What If - Self evaluation

What If...Self Evaluation

What problem did you identify?

We identified that there was a problem with the governments intention raise the cost of university fees.


What evidence did you find to support your decisions?

We found evidence of how the rise in tuition fees will affect the time and ability of the students to pay off a larger debt. We found a website where we could calculate the estimated time taken depending on your income and debt size. We researched ways to make people aware of the impact of the rise in fees on the students, the universities, the jobs and the economy. We asked people in the protest what they felt about the government making this change. 


What methods did you use to gather your evidence and what forms did it take?
Qualitative Primary Research: We asked people in the crowd how they felt about the rise in fees and some people noted this on our protest banners

Quantitive Primary Research: 

 
Qualitative Secondary Research: We reserach exitsting articles, internet protest sights and blogs for information and views on how people felt about this and why. 

Quantitative Secondary Research:  Facts/Figures such as the total cost of debt an average student will graduate with. The time taken to repay this, on an average wage. The cost of the loan when David Cameron was at Oxford - to use as comparative information on the banners.

What methods of research did you find useful and why?

I felt that the secondary quantitate research was more useful as we could use this facts and figures such as 'David Cameron only paid £1,594 per year for his tuition fees and we could compare these to the rising price of £9000 per year. 

How did these inform your response to your problem?
We found that was a strong difference in the amount tuition which the Prime minister paid to now and how that by rising the tuition fees it will have a negative effect on the number of students who are able to apply and attend university. It makes university 'more for the elete'.ve

What methods did you encounter as problematic?
Primary Quantative 
How did you overcome this?
We asked people around our college but didn't manage to gather a broader range of data. 
What research could you have carried out that would have proved more useful?
To see the result of the voting, despite finding out after the project that the vote had been passed and the fees are going to be paid - it would be interesting to find out down the line how much this has really effected the country and students. 
List five things that you have learnt about the design process over the last two weeks.

1. Research thoroughly
2. Primary research provides a better and more relevant route for the project
3. ability when presenting work in a powerpoint, try and sell it to its best ability by providing more information on the slides rather than talking about it - talking visually is more effective and engaging
4. Have a clear design process and developments throughout
5. use different ways to record and get the brief noticed in the outside world e.g. going out there and standing in street/joining protest

List five things that you would do different next time.

1. Collect more primary research
2. Find something which had a problem rather than thinking of a subject and trying to create a problem out of that!
3. More visually eye catching messages/colour
4. Organise group meetings better
5. have more qualitative research

End Of Module Evaluation

WHAT  SKILLS HAVE YOU DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS MODULE AND HOW EFFECTIVELY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE APPLIED THEM?

• Skills in Illustrator which I didn't have before - I am now able to use Illustrator at a reasonable level in comparison to when i first arrived (this was mainly through the 26 letter forms brief)
• Research - for each of the project I start with researching different pieces of related work to the brief. This has provided me with inspiration and tools which I apply to my own work. It also give me a broader understanding and knowledge base of what Graphic Design is and effective ways to visually communicate my work. 
• Becoming more precise with my work - sticking to the brief and exact measurements
• A better understanding and skill in using colour and typeface. 

WHAT APPROACHES TO/METHODS OF RESEARCH HAVE YOU DEVELOPED AND HOW HAVE THEY INFORMED YOUR DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS?

• Initially I star with researching other work which has been produced in the area which each brief is on. This gives me inspiration and a starting point to my work. I look at the ways in which the designers have created the work and how effectively the message is conveyed. I also look at the layout of these pieces. 
• Using this method it has given me a better understanding/aim of what my work should look like.

WHAT STRENGTHS CAN YOU IDENTIFY IN YOUR WORK AND HOW HAVE/WILL YOU CAPITALISE ON THESE?

• Better use of Illustrator - work looks more organised than it did at the start of the course
• Typography within work - I now have a better understanding of typography because of the first two briefs so now in my work I use more relent typography. 

WHAT WEAKNESSES CAN YOU IDENTIFY IN YOUR WORK AND HOW WILL YOU ADDRESS THESE MORE FULLY?

• structure of development - with each brief I am given I will carefully plan how I am going to start, develop and answer the brief. Currently I just research work and take inspiration from that but I need to do more design sheets to address the briefs more fully. 
• Colour - now have a better understanding than I did at the start. 

IDENTIFY 5 THINGS THAT YOU WILL DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME AND WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO GAIN FROM THESE

• Time management - I have always had a problem with managing my time but having settled in to the course more and the work routine it should improve. 
• Using design sheets to develop work which will provide a clearer development process
• Applying newly learnt understanding of colour
• Blog - now getting used to it so will be more efficient in posting work 

HOW WOULD YOU GRADE YOURSELF ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS


ATTENDANCE = 4 (apart from being ill)
PUNCTUALITY =  4
MOTIVATION = 4
COMMITMENT = 3
QUANTITY OF WORK PRODUCED = 3
QUALITY OF WORK PRODUCED = 3
CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROUP = 4

Summer Brief Final Image

EVALUATION - No news is good news POSTER

 These evaluations were done anonymously

Evaluation - Alphabet Soup - Glow

WHAT IS BEING COMMUNICATED?
I was given the word 'glow' and had to communcate this through a series of 10 letters. 




HOW WELL DOES IT ANSWER THE BRIEF
Answered effectively as the 'glow' is successfully represented




HOW WELL AS THE IDEA BEEN VISUALLY EXPLORED
Well - reasearch on Avatar for inspiration of colours to use. Researched workshops on photoshop to best produce this glow effect. Experimentation with different colours and typefaces. 




WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF THE RESOLUTION
It works well as a series and glow is effectively communicated. 






HOW COULD IT BE IMPROVED
More experimentation with different glow colours and different effects. Experiment with more typefaces. 




GENERAL COMMENTS
I enjoyed this brief as it allowed my to develop my photoshop skill and learn more about how to use the program. 

EVALUATION - mailshot

SHEET 1 SIDE 1

SHEET 1 SIDE 2

SHEET 2 SIDE 1

SHEET 2 SIDE 2

Final Images

ILLUSTRATOR BRIEF

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS - Mailshot

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS - Poster

ALPHABET SOUP (Part 2) - DEVELOPMENT

ALPHABET SOUP (Part 2) - TYPEFACE

ALPHABET SOUP (Part 1) - GLOW SERIES

HOW TO...MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR FLATMATES

EVALUATION - Alphabet Soup Typeface

WHICH PERSONALITY TRAITS DID YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND TO AND APPLY THE THEME?

• outgoing
• bold
• friendly 
• quirky
• upbeat 
• lowercase (short)

WHAT ARE THE REASONS BEHIND THE DESIGN DECISIONS YOU HAVE MADE FOR THE TYPEFACE?
I designed an italic, lower case typeface with irregular bulges which stand out (bold), visually pleasing and appears slightly quirky. I also had parts of each letter extending out from it representing his outgoing personality. Looking at the typeface from a distance it it legible and has a 'fun and outgoing' appearance to it.

IN WHAT WAYS ARE THE RESULTS EFFECTIVE?

• Represents his bold, fun, outgoing and quirky personality. 
• The typeface is legible
• Visually pleasing and flows

ISSUES RAISED

• Consistency of size of bulges (boldness) and the size of the letter
• Some parts were not very legible - would it work as a smaller size font?
• The letter 'r' is not very legible
• For development work from a distance so can see the typefaces as a whole

ACTION TO BE TAKEN

• upper case
• measuring size - consistency
• different outlines
• sentences
• logic
• serifs/no serifs

Analysis - How to

BRIEF
To find a solution to the problem of 'how to make friends with your flat mates?' and how to communicate this effectively.

WHO NEEDS TO KNOW?
The new students arriving into their halls and other students around the university.

WHAT DO THEY NEED TO KNOW?
Ways in which to make friends with flatmates; possible activities, places to go out and ways to engage with each other and not to be shy when approaching people.

WHAT WILL THEY RESPOND TO?
To produce a set of posters which can be placed around the halls of residents and around the university.

WHAT RESEARCH IS REQUIRED?
Primary; personal experience and asking the other new students how they feel is the best way to make friends,
Secondary; Looking at other ways which have been advertised during freshers week. Looking at different typefaces, background and adverts which effectively capture students attention.

Rational - Alphabet Soup part 2

BRIEF


To design a typeface which represents the personality/character of Alex based on my 5 chosen words selected from the questionnaire


WHO NEEDS TO KNOW?


Partner - Alex Slippens
It needs to be a legible typeface


WHAT DO THEY NEED TO KNOW?


Why the typeface is relevant to them.


WHY DO THEY NEED TO KNOW?


To answer the brief


WHAT WILL THEY RESPOND TO?


Clear, visual typeface that communicates them
Legible piece of typeface


WHAT RESEARCH IS REQUIRED?


PRIMARY; questionnaire
SECONDARY; to look at typeface, to look at the issues surrounding photography, colour, design sheets

10 things I want to achieve over the year.

1. To be able to manage my time effectively 
2. Develop skills in Photoshop and Illustrator. 
3. Become more aware of graphic design work outside college
4. Be more experimental within my work
5. Have a better understanding of typography
6. Get used to blogging
7. Making mistakes and learning from them
8. To be able to evaluate work effectively
9. Being aware of my strengths and weaknesses
10. Research in library from current exhibitons

How To - Self Evlauation

What roles did you take on in the group?

• Ideas and brainstorming
• Development of sketches and layout of the pieces
• Fridge magnets with recipes

How well do you think you performed in the role(s)?

• contribution to brainstorming
• need more skills/understanding of photoshop elements to contribute to final pieces

How well do you think you worked as a group?

• Very Well - brought a range of skills and different ideas together which helped influence each other and bring together our range of skills. 

What were the positives of working in a group?

• When brainstorming ideas, when one idea was brought up, everyone in the group added their ideas onto it meaning it was developed further and further. We could develop ideas much further than we would have been albe to do if we had been working alone. 
• more creativity was brought to the table
• as it is the start of the course, different people have different strengths and level of skills so by joining together the final pieces were developed further. 
• learn different peoples ways of working and solving problems. 

What were the negatives of working in a group?

• Sometimes ideas and layouts clashed. 

What will you do differently next time?

• Broader range of colours
• Make more magnets/recipes

What were the strengths of your presentation

• bold simple ideas which were clearly presented