End of Module Evaluation

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

At the start of this module i didn't really know who i was as a designer, i generally worked in method i new and liked and didn't venture out discovering new boundaries. However from beginning to end i feel i have developed new processes and the way in which i work and produce has changed. To being with the recognition day brief, i really enjoyed this and personalized it to myself and my feelings, which is a similar to the way i used to work whilst doing fine art. I suddenly realized this was a much more successful way for me to work, although the quality of the images were not that strong, the pieces i produced had deep meaning in them which resulted in my work being chosen and printed for the Recognition Day competition. The next brief 'how to..' was really informative it gave everyone a chance to do something really different and create something informative. I found this brief really useful, i learnt new things about phobias and how to overcome them as i personally don't have one. So far this year i hadn't created a poster or anything informative to the public, which ended up being the result for my final piece. This now looking back at it, wasn't the most successful, there was something missing which backed up positive reinforcements with phobias. But this is a positive mistake as from then on i realize i needed to continuously stretch my ideas and keep adding to them, for the brief to be successful. I went back to my 'safe' place and screen printed, but i really enjoy doing this so why not, however many times i have done this, i accidently double printed and got a really nice effect so i continued and developed a really nice set of posters, which i feel students would put up around there rooms. The colaborative brief really took me back and a lot of negativity came from this and i definitely learn not to work with your friends as things don't always work out! However in this brief i dod learn new skills, for the first time ever i did a stop motion video and took photographs for them. This was really hard work but i still managed to incorporate my new found love of patterns into it. Im glad i got the chance to try it, however it does make me realize i do lack in digital skills, but i don't particularly enjoy doing computer based work anyway. The final large brief of this module was speaking from experience, i definitely feel i pushed the boundaries here and developed as a designer. I learnt lots of new skills wen creating my final piece, i did have to compromise some ideas however which i feel may have being more successful but i did work around these problems. For the first time i used a sand blaster on my piece of acrylic to get a frosted effect on the back. I leant how to cut this plastic with a special cutting tool to make sure the plastic didn't crack. I also used a large electronic sander, which i used to smooth down edges and round off the corners. These are not only new skills but the material i used is also new to me which i really enjoyed discovering and finding out about. Another new material i used was polyprolean plastic, this took many attempts and lots of money to master the art of bending and sticking, a new skill was melting using a hot wire, although this wasn't successful its a new skill and opportunity available to me for future briefs. I also learnt through this that nothing will stick plastic so it is strong, i ended up using double sided tape, no glue or amount of melting would work. Another new skill i recently developed was to use masking tape on plastic when scoring so the plastic doesn't snap and the craft knife follows the line better, as the knife can easily move on the plastic.

• What approaches to/methods of problem solving have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

I found i had most problem in the speaking from experience brief, as i wanted to use the laser cutter, to created either a stencil for my calendar to sandblast onto the plastic so the writing was frosted, or to create a sticker of it, as these are both more permentant ways of leaving a mark on the plastic than screen printing which can easily scratch off. So to work around this is sand blasted the whole of the back layer and screen printed onto it, as the ink is harder to removed from the back side and with frosting. I have learnt that i need to work around my problems as i will find another solution, better or not. Another problem i had was working collaboratively, our opinions clashed but we had to learn to over come this to develop work together and have a successful outcome. Through this i now realize it isn't best working with some one you know as it can ruin friendships, but over best if you have the choice to work alone to avoid clashing ideas and arguments.

• What strengths can you identify in your work and how till you capitalize on these?

I definitely through this module feel i have changed in my way of learning and developing my work, through the simple steps i have previously forgotten to taken. I shall definitely capitalize on this, things such as testing and research more areas before jumping into solutions and getting feedback from other people, that way i'm not just creating something through my opinions but through others as well. Which i feel would help in having a more successful outcome. Another strength i feel i have gained through this module is finding myself a little more in my working method, before i didn't really no what i liked and disliked and now i feel my work is aimed more towards methods and choices i enjoy, meaning i am more likely to enjoy the brief through out the discovery process as well as the end result.

• What weakness can you identify in your work and how will you address  these more fully?

My main weakness through out this whole year has been jumping into things before fully researching and testing. I now no its much better to do all this before having any initial ideas, i feel your more likely to have a better outcome this way. I think i only really started to do this with the last project, so i will have to take this on board for next year. To add to this weakness would also be secondary research, i am not the best at looking at other works and relating it or using it as a positive and letting it help my work develop. I need to be more aware of this and start looking at other graphic designs which could influence my work.

Final piece images

Testing the elastic and colour.

Fixing the box.

ARGH i am getting very frustrated with this box and plastic it keeps breaking all the time! but i shall work through it and keep going! Next is fixing the box together...

This would be a really fun way of presenting the box with a seal saying 'to do' however once the seal is broken it wouldn't be very useful, the box will need something more permanent t, however i just thought id put it up her because i really like the idea, a future brief perhaps!

This is defiantly the most appropriate bind method for the box i have come up with and seen so far, all i need is a few eyelets and elastics and it keeps everything neet and tidy.

Project proposal board.

Page Design.

Taking into consideration other peoples comments and the results from the questionnaire i handed out, i feel this is the best page design for my notebook. It includes dots forming square shapes as well as lines, perfect for a graphic design student to draw on as well as write notes, it also includes tick boxes, which many people said they would like them and a perforated edge to stick onto the proposed calendar.

Line enquiry.

A few of the page line designs are shown above,  but im having a few problems uploading things, my favorite so far how ever are the dots in squares, this was suggested to me by a few students as you can draw on the page with them as well.

Calendar ideas.

Above are just a few of the calendar designs i have produced and developed.

5 Contemporary designs

After spending some time in a crit and deciding that my work needed something extra to make it stand out from an ordinary notebook, it was suggested a calendar might be appropriate and i really liked this idea. I have looked on www.ffffound.com and looked at really interesting different and unusual types of calendar that are in the 'real world' for example the stamp yet we don't notice them i want to create something a little different but still a really useful and interactive tool for students to use alongside the notebook.

Crit feedback

After a crit today and speaking to my group we decided that the idea i had of an interactive note book was too simple and needed expanding, it needed to be different. So now i am going to develop the notebook into an interactive calendar as well. This links withe the feedback i collected that people like to use post-it notes, so the note book will now include small tear off pages to stick onto a calendar, where you can also write important notes.

Book research.

After a few 'mock ups' i quite like the idea of having a concertina book, with perforated edges that will tear off. I experimented with different colours representing different meanings of lists. If i am to use this binding method i need to find a suitable way of protecting it as its quite delicate. 

Book ideas

Book binds (research)

Although i have tested and sketched out a few ideas of binds i like, below are a few i found when researching which are really interesting and worth looking at further because i have now decided i don't want the book to be ordinary and boring, i want to make it as fun and interactive as i can. However saying this i don't want it to be too complicated or fancy as it is a note book and has to be durable as it is intended to be carried around in your bag at all times.

This book has given me quite a few good ideas, it looks delicate and pretty and a few of the comments i received from  my questionnaire were for the book to be pretty as they would be more likely to take care of it and use it more if it was  visually interesting. The thing which captures my attention with this book however is the imprint on it, this would  be a really nice effect to have on each page, not just to look at but touch as well.

This book is really effective in the fact that its just so simple with two small loops and this i feel is defiantly something my book needs and it takes on the classic effect notebooks generally have of loops/ring bind for easy tearing out of pages. I also like the colours of this book, it looks really crafty! another thing which was suggested to me was the paper stock used to make sure people could use it for other than writing, and a lot of graphics students tend to like the brown paper.

Sketches

Idea

From research and ideas i have developed i have decided to follow on developing the interactive notebook idea. I really want to develop this idea as i feel it most suits my personal solution to the issue i have raised but i also would really like the chance to 're-do' a book making brief as i ruined the last book i made and would really like the chance to improve on this. My next step is to look at different binding methods and what the best ways are to make the book different to all other notebooks.

Typography for 'TO-DO' large posters?

This is the idea i want to get with the large typography to do list poster, it looks really interesting an visual, i got these samples from wwww.ilovetypography.com. I feel students especially art/design students would put this up as well because it would just be of help to them but its also something visually interesting.

 

Handmade ideas developed.

   A few sketches, i thought about making a huge wall sized or wallpaper size poster for students to put on their walls of huge tick list boxes. Although an interesting presentation of it would be needed so people actually want to  use it an put it on their walls, i shall have to look at some typography and poster designs for to-do lists.

     
 Below is a quick example of a huge tick list, although a very boring one, it would be really interesting to mix different font size and illustrations with it.

Development of handmade ideas.

Note book

• Interactive
• Sticky pages
• Stock: graph- layout- line marks
• Whiteboard
• Perforated edges

Problem: there are millions of different designs of books i need to find something or a use that makes it different and useable to students.

Poster

• Size: big - small - wallpaper size
• Shape - circle? rectangular?
• Fold out from something, which could also have a use.
• Interactive - tear off bits, stick bits...

Small Rememborals

• pillow, key ring, mobile phone charm, bracelet, mousemat.
• typography
• all given a a set or something different to each student?

Research (digital)

Digital ideas developed.

Screen saver 

• buzz alert 
  
• paper clip man (word)
  
• interactive: tick box's
  
• achievement recognition
  

Mobile Phone

• Text message/phone call - automated service? advertisment?
• Background/screen saver - similar to jamster adverts?

Vibrate alert 

• Reminder - text message - a message you have set?
• Calendar
• A voice reminder played at a time you have set.

All of the above could be supplied to students as an information pack, a routine of things they should do to in order to help them remember.

There are a few issues i have with developing a digital idea and thats simply that i cant actually make any of the above and i really wanted to rather than just advertise them.

Manifesto

1) What i used to be: focused on working on my views on issues and the world.

2) What i am now: working in craft print and pattern.

3) What i intend to become: develop my own work more an not just jump into ideas.

4) What i intend to become: enjoy my work more by not stressing out so much.

5) What i intend to become: try out new things rather than sticking to what i know.

5 images

I found this image on www.booooooom.com, i really like the combination of illustration and mixed media used on this piece. I would quite like to incorporate this new method into my own work. It looks really pretty and brought to life with the 3d effect given in the mixed media.

This reminds me of the idea i have for a huge poster/wallpaper of to do lists and illustrations. The poster captures the qualities i wanted to have on the wallpaper of different fonts and pattern, it all being the same thing w

ithout it being boring. I found this image on www.ffffound.com.

An overall idea i have is to include pattern linked with thought into what ever 

possible outcome i have, whether digital or craft based. This image reminds me of a huge thought bubble full of pattern possible representing confusion? I got this image from www.yunmee.com

This is another image i found on www.ffffound.com i really like how this image has being developed, i feel tis effect would look really good in a print method. I like how the image and type work well together to create the final image. I would quite like to incorporate type being the mage in my work at some point.

What i like about this image is the individual patterns are so simple yet working as a whole really bring it to life and the warm colours really make me what to be apart of it and have it. I like everything about this image, although the animal on the top is a bit strange. As most of my work seems to be developing into illustration i would really like to take the effects this designer has put into this pattern work into my own, simple yet complicated and so warm and inviting :)

New brief :\

The problem i have identified is, forgetting to do almost everything, i am going to identify the problem and try and solve it. My intentions are to find a way of helping me remember basically, presumably it will result in some form of poster or diary to help trigger my memory. Im really interested in looking at making a book, and designing it properly as so far my best pice of work has been a book but i was too stressed and rushed to fully appreciate it an the quality at the end.

Critical Studies

For my essay, i have looked at blasphemous art an i found it really interesting looking at the sacred pieces of religious art and rules in contrast to the blasphemous images. Below is one example i used, Leonardo da Vinci - the last supper, in comparison with 'yo mammas last supper' and Falsom street fairs advertisement.  

Recognition Day.

End of module self evaluation.

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
Throughout the visual language module i have come to realise i like making and crafting things. Before this module started i would have never developed any work into something paper based, which strangely is what my final outcome is. I feel i have learnt new and different ways in which to approach a brief. This module has helped me to look at the message behind the image and not just the way it looks, but also something simple can be really affective.
2. What approaches to methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
My main method of research have being through the development of paper and different ways in which i could use it to represent dance. When i had chosen my final idea, i had to  make sure the paper stock was suitable an the colour matched the dance style. There were many things i had to consider which i hadn't realized were necessary before. From this project i have also learnt that although we have weeks/months to do the project i should think i have ages to do the work and leave it, i should start and develop it as soon as i can, because with this module i still have so many ideas of which i have not had time to do or develop and they may have been more successful than the final outcome i have now. So through this i now finally realise i need to manage my time much better.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalize on these?
I would say the strength is the idea i chose to develop 'dance' because i love dancing and i am involved with the activity i know about it and can give more input, unlike a subject i didn't know in and out. I feel because of this i enjoyed the project more so wen i did find my idea i was able to work on it and enjoy it throughout. I think the actual final piece is a strength, i feel it works really well as an outcome. Each book labeling the dance, folding out as a dance.
4. What weakness can you identify in you work and how can you address these more fully? The weakness for my project would definitely be the research side, i really don't have much secondary research, throughout using 'dance' i have worked from the knowledge i have got and the images i have taken whilst dancing. I do not have any artist/designer research. Another weakness to my project would be, that i have no digital work everything is paper based, perhaps my outcome would have been completely different if i had explored a digital approach.
5.  Identify 5 things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
-artist/designer research.
-start my project sooner.
-try to develop all my ideas before continuing with just 1 route.
-once i have a final idea, do more tests and practices.
-test my concertina books on different paper stocks, for thickness.
6. How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
Attendance - 4
Punctuality - 4
Motivation - 3/4
Commitment 3/4
Quantity of work produced - 3
Quality of work produced - 3
Contribution to the group - 2

What is a line - final resolution.