OUGD504 - Module Evaluation

General Thoughts On The Module

I really enjoyed the way this module was structured. The length of the module combined with the fact that the first two briefs were only week-long briefs meant the amount of time it left us with for the third and fourth brief was great, as it really gave me time to think about the project rather than just jumping into it like I did with the second brief. On top of this, the fact that the brief 3 built on our summer project gave me extra incentive and motivation because I had a reasonably strong starting point. This was the same for the final brief, and I feel like this is the brief where the advantage of having more time really shows as I think that my influences are really clear, which has in turn made it of a higher quality.

I feel the way the briefs were linked together by lots of studio tasks was excellent, because these tasks were always relevant and kept me pointed in the right direction, but without feeling like I was being told what to do. I also found the design for print workshops we did as part of the module were really worthwhile in terms of being able to use the software to its full potential, and understanding how spot colours work in practice, which is something I had no idea about up until now. I feel like if we’d have had these specific workshops right at the very beginning of the year, my work would’ve benefitted even more, in particular the J2O brief for Responsive.

Because of the length of time we’ve had on the module, there have been times where it’s sat back in my list of priorities behind Responsive and PPP, which has really helped the strength of my PPP blog when you compare it to how my PPP blog was looking at this point last year, which I’m really grateful for. Having time to work on Responsive alongside this module was beneficial to me in terms of my time management skills, which I feel were already pretty good, and to the quality of my work, as I spent less time staring at the same brief repeatedly, and the variation helped stop me from getting bored. 

My Performance In The Module

I’m really pleased with my progress in this module, I feel like my abilities as a designer have noticeably improved, especially judging from the outcomes in for the final brief and the current work I’m doing for self-branding in PPP. I put this down to a combination of the design for print workshops and the content of the first brief. The workshops have really helped me develop the use of colour within my work, and the first brief has helped me understand my own creative process, which has helped me from then on in the production of the rest of my work. 

At the beginning of the year I found myself a bit slow to react to the restarting of being back at uni, which highlighted to me a problem in my attitude towards work, as I was expecting the pace to slowly build up from last year into third year. Having two week-long briefs straight away was exactly what I needed to help me with this problem, and subsequently my work ethic was much better for this module that it was at any point last year, and I think this is highlighted by the amount of work I did over Christmas (across all modules) and the thoroughness of my blogging. This change in attitude towards work has slowly been spreading across to my attitude towards the design industry in general, as shown by my use of G.F Smith and MPC in the final project. I definitely wouldn’t have looked at doing that last year, as I’d have seen using an external paper mill as something that was pretentious and unnecessary, and using an external printing company as expensive and lazy. I definitely think the visiting professionals we’ve had in have influenced my opinion on the design industry, as I now feel less like everyone in the industry is pretentious, which was, retrospectively, a stupid thing to think in the first place.

I’m really looking forward to starting the next module because of the renewed work ethic I have, which I’ve not felt since my GCSE’s, an appreciation for how the industry and external factors can improve my work, and a building sense of confidence in my abilities. One thing I will be looking to improve on however is the amount of time I spend in uni. Whilst I do come in for 99% of timetabled sessions and have not intentionally missed one this year, I do tend to go home as soon as I can. This happens to the extent where a few people on the course have commented that they hardly ever see me any more, which I feel is unfair on me, especially given how the group is split for some sessions. In order to improve this I have to make lifestyle changes which will make me less tired during the day, and I need to start bringing more food into uni as well, as often I go home because I’m hungry and refuse to pay £3 for a sandwich.

To summarise, I really enjoyed this module, and I think that it could be quite a big turning point for me in the course, which is important given how far into it I now am.