OUGD501 // Module Evaluation

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

This module is always the toughest one for me personally, because i find it much harder to write the essay component compared to doing the practical side of the module. This time round i spent much longer thinking about the essay and planning it out before i went ahead and started it. Also choosing a subject i was genuinely interested in made it much easier to write. I was pleasantly surprised when i received the feedback and improved on that since so hopefully a good standard and good mark will come from my essay this year. I have defiantly improved on my writing skills through this module.

With the practical element of the module the major skills i have used in this is the book bind. I took on doing the perfect bound within my publication, this was the first time that i had done it and was a bit apprehensive about it because i didn't want al time spent printing and cost of it to be ruined if i did it wrong. But in the end after making use of my own heavy objects to press the book together i managed to get the perfect bind working and i was really surprised that it came off and worked so well. I knew that i could keep it looking tidy because i am so fussy with things like that, so this worked to my advantage and the result of the publication being bound like that makes it so much better. The communication of it changes with  it being perfect bound and i think it has enhanced the overall design and feel to the publication.   

2. What approaches to methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
Within the publication itself i havent really used that many methods of printing except the bookbinding, but it didn't really need them, I would of just being doing them for the sake of it. I have used a variety of stock throughout the publication and the products to go with it. The publication case to hold everything together as one, i think was quite clever, in order to make it into the folder on such a thick stock, i created a spine within the grey board by scoring down the middle and opening these scores enough so that it made a curved edge, but it didn't cut all the through so it was still intact and created the folder. 

The design of the publication inside was kept to a gridded structure throughout and made the publication consistent. It is very visual throughout and i think i have managed the mix of image and type well within the spread designs. Each time that i create a publication i think that my editorial skills improve and this has shown again here, i think the design of it is strong and has a professional finish to it, especially with the binding technique.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I think the strength within my essay has come through with the analytical language that i have used within it. I found it really interesting to analyse the sources which i have used within the essay, which i think and hope shows throughout the essay. The general structure and wording of the essay has much improved personally and makes it read more like a academic piece of writing. 

The strengths within the publication, i think are the mix of imagery and type within the spreads, i think the publication is split down into good, useful and informative sections which are all illustrated with the images and the informative body copy to go with it. 

The binding of the publication is defiantly a strength, which i think is stronger because of the publication front covers. By using the two different aspects and stock within them they contrast each other and the designs complement each other too. There was a lot of thought going into the colour choice and how to portray the idea of Coca-Cola throughout the design of the publication and not just the content itself. Adding in the theory about the different sections and how this could relate to an advertiser reading the publication also makes it have a meaning and the publication will communicate this. 

Knowing that i am fond of editorial design and book binding i specifically choose these ways of working the publication to work in my favour but in doing this i have both capitalised on the fact i enjoy them and they are my strongest area of design but also made myself push myself within these area to improve and create something different. I think taking this approach in future will keep me as a designer improving and coming up with the new ideas within the field i enjoy. 

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
The weakness to this module as a whole is probably the more theory side of things, I have to find myself motivating myself to get them done and to complete them because this is harder than the practical side personally. This time round i have done them bit by bit and and worked on them sooner than later, this has made me enjoy the module more and get more out of it, i feel as though i have learnt a lot more this year than last and can see how it has been applied into my own practice. 

For the publication i think the weakness would possibly be the connection of the subject area and content to the how it works within the module. I could of maybe thought of a more interesting and creative way to link the two ideas together, but this has worked and i have created a high standard and well designed publication. 

With the design the publication could maybe have been more interactive for the user, but this was hard to apply for the content. 


5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
- Stay on top of lecture notes and make sure the notes are blogged right from the beginning.

- Think about the concept more and try be more creative with it, this will produce a more informed publication and the content will have more of direction. 

- Work on multiple design ideas to expand the product in general and the range that could be created. By doing this I will expand the project brief and create a range of products will show the connection of theory and practical design.  

- Not to be afraid of doing something different and out of the norm - with the design and the subject and concept. Again this will create a better informed publication outcome and the content will be more interesting for the user interactivity. 

- Keep pushing myself and trying to reach the highest standard in all areas. This will help me produce a much higher standard of design throughout all my design work and the theory of it all too.  

Attendance - 4
Punctuality - 5
Motivation - 4
Commitment - 5
Quantity of work produced - 4
Quality of work produced - 5

Contribution to the Group - 4