Module 2 Self Evaluation.

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

Throughout this module I have learnt new skills and developed old ones that have contributed strongly in the work that I have produced. Previous to this module I had never used InDesign and now, I feel confident enough to produce a variety of things using the software, for example, my A6 booklet and my final resolution for the book brief. It has proved very important in my work, as it was what I depended on to layout the pages of my final book and to print it out in the correct order. In addition to learning how to use InDesign, I have developed my skills in Photoshop, especially with the use of layers; I don't think I would have been able to produce work like I did without the help of the workshop. I had already practiced book binding before this module, however, after the workshop it made me feel more comfortable with the process which encouraged me to make more in my own time. I used perfect binding for my final resolution in the book brief and athough I didn't experiment with different types of book binding, I think this method looks the most professional.

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

Due to the nature of the module being very research driven, I definately feel that my approach to research has developed. If I hadn't done this module, I feel that I would still go about my research in the obvious way and produce somewhat boring work, however because of the freedom that we were given and the length of time we had to complete the work, helped me to see that I didn't have to just think of one idea and go with it, even I got bored. Getting feedback on initial ideas from others benefit the group work as it helped us come to an informed and joint decision. The interim crits really helped me with my individual work, in terms of idea generation, because it made me realise that if I find an idea boring, my audience will do too, so scrap it and move on. I don't have to stick with something predictable, I shouldn't think so literally.


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

I think that I have got better with evidencing the development process of my work and evaluating it along the way, although I feel I could still get better at it, I am pleased with the progress I have made in this area. By getting better at this, it has informed my work more because I can remember the design decisions I have made. The use of my blog as a way of documenting my work has become more evident in this module. I think that my crafting is a strength in my work as, in my opinion, when work is well crafted it gives a more professional and aesthetically pleasing finish. Finally, as my research has developed in this module, it has proved much more useful to the work that I have produced therefore I feel this is now a strength.

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

The most obvious weakness in my work is time management. Due to the length of time we had for each brief being a lot longer than we were used, I seemed to be very laid back for the majority of the brief and then as the deadline approached I paniced more. I intend to address this by using the methods shown to us in the time management sessions for examples, making timetables for the week ahead. I have also identified that my contribution to crits etc. is quite weak. Although I concentrate on the work they are presenting, i find it hard to give constructive feedback. I feel I am getting slighty better at thinking of research suggestions and so on, but I still feel it is a weakness.

5. Are there any things we could have done differently that would have benefitted your progress?
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6. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1 - Write action plans for the week ahead - Better time management.

2 - Document work with photography as soon as it has been done - More documentation and I shouldn't forget to do it as much.

3 - Be realistic about the amount of work I can do in set time - Time management.

4 - Contribute more to crits - I give them better feedback, they give me better feedback.

5 - More contextual research - a better understanding of the contemporary graphic design world.

7. How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

(5=excellent, 4=very good, 3=good, 2=average, 1=poor)

Attendance - 4
Punctuality - 4
Motivation - 3
Commitment - 4
Quantity of work produced - 3
Quality of work produced - 4
Contribution to the group - 2