The main skill I have developed through this module is my ability to research and learn about what is defined as useful research for a project. While a method research for one project might be extremely useful in that, it does not mean it will necessarily be of same use in another. I think that this module has allowed me to understand the type of research which was necessary to create my essay and final conclusion.
The majority of my research was secondary, looking in books and online primarily, however for the practical element of this project, there was a need for first hand research in getting peoples opinions in the form of a focus group, which helped draw my final conclusion for the entire project. While I have never done this before, and was a bit hesitant, I found it surprisingly easy to do and that people are a lot more forthcoming to participate than originally thought.
I think that my research skills have developed throughout this module as it has been a subject of my choosing and the research has all been relevant to my design practice and interests, meaning I found it all interesting and beneficial to do instead of the doing the research because I had to.
My writing skills have also improved throughout this module as well. While I was initially hesitant and worried about the writing element, once a structure was created, I found that it was very easy to talk about the subject and find the correct source material as, once again, it is a subject I am interested in. I have previously found the writing element to this module tedious and unenjoyable, however writing this essay has proved to be beneficial to my design practice and knowledge about design.
What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
The method of design that I have developed through this module has been creating hand drawn typography. At the beginning of the academic year I had never really done much of it, and while I was interested in the subject, never felt confident enough to create this style of design myself.
In setting myself a brief in OUGD603 to create a piece of hand drawn typography, it gave me the confidence to utilise this skill in this module, which was the original intention from the beginning of the year. I now feel confident in my ability to create a style of hand drawn typography that I am comfortable with and can continue to build upon.
Another method of design production I have found to have helped me is in creating a piece of design around a subject that I am researching. I have found that this makes me more inclined to do better research, because instead of using the research for just an essay or informing a piece of design, creating a publication or document around one specific subject means I must pay close attention and actually take in what I read. This is the case with the typography principles, in which I had to research into for the first chapter of my essay. Because I created a publication in OUGD603 around this subject, I now feel much more confident in the language and terminology used in this subject.
What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
The main strength in my work is in the practical side. I think that the advertisements I created were visually strong, and the responses I got back really helped cement the synthesis between this and my essay. The use of my own hand drawn typography really put that bit more investment into creating a good design as it would my own drawing skills which would influence the outcome of the poster design. As well as this, working with a subject that I chose kept me interested throughout the whole project.
I think that another strength was in my time management of this project. Writing a large draft between my first and second tutorial really helped me in the overall development of the project. I utilised the tutorials well and got helpful feedback for the writing as well as my practical as it developed with the essay. Having this initial draft done so early on really helped me in the development of the entire project as I did the hardest part early and just had to build on it. It also set me up well for the practical as I could focus primarily on that over the last couple of weeks of the module. Having the written element fully completed allowed me to create a practical piece which worked with it and with having to make many changes, as would happen if edits were made to the essay.
What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
I think the weakness in my work is in the synthesis of the project. While I am confident that there is synthesis, I do wonder if there was a better way to go around getting a synthesis, and if there was a better outcome for me to create which would support this much better.
Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
- Choose a topic immediately that is simple and has a point to it. At the beginning of the project I thought too much into what I wanted to do and instead of looking for one simple question that I wanted to investigate, I had a very general one with many questions underneath. While I was clear in my desire to work in typography, I didn't immediately realise what I wanted to do with it. It would have benefitted me greatly to have properly figured this out initially.
- Think about alternative outcomes for the practical side of the brief. Throughout this project I have had one main idea for what the practical would be, and while this is what I did and was successful, I do think that I should have explored other options so that I could make a decision on what would best suit the subject and project, not just go with what I had.
- Create something a bit more dynamic. Leading on from the last point, I feel that while my practical outcome created synthesis, I don't feel that it is something that I will ever really use again or show to anyone. I think that in looking at other options, I could have created something that I was proud of and could be used in the future as well as for this module.
- I would liked to have done a bit more research before writing the essay so I had a much more focussed approach when it came to the initial stages of this.
- I would liked to have stared the practical work a bit earlier so I had more time to create a much more in-depth questionnaire for the focus group, getting more information for each individual poster.
How would you grade yourself in the following areas;
0 - Bad, 5 - Good
Attendance: 5
Punctuality: 5
Motivation: 4
Commitment: 5
Quantity of work: 4
Quality of work: 4
Quality of work: 4
