END OF MODULE SELF EVALUATION

The quality of my research is what I would like to have improved on in this module. I felt that although I had thought about what I wanted to do thoroughly, I didn’t provide the evidence and supporting research to back this up. The research I did was valuable and once I’d found what I was looking for, the research side of the project seemed to come to a halt. The quantity of initial research was good, maybe the quality and my ability to select key information was not. This includes my investigation into print processes and print media. I was eager to learn as much as possible about production media and print technologies however I did the same thing, once I’d found the information I was looking for early on in the project, I found it hard to carry on researching and experimenting.
A strong point in the module was visualising my ideas. Unfortunately this visualisation of ideas came at a later stage in the project. I did feel that once I started the ball rolling the quality and quantity of visual ideas and experiments was good.  In terms of design development, I would have loved to taken advantage of the photoshop workshops more. I did stick to what I know and used the same hand-made techniques I feel comfortable with. I realise that sometimes taking the risk of working with the unknown doesn’t always pay off but I would have liked to expand my digital skills more. Saying that, I felt proud of the 16-page publication I produced as I had never made anything like it before. Considering I had never made anything like it before and I had been putting it off until the last three weeks as I thought it would be too difficult for me to complete to a high standard. I was impressed when I found myself happily spending hours working away at it, trying to make it look just right.
Presentation and organisation is important for me, as a naturally forgetful person I find it hard to force myself into remembering things and I felt I did well in this module. I don’t think I forgot a single thing which must be a first. Presentation wasn’t so difficult although when it came to research, my worksheets don’t look awfully attractive. I’m proud of my final packaging, my mount boards and my 16 page PDF though.
When it came to the final product, I think the message behind the link from what is good to the package design became muddled and a little confused. I think this is easily done with such a long brief, it’s not a criticism of the module, more of personal discipline when it comes to always going back to the original idea. This made the final product perhaps a bit distant from the briefs main criteria.
Overall I am pleased with everything I produced in this module, although when it came to submission I was confused about where the summer taxonomy project tied in. I was really proud of the work I produced for the summer brief and felt it to be a huge turning point in terms of my own personal development as a designer. However there was little opportunity to show or talk about this work with others and it seemed to almost have been forgotten about, which is such a shame considering the amount of care and hard work people (including myself) must have put into that brief.
If I could do anything differently the first would to prepare myself when it comes to research. It really isn’t one of my greater skills as a designer and I wish I did more and of better quality. The second and third combined are technology. In hindsight I didn’t appreciate how valuable the information given to us about print processes and colour was. Instead of just listening to the information in seminars and tutorials, I should have used the information given to give myself the motivation to go out there and try some of the things being talked about for myself. Fourth is purely organisation skills, not being so forgetful about little details and only realising at the last minute. I live in a mountain of to-do lists in the week before submission and I probably overcrowd myself with useless information. I think picking out the key tasks and presenting them to myself in a clear and concise manner would help more than scribbled post it notes. And finally, I just wish I’d done more. More of everything, print processes, design development and research. There are so many things I think I could have covered but didn’t for whatever reason and I always end up kicking myself about it.