End Of Module Self Evaluation

Module Code: OUGD101 

Module Title: Design Principles

Name: Lewis Francis

Blog Address: http://www.L-Francis1013.blogspot.com

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

I feel that i have pushed my skills on computer based programs and can now quite easily help others when they become stuck. i have constantly tried to produce things which look and feel new and modern from my typeface created for Lisa to the ten letter forms created entirely through illustrator. I have been very pleased with the level i was producing the work and i believe this shows through others who are aware they can approach me and ask questions anytime. 

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

I have now developed a love for owning a blog. Being able to have all of your previous and current research stored online for referencing to when other briefs may need it is such a brilliant idea. From previous education i was told to keep masses upon masses of paper with written research,stuck down paper etc and it got lost and wasn't cared for because after that brief had been finished it was all go with another. My design development process has been better due to this as at the end of each process i can " Learn " which is going back and looking over everything and the blog allows this to be shownin a timescale of how i did things and when.

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

I have a passion for the computer based programs. I have followed photoshop from 6.0 when i was ten. I really feel my most creative when i can produce something which uses such brilliant tools and produce work which looks hundreds of times better than i could hand make with a scalpel and a pen. I believe i may have already capitalised on these without really knowing fully i had.

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

I dont feel although im noting down ideas... I tend to sit there and doodle, bullet point and then the jumbled up words i have written which make sense to me look like a mess and i run off and produce three of my favorite ideas from the ideate session and come back which works for me but if anyone wanted to see the other ideas id have to go back. I think throughout the next module i am going to start taking afew hours to produce some A3 idea sheets which i take photos of and do this religiously,

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

1 - Create more idea boards and document them to make sure my work is backed up with as many ideas as possible.

2 - Push myself to create more work at the standard i have set myself.

3 - Bring in the Macbook so i can blog when computers are full to make sure i don't slack in the updating.

4 - Go deeper into research. By doing this i will be able to produce a more informed piece of work which will allow me to have explanations for everything about the work i have produced.

5 - Attend some out of College design speeches to try make connections and to just hear how others are as passionate about the field of work as i am.

Attendance = 5

Punctuality = 5

Motivation = 4

Commitment = 5

Quantity of work produced = 3

Quality of work produced = 4

Contribution to the group = 4

How to - Final

This is the final from my How To brief which i worked on in a group and presented to the whole class in a big crit. We had very positive reviews and not many points of improvement, i feel it was a hit and worked really well.

Alphabet Soup - create ten letterforms. Final

I worked on the word "build" which led me to create this. I based the idea upon blueprints which i feel worked really well and i received very good reviews from classmates about it.

No News is Good News Crit

Following the crit it came to terms that people wanted to see some different stock being used to be the base of the design.

No News is Good News Finals.

Illustrator Brief - Final

Alphabet Soup Part 2 - Evaluation

Which personality traits did you choose to respond to and apply to the typeface?

I decided to use the words 'elegant', 'caring' and 'modern' as i believe they all differ quite substantially and thus giving me quite a challenge. The way i decided to apply these to the design was to try and find the best way that they all join together.

What are the reasons behind the design decisions you have made for the typeface?

I used a smooth thin and delecate line to justify the elegance within the design and also had curves and smooth endings on all my letters to represent 'caring' the way the letters could be traced and all back back onto each other had a feeling of being hugged as you had to re go back over your already existing lines to finish the design. The modern part of the design changed alot of my initial ideas as i didn't want it to loose elegance by being too in your face and new. I decided to use helvetica neue 25 to incorporate a clean computerised feel tot he type to meat the modern target.

In what ways are the results effective?

I believe that the results are shown within the design and also the feedback given from my partner. She liked the way it was created and therefore i believe that means it suits her which inevitably was my goal.

General Comments

It was a shame i didn't have time to have my design printed as i was going to use a very clean and modern metallic ink to print the design off and present looking more professional as i believe the colours used could really enhance the 'elegance' within the design.

Final Image

Alphabet Soup- Evaluation

What is being communicated and how?
The design i had to create was to communicate the word 'Build' ad i decided to go about this by researching how a physical building would start, with blueprints.

How well does this answer the brief?
I believe my design answered the brief well as i was complimented on the design and people around the class could easily say what they thought my word was.

How well has the idea been visually explored?
I tried drawing the designs but giving the time limit i decided to create them using illustrator and therefore i believe i achieved a better result than i could have ever done by hand drawing. The end result i believe could very easily be seen as a blueprint.

What are the strengths of the resolution?
Id like to think that the strength of my resolution is that the typeface is easily legible and used in a sentence could still be read with ease. The other point id like to make is that each letter has information about the typographic terms highlighted within the design.

How could it be improved?
I believe it could be improved by experimenting more with different papers and not just using the tracing paper I choose to print onto as it would creese up fairly easy.

General comments
I really enjoyed this week brief and i am very proud of the outcome produced. The tracing paper gives it a really nice effect and shown with light from behind lets you easily see the grid behind which i believe adds to the 'build' effect.

Personal Targets

We were asked to devise 10 'targets' which we wish to achieve during our first year on the course.

1) Try produce some print ready designs.
2) Create an iPhone app.

3) Educate myself about typography,colour theory, layout, grids, print and finishes.

4) Keep up-to-date witht he blogging
5) Experiment with all the different inks in the print room.

6) Create some business cards.

7) Keep all documents backed up and safe on more than one medium.

8) Time management.

9) Try to push to make a really good presentation.

10) To keep fresh with ideas and not fall behind.

Self Evaluation

What role(s) did you take on in the group?
I believe i took on quite a leader style role as i tried to make sure things where achieved to a standard and didnt get slack and allow the work to suffer.

How well do you think you performed in the role(s)?
I believe the position i took related quite alot to the final outcome of the work but the general team worked best and made everything possible.


How well do you think you worked as a group?
The team put really good thoughts and ideas into the project and i feel we came across some difficulties with understanding some general ideas but after thinking about it we all decided upon the same ideas.

What were the positives of working in a group?
I think witht he group you are less likely to get caught up in chasing one idea and the group likes to speak up and change and mix up ideas to keep everything on its toes.
What were the negatives of working in a group?
There where some issues where we didnt quite think on the same wave length and within the time limit we found it hard to all group up.


What will you do differently next time?
I would try to push for more work and perhaps a more professional looking presentation perhaps incorporate video and slides.

Where could you have improved your resolution?
I believe a flash video explaining the outcome would have been good as we could have spoke it through and shown examples on a bigger scale.
What were the strengths of your presentation?
II think the strength was that our group all had a good amount to say for themselves. The actual speech from the presentation i believe went down well.