design practice blog: December 2009

This module has been different to adapt to since it was very self-motivated. It forced me to think about my interest in getting into design for advertising and to think about the kind of work I want to produce for my portfolio and in the future. The independent structure was quite daunting to come to terms with at first, but once I got going I really enjoyed managing my own time and as a result my ability to make decisions has been forced to improve. At the beginning of the term I struggled to get going and spent a lot of time focusing only on the Skype brief but eventually realised that I had to make immediate decisions and run with them. I improved on speeding up the development process through making faster decisions and as a result I think the final outcome benefited. My photoshop, illustrator and inDesign skills have all improved during this module as I have used the software for each project. I’ve applied them to produce all the final pieces and although am happy with my progress, there is more to learn in order for my work to have a professional finish.

My strengths are idea generation and conceptual thinking. I'm more motivated to design for a brief when the concept begins to form, however I think I need to push the design further so that the concept communicates more clearly within the final piece. Although I am really aware of audience and am interested in how communication varies within cultures I know I need to improve my understanding. This has become an integral part of my practice which ties into my dissertation, and is something I want to focus more closely on for my final major project. Although I worked in light of my rationale, I do not think I pushed my exploration far enough and therefore this module has been a really good opening into extending my focus into next term.
I also think that my strengths are within craft and do not feel as though I did myself justice with the Occasions brief. I wanted to branch out by trying to do something different and although I am happy with my improvement on software skills as a result, I think I would have had more of a successful outcome had I stuck to playing with stocks and using my hands more to create the pieces. This is something I would also like to tie into my work & develop next module.

My weakness is time management and balancing my time across multiple briefs. Although I made lists, timetables and plans, I never seemed to stick to any of the deadlines I set myself and as a result had to rush to organise and complete everything before the deadline. Once I had started all my projects however, I really did enjoy managing my time, the problem areas were at the start (when I worked too slowly) and end of the module where I felt more rushed. Next term I am going to force myself to be more efficient and make decisions faster, from the start of the module. Although I have improved on software skills I know I still need to improve but also realise this will come over time & with practice.

Overall, this module has been a great introduction into prepping for my final major project. I'm looking forward to exploring and experimenting more with type, image, language and humour which will tie in with my dissertation. This module has forced me to focus on my future and I am enthusiastic to further improve my skills in preparation.