Speaking from Experience - Questionnaire

I asked the following questions to people on the course and these are the answers I received.

1) Did you know of any traditional printing methods prior to starting this course? If so, which?
2) Did you know of all the facilities on offer at the college when you started the course? e.g. Screen-printing, letterpress, digital print etc. If not, do you now? 
3) What facilities have you used/will use again? 
4) Would you have liked more information regarding these upon starting the course?

1) Only very basic knowledge, i knew they exited but didnt know how to do them
2) yeah i knew the college did them thats why i came here
3) i use screen print all the time nealy once a week, and woodblock occasionally
4) yeah i would have, maybe some samples or whatever, its a good selling point

1) not really, people would talk about screen printing and i would be like what is this screen printing D;
2) I knew mostly about digital print but not really anything else. now im pretty confident cause we've had inductions.
3) screen printing is probably my favourite, cause i've not really used anything else. 4) yeah I think i would have wanted the inductions sooner or maybe at least more info about them

‎1) screen printing, etching, collograph
2) yes
3) only used them in inductions but would like to screen print soon
4) yes but we had so much going on I dont know when we would have done it!

1) screenprinting, monoprinting collograph but i had only done monoprinting
2) yes but i already came here, before that i didnt really know how awesome the facilities are
3) i've used the vernon street print room during the elective but i really need to do some more screenprinting
4) yes, knowing the prices and how to use everything and approach the staff would have been nice

1) yes - screen mono collograph lino etc etc,
2) yes but was unsure about introductions etc for the first term.
3) i know how to use it now, ive used screen printing so far
4) yeah a bit more information would have been extremely helpful.

1) I new of digital screen and letterpress. also linocut printing
2) i did know because i went to an open day and had a second tour during my interview day
3) digital print. i want to do more screen printing but i never get round to it
4) i think the course is set out really well so that you learn new things all the time during the 1st year but it would be nice to be able to go and use all the facilities to answer all the briefs

1) yes...screenprint, monoprint, collograph, lino,
2) yes from the open days
3) i have used them all cos i did print elective
4) yes more info would defo help

1) I only knew a few because i came from A levels, only lino and collograph.
2)  I didn't realise there was such facilities til the induction and printing elective
3) i do find myself using screen printing a fair bit since having the inductions.
4) I think it would be brilliant to know about the facilities in depth, before having to find out later on...

1) yes, screenprint, monoprint.
2) yes.
3) letterpress.
4) wish we could have used letter press earlier

1) screen, mono, collograph
2) no, haven't used many of them yet
3) digi print obvs
4) yeah

1) screenprinting.
2) no not all of them but majority.
3) screenprint, letterpress, basically the printing room.
4 ) would of been nice to know that we needed inductions on them all and to get them out the way straight away, like a day or week dedicated to getting them done.

Speaking from Experience - Possible ideas

Possible ideas  

A miniature handbook featuring a checklist of things you need to be aware of before you print your final design. This could feature issues regarding resolution, legibility of text, colour modes, stock choices, bleeds, grammatical errors, colour/pantone, placement, alignment, scale and so on.

Book showcasing works created from each of the print facilities available in the college to offer a wide choice of printing methods as opposed to focusing solely on digital print – something which I have done but wish I hadn't.

Online resource of inspiration and important links/resources. This could include shops and galleries in Leeds which could prove worthwhile or just general inspiration/daily dose of graphics to inspire and motivate someone. However, this needs to be made more unique as there are hundreds of similar sites which offer this same service. Though it could prove useful if a wide range of resources are collected and organised in one location.

An engaging video guide to effective organisation – from organising the files on your computer to your workspace at home; little additions/changes which will benefit you in the long run.

Packaging - gift pack of essentials (though we did receive an A1 folder including a cutting mat, craft knife, ruler etc). These materials however, could be accompanied by further essentials such as a sample of paper stocks, vouchers (craft shops/digital print/library – not just random shops), map etc all contained in a unique packaging.

Important considerations  

Unique/novel/different – engaging and interactive
Something which people will not immediately discard such as generic flyers
Humour? Light-hearted approach – not everything is pessimistic
Appeal to a wide demographic as all students are different

Speaking from Experience - Print Handbook

One (or many) of the problems I faced is figuring out what stock choice to use, choosing a method of printing, aswell as legibility of text, resolution issues, colour theory etc. However, I bought the following print handbook which was a suggestion to buy through an email we got. It covers areas/subjects such as colours on different stocks, dpi, line weight, font choices, tints, point sizes and so on providing an extensive resource in such a small booklet.

Something as simple as gathering known information and combining it into an easily accesible 'port of call' makes design life so much easier, well, at least to me. I am going to us this as a source of inspiration for my own outcome as it has proved extremely useful.

Speaking from Experience - Brief

We are required to 'produce a graphic response/graphic product/piece of work that makes a statement, comment, observation or gives advice about your experience on your first year of this course.' The media or format is open therefore the possible concepts and deliverables are endless.

We need to provide ongoing documentation through research, development and practical investigation. Firstly, an issue or problem needs to be identified; something in which I would have liked to have known or been given/informed about when I began my first year. This will be done through reviewing my own experiences during this year and conveying this through a graphic product/outcome.

Problems you have encountered since you were offered a place:

• Not knowing anyone
• Public speaking/presentations
• Losing files (ultimately forgetting to back files up) and relying solely on my usb
• Not knowing where my money has gone
• Eating a varied diet
• Balancing money/budgeting
• Not having enough materials/resources
• Not having a mac  - this has made life so much easier)
• Organisation - whether this be the files on my computer to balancing uni and other commitments
• Discovering a shortcut to uni
• Avoiding what I am most comfortable/familiar with and stepping out of my comfort zone - screen printing
• Leaving work to the last minute
• Never being pleased with final resolutions

Things you want to create:

• Book/magazine/booklet
• Interactive paper craft
• Stop motion/animation
• Website/online resource
• Gift pack of essentials
• Print based outcomes
• Screen printed outcomes - more unique/personal

Subjects/content you are interested in developing:

• A miniature handbook which is small enough to be carried in a pocket - easily accessible etc
• Basic shopping lists - essentials, offers.. can this easily be updated? Should it be online? It has definitely been done before so how can it be improved?
• Materials and resources which are essential to the course
• Benefits of having a mac
• College resources and print facilities - a showcase of work that can be achieved through using these. I haven't even used some of these facilities myself so not only will it be beneficial for others but it would also be beneficial for me.
• Procrastination
• Effective time management/organisation
• The basics of print
• Itinerary of what you need before starting the course
• A guide to the facilities on offer
• Checklist before final prints
• Infographics based on money management
• Stress due to workload/deadlines

OUGD104 - End of Module Evaluation

Submission form is on my PPD blog


Module Code: OUGD102 

Module Title: Visual Language

Name: Joe Warburton

Blog Address: http://www.j-warburton1013-dp.blogspot.com

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

Throughout this module, we have looked at how to reduce design to its bare necessities, showing how something can be portrayed in the most simplest form. Design should be self-explanatory and should not need an additional description to explain why you decided to do something in particular. I have learnt not to over complicate things and experiment with a range of different outcomes. For the book fair brief, I took something which was extremely vague (the colour red) and created something which was fairly informative. I enjoyed creating the hot dog fold books and was pleased to sell a couple on the day.

2) What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

Although the book fair brief was for the most part, online secondary research, I made sure to collect primary research for the majority of my 'What is a Line' project therefore making the outcome much more personal. This primary research and data collection formed the basis of my final outcome - a book based on my own famous connections. Another addition to this brief was a poster showcasing the six degrees theory being practiced in the film industry. This consisted of extensive online research to find out who was a film with who. 

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

My designs have taken on a minimalist and concise style which have originated from extensive (although monotonous and mundane) research - for the 'what is a line' movie poster especially. I am most familiar with digital print therefore I want to expand my knowledge even more by hopefully producing more inventive outcomes in the future. However, I still want to experiment with hand rendered techniques as I rarely use this in my designs.

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

Although I have stated this in an earlier evaluation, I tend to decide what outcome I intend to produce in the initial stages of design development therefore reducing the range of work I could possible reduce. In future projects, I will try to experiment with a range of media, look at different sizes and scale and create initial designs ideas focusing on all possible outcomes.

5) Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

- Much more drawing, whether this be initial sketches or even form the basis of my final outcome. 

- Development and experimentation throughout, avoiding using a single idea

- Look at all forms of research, even if it is not directly linked as it may influence the final design

- Evaluate my work throughout, find out where I've gone wrong and rectify problems

- Experiment with a range of media and possible outcomes

Attendance - 5
Punctuality - 5
Motivation - 3
Commitment - 4
Quantity of work produced  3
Quality of work produced - 3
Contribution to the group - 2

What is a Line? - Movie Poster Development

Aswell as the book full of my own six degrees of separation, I wanted to showcase the theory practiced in the film industry. As shown briefly in my first post, I wanted to create a large scale infographic in the style of a mind map. I began with one actress (in this case, Angelina Jolie), looked at the majority her films and noted down prominent actors and actresses in which she has starred in a film with. Some more were added during the design process.

The lines were hard to follow therefore I ended the stroke with small circles to define the two linking actors more clearly.

Final layout & composition:

Visual Language - Photography Brief

Rather than using the images from the initial induction, I decided to practice what I learnt by photographing green tissue paper in an abstract form, looking at frame, composition and lighting. I chose the 10 most effective out of the images I took.

What is a Line? - Initial prints

Using some cartridge stock, I decided to print out my designs and incorporate them into a book. As my printer is ultimately useless, the block colour prints i.e. the front cover had faint vertical lines running across them. I will rectify this by getting it printed at digital print aswell as using an improved stock. The inside pages, however, were adequate enough therefore I will keep these as they are. I will use a staple bind as it is a small publication.

These are some images showcasing the 'do-it-yourself' six degrees form. The faint text on the two initial lines were almost illegible therefore this needs to be altered for the final print. However, I am pleased with the overall aesthetic, especially on the chosen stock.