Evaluation

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe" Abraham Lincoln


The last fives years of studying Graphic Design have all been leading to this point. I am about to embark on the next step of my life by finding a job within Graphic Design. I'm not entirely sure where i will end up but after the last 3 years on BA Graphic Design i know exactly what type of work i want to be doing. This last module has had its ups and downs, as did every other module. I have however, learnt something about my design practice and my design context at every step.


My proposal for the final major project stated my work would revolve around the design and production of small publications and prints/posters. The briefs i chose originally focused upon these particular areas. It was suggested to try and tackle more professional briefs which provided a more intense aspect of working. I took this on board and tackled some more extensive briefs. The main one been the Art and Design Interdisciplinary Year Book which stemmed from a pitch for the Graphic Year Book. It was a chance at collaboration and me and Andy produced a solid work; granted it isn't quiet finished yet but it will be complete in time for the opening night of the show. Working with Andy has allowed me to learn more about the InDesign software in which i can now produce work quicker and cleaner. We have also recently just been asked to produce the identity and branding for a friends building company. 


Another area of focus for FMP was on the nature of series. I wanted to produce bodies of work that became not just a one off poster / booklet but part of a collection or series. The module has made me question the definition of a series / collection and how each piece works separately and as a group. 


Some of the briefs i originally started fell by the way side. This is due to a few factors My time management over the course of this module had a knock on effect with a few of my briefs. In order to not fall into the trap of rushing through and producing some half arsed product, i selected which briefs i wanted to do more and what i would get out of each of them. This caused me to rewrite my movie poster brief. A good thing came of a bad thing though and i had another collaboration brief with Jack. The result was a series of movie nights in which i produced the accompanying poster pack and badges and Jack produced short animated introductions and outros, trailers and a we shared the duty of orchestrating the actual nights. This collaboration differed greatly from the one with Andy in that it was very much working separately. It was good to operate like that agreeing on a theme and producing your own design and animated interpretation.


The briefs i've under taken have given me the opportunity to thoroughly research their subject matters. This meant i had to filter out unnecessary bits and pick out vital parts of information that would influence and make up the content of my briefs. The Designer's Guide to America was especially beneficial as it led to me finding a lot of new design studios / artists and designers that are based States side. 
My decision making has greatly improved from the start of the module. I am able to make calculated decisions based upon my understanding of the limitations of print, time available and other elements such as stock, type and layout.


I'm really pleased with the work i've produced over this module as it demonstrates my ability to work within set parameters and i've explored different possibilities of type, grid, layout, composition, colour. I've also been able to take part in two different collaborations of which they taught me a lot about compromise and working with others whose skill sets differ from your own. I believe i've ended this course on a high as i know what i want to do in the future and who i'd be able to continue to work with after we graduate.