OUGD406 - End Of Module Evaluation

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

The main skill I have developed in this module is the use of InDesign. I had used it once before but was pretty much completely unfamiliar with the software. Through the workshops and my own use, I quickly learnt how to use the software and how it can be useful in the briefs I have been given, particularly when I want to create a book. Before, I was just creating the whole thing in Illustrator and then putting them into InDesign, but now it is a fifty-fifty split between the two.
I think I have also increased the amount of design sheets and drawn work in the briefs. I didn’t have many in the last practical module. This has definitely aided my development throughout the briefs.


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

I have worked a lot more in hand drawn design sheets to lay out work before creating them digitally. I have found that drawing it out by hand gives me the freedom to place things where I want instead of being limited to the screen. From these designs, it then makes it very easy for me to create them digitally as mock ups and then choose the one to go with instead of taking a long time to digitally experiment and take up the valuable time where I can be furthering the final outcome creatively.

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


The strengths in my work have been the fact that when given a brief, I can come up with a concept very quickly and stick with it, experimenting within the concept and strengthening it instead of having too many different concept ideas and no idea which one to go with. I think this strengthens my work as it allows me to get a more resolute outcome which includes a lot more contextual research and back up to it.
I also think I have a strength in making editorial work. I find it a lot easier to do something large like a book than a single piece of artwork.
I also have a strength in digitally produced work as I understand the software and am now quickly producing work and experiments in quick time.

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

I think my weaknesses in my work for this module lie in my layout skills. I don’t think I have been as experimental as I could have been, especially in the last brief of the module where I used it the most. I think that because I am usually strong in this area I haven’t bothered with it as much and now it has negatively affected my work.
I think the amount of hand rendered work is also a weakness. I have more than in the last module, but I do feel that I should do more and better my skills in this area, and even potentially do a final outcome in this media instead of being digital all the time.

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

• Be more experimental with layout designs. I do create a variety, but they are all of a similar form and aren’t as creative as I could make them. Next time when working with layout, I will aim to be a lot more creative with it and try stay away from the typical look that I have become accustomed to.
• Do more hand-rendered work. As I know how to use all the software on the computer now, it has taken over my design process and I have been lacking in the hand-drawn side of design. I aim to start including it more and developing it.
• Work in different media. I have worked mainly digitally throughout this module, and think I need to start working in other media, such as screen printing or incorporating design using the laser cutter or hand rendered design.
• Work on a larger scale. All my work has been relatively small for this module, so in the future I would like to work on a larger scale, producing work of an A2/A1 size.
• Be more creative when it comes to typography. I think throughout this module I have generally used the same kind of typefaces and haven’t really developed any of my own. I think experimentation with this is key.

OUGD406 - Speaking From Experience Self Evaluation

This was definitely favourite brief from  module, and I think it definitely showed in the work I produced compared to the other three briefs. I found that, as it was a brief with no restrictions apart from a final outcome, I was able to be creative in the areas I work best in, and in this case, it was definitely editorial work where I am more confident in working at the minute.
I chose a subject based on my experiences from the first year. When looking back over my PPP tasks and research for other modules, it is very clear that it was all lacking good designer research. This was due to the fact that I didn't know where to go, had a limited knowledge into some designers and usually stuck to the same ones because of it. Coming into the first year, I was very accustomed to the amount of work and how the course was structured, but not so much into the research side, and it definitely showed in my work. When asking others, they all seemed to have the same problem of sticking to what they knew because they didn't know where to go to find new design.
Before starting this brief, I had taken time to compile a list of designers & blogs, categorising them and adding some images. I found that this post came in very useful throughout this brief, and as I discovered new designers and blogs, I was able to add them to that post so I have a large collection that I can now look over. I think this is the strongest area of my final outcome, the fact I researched into so many different designers and blogs and categorised them into their major fields. I looked into well over eighty or so designers and many more blogs to get the final ones I used.
In relation to my design work, I think the most successful part was the icon designs. It was something I had never done before, so I was quite cautious about doing them, however I found it was an enjoyable task and am quite happy with the final six icons I came up with.
I also think the production of the book was successful. Something can always look good on screen but the moment you print it, it could look terrible. I think due to careful consideration into stock and book binding it worked out very well and looks clean and finished.
My weakness in this project I think has been the layout designs of the pages. Although I stand by the reason for having them so consistent and repeated in each section, I now think that maybe I could have been more experimental and tried creating individual layouts for each section. The whole point was to make it easy to find designers, so I kept the format the same throughout but I do wonder if that was really necessary. I think when doing something like this again, I will definitely be working to make every single double page spread individual and give it its reason to be in the publication.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this brief, and I think the work and my final outcome reflect this. I kept it simple, didn't over complicate the concept or how the book was going to be laid out, and just set it out as an aid to understand the five areas of design, find some new designers & blogs.

OUGD406 - Speaking From Experience Final Crit 26.04.13

In this crit we were put into small groups and had to give a short presentation of our work, and say specifically what we wanted feedback/help on.

As my content was finished, my queries were on the stock choices. I had already chosen the stock to use for the coloured sheets.

Coloured stock chosen

However I was having trouble choosing out of the four stock types I had chosen for the main pages.

Stock Choices

The print quality was all the same on each, but I was having trouble choosing between them. I had already ruled the Grey Marl (3) out as the red made the paper seem a bit of a green colour and it didn't go with the burgundy stock at all when this happened.

My initial thought was between the two lighter stocks, Antique White (2) & Bulky Newsprint (4), but I was unable to decide, and I did like the texture of the sugar paper (1).

The feedback was mixed about the stock choices, evenly spread across the three, so we had a discussion about it and worked it around the burgundy stock.

Like me, people liked the texture of the sugar paper, but when it came to which went the best with the coloured stock, it was between the antique white and bulky newsprint as they were both white and clear. In the end the majority decided upon the bulky newsprint as it was a smoother stock.

Other feedback given was that on the section definition page. The text is in the same point size as on the designer pages, however as it is on coloured stock, which is quite dark, people found it was quite hard to read and suggested trying out different point sizes for it.

Overall I found the crit useful and think we all helped each other out a great deal. Doing a crit in a smaller group, where we can say exactly what we want feedback on is definitely a lot better than people just telling you what they think. I found it was helpful and specific and told me what I needed to know, and not make me think about design decisions that they have questioned because of their own opinions.

OUGD406 - Speaking From Experience Crit 19.4.13

The format of this crit was as a group of 11 individuals & groups, showing how far we had all got with the brief and asking for feedback.
I showed the content of my book that I had so far, which was all images filtered & imported as well as all the designers names, section title pages & front cover.
Feedback was generally positive, with many people saying they thought the concept was a good one and would have been very useful for when they started the course. People were also positive on the idea of keeping the layout simple and consistent throughout the book, as well as keeping to the simple colour scheme of just red & black for text.
It was suggested that an infographic about finding a designer/how to research might be useful to include as a double page spread or poster, or some kind of added extra.

OUGD406 - Speaking From Experience Crit 22.3.13

The format of the crit was presenting the concept, method of delivery and production ideas to a small group, Simon & Amber, and two third years.

Feedback given:

The main bit of feedback I had to take into consideration was the production and final outcome and how costly it could be to make a book. If this was the case the cost would be high, especially if I intended to have full colour throughout.

Things I need to consider from feedback:

Publication type - does it need to be a book? Would a poster/cards be cheaper & easier to produce?

Colours - full colour vs limited palette

Tone of voice - informal or formal?

OUGD406 - Communication is A Virus: Evaluation

As a group what problem did you identify and why (In response to 5-A-Day / 10,000 Steps / Drink Tea)?

Our group was give 5-A-Day. We decided that we didn't want to go with the typical meaning of 5-A-Day with healthy eating & lifestyle, we wanted to focus on something that was more exciting & contemporary.
We looked into activities that we did 5 times a day, and concluded that a good route to go down would be looking into social media and networking, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. These have been integrated into our every day lives and is something that we do without even realising how many times we are doing it/have done it.
We felt this was a good problem to try and find a solution to, doing something which would make people aware of this and consciously make an effort to use it less.

What methods did you use to gather your evidence to prove this was a problem and what forms did it take? (Categorise, your research using the terms primary, secondary, quantitative and qualitative)

Primary research - As a group we decided that we should all carry out the same quantitative primary research in the form of a tally of how many times we went on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Online gossip/news, texting, WhatsApp etc. We then pooled this research together and found that we were all at very similar levels of using these sites, confirming that it is a problem in our age group.

Secondary research - Original secondary research was relating to the app idea, so in pairs we each researched into a different area relating to this. I looked into App & Website Layout. Although after the first crit most of the research wasn't really that relevant, I still found it useful and important. When we had a solid idea and concept secondary research became individual work. I looked into Branding & Identity, and then Twitter do's & Don'ts.

What methods of research did you find useful and why?

In terms of our concept, the primary quantitive research was the most useful. It enabled us to get an accurate representation of social media and the addiction to it. Creating a tally made us all very self aware of how much we actually use these sites, and has given me that conscious effort to stop.

What research could you have carried out that would have proved more useful?

I think the primary research definitely could have been expanded and we could have asked an audience to carry out the tally themselves so we would have a more accurate and reliable response than just the six of us.

How did you manage the workload as part of a group?

As a group, I feel we managed the workload well and effectively. I do feel that perhaps a couple of the designs produced should have been done faster than they were, but overall we did a good job as a group. When it came to designing the logo, posters & stickers, we found it was effective if the majority of us came up with design ideas/mock ups, and then we pooled them all together as one and decided on the best course of action.
Group communication was good throughout this brief as we had a Facebook group and were constantly updating each other with ideas & mock ups of work, gaining feedback and criticism before actually finishing something off. This had a very positive effect on the group as a whole as it felt like we were moving as a unit to get everything done. 
This was shown while working on the logo design. Originally Adam had a couple of designs, which Joe edited and made a few variations, from there we added my wording designs, and created the logo like that. The same with the stickers, where Grace, Adam and Anna had original designs and they were pooled together to create the stickers.
On the individual side of things, I think we all managed the work well, all having an individual task as well as contributing to the group tasks we did. Adam and Grace created the posters together from feedback given in crits and from the group. Grace also created a flier. Anna created masks to add a comical and more informal element to the concept. Ant created desktops & a video. Joe did work into how we would further the concept, coming up with an app design. I created the book on twitter do's & don'ts, along with this, I used work from Grace's flier and turned it into a leaflet.
I think I personally managed the workload well, contributed to the group and got everything done with a decent amount of time remaining. I took time to create designs which were effective, but didn't take too long as to put the whole group behind.

OUGD406 - Communication is A Virus Crit 1.3.13

This crit was with Simon and two other groups, each with a different topic to us so we could get some decent feedback which would be beneficial. We discussed our concept, initial ideas, how far we had gotten with it all and what our problems were.

Our main problem was interaction from the audience it is aimed at. We have found it difficult to get feedback and get people involved in it. To address this, feedback given was that maybe we should go down the route of doing bold, shocking posters/leaflets which would catch people's eyes, and put them around the university.

All feedback was positive and helpful to us, and we found it will definitely help us get a solution. They all liked the concept and our method of delivery, but agreed that it needed some work to get it to reach the audience and for them to interact with it.

From the feedback we have decided to create a series of posters which are bright and catching, and get the point across very easily.

OUGD406 - Communication is A Virus Crit 25.2.13

This was out second crit of the project, where we had ten minutes to explain the concept and development to Amber, and discuss how it will work and could be developed further. We also handed in our completed brief.

Completed brief form

Overall the feedback was positive on the new concept we have made - getting people to tweet only five times a day with tweets that aren't pointless, and have a reason. However our method of delivery still needs some working on as we are trying to make it viral.
Our ideas of putting up stickers where people are waiting and tweet a lot, is a good one, but is flawed in the fact that it might not really be effective in making people take note and actually visit our twitter page.
Tweeting people directly with photos of the sticker in places they've been is a bit too personal and could be considered creepy - I agree.
So perhaps stickers should be used in a different, more creative way.
It was suggested that creating everything digitally and sending out E-leaflets/posters etc would be a better idea as people are already on the computer and internet, and would be more likely to go onto our page.
Also suggested was the idea of making a desktop background for computer and phones that perhaps reminds people of our message and makes them think more consciously about it. I think this is definitely something to explore as it could end up being quite effective. (Also the use of an E-book which is printable).
It was also said that using a twitter page to counter the amount of twitter page is a little bit contradictory of itself and had to be done carefully. This is true, but twitter is an easy way to get the message out and get to the mass audience.

OUGD406 - Communication is A Virus Crit 22.2.13

Initial ideas
Initial Ideas Development

Our first crit is going through our initial ideas and the concept with Amber & Simon. Our initial idea was to make people use twitter/social networking sites 5 less every day/week. For this we wanted to make a twitter account & an App which people could use to track their progress.

Initial reaction was that the concept was a good one - trying to get people to use social networking more effectively/5 times less a day/week, however the main issue was with our method of delivery. As we have to physically make the App and see if it has worked, it is something which we wouldn't be able to do given the idea. It is probably not possible to create an App that does what we want it to do. So because of this we have to rethink our method of delivery to something that is more possible and easier to do over a short space of time.

OUGD406 - Design is About Doing Evaluation

Overall I wasn't so keen on this brief, due to the fact that the songs were limited and I didn't really like any of them, which I found to be an issue when it came to designing appropriate artwork.
I chose to do the song by Jessie Ware, and because of its repetitive nature I decided upon using geometric shapes and patterns.
I think my ideas generation and concept was better than how I produced it. I don't feel my final outcome was very strong or visually what I wanted to create. I think in the future I will not sacrifice elements of design because I like one certain element and want to include it. In this case it was the spirograph pattern. When using it, I thought it was a good idea, but now looking back at it I do feel it did deter my final outcome and I should have perhaps worked on some of the other variations of the cover I came up with.

OUGD406 - Design Is About Doing Crit

Secret7" Practice

We got into groups for the crit and spoke through our ideas. I presented the 30 thumbnails, 5 final variations & the colour variations for each.

30 Thumbnails

5 variations

The feedback I got was that it was useful to have the colour variations I had done, as it gave them an idea of how the piece worked in general, and how the other colours looked so the colours showed in the final 5 didn't drive their complete opinion of the piece.

Their opinions were mixed, ideas 1, 2 & 4 being the favourite three.

They all agreed that idea 2 was interesting because it was so different to the other 4 and didn't reply on geometric shapes, relying on the concept of it instead. However my personal opinion clashed with theirs, as I was not a fan of it because I didn't feel it was as clean and professional as the others.

They were not a fan of the blue used, but did like the red & yellow used in the others, & they liked the spirograph idea.