OUGD503: Module Evaluation

This module presented some interesting and exciting opportunity as it allowed me to work on different briefs that I wouldn't normally approach within my day to day practice. Personally I happy with the outcomes I've created within this brief as I feel they've been produced to a high standard as successful organisation allowed for alteration to be made.  This resulted in more refined outcomes as production issues could be corrected and explored as I left enough time in between briefs. However in relation to the zine collaboration some production issues couldn't be fully resolved but refined due to the nature of the context within the zine. Despite this my experience with the module has been positive as it has allowed me to develop my skills within areas I don't normally focus on such as moving image. Due to effective time management each brief was completed successfully with enough time being spent on each, which was aided in the use of mini deadlines which kept me on track. Furthermore I'm please with the outcomes of my large brief, Starpack tea and coffee as part of studio brief one, as a significant amount of time and money was spent on refining and producing the designs to a high standard. Upon reflection of this brief I feel the time spent of studio brief one and two was appropriate with enough of a range of briefs being completed as I've looked into branding, book cover design, vinyl sleeves and editorial design. If more time was available I would redesign the photo zine to explore alternative layout experiments, however as this was a short brief the final outcome has been executed to a high enough standard. In relation to studio brief the main difficulties where identifying a effective collaboration as I struggled to identify areas for collaboration, however the redesigning sustainability brief helped this issue as it showed me the different people I could work with. Overall I feel this module has ran smoothly with no major issues arising as I'm happy with the outcomes submitted as I feel they are all informed by research and answer the brief successfully.

Secret 7 Submission Boards

As the Secret 7 submission only called for a jpg and a 140 character description I've created submission boards which explain the sleeve more extensively.

Penguin Submission Boards

As the Penguin submission only required a simple jpg upload I've created a submission board explaining the concept and showcasing the two formats required by penguin, front cover and full spread.

Street Feast Collaboration Submission Boards

As part of our submission to Street Feast Lizzie and I complied the outcomes of the breif into four key areas in order to explain and showcase our designs.

Starpack Submission Boards

In order to submit my final designs to the Starpack Student Design Awards I've created submission boards highlighting the key aspects of this brief that lead to the final outcomes choosing to include the concept, research, development and final resolutions.

Luxury Coffee: Final Photos

OUGD503: Organisation

In order to help organise and finalise my briefs I've created an in depth to-do list with small deadlines in order to help finish the briefs in time for the final deadline on the 21st march. This has allowed me to prioritise the briefs I have more to do on, in order to balance the time spent based on the length of the brief and what was left to complete. This method of organisation was particularly effective as I could see all the information on one page and make smaller day tutorials based on the brief deadlines I had set for myself. Overall this has allowed me to keep up to date and on track with each brief, with the ability to cross items off, giving a visual representation of what I've got left to do. Furthermore the use of making smaller day-to-day to-do lists has allowed me to keep track of little tasks such as making sure certain blog posts are done which has ensured the small deadlines are met.

Zine Collaboration: Updated Outcome

Upon reflection of this brief the designer felt it was appropriate to experiment with reducing the file size of the zine in order to see if this would increase the photo quality and reduce pixilation (see figure 1-4). This worked to an extent with some photos becoming clearer however there is still some pixilation throughout the publication (see figure 3). However I encountered some issues when binding the publication such as aligning the pages correctly to create the crease, leading to a spin being created with two creases. This use of a spin works well to add structure to the zine due to its small nature, however when staple binding the publication the stapler malfunctioned and stapled the zine sideways leaving some marks within the centre fold and on the spin (see figure 3). However the designer felt further experiments where necessary due to time constraints as other briefs needed to be prioritised and finalised. Overall the final zine works well to communicate the concept, like previous experiments with the reduction in document size allowing for the photo quality to be improved.

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Street Feast Collaboration: Evaluation

In relation to the final campaign the posters work well in print and on screen allowing social media ( see figures 1-3) to support the poster campaign, providing information that is not included within the poster. The main information will be held on social media such as addresses of each location with the posters acting as a tool to entice and engage the audience encouraging them to try each venue through the promise of a surprise if they can solve the riddle. Furthermore the use of bright colours within the campaign allow the posters to stand out within an urban environment (see figure 4) and attract the audiences attention which is something previous campaigns/posters have failed to do. In relation to the illustrations featured, each relate to the relevant location allowing the riddle to be solved easily. Furthermore if there are questions about the campaign or posters people can search the hashtag to find more information as they will be brought to all information around the campaign as well as the street feast social media pages. In addition the hashtag can be used by consumers to promote their experiences at different markets as well as there interaction with the campaign. Overall the posters work well individually (see figures 5-8)and as a series, with the Street Feast logo on each poster allowing the locations to be shown under one name, which is further shown across social media. The final outcomes have been completed to a high standard based on the time frame of two weeks for this brief, which was provided adequate time for the designing and production.

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OUGD503: Studio Brief 2 Evaluation

In relation to studio brief 2 I've found this interesting as it has provided the opportunity to work with different designers as well as students from other disciplines such as photography and animation.  I particularly enjoyed working on the redesigning sustainability campaign as it gave me the opportunity to work with students form a different university, Nanyang Polytechnic. This was interesting as we got to see their work which is completed to a very high standard. Furthermore this allowed me to explore screen based design more as I was working with two animation students. Overall this experience was very insightful as it was interesting to see how students from a different country work with the final outcomes being completed to a high standard. In addition to this collaboration I enjoyed working on the Street Feast brief with Lizzie, a fellow designer. This was a exciting brief due to the interactive nature of the campaign we created, with final outcomes being screen printed successfully due to Lizzie's strong ability to screen print. Furthermore the combination of type and illustration allows the posters to work well as a series and showcase each location under one name, addressing a key concern within the brief. However due to production issues the posters couldn't be printed on newsprint similar to fly posters as the ink made the paper crease creating an unprofessional finish. In relation to production issues a number where encountered during the production of the photographic zine I produced alongside a third photography student, Olivia due to the use of screenshots within the publication which was driven by the concept of the zine, to highlight the poses made by tourists who visit attractions fro the photo rather than the experience. In order to address this issue the zine was reduced in size to improve the photo quality however there is still some pixilation within the final outcome. However as the publication was meant to be cheap to produce this is expected.  Despite these issues the overall experience of studio brief 2 was positive and allowed for some interesting and unexpected outcomes to be created.

OUGD503 Studio Brief 1 Evaluation

In relation to studio brief one I feel this has been one of my most successful briefs as all outcomes have been completed to a high standard and are heavily informed by research allowing for successful responses to be created. Throughout this brief I particularly enjoyed my short weekend briefs for secret 7 as creating a vinyl cover was something new as I hadn't experimented with this format before. Furthermore the use of production method such as embossing and de-bossing allowed for a greater outcome to be created in relation to my design based on Elbows grounds for divorce which was a response to a brief set by my tutors to complete a brief in a weekend and then received feedback. In addition I was also pleased with outcomes produced for Starpack's tea and coffee brief as the time taken on this brief allowed me to explore and experiment to resolve multiple issues, allowing for a refined outcome to created to successfully fulfil the brief. I particularly enjoyed the research aspect of this brief as it was interesting to learn about the value added to coffee during the production method which is an aspect that heavily informed the designs, as the final designs drew inspiration from the scientific nature of coffee and the art form of coffee roasting due to the precise techniques involved. In addition I also enjoyed entering the Penguin Random House book cover competition as the book chosen, Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, as it gave me an opportunity to learn more about a topic that I was interested in. Throughout this process I wanted to capture Hawking's humour and the premise of the book which questions the scientific discoveries through time. As I spent more time on this brief, around 2 weeks, I had time to read the book and research existing covers in order to meet the main requirement of the brief which was to create a cover that attracted a new generation without resembling a text book. This time period allowed multiple ideas to be explored and combined resulting in the final outcome which I'm pleased with as I think it accuratly represents the book as a whole by conveying its tone of voice. Overall I have found this brief very helpful as it has allowed me to explore multiple areas of design which I wouldn't normally look into as part of my every day practice.

Luxury Coffee: Final Outcome and Evaluation

Overall the final outcomes successful fulfil the brief as the implementation of the equation and pattern allow for a consistant identity to be formed. The use of the surface pattern informed by the topographic lines of the region the coffee is grown in complements the use of the equation allowing the packaging to stand out on a shelf environment. Furthermore the implementation of different colours allows each roast to be easily identified at a glance on the shelf with each equation showing the level of roast. In relation to the gift pack the use of samples allows consumers to identify which roast the like most in order to purchase a large tin. The implementation of the topographic lines alongside the equations allows for a visual link to be created between the different elements of the coffee range. The only issue with the final outcome is the irregular alignment on the reverse of the packaging as this was an issue identified during production which was altered on the refill packs however due to printing errors this issue couldn't be corrected on the gift pack or full sized boxes. However personally I feel this is a small issue that doesn't take away from the overall design of the packaging which works successfully as all aspects of the design have been informed by research from the equation itself to the colours used as each aspect draws on the scientific nature of coffee production. Overall I'm pleased with the quality of the final outcomes as they showcase the designs to a high standard, providing a realistic representation of the designs if they where to be printed onto metal. Furthermore the quality of the final outcomes effectively showcases the luxury nature of the brand which is effectively communicated due to the simple and refined design.