
Doing research fully and applying it to work

Recording everything I do

Ways that you will evaluate your progress.
Tutorials
Group crits
Evaluating progress through my blog
Looking back over previous works
Listening to peer views on my work/progress

Questions that I want to find the answer to.
What is Graphic Design?
Where do I fit in within the Graphic Design industry?
What is my specialism?
What do I want to do?
What do I want to achieve?

Reading over the answers I put, I can see why I put them at the time, and it does show how far I have come to be where I am now as a designer. Some of the answers are clearly there because I didn't know what to say, not because I truly believed them - something which I now try not to do as it is a waste of time and writing honestly is the best way to do it.

Overall I think I've done everything I set out to do, some more than others depending on how my practice has developed. Something I find interesting is that I wrote that typography was a strength at the time, when really, looking back at it, at that point I had no idea what it was at all. Now I have a much larger knowledge of the subject, I can say that it is definitely a strength, so I think at the time I was trying to say that I was comfortable with that as a subject more than image.

I think the most standout comment I made was that screen printing was a strength. At the time it definitely was, however since I've been on the course, I've only done screen printing twice - once in the induction, and a second time for a one day collecting primary research in printing processes. Apart from that, I've not had any interest in using this facility. I did used to thoroughly enjoy it, however I think I've found that it's not too relevant to my practice now, but I would still feel comfortable using it as I spent a lot of time using it in my Foundation Year.

I think I am now at a point where I can answer those five questions that I wanted to find the answer to, which does show how much I have progressed.

What is Graphic Design?

The real question is what isn't graphic design. It is integrated into all media and industries, creating a foundation for work such as advertising and having a place in film and tv production. Graphic Design is more than letterheads and CD covers, with a large application in every day life. It is communicating messages in a visual, relevant and understandable language. This can be as small as a directional sign, to something as large as a football stadium interior design.

Where do I fit in within the Graphic Design industry?

I am a budding young professional with a lot of ideas, a strong work ethic and enthusiasm to do well and create design that is effective and something I can be proud of.

What is my specialism?

I don't have just one specialism. There are elements of design which I am much better at and have more knowledge at, such as typeface design or branding design, however I have experimented across a variety of areas in design and believe I have a good knowledge of this, with the ability to continue to explore and better myself in all areas.

What do I want to do?

I want to be an all round designer. I don't want to be sectioned off to one specialism. I want to be able to create a variety of deliverables for one project, all as strong as one another. I want to be able to communicate a brand effectively and professionally.

What do I want to achieve?

A sophisticated and considered approach to design. Success in design.

Following this, I looked over my work from the first year and decided on collecting together everything I learnt, liked and disliked about each of the projects. This will give me a clear idea into how I feel I progressed overall in the year and how this moved into my second year practice.

Practical Work

What did I enjoy?

Alphabet Soup - Creating a typeface.

100 Things - Creating a publication.

How to get people to read more - Creating a typeface.

COP - Practical

Speaking For Experience

What did I dislike?

Secret 7"

COP - Essay

Photoshop project

What didn't I do that I would have liked to?
Screen printing
Pushed my skills in Illustrator more
Experimented more with printing processes

What did I learn?

Illustrator

InDesign

Type Anatomy

Grids & Layout

Colour Theory

Building a concept

What did I learn about myself?

Fast learner

Enjoy digital work

Enjoy creating publications & binding them

Like the use of grids and layout design

Dislike presentations

Dislike crits

Don't know much about the design world - don't know blogs, websites, designers etc.

Don't mind not using screen printing

Typography driven

While there isn' any work from first year that I'm particularly proud of, I do think it was a fundamental stepping stone in my development as a designer. The skills we learnt have been a foundation and are what I now build my practice on, for example, the anatomy of type and grids and the execution of a concept.