OUGD201 End of Module Self-Evaulation

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

My skills towards print have vastly improved throughout this module. I now find myself thinking and looking in different ways than I have done previously, and now that I have a better understanding of how to actually go about commercial printing and how it actually works as opposed to just printing at home or in the digital dungeon I feel a lot more confident and ready to be able to go ahead and actually produce something that could be commercially printed. Also, I have focused a lot within my development skills throughout this project which is something I will certainly carry on with in the future as I found just going about the actual design of what I was doing a lot easier once I had it down on paper.

What Approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

I have learnt how I would go about designing for commercial printing, right from setting up a document through to sending it off to print. I now understand the actual technical side behind it which is definitely a good piece of knowledge to have as both design and print wrk hand in hand in order to produce something that is successful and also serves a purpose. I find myself questioning a lor of the time now how things may have been printed, which is something that I haven't really done before but is certainly something I would like to get good at.

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

I think my development work throughout this project has vastly improved since last year. I forced myself to do a lot more development work than I have done in previous modules and I think it paid off as I feel a lot happier with my final outcomes and believe the Good Is... brief has come together a lot better for it. By sketching down my ideas, and pushing the digital designing aspect further meant I could really focus into what I was doing ensuring that it works in the way I am intending it to as opposed to just making something look nice. 

What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

My weakness throughout this module is definitely my time management skills. It took me a while to find my feet after starting back after the summer, and although we were warned before we finished for summer that we would 'hit the ground running', I just wasn't prepared for it at all. I do regret not preparing myself properly for this as it does mean I had to play a lot of catching up throughout the module in terms of the initial stages of the briefs, and I do feel that if I had managed my time better I could have gotten a lot better outcome at the end than what I have done. 

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

BLOGGING! - I have probably said this for every module, but this one has given me a right shock this time as I found the technical explanations to be what are most important in this one and I do feel a bit like I could have gotten more in and better at it if I had done the blogging side of the module hand in hand with the designing and development rather than pushing it aside. The lesson has definitely been learnt this time.

Time Management - I didn't manage my time very well this time, and I do regret this as I do feel like I could have pushed the whole module a lot further than what I have done if I would have got my act together from the start. I will start to produce weekly time tables for myself along with the usual weekly google calendar to ensure I am keeping on top of things at all times from now on.

Research Skills - This was something I managed to develop a lot last year and realised the benefits of doing it, although I haven't really researched as much as I feel I could have for this module which I do think has left what I have done cut short a little, so I will ensure I produce more research back up to last years standards again in future modules.

Developments - I do feel that this is a strength within this module, and it will be something that I want to expand upon in future modules. I will ensure I don't touch a mac until I am fully happy with the drawn versions of what I am intending to produce. I have seen the benefits from doing this in this module, and I want to build on this more and push it further as I think it will help me to develop the overall quality of my work.

Motivation - I will make sure that I am a lot more motivated with upcoming modules. This point should work hand in hand with the time management point I have raised as it is basically the key to keeping on top of things, and it is the only way really to survive on this course and survive well so I will push myself further with this.

Attendance 5

Punctuality 4

Motivation 3

Commitment 3

Quantity of work produced 3

Quality of work produced 3

OUGD201 - Good Is... Puritee

Here are my final images for the Good Is... brief.

Effektive Studio - Creative CV

This is a creative CV that I've known about for quite a while now that I think works really well.

(link)

I like how it's just straight to the point and has everything that is needed to know contained in it without relying on the person receiving it having to go to a website or what ever to find more information. The layout and copy that is used on it works really well, and it sort of blunt and obvious, but in a nice way which makes the whole thing look less formal than what it could have. I'm guessing that it portrays the designers personality really well which I guess is what's key with something like this.

Even so, I don't really think I will be heavily influenced by this when I come to do mine as a lot of other people have been which is obvious when you try and google this - none done quite so effectively though.

Enterprise - '10 steps to a future you'

Here are my notes I made from the Enterprise lecture 10 steps to a future you on 31/10/2011.

1. Proactivity
   - it's a natural aptitude of human beings
   - we get a stimulus, and will put up with it once or twice but then after that we start to choose how to go about it.

image of guy in circle


   - expand sphere of influence
   - one of the key aims is to expand circle to network, meet people, get jobs, push boundaries

This pushes into the circle of concern
   - the circle you want to expand into

We have got 3 environments in our lives
   - internal environment - skills, resources, lifestyle
   - micro environment
   - macro environment

image of environments table




2. Project
You should project a vision of yourself in the future.

triangle image


Business plan - being at uni and leaving with a good degree learning as much as we can.

Life plan - where we would like to practice, cole satisfying aspects of life. Done this when choosing to study in Leeds.

Once these 2 areas are understood, these help to prioritise. As long as always have life plan in mind, this helps inform the business plan better.

The further into the future you can project yourself in the future, the more chance there is of it happening.

John Lennon - "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans."

Carl Hopkins - "Begin with the end in mind."

If you begin with the vision of the future of you in mind, it will make it easier to get thee.

3. Provide
Clear explanation
   - give them a clear message to make it easy to portray a message
   - something they can understand and would want

To say you can drive a car doesn't say if you can drive it well.

4. Prioritise
 
diagram


If the result is the focus, the things around life to get to the focus, are you spending enough time in the right sections in order to achieve this.

5. Presents
The way effective business is done is by getting stuff from other people that benefits them just as much as it benefits you - win win situation.
   - if you want to ask a favour from someone, first thing you should do is give them something then when it comes to the favour they can't really say no.
   - don't waste time on people who wouldn't be beneficial in the long run.

Kohlberg's theory
   - about people and their development

Pre-convenional - talk about what they want, like a child, only think about their own needs, 'I want this... I want that... I hate everybody'.

Conventional - someone who's discovered if they want to get anywhere they need to negotiate with others. Got to make it work for everybody for it to work out.

Post-Conventional - thinking about the larger society. Thinking about the team where everyone is interdependent. Talk about changing things for everybody. 'We do this.. We do that..' Look at plans that will be sustainable and effective 5 years and beyond.

Pre-Conventional - dependent
Conventional - independent
Post-Concentional - inter-dependent

6. Pause
Pause to listen, listen in a way you haven't listened before, listen in a way that you sometimes need to be listened to but make a practice of it.

Think about the times you have been troubled, and you need someone to completely listen to what you need to say. If someone does with you just listen, stop and completely listen, until it feels like it's happening to you. Give yourself to listening and absorbing yourself into what is being said. This is the point where it's most beneficial and can learn the most from.

See first to understand - then be understood.

7. Proven
This is about consistency. More successful when things are consistent. Gains trust.

What you should seek to achieve is consistency. Reliability of he service that you deliver. You can get known from the consistency of the service.

8. Partner
No one can achieve great things without collaboration, working with others.
600 - 800 credits for Avatar

9. Pitstop
It's no longer possible to graduate with a degree then go on to success, you constantly have to sharpen and improve skills. Take some time out and experience new things in order to get a new view on what ever it is that's being done. Never stop doing it. It's an easy trap to fall into and it's hard to stop to improve.

Constantly be improving. Don't just stand still, need to keep moving.

10. Propel
Propel yourself into your future. There's some things that you should never stop doing.

Being a student is an amazing challenge.

Do not ever use the word just when talking about yourself. Don't apologise for yourself before someone makes a decision about you. Don't go around saying your the best and be arrogant, just be who you are and do what it is you do and tell people what it is you do.

PPD Task 2 - Group Tutorial Prep

For PPD Task 2, I am to answer the following questions ahead of the tutorials after reading week.

What is industrial experience?

• a visit to a professional design studio 
• a chance to get a better understanding of what it would actually be like to work in a studio
• a review of your portfolio from a professional who is out there, and knows what's going on
• an opportunity to speak to people and get your name out there
• something to help make decisions with what we actually want to do

What can you learn from industrial experience?

• how a professional environment operates
• what it is actually like to work in the 'real world' as opposed to working on studio briefs set by the tutors
• if the area of design I think I want to go into once I leave uni is actually the right area for me
• how I would fit into an existing design studio that I really like, what sort of role I would be best suited for
• whether I can actually do this or not
• get a feel for the actual pace that design studios work
• who I am as a designer, from things such as portfolio reviews, and get feedback from people who are out there doing it, and know sort of the areas I need to concentrate more on/improve on

What form/format could industrial experience take?

• work placements
• studio visits
• portfolio review
• day
• week
• month
• blogs/emails
• telephone 

What areas of industry are you interested in?

• editorial - such as magazines and publications

 Creative Review

 (link)

 (link)

• branding - creating identities and applying it across all sorts of medias

(link)

(link)

(link)

• printed design - stuff that would be printed and you can hold physically as opposed to what you do to be seen on a screen

 (link)

 (link)

 (link)

What are your concerns about industrial experience?

• what if the place I contact doesn't like my work?
• what do I do if I contact X amount of studios and none get back to me?
• what sort of 'tone' is right? formal/informal/what?
• what if I get a placement/what ever somewhere far away like london and I'd have to move/stay for a while? how could I afford it? where would I even start looking to make it possible?
• ending up going to places I end up not liking and it changed me thinking what I want to do?
• how do I know if the place I'm contacting will actually be wanting to hear from me?
• what should I actually expect to gain from this? how high/low should I set my expectations?
• what if I end up at a placement in somewhere like London, and it turns out that all I do for the week or what ever long is make tea?