OUGD201, evaluation

I have definitely learned a lot from this module, I feel it's been the first introduction into production outside of college work. The introduction of it which emerged from our chosen 'good' subjects, automatically made this module all quite independent, which I liked.
The inductions with Mike and Graham were very helpful, my skills on illustrator have developed therefore I was able to use it a lot more for my projects which helped a lot. Also, I became aware of some of the basic rules of type thanks to the sessions with Graham. I now know a little more about InDesign, and feel slightly more confident on producing a piece of type work, and it looking better than what I would have produced last year.

'Wrap it up' was a short and sweet brief, although panicked most of the time, I do work better under pressure. It was a chance to explore a variety of nets, and also learn the importance of an effective package. I was quite happy with the design on my work, but not so much the nets I chose. I feel they did work as a sold package, but I feel more research could've been done to choose something a little more appropriate. I think I wasn't quite sure on leaving my comfort zone, the nets I chose seemed easy, resulting in me being satisfied but not very much so. However, although I didn't use the other nets, I did learn about them and can use them for future purposes.

I started off this project (Design Production - Print) contemplating constantly about what I should finally decide as being my 'Good' subject. It seemed to be changing often and I was never completely comfortable with what I had chosen.
My 5 'good' subjects were originally,

• deep sea creatures
• family photos
• faces/mugshots
• piano
• film trailers

I decided to choose the catagory faces/mugshots, I feel I wanted to somehow work with mugshots/faces within my design work, as it is something I think looks effective independently. 

I feel although this project started off slightly off-balance, my final subject continued to change, I felt that 'mugshots' was too hard to connect to a valued piece of design. Once I had properly thought about things it became something I could really indulge in, I decided that I would use the mugshots in order to design for a product. Ever since I have started this course I have wanted to incorporate photography somehow into my work, this seemed the perfect opportunity to do so.

My research into the varieties of print methods was interesting, and I found myself liking quite a lot of 'type' based design work, this through me a little off track but it got me involved in the importance of colour as well.

  

Communicating a flavour through different colours and mugshots could be a way I could use my subject effectively? Questioning this option, it became aparent that my subject was no longer 'mugshots' but what I really liked from them, 'facial expressions' .  

Even after I had finalised my 'good' subject, things still weren't completely comfortable, I started to branch out into using Illustrator to draw cartoon animals to communicate the flavours of juice.

Visually this looked quite effective because it was a lot different to your average design on a bottle of juice, however, after discussing it with Lorenzo, I felt that it was too unrelated, and that I needed to take the photographs and try my original idea, to use facial expressions to express the flavour. Once I had taken the photographs and edited them in Photoshop, using a 'duotone' effect I learned in one of Mike's sessions, everything seemed a lot clearer. My designs seemed to design themseleves slightly, then again it was slightly what I wanted, the facial expressions themseleves to do the advertising. 

This project really enabled me to get in involved with areas I had never reached. Although I felt confident in my work because I was dealing with photography, this sense of satisfaction was balanced out with a healthy dose of unsurity (which I feel helps work develop). I was able to really enjoy this project, which towards the end I did. I liked working with photography, as well as colour, and juice. It was fun actually producing an actualy product at the end, even though all the juices but one, are actually edible.

However, I still feel my levels of research have to increase? I feel it doesn't effect me so much in my work but I never seem to do as much as I should. Perhaps if I did more research, more of my project would more easily pull together and faster too.

My skills in Illustrator, InDesign, Print methods, and colour have all developed throughout the duration of this module. I really enjoyed certain aspects of it. After a rocky start, I feel during the last few weeks I have really endulged in it. 

I want to start off as committed as I became these past three weeks for my next project, I think I was too lazy at the begginning and it became obvious how much more productive my work progressed into towards the end. Overall, a stressful, tiring module, but towards the end very enjoyable and informative. I have enjoyed it.