From the beginning of this module, I have really looked forward to working on a chosen brief, and one I had constructed myself, regarding my own interests and the direction I feel I want to be going as a creative.
Throughout the module I feel I have developed many existing skills, and gained new ones. The application of colour I feel being one of them, I tend to stick to a monochromatic colour palette, but within the M&S packaging brief I had to push forward and explore this. The only mandatory requirement was to use the M&S existing logo and branding. Having only three colours I had to really experiment and push boundaries as to how to apply it to design. This again applied in the Product range and distribution brief, I kept my packaging a crisp white, but had to explore the use of colour within cosmetics, to also push forward the idea of range. I certainly feel more comfortable using colour, as beforehand I was quite dubious about applying it to my design work.
Another skill I feel I have developed is the use of vectors and illustration, normally I would find any excuse to use illustration as Its something I feel I’m best at. Within this module I have really considered where it would and wouldn’t be appropriate, for instance within the M&S I heavily used illustration, but within Product, range and distribution it was hardly used, if at all. Vectoring has been something I’ve explored in order to mock my work and ideas up to a good standard, I feel I now have some kind of image resource library which I can use in future work.
I have really explored design within the environment throughout this module, looking at adshells, retail graphics, billboards and distribution methods of paper based design. With this I have had to explore consistency within my design, alongside layout for the various shapes such environmental graphics hold. With this, I have had to really take into consideration range, within both the brief, I feel I have explored and exploited this to my full potential.
One thing I did within this module which I haven’t done before was to create my own typeface, although simple and uncomplex, it’s a start. I do a lot of hand rendered type, but I have tried to get more digital with my work, and I feel this is a start.
One of the main skills I have developed is designing for my own personal concerns, issues and opinions. Within the package, range and distribution brief I was able to create a campaign for something I feel really strongly for and am personally opinionated about. By doing so, it gave me a sense of achievement and drive once I’d produced something and people began to listen. This in itself has given me a direction, as a designer, of what I would like to possibly get into after graduation.
I have really gone all out when approaching research methods within this module, within previous brief and modules I’ve always stated a lot more primary research needed to be done. I feel within this module I have achieved this task; I’ve produced a large quantity of primary research. I’ve been doing a lot more visits around my work, whether it’s to conduct surveys or take pictures. I’ve also done a lot of individual market research, too contacting companies asking questions about products; in this case for the product range and distribution brief, I contacted three major women’s magazine companies asking about the honesty of the advertisements within their magazines. I also conducted online surveys and gained a lot of responses, with all of this collected information it has really informed my design decisions.
With my research really informing my design decisions, I feel a strength within my work consists of designs which really communicate my idea or message. With this, in PRD I feel I had a really strong campaign message, as I had a lot of evidence to back it up, and the designs were placed alongside appropriate content for people to work the message out for themselves.
Consistency within range I feel has been another strength within my work, by creating one main design, I was able to re-use the design elements across a range of medias, instead of doing what I usually do, which is to start fresh with each individual design, which in itself is very time consuming. So time keeping was certainly something I was able to keep on top of, by keeping note of what I needed to do and when (action plans) and giving myself an appropriate amount of time to do something, I was able to keep on top of my work alongside CTS and Enterprise.
My illustrative style has certainly become a strong element within my recent work, I feel I have developed it digitally, with this I became the main focus and design element within the M&S packaging brief.
My motivation within this module has been a struggle, It has been a very, very busy period of time and trying to juggle everything as well as keep on top of work has been, in itself a demotivator. The first brief wasn’t so bad as I had a partner to keep me occupied and on level, as if I fell behind with work, it would effect us both. The more recent brief, being the last, has been a struggle; I have felt at times I just needed to take time off to myself in order to keep my sanity.
The level of experimentation did drop toward the end of the module, to get work done on time, I simply stuck to my initial designs throughout. It’s not until I look at my boards and realize I could have done better.
Next year I intend to keep developing the skills I feel I have strengthened this year. I also need to get a grasp on time keeping, in the sense of giving myself a break as I feel this year it has really effected the quality of my work. This way I feel my motivation will keep up, thus not effecting my work negatively. I want to explore research as much as I have done this year, as it’s been most helpful. Also the application of colour, I want to explore further, work with colour within my illustrations, typographic elements and digital design work.
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