OUGD201 - Evaluation

BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN		LEVEL	05
Module Code	OUGD201
Module Title	DESIGN PRODUCTION - PRINT

END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION

NAME

Joe Warburton

BLOG. ADDRESS

j-warburton1013.blogspot.com

1.  What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
Throughout this module, I have gained extensive insight into commercial printing. The ‘Top 10’ manual of things you need to know about print allowed me to explore aspects of commercial printing I had never come across. I learnt how to set up an artwork to print in the form of colour management, scale, resolution, preflight and so on. We had a screen printing workshop in Blenheim and in Vernon street last year but I never put this into practice within my work. However, this project allowed me to explore print processes which I had never fully investigated therefore screen-printing seemed like the perfect choice to experiment with. As I eventually created a packaging consisting of a black substrate, I chose to screen print pearlescent, metallic silver ink. Despite the lengthy process for such a small amount of information, I believe this has been worthwhile and my knowledge in this aspect of print production has vastly improved.
2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
The concept development phase of this module, in particular for the ‘Good is?’ brief allowed me to explore my concept in more depth in order to devise a story or background to which I would eventually base my project on. In past projects, I have usually delved straight into digital design as opposed to creating a thorough rationale and exploring my concept through all possible aspects – this usually produces a body of work that is not as thought out as it could have been. The visit to Team Impression provided me with a huge insight into commercial printing. Although I had researched into print processes and production, I hadn’t fully understood the process, limitations and outcomes in which they can produce until this visit. Understanding the limitations of colour, stock and print processes allowed me to create an informed decision as to how I would print my products in industry.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
Before beginning this course, my work was predominantly advertising and design for web. Through this module however, I have picked up an extortionate amount of new skills which I have adapted to my work. I believe my passion now lies within print due to the tactile nature of printed outcomes and the endless possibilities in which it can produce. I believe my strengths lie within brand identity and packaging as this was most prominent through the ‘Good is’ brief. I believe the simplicity and minimalistic aesthetic of my designs reflects the concept of nostalgia effectively.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
I believe my time management is lacking – I need to prioritise and organise my time effectively to avoid panic and frustration at module hand-in. Through the workshops given to us during the early stages of the design process, I was able to focus more so on concept development and research as opposed to digital design. However, I still did not have a focused concept towards the beginning of the physical design process that ultimately disrupted by design development due to the multiple changes I had to make. I hope to rectify this in future projects by outlining what I will create.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
Define my concept early on – Despite the numerous revised rationales, it was nearer towards the end of the project where I had a definitive concept outlined including what I will produce, the story/background behind it and the context of the products. Define my target audience in advance – Similarly to my concept development, I need to define who I am aiming my product/outcome towards as this may alter the design decisions dramatically. Although I had a fairly clear concept as this was a novelty gift, I originally intended to devise a nostalgia pack catered to everyone – obviously, this was near impossible as everyone has personalised and individual memories and in the progress crit, it was noted I could create a pack based on a particular decade which resulted in a more defined and focused target market (albeit a very diverse one). When doing to-do lists, stick to them – Now and again, I create to-do lists which although help keep me focused, I rarely abide by them. I need to make sure I am following my progress constantly. Explore all aspects of print – Although I had experimented with screen-printing and possible foil-blocking, I need to book an induction with letterpress, laser cutting etc as this may prove beneficial in future projects.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance					x
Punctuality					x
Motivation			x
Commitment				x
Quantity of work produced			x
Quality of work produced			x
Contribution to the group			x
The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.