OUGD203 - Design Practice, Collaborative Project, Evaluation

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

This project was designed to develop our collaborative skills. I have found that working with a partner, that I was able to choose, has been a really good experience, and I have really enjoyed having someone to work along side with. Working with a partner has developed my communication skills, which is important for all aspects of design.
We used a range of software within our design work. My InDesign skills have really improved with this project; we designed the booklet using InDesign and also used it to do most of our back to back printing; something I have always found really hard to get right!

My general development process skills have improved, and I have found myself working harder because there is someone else relying on your design work. Because we were intending to produce several outcomes to the brief, it meant that our time had to be really well planned. With two people working on a brief it can be hard to divide the work up, and make sure both people pull their weight. Our organisational skills were really good from day one, we kept a record of what we needed to do, and discussed the work we needed to complete at home before the next day. This meant that we were both doing an equal share of the work, and keeping up to date with our time plan.

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

We thoroughly researched the National Portrait Gallery before we decided on what sort of outcomes to produce. We wanted to make sure that we had the right tone of voice, but were also putting engaging and interesting work out there. We used the internet, and primary research from the gallery to inform us about the client. We also looked at the way other art institutions advertise themselves, and drew inspiration from some of these methods.
Once we had decided the outcomes we wanted to produce, we researched existing versions of each of these, to find out what worked and what didn’t. Our main methods of research were internet based, and primary research of collecting examples of our intended outcomes.

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

The success of this brief is mainly down to our partnership. I found that it really helped working with someone that I could talk, and have discussions with, without the fear that we would argue. We both have strong opinions, but we made sure that these were talked about rather than forced upon one another. I have really enjoyed working with someone who takes equal pride in her work, and is dedicated to the project – I don’t think I could have asked for a better partner.
I think that having someone to work along side, and keep you motivated has really helped our design work. The designs we produce all have a strong National Portrait Gallery element and feel to them, but we have tried to make a bit more interesting and engaging. I feel that we have produced some really strong pieces from this brief due to the amount of time we were able to spend on each element. We were able to screen print a small part of the invitation, and physically make every element of the mailshot, of which each was completed to a high standard and designed in keeping with the rest of the pieces.

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

I think that the initial YCN brief was quite restrictive in what we were able to do with the brand. We knew from the beginning that changing perceptions was going to be a challenge, and it didn’t help that the gallery gave us a set colour palette and few images to work with. The overall tone of voice was very hard to change; we would have liked to produce something that may have been a bit more exciting or amusing.

5. Identify four things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
I would have liked to spend a bit more time at the gallery, finding out about what people in the local area think about it, and what would make them want to visit. It would have been helpful to be able to conduct questionnaires or research within the gallery.
I would have liked to have been more experimental with the design work. The limitations of the brief were a problem, and I would like to produce some work that brakes the brief and goes beyond what the gallery wanted.
Make sure that we make the most of facilities within the college. I think there are several facilities that we could have utilised better; screen print, and the digital print facilities ‘downstairs’.
I think that we could have asked for more feedback from our peers. It would have been helpful to get a bit more out of the crits we had, everyone was a bit ‘oh that sounds good’, and there was not much to take away from them.


6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor

Myself
Attendance 4
Punctuality 4
Motivation 4
Commitment 4
Quantity of work produced 3.5
Quality of work produced 3
Contribution to the group 4

Partner
Attendance 4
Punctuality 5
Motivation 4
Commitment 4
Quantity of work produced 4
Quality of work produced 4
Contribution to the group 4