Final Evaluation - OUGD602.

Over the course of this module I feel that there is quite a large range of skills that I have developed. For example the main thing would be confidence and clarity of my own practice. I feel that over the course of this year I have really refined what I am interested in and how I want to progress in the future. Before hand I found it difficult to find studios that I was really passionate about I think this was because I didn't have a clear idea about what I was interested in. I now know with certainty that I enjoy working with retail brands in the luxury or bespoke sector and that packaging, branding and editorial are areas I am passionate about. Because of this clarity of my own practice it has improved my confidence in approaching design studios as I feel I would be able to talk clearly and professionally. My evaluation skills have also improved as I feel I can now successfully keep track of my progress and review the improvements I have made.

Aspects that have helped me to develop during this module are finding studios that relate to my practice as it has given me things to aspire too and help me find my place in the graphic design industry. By looking at these places it has also informed my own design and given me inspiration. As well as finding studios I feel visiting them has been even more beneficial, for example going to London was very exciting and I enjoyed seeing the working environments. I think that my manifesto presentation helped to inform me as before I hadn't necessarily considered what I was interested in in much depth, it was just something that was accepted. I have really enjoyed going to exhibitions and talks this year such as Design Manchester and Dialogue, it was really inspiring listening to experienced designers and seeing such exciting things.

I feel that strengths from this module would be my personal branding as I think that it is now a lot more reflective of me as a designer. I like the colour palette and I feel the processes like triplex and vinyl give a strong professional look that would be memorable to who I gave them too. I think that my confidence in presenting has been a big skill and it something that I no longer anxious about. I feel that this was proved in my visit to the Elmwood studio to pitch my 'brand the boring' idea. I really enjoyed the experience and felt confident in talking about what I had done. I have also been proactive in visiting studios and I felt that going to London was hugely beneficial to me. As well as portfolio surgeries with a selection of studios where I felt confident in talking about my work.

Some weaknesses that I could say would be the I feel I could have developed the web aspect of my personal branding further. It does the job but I think the layout could be more exciting and interactive. Also, even though I visited a large amount of studios and spoken to a lot of professionals I haven't had a placement. However this is something I definitely want to look at over the summer.

Evaluation - D.C Book.

I think from putting together this publication it has become even clearer to me the type of design I like and can see myself trying to get into in the future. It is very reassuring to clarify with myself the area I want to focus on and improve. When gathering the research I found myself reconnecting with studios I hadn't looked at in a while and also discovering new designers that I previously hadn’t heard of. I feel that this book will still be very useful to me in the future for referring back to and getting inspiration.

Before I started this brief I was unsure as to how I would approach it so I made spider diagrams that noted down my interests and themes within them I feel this was very beneficial in structuring the publication.

I feel a strength of this brief is that it is so relevant to my current practice and what I aspire to. The chapters some up exactly the sectors of graphic design that I am interested in and want to focus on in the future. I have found the examples of work I have included I have written about in a way that sums up why they are important to me and why I aspire to about them.

An aspect that could have added more depth to the publication would have been to gain some primary material, like interviews with some of the studios that were included. I think this could have added another level to the content.

Evaluation - Personal Branding.

I feel like my new branding has improved a great deal from my previous designs and it is more appropriate for my current practice. I began the process by reviewing what I had previously done. I analysed what I did and didn’t like and made a list of the things I could do to improve it. For example adapt the colour scheme, experiment with processes, look at alternative layouts for my business card and cv and create a larger range of products including postcards and a live website. I felt like doing these things has led to a more professional end outcome.

For research I looked at examples of other peoples personal branding, from these pieces I like the bold use of colour and lettering. I also looked at the type of products that were involved in these collections, from business cards to cv’s, websites and extra material. I also wanted my cv to be more creative and exciting to look at but I was unsure how to do this and still achieve a professional finish. From my research I saw that adding colour was quite a frequent technique that added a simple point of interest. Info graphics were also popular and I liked the more subtle versions. Due to wanting to have triplex cards I researched into the process and ways that I could craft it myself.

I feel a strength from this project is how consistent the end products are. This is due to the constant colour scheme and the continued use of the vinyl stickers. I also think because of the vinyl and the triplex layers the collection has become more memorable.

Something I could have done to improve the finish further would have been to get everything printed professionally, therefore having a spot varnish rather than the sticker. However I feel what I have done is suitable for what I need it for at the moment.

Evaluation - L.D Editorial.

Aspects that I have improved during this are my skills in layout design as the composition had to be consistent not only through one editorial but also across the whole range. This was very important to me, as I wanted each publication to flow into the next. I also felt I learned more about how to work with a real client and how to inform them on the changes being made. This was quite a quick turn around brief but there was still some development that took place during the process. After designing the first draft a mock up was printed out that Lauren could look through and note down any changes that were needed to be made. The things that were changed most drastically was the cover style and also image orders.

I gathered together a collection of research material for when I started constructing the books. I found it was really helpful to have something to refer to when the designing was taking place. Some main aspects I took from them were interesting composition ideas for the images. I particularly liked when certain photographs were positioned across a double page spread or the use of margins.

A strength from this brief is the quality of the professional print. It was really exciting receiving these as it is great seeing something come together. I really like the simplicity of the design and how everything is so consistent across all three editorials. Even down to the cover design where the images chosen are of a similar front on, portrait style. I think the use of white in the compositions really helps to frame the images.

Something I could have done differently to improve this brief is to maybe use a more interesting format as the A5 size is quite standard and is something I have used a great deal across the year. Experimenting with this further could have made for a more exciting end result.

Evaluation - Yearbook.

I found that this brief was as much about organisation as it was design and a lot of our time was spent planning different aspects that needed to be done and collaborating with people outside of each other. I feel because of this I have really improved my skills in organisation and communication as I needed to make sure tasks were done by a certain date in order for the project to progress and be completed by the final ‘send to print’ deadline. I have also greatly refined my editorial skills, I found that as this was a live briefly so closely linked to the college the level of finish and consistency of layout was very important, this led me to learn a lot in a short space of time.

We conducted research into previous yearbooks from the course, this was very beneficial as it was clear to see what did and didn’t work, we could also discuss with Duncan about this to hear his thoughts on what he wanted. It was clear that he wanted the focus to be on imagery with limited white space as well as the focus on the course as a whole rather than the individuals work. We also researched into options for a more interactive publication, the main ideas we gathered from this was coloured paper inserts and a wrap around cover that would double up as a poster.

As mentioned before I think a strength from this would definitely be organisation. On a basic level we had to organise our own time to meet all the necessary deadlines, as well as organising photo shoots in and out of the studio of the environment, work and students themselves. We were also back and forth from the Textiles office getting feedback and content from Duncan. I feel this has taught me a lot about the expectations once leaving university from the outside world.

I think a weakness of this project is that it isn't as interactive as we initially wanted it to be, for example there wasn’t the resources to be able to get the page inserts. If there had been more time I think I would have liked to think more into getting an alternative for this. However I am really pleased that we were able to get the wrap around as I think it really ties the whole publication together whilst adding an exciting additional element.

Evaluation - L.C Branding.

During this brief I improved my branding skills as I had to find an aesthetic that suited Lauren’s personality and design style. I haven’t had a huge amount of experience of creating logo but I knew the style I wanted to achieve. I wanted it to be type based with a simple, contemporary look that wasn’t fussy and overbearing so that the designs could speak for themselves. Because the logo was so stripped back I incorporated bold, block colour to break up the white but still be not distracting. I feel like by completing this I have really began to understand clearly the aesthetic that I like.

My research began by finding out more about Lauren and her work, to do this I visited her space in the studio to gain inspiration from her colour palettes, research and designs. This was really helpful to me because I feel I went away with a much clearer understanding of where I was headed. My research then followed on to more general textile designers and their branding, I found a common aesthetic choice was hand rendered type that was often coloured. After seeing these it cemented that it was not the route I wanted to go down as I felt it looked to traditional and fussy. To incorporate colour I thought it would be exciting to paint the edges of the business cards so that they created impact when stacked together, I looked into cards that used this process and guides to how to complete this myself. I’m glad I did this as I feel it is a strong aspect of the branding.

A strength is the level of consistency across the products and with Lauren’s own work. I feel they work seamlessly together which I’m really happy with as that was the aim from the start of the brief.

I think a weakness is that I could have covered a larger range of products like a web presence or more stationary material. I think these things could have elevated the project a little further.

Evaluation - Cosmetics Brand.

During this brief I improved my packaging skills, it is something I have worked with quite a lot this year so I wanted to take my outcomes up a level. I decided to make the boxes slightly interactive and more exciting to interact with. To do this I created a patterned sleeve that could be slid on and off of the main box. This sleeve also has a cut out which enables the bottom layer to show through and breaks up the patterned area with a block of colour. I feel that these elements would really help the brand to stand out. I also improved my mock up skills, due to not being able to construct the exact makeup pots and bottles that I would have liked. I am really happy with the results and feel they look realistic.

My research started with primary investigations, as I wanted to see what the competition would be and gain knowledge on what information I would have to include on the packaging. I also investigated more creative makeup packaging to give a more bespoke finish to my own collection. As well as the packaging aspect I also needed to gain inspiration for the pattern design, I gathered my own photography of flowers for some primary research as well as current floral print designs, I feel like this helped when composing my pattern.

A strength I feel for this is the consistency of the product and outer packaging. I really like the combination of the blue and crisp white and how the products have a slightly clinical appearance, I feel this is needed to due the decorativeness of the outside. I also think a shelf of all white products would create a lot of impact.

I think a weakness is that I could have produced more promotional material and even things like shop displays and signage. This would haver really extended the collection and brought it full circle.

Evaluation - Cath Kidston.

During this brief I improved my illustrational skills and creating recognisable characters. Before this I had never really hand drew initial designs and had gone straight to a digital approach. However I felt that not skipping this step was extremely valuable and gave the illustrations a more personal and quirky appearance. It was fun creating characteristics for the individuals that would make them recognisable in different settings. I also learnt how to transfer these characters into scenes that could be repeated.

I began this brief by conducting primary research into Cath Kidston, I did this by visiting the store so I could get a better idea of the products in context. The aesthetics of the brand became clear as I could clearly see the use of colour. Even things like the interior suggested the vintage theme. I also looked in detail to current prints and the visual style as well as research into my medieval theme. As illustration was something I am still developing I also looked into the work of illustrators and I feel it gave me a lot of inspiration.

A strength from this collection is the very consistent aesthetic across colour palette and illustration style oof the characters. I think it is clear that everything belongs together and I could see it all sitting successfully together within a shop environment.

I think a weakness of this project is that it doesn’t have an extremely strong visual aesthetic of Cath Kidston. I tried to replicate their iconic style but it was difficult to get the hand painted look as I don't have skills within this area. If I had more time I would have spent longer trying to find ways to product the correct aesthetic.

Evaluation - Champneys.

During this brief I think I improved most on my audience consideration and creating something for a particular individual. I think having this very specific focus actually made the design process easier as it was clear who we were tailoring everything to. I think this was particularly apparent with the copy aspect, with our tone of voice being very relatable to a younger person.

I did quite a lot of primary research for this project as it was very easy to go into shops and look at the competition and how products appear on the shelf. Whilst doing this I could also see the current Champneys products and how they needed to be adapted to fit with the new audience, I felt the colours were quite muted and dated. Whilst researching we also found that floral prints were very common within this sector so we wanted to produce something that would stand out from this.

I feel a strength from this brief would be the level of finish and production quality. We were really happy with the mock ups crafted as we felt they didn’t have a hand crafted appearance. We also went through a lot of trouble creating our plastic mould as it was an important part of aesthetic to us. I am glad we did this as I felt I learnt a lot about the plastic moulding process. This is similar with the marbling experiments this took a bit of time to understand the process but we felt the end results were very successful and transformed the identity of the brand.

I think a weakness of this project was that we could have pushed the campaign aspect. We focussed strongly on appealing to the audience aesthetically rather than reaching them with advertisements.

Evaluation - Elmwood.

Concept generation was a big part of this brief and I feel I really improved on it during this process as the aim was to think of something new and original that would stand out on the market. Once the concept was decided it then had to be developed into a firm aesthetic and applied to a range of products with a consistent appearance. I feel like this is something I have always done but not necessarily to the level I pushed it during this brief.

The research aspect of this project developed quite a lot through the process as the concept became clearer and more defined. For example at the beginning I looked into more broad themes such as general taxi branding in the Leeds area, I found that it was all very similar with the companies often using sans serif type faces and a red and blue colour palette. I thought this was very generic and I wanted something that would stand out from this competition. As my idea developed to the funfair theme I looked more specifically into those kind of aesthetics that I feel really enhanced the design and added authenticity.

A strength of this brief was the clarity of my concept as I was chosen to go to the Elmwood studio to pitch it to them. I was very proud of this achievement as it was something I hadn’t expected. I found during this pritch my presentation skills were strong and I could talk about my ideas confidently. I feel this was due to the level of practice we have had during the time on the course.

I think a weakness of this project was the overall quality of this design. Even though the concept was strong I feel the visuals could have been improved to meet the same standard. The end results were also something that didn’t fit with my current aesthetic style so would look out of place in a portfolio.

Evaluation - R.T Millinery.

An aspect I improved on and learnt a lot about during this brief was interacting and communicating with a client as this is something I hadn’t experienced before. I learnt the importance of clear emails and fast replies and also how necessary it is to try and meet someone in person as things become clearer and get resolved at a much faster pace. I have also learnt how to develop my own initial ideas into something that pleases the client without losing my personal opinions and design integrity.

For the research for this project I looked closely into each of the products I had to produce. For example current look books to gain inspiration for layout design and how to arrange all of the content. I also looked at current millinery branding and found that the majority of it was very traditional with the use of serif typefaces and organic imagery. However I found that the most successful had a contemporary approach which is how I move forward with my designing.

A strength of this brief would definitely be the level of development, especially in regards to the business cards as they changed a great deal across the process. I feel this was definitely due to having a live client as there were adaptations to be made that I wouldn't have considered before hand. I also had to create a larger range of items to get an idea of her taste.

During the process of this brief I feel I have learnt a lot about the complications of working with a real client. This was my lonest brief, not of choice but because o lot of things kept cropping up and a lot of the time I was waiting for content to be supplied. From this I think I could have been clearer on deciding upon a final deadline of a completion date and on both sides when certain aspects needed to be provided. As I feel the length of this brief was unnecessary and could have been avoided.

Interim Evaluation - Changing of Briefs.

At the start of the year I wrote out eight briefs that I wanted to undertake. However this has now changed slightly due to a change of interests and a better understanding of my personal practice. The briefs I have decided to no longer complete are:

• Graze
• Motel Magazine
• Stationary Brand

I am no longer interested in graze as during the projects I have been working on recently it has come to my attention that I am very interested into high quality, luxury or bespoke brands. I feel that because of this Graze would no longer be relevant within my portfolio. 

Motel is on this list as I have the opportunity to work on something similar that is a real live brief. Photographer Lauren Danks approached me to see if I would be interested in designing her editorials for her final collection of images. To me this seems a lot more relevant as is something for a real client.

Finally is the stationary brand that was initially a collaboration with Emily James. We have decided that similar to graze that this is no longer as relevant to our practice. Instead we are taking part in a YCN competition brief 'Champneys' a spa brand looking to appeal to a new younger audience.

I feel that now I have changed my briefs up a little but I am now a lot more enthusiastic as I feel they are a lot more relevant to how I want to progress.

Evaluation - Alternative Christmas.

During this brief I definitely improved being able to work towards a very small timescale, due to it being a very quick turnaround I had to think on an idea and execute it very quickly. Initially it was slightly stressful but as I got into the swing of it I became more comfortable with the situation.

I have learnt that being involved in projects that are for a good cause like this is very rewarding and it is nice to be able to put my skills towards something that can help others. This is definitely something I would like to continue doing in the future. Even if it was organising the whole project like Lizzie and it was great that she took time out to do something so positive.

To gain some inspiration I looked at current Christmas designs on the market and as initially I hadn’t decided whether I wanted to work with type or image I gathered research of both examples. Some took a more traditional kitsch approach whereas some were a lot more contemporary using geometric shapes. I also read up on the lyrics of the song. Before this project I had limited knowledge or riso printing but from my research I learnt that it is very affordable which therefore makes it favourable for experimentation and popular with young designers.  

A strength I can draw from this project is the strong link with the outcome to the original song. I feel that even without words it would be clear to an audience what the illustration is depicting. The design also fits with the rest of the collection.

In order to develop the brief further I could have extended the range from the postcard to a selection of gift material like cards and wrapping.

Evaluation - M&S Picnic.

During the process of this brief I feel I have improved my collaboration skills by working with another individual. I found that I really had to focus my organisation so that what I was doing was in sync with Beth. I also had to learn to compromise because even though we agreed on nearly everything there was the odd decision that we had differing views on. Because we relied on each other to get certain jobs to done it was very important that it was done on time. I also developed my skills in Illustration as this was a big aspect of the aesthetics. To help this progression a lot of research was done for reference material. Initial hand drawn experiments definitely helped.

The initial research that took place was gathering primary images of current products within the Marks and Spencer’s store so that we could have a strong idea of the aesthetic they are known for. I found this really helpful and we found that the illustrative approach really appealed to us and would link with our chosen theme. In regards to the theme we also had to investigate into food and design aspects associated with Scotland. We also looked into current picnic designs and general food packaging this was helpful in terms of thinking of interesting and relevant formats. Finally was illustrative research, this was extremely beneficial as our final style was strongly inspired by the examples we had found.

I think a strength for this brief would be the illustrative scene and how all the products fit together to create a composition. The logistics was quite hard to arrange but I am glad we persevered as I feel it really paid off and created and exciting and interactive format for the audience. I am pleased how the packaging works as a stand alone design as well as a whole scene. Another strength would be the overall style of the design. I am glad we didn’t go down the route of traditional Scottish aesthetics such as tartan and blue and white as the bright tones and contemporary illustration gives an up to date appearance.

I think some weaknesses within this brief was that the we could have incorporated more M&S branding such as a logo or specific copy, however I don’t feel this is a major problem as these could be added.

Evaluation - Galina London.

Through this brief I have improved my skills in working for a real life client, even though I didn’t have actual interaction with the brand I was still creating something that was for a company that I hadn’t specifically created for the brief. Because of this I really had to think about what the brand stood for and their current collection of products. Thinking of this influenced a lot of the decisions I made especially in regards to the designing of the logo. I also developed my laser cutting skills by using it for different tasks such as the cutting out of packaging and also experimenting with new materials like the velvet.

My research for this brief circulated around getting to know the brand so that I could produce the most relevant outcomes, as I wanted something that could instantly be recognised. I also looked at general shop paraphernalia to get an idea of what gift options I would need to create and also more innovative ways of doing it that would be more interactive and memorable for the audience. After my initial designs I felt the aesthetics could be developed further so my research flowed on to looking at more luxury brands and what techniques they use to have that association.

I think a strength for this brief would be development and experimentation. The logo went through quite a few options before I was happy with the end outcome and I really enjoyed the development process. I think I did this more than normal due to the fact it was for a real company. I also enjoyed experimenting with new materials such as the velvet, in regards to the laser cutting and how I could incorporate it into the product format. Such as the layered labels etc.

I think some weaknesses within this brief could be that I could have extended it slightly further by producing mock-ups of the shop itself. I also feel the photography could have been improved by taking shots of the products in context so that it was easier to understand.

Evaluation - Brabantia.

Through this brief I have improved my skills in pattern design and more specifically designing something that is suitable for a specific brand and it's products. After researching into Brabantia and analysing the style of the current look I believe I managed to create something that fits with their current collection but also develops it into something new and desirable for the customers. I have also developed my skills in extending briefs and going further than what has been asked initially, I feel that this is beneficial as it has pushed me as a designer and is a good work ethic to develop for the future. In addition I have developed my knowledge of creating a collection and designing products that follow a theme and work aesthetically together to create a set.

Through this brief I have undertaken various research themes. Initially I looked at Brabantia themselves which as I have already mentioned guided me to the style of retro design I looked at. This then led me to look prints in this style that were already around to help get a better understanding of colour a shape and how they interact together, through this I developed a range of pattern that helped get the cogs turning. In addition I also looked at retro style homes and how the pattern have been applied to tangible products, this really helped when applying my print to items in terms of composition, scale and also extending the range.

I feel that a strength within this brief has been the considered approach to audience, I think this became more apparent when I looked at other submissions for the competition aspect of this brief. I found that the other entries did not follow the Brabantia brand and the focus of the designer were not suitable for a kitchen/home environment. Another strength is how I have extended the brief and pushed the amount of work that was needed and within this created a strong group of products that I believe would be successful in a real environment.

I think some weaknesses within this brief could be that I could have extended it slightly further by producing packing for the products and maybe additional promotional items. In addition I could have created a larger range by producing a selection of colour schemes that would have given the target audience more choice.