Evaluation of Module

In retrospect of this module I feel I have produced some interesting work, displaying my capabilities as a designer in the present and for the future. Juggling four briefs is something that I am use to now and believe it is good practice to organise time, dedicate and sacrifice to complete them in such a manner.

Originally, I set out to put in place 4 briefs with resolutions that would compliment my portfolio and developing work, which represented me when approaching the industry. These were type driven, layout for onscreen and print purposes, to promote and inform causes which were of interest to me, whether it be corporate industries or for a cause that I felt strong about. I feel I have successfully adhered to my aims, by completing a corporate identity (F.E.S.), an interesting solution to a cause I had an opinion on (Anti-organic), Type and Layout on-screen in the form of a website (Assembled) and type and layout in the form of print.

I realise now that my style of design certainly is not intended for graphic designers nor does it try to communicate strongly to others within the industry, but more towards in aid of society and the public, non-designers. In reference to my rational, I set out to be a “useful” designer. This perhaps, is because I’ve always believed that design should have a message and should tell that message in a way that is interesting/ witty or simple to understand. And I think there is more purpose in the world for this type of Graphic Design, to be able to communicate information to those who really need clarity of information.

The weaknesses I would identify from this module would most probably be the posters from the Anti Organic brief as the screen print quality did not come out as well as I would have hoped, as some fine details were lost due to a lack of pressure when running the spot varnish over the screens. In light of that I did enjoy it as it re-ignited my interest for this particular print process and the quality it gives to the work produced. I particularly enjoyed mixing the printing techniques of digital and screen, and can perhaps think of more interesting ways to utilise that in the future.

I also struggled with some of the design for web, as I have never done so previously before with little guidance. I was introduced to the term ‘Pixel Perfect’ by Joe Gilmore, which then complicated the project and made me realise how difficult and precise it was to ready comps for internet production. This project made me wonder whether I needed to become fully competent with Dreamweaver or web-design as it seems unnecessary if my job/ aim is to design layouts and styles for websites, however saying that, I think it would be useful to understand the process of actually producing a functioning website in the future, perhaps in my own time.

My strengths on this course have been down to my notepad/book, which I owe greatly to for keeping me organised and reminding myself to stay on top of things. Without it I don’t think I would have met the deadlines or produced the work that I did. The highlight piece of work has been designing the website, where I got to produce layouts on screen and learnt to think about different constrictions when doing so, as well as being a creative thinker (the dots) a photographer for some of it.

Overall this module has been a valuable lesson for me. I have come closer to recognizing where I fit into within the industry, I have explored designing websites (which I have a keen interest in) and realised that screen-printing is something I should perhaps utilise in the future. This has been useful, as I also have more work to put into my portfolio and can move forward onto the next stage of this course, where I hope to go on and challenge my abilities and explore different areas of Graphic Design.