OUGD406 - END OF MODULE EVALUATION

OUGD406 - Module Evaluation

I think I have learnt alot about the practising Graphic Design through this module as it has given me the opportunity to learn abotu different types I can practise graphic design. I feel this module has made me increasingly more aware of time manangement as there are have been alot of deadlines for a range of modules aroudn the same time meaning I have had to be organised to ensure I complete all my work and plan my workload around the range of submissions, critiques and presentations. I feel I have succeeded in mananaging my time efficiently through varius time plans and being proactive when making bookings and undertaking practical elements of the module. 

I feel my resolutions to the briefs of this module has been of a high quality and well considered with strong concepts behind the basis of all my resolutions. This module has made me realise how much  I appreciate conceptual design and feel there needs to be a stong concept behidn the resolution otherwise it is less effective. I feel I have developed a range of skills through this module such as developing my photoshop abilities and become much more efficient at screen printing. I think these skills will continue to develop through further development and will ensure my outcomes are of a high quality.

The first brief allowed me to interpret a track in my own unique style for a live brief; Secret 7”. I felt more pressure in this brief as it was a live biref and the outcome could bedisplayed in a renound exhibiton. As it was only 1 week long it was a fast pased turn around that challenged my organisational and time management skills. I feel  I created a good quality resolution that was effective in articulating my message.  

Brief 2 allowed me develop a really strong conceptual deisgn that I feel worked well in resolving the brief. I was challenged by the limitations of using two colours however felt this untimately made my deisgn stronger as I had to consider colour treatment more carefully. This brief allowed me to develop my screen printing technique and although the colours mixed differently to my desired on screen colours I still felt my resolution was successful. 

Brief 3 introduced me to group work, branding the exhibition for the outcomes of brief 2. I suprisingly liked working in a group as  I feel it simulated a real working experience. We all had our own strengths and brought them together to develop the winning concept. I felt this also tested my organisational skills as this brief needed alot of structuring to ensure all the work was produced efficiently. 

Finally brief 4 allowed me create my own brief that was a response to my first year on the course, I really enjoyed the process of reflecting on my first year on the course as  I have learnt so much. Similaraly to brief 1 there was a short timeframe to produce my outcome so I had to be productive in producing my physical outcome. I feel I resolved the brief creating a professional quality outcome that will appeal to the target audience of nexts years freshers. 

Studio Brief 4 - Evaluation

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Stickers 

I feel I worked relatively well with this brief as there was a very short speace of time between the interim and final critiques with alot of work for other modules to do. I fele as though I was well organised and managed my time effectively as I was proactive with screen printing and produced a very quick turn aroudn for my stickers that would have been extremely difficult if I had not beed organised. 

I am very pleased with my final outcome as I feel it resolved my revised brief well as the use of bold statements will be used to re-assure new students and make them feel confident in their abilities. To further this I feel the production method is extremely relevant as its personal to the user and will make them look and feel more confident if seen wearing a bag with a bold statement such as ‘I AM CREATIVE’ written on it. 

I feel I have also succeeded as I hope my outcome will insire new studnets to experiement with different production methods such as screen printing physical outcomes as opposed to posters and publications and that type only resolutions can be effective and engaging. 

I am happy with the production of my resolution and feel it is finished to a very high quality. The text on the bags is crisp however the small college of art logo didnt reproduce as cleanly as I had hope but still fee the outcome is very successful. 

Studio Brief 4 - Stickers

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Stickers 

In my final critique it was suggested that it would be a nice addition to print some posters on my design to be placed inside the tote bags. I agreed that this would be a great addition to my resolution however unfortunately was unable to screen print some more poster design. I did however want to create another piece of design to go inside the bags. 

I was inspired in the digital print room where I saw someone printing stickers. I felt these would be a nice addition to the company the tote bags as these cold be placed on laptops, windows and around university. I chose to scale my design to A7 as I felt this would be an appropriate size to place on laptops, notebooks, windows and other surfaces. I chose to print on clear stock so only the text would show up. I think this worked well as although I couldn't digitally print in neon orange, the outcome was still bold and created continuity between the stickers and bags.

I then cut out the stickers individually with a craft knife for precision and stuck them on various surfaces. The stickers worked really well on the white walls of the studio as this made the colours stand out more. My favourite placement of the stickers however was on the windows, I felt they looked really affective and grabbed my attention overtime I walked past. I think the outcome of stickers worked well as they were consistent with the bags and were finished to a high quality.

Studio Brief 4 - Final Critique

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Final Critique 

I presented my finished resolution to a group of students and tutors in my final critique. They responded really well to my resolution and gave me good quality feedback. They felt the resolution was appropriate and unique because it was a physical product which was great way to show how diverse graphic design can be. They told me the outcome will provide a confidence boost to new students by telling them they can be anything. The group really liked the bright colours and get they would stand out and be very appealing to the first years. 

One student said they felt the statements were very inspirational and will make them want to pick it up in freshers and keep it. The whole group thought my outcome was very professional and thought DIN was a great type choice. My tutor mentioned that it was great to show new students that a type only outcome can be really effective as this is rare to see in prospective students portfolios and first year students, it is often mostly image based. He thought this was good as it might inspire new students to experiment with type only designs. 

Finally he added that if I still had my screen developed that it might be a nice addition to print some posters of the designs to put inside the bags as he felt it might be a nice addition to have something new students an put up in their rooms. 

I was very pleased with this feedback and agreed with the points made. I like the idea of having something inside the bags to reinforce the concept and will see if I have enough time before submission to screen print some posters. 

Studio Brief 4 - Final Designs

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Final Designs

I was really impressed with my final outcomes I thought the neon orange worked well in standing out and making the range of designs eye-catching and engaging. I think the designs work successfully as a set with the consistent use of DIN and neon orange to create consistency between the design. I feel the detailed type and colour choices demonstrate to new students how their design decisions should be informed and relevant to the resolution. 

The first design uses the personal quote from course leader to re-assure new students that they have picked the right course/university the neon orange 'best' accentuates this point. The second design uses a more generic statement of 'I am creative' I incorporated this quote to hopefully provide the new students with confidence as I initially struggled with having confidence in my ability. Finally the statement 'Graphic Design is whatever I want it to be' will reassure students that then can experiment and make their resolutions to briefs unique to them as designers and don't have to conform to other styles. 

I feel they work well as set and resolve the brief as they appeal to the target audience through the relevant design decisions that will hopefully introduce them to graphic design fundamentals as well as making them feel reassured and more confident.

Studio Brief 4 - Screen Print

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Screen Print 

With my final designs developed I felt confident with screen printing. I knew it was going to be quite a long process as I had to print 2 colours and three designs. I planned in advance to go down and strip and coat my screen on Wednesday 22nd so I could print on Thursday and Friday if needed so that my final outcomes would be ready for the final critique on Monday 27th. I needed good time management to ensure that it was finished on time since only had a limited time for production. I had to print my negatives in digital print as they needed to be A2 to be the most appropriate size to fit on the tote bags. I then exposed them in preparation for screen printing the next day. 

I was then advised by print room technicians to put greyboard into each of the bags to stretch the fabric to ensure an even distribution of ink. 

The process of screen printed took much longer than anticipated due to deadlines which meant it was really busy so overall the process took me 2 days. I was glad I allowed this extra time for printing as I needed it. I was extremely happy with the outcome of my bags. The neon orange worked really well and contrasted against the black to make the resolution bold, eye-catching and engaging. 

Studio Brief 4 - Mock Ups

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Mock ups

Having decided on my final typeface and colour palette I wanted to create some detailed mock ups to prepare me for screen printing my final outcome. I stated by kerning, tracking and leading each of my statements to ensure they looks engaging would work well as an image on the front of the bag. 

I stated with the development of the 1st quote 'Possibly the best Graphic Design Programme in the country' I stated with the initial quote however realised that this didn't fit within the grid I experimented with moving the text but looked anaesthetically pleasing, I asked amber and she suggested changing 'programme' to 'degree' I felt this worked much better as it allowed the design to fit neatly within the grid. I then sampled a lowercase variation as suggested in the interim critique however felt this was far less successful because it wasn't as bold and engaging. I made this design capital and found this worked better creating my final design for this statement. I think it works extremely well with the word 'best' emphasising the point and reassuring new students they have picked the right course/university to study at. 

I initially had some difficulty with the statement 'I am creative' as because it was short there was less I could experiment with. I didn't want the typical central aligned statement as I felt this wasn't very creative which defied the statement. Talking to tutors  we were concerned about the legibility of the initial design but liked the square aesthetic however through development I created the alternative design that we agreed worked better. cutting up the work makes the design look more creative and allows it to fit into a structured grid. the word 'am' is in orange as this stresses the point that I the user believes they are. I experimented with using the word 'i' in orange however felt this was not bold enough due to it being a single letter. 

I changed the final quote from graphic design is whatever you want it to be to 'Graphic Design is whatever I want it to be' as after feedback in the interim critique. Based on feedback I felt that using first person would make the statement work better as it is then personal to use user creating a bold statement that connotes confidents and will reassure new students that it is good to experiment. I experimented with the placement of this statement and felt that the bottom right corner had more of a creative placement that the standard placement in the centre of the bag. 

 I placed the Leeds College of Art logo onto all of my design as I wanted to promote the college and make the use feel confident that they have chosen this institution. This also makes my final resolution specific to this institution and this course. I am happy with my final outcomes as I feel they will work extremely well in aiming students feel confident and re assure them they are capable. I feel my final designs will also educate students about type choices and making informed design decisions such as my colour selection. I am happy with these designs and received feedback from tutors who said they felt there were strong enough to print. 

Studio 4 - Colour Development

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Colour Development 

Having suggested I should change the colour from gold due to it being a similar colour to the cream canvas of the tote bags I wanted to experiment with different colour treatments. I wanted the colours to be bright and bold to grab the attention of the target audience and stand out to when wearing the bags.  I also wanted the colours to be relevant to the course to demonstrate to the new students how all their design decisions should be informed. I chose to experiment with Pink, Orange and Turquoise as I felt these were all bold and had specific relevance to the university. 

I chose to experiment with pink as it is featured within the Leeds College of Art branding.  I felt this would tie in well to the universities other collateral and could make the resolution seem more like genuine collateral. I think this worked well as it was bold and stood out however was unsure if it connote a gender bias making it less appealing to boys. 

I then experimented with Orange as this is specific to the graphic design course as our notice board features neon orange decals on the notice board. This to me represent the course as we are the only course within the college to use this neon orange on the notice board. I think this neon colour worked extremely well as it was bold and eye-catching and relevant to this course. 

Finally I trailed the turquoise green as this is a consistent feature throughout the college with all the doors painted this colour. To me this colour represents the college well and felt it could work well contrasting the black, I liked the results however was unsure if it was too general to the university whereas the orange was specific to the course. 

I then asked a range of students which colour treatment they felt worked best in being eye-catching, engaging and representative of the course. I found that there was quite a varied response to which colour treatment students felt worked best. 7 students said they felt the turquoise worked best however I felt that the orange would work well when screen printed as they have neon ink, as 6 students said they felt the orange would work best it was still a popular choice. I ultimately chose to develop the orange colour treatment into my final resolution as I felt it was more specifically representative of this course and felt the outcome would be particularly engaging with the use of neon ink. 

Studio Brief 4 - Typography Development

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Typography Development 

I wanted to experiment with a range of typefaces to find an appropriate face. The typeface needs to be legible so it can easily be seen in passing and from a distance. At the start of the year we were asked to name our favourite typeface mine was Helvetica however Simon said that hopefully by the end of the year we will have a new one as helvetica was quite common. I wanted to introduce new students to some more typefaces that they may not have yet come into contact with to expand their knowledge of type. I chose to trial Helvetica, Din and Brandon Grotesque as I felt they were all clearly legible yet had their own unique features. 

I chose to trial Helvetica due to its legibility, I have found it looks great when used purely as text on a plain background like in the american apparel campaigns however felt it was too obvious and not experimental enough. 

I then trailed Din which I had only been introduced to this year, I liked the legibility of Din and its structured style which made it easy to read. I have used Din throughout the year and is becoming one of my favourite alternatives to Helvetica. 

Finally I trailed Brandon Grotesque, this the newest typeface of my sample so would give students an introduction to contemporary typefaces. I also chose this face for its legibility, I liked the low x height and geometric structure as it made the block of text aesthetic pleasing. 

I then asked a range of students and lecturers to vote on which typeface they felt worked the best in context. I found there was extremely strong support for DIN as 10 people said this was the most appropriate typeface, only 1 person picked helvetica and nobody picked Brandon Grotesque. This informed my decision to use DIN as my typeface in my final resolution to the brief. 

Studio brief 4 - Initial Feedback

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Initial Feedback 

I created some simple digital mock ups of the two design directions I felt had potential to show a range of students and tutors, I wanted togged their feedback as to which design direction they felt would be the most successful. I firstly asked a range of students about the hand rendered concept and explained that it would make the messages more personal. I got mixed feedback about this direction as some stunts said they loved the concept of making it hand rendered to make it more personal and another student told me it reminded them of Jessica Walsh's hand rendered type. However other students didn't feel it represented graphic design enough and would have preferred actual typefaces as this is a big part of the first module and could inspire new students want to learn about type. 

Overall I received a far more positive reaction to my second design direction students loved the stand out word in gold however suggested sampling bold colours to give instant impact. They also told me it was far more legible than the hand rendered aesthetic which will make it easy to read from across the street etc. I Feel this design direction works better as it uses typefaces and altered leading which will link into things that first years learn at the start of the course so will be a physical outcome showing how it can be used in a real life application as I initially thought these type feature might be useless but have since used them quite a lot. Students suggested I could take this further adjusting the kerning and leading to create a block of text similar to a gird structure. I liked this concept as it would make the text neat and consistent. I will develop this design direction as myself, stunted and tutors all felt it had more potential. 

I then asked Amber for some feedback I wanted to know the exact wording she used with her statement. She told be she said 'possibly the best graphic design programme in the country' instead which I will amend in further development as I like how it is personal to her. She also suggested experimenting with colour as she felt gold may not stand out as much on the beige fabric of the tote bag, I agree with this and had not considered the limitations of the background and plan to experiment further with colour. 

Some final suggestions included experimenting with upper and lower case as it is easier to read a lowercase block of text however I was sceptical that this would not provide the bold eye-catching aesthetic I required. 

Studio Brief 4 - Initial Ideas

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Initial Ideas 

Having developed my statements I could then start to create my initial ideas for the design direction of my tote bags. I sketched some initial thumbnail designs using a range of hand rendered type styles and different media to experiment with colour texture and weight, I feel this worked well as it allowed me to trial different styles with composition before developing this digitally. 

I feel I have created a good range of initial design directions that I would be able to develop digitally into sophisticated concepts. I started by experimenting with different had rendered typefaces similarly to the Leeds university union tote bag, I didn't think this design worked well as I don't find it aesthetically pleasing, although I would be able to experiment with different typefaces  don't think the overall aesthetic would appeal to designers as I feel it looks fairy amateur, I feel I could create a much stronger design direction the is more tasteful and will appeal to the target audience. 

I created a range of design directions featuring my own hand rendered type. I feel this direction could work well as it adds the personal touch to the aesthetic. As the brief is so personal to me I feel this hand rendered aesthetic could be a nice touch to make the resolution more personal, my concept revolves around me being able to reassure the target audience and this may be more approachable if it was presented in an informal hand rendered style. 

Finally I experimented with different media, I sampled a watercolour variation but decided this was too arty and wanted to keep the design direction more specific to the course. I used a combination of marker and ink to create this engaging design direction. I like the use of gold ink to accentuate the word 'best' as I feel this is the most important word in the statement. I like how this is juxtaposed against the black to make it stand out. I think this will attract that target audience more as they will find the singular word engaging and will catch their eye easily. 

I will develop the hand rendered type and singular word colour change design direction before asking a range of students and tutors which design direction they feel as though I should develop into my final resolution.

Studio Brief 4 - Statements

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Statements 

I wanted to come up with some really bold statements that would be instantly engaging and that would re-assure new students and hopefully make them feel confident. I initially struggled with this as I didn't want to sound cliche or cheesy, I wanted the statements to be particularly relevant to graphic design students and ideally more specialised to the graphic design course at Leeds college of Art. 

I looked through the university website to see what type of language they used to promote themselves however this tended to be quite words whereas I wanted my statements to be short snappy and bold. I remembered one thing that always re-assured me when I felt unsure was something that Amber the course leader kept telling us when she taught us design principles at the start of the year, She always used to say 'this is what I believe could potentially be the best graphic design programme in the country'.  I really lied this statement as it shows how much she believes in the course and always used to make me smile. I liked how the statement isn't too cocky as its using her opinion, I decided I wanted to use this statement within my resolution and simplified it further to; 'Potentially the best Graphic Design programme in the country' I feel this works well to re-assure students that they have picked the right university to study at and would re-asure them that the programme is of a high quality as Ambers enthusiasm genuinely reassured me. 

I then looked to create some other similar statements, I thought back to the first module and talked with other students in the hope of gaining inspiration. I was discussing the brief with another student and they were talking about finding their own style within graphic design, this inspired me and thought back to my primary research as quite a few students mentioned to me that they were unsure about the first module as it was very type based using modernist principles that didn't appeal to everyone. I created the statement 'Graphic Design is whatever you want it be' I feel this works well in articulating to my target audience that just because you're being taught one thing you can make it unique to them. I found this particularly difficult as I really dislike grids and felt that I had to use them because we had been taught about them and would have benefited from someone telling me its okay to do things your own way. I feel this statement will work well to reassure the target audience that they can experiment and find their own style. 

Finally one of the worst things I struggled with in the run up to stating university and until after christmas was my confidence with my designs as I came straight from A-level without studying art or a foundation degree. I was really unsure if I would be good enough and if everyone else would be at a much higher level than me. I created the statement 'I am creative' as I feel this is really simple and direct. I think this will work well in giving new students the confidence to say they are creative as they are in a specialist art institution studying a really selective creative course. I think this statement will work particularly well on a tote bag as it will make the user look and feel more confident if they are seen carrying a bag with the bold statement 'I am creative'. 

I feel I have created a range of successful statements that are all relevant to graphic design students and even to the university. I think these will re-assure students as they are bold and engaging as it is nice to hear these statements to relax them and know that other people have also had these concerns. 

Design Principles - What is a Book - OUGD404 END OF MODULE EVALUATION

Design Principles

What is a book? 

OUGD404 - Module Evaluation

Looking at this module in retrospect I feel I have learn a great deal. I feel this module relied more heavily on the experiemental process of how I acheived my final designs, I think I have clearly documented my methodology throught the course of this module. I feel the quality of my outcome in this module is of a  extremely high quality due to the depth of my investigation research and timescale I was given to produce my resolution. I feel I have aquired a range of new skills such as book binding, in depth knowledge of editorial design, typesetting and terminology aquired through a range of tought seminars, workshops and independant research. I think this module has improved my design process allowing me to spend extensive time researching developing and producing my resolutions.  

Brief one tought me a range of new disciplines though a range of tought seminars and workshops that gave me a range of skills essential to graphic design.  I looked at type, image, colour and visual communciation and expanded my knowledge on each of these subjects so that I can talk about them confidently within my work. The practical nature of this module made it engaging and demonstrated how practical and diverse these skills were as I was able to apply them into real life application. 

Brief 2 allowed me to truely specialise in publication design. I was encouraged to challege my preconceived expecations about what is a book which then developed into the practical nautre of the brief. Through independant study, workshops and seminars I aquired a specialist range of skills including bookbinding, folding mechanisms, typesetting and content generaton that were all essentail when producing my final resolution to the brief. My final resolution used all of these skills to create an engaigng publication that was specially tailored and informed by the target audience. I created continuity between every aspect of my design which make the resolution consistent throughout and highly informed. 

Overall I am happy with my progress through the module and my development throughout the year. I feel I have learnt an abundance of new essential skills such as editorial design and bookbinding which will become more useful in furutre briefs when developign throughout the course and into an industry practise allowing me to create better quality and more informed resolutions. I feel I have a much better understanding of the design process as a result of this module and think I have worked more independantly through the course of this module, managing my time according and organising my own bookings, inductions etc. Due to the extended nautre of the module I have had chance to enjoy the design process without it feeling rushed meaning I can extensively collate research and develop my designs to the highest possible quiality. I feel this module has given me more independance when designing from choosing my own content to chosing the most appropriate binding method, I have enjoyed the development of identifying a problem and developing it into a successful resolution.

Design Principles - What is a Book - Final Critique

Design Principles

What is a book? 
Final Critique

For the final critique I was asked to identify a range of questions that I wanted to find out about my final resolution.  I firstly asked if the book appealed to students as they were the target audience, I received very positive comments that embodied my concept and design direction well for example;

‘The cover works well with the dark aesthetic and the off white stock really complements it, love the spacious layout’ 

'Yes - really works, it's got quite a dark aesthetic with the black thread bind, relation to death which is mentioned in your title - the screen print and embossing is ambiguous and effective' 

'yes i like the size the most. A big book on type would be not be fun at all but this works. very professional, it would make me trust the content. 

This shows that some of my main concepts such as a minimal design and sinister concept are coming through to my target audience with no prior explanation which is extremely encouraging that I have portrayed this message through visual communication. I feel this shows I have been successful as it greatly appealed to my target audience. 

I then asked if before submission I should glue the first and last pages to the covers as I felt this could make it look more professional however 58% of the responses said they liked the pages unglued, reasoning behind this included; 

‘No, the gap nicely emphasises the amount of white space in the book’

‘No. I think it may ruin it’ 

'Yes, it will tidy the book up nicely'

I ultimately decided not to glue the covers based on target audience feedback I was also apprehensive of ruining the design and did not want to use adhesive as I have had a number of bad experiences with it. 

Finally I asked if they felt the book was educational to evaluate its purpose, I also asked if students could see themselves using it to learn/refresh their memory of type? students reacted positively saying; 

‘Yes! the definitions are easy to find so it would good quick reminder when working’ 

'more content would have been nice’

‘I think examples within the actual content would make the definitions easier’ 


I feel my target audience reacted extremely positively to my final resolution making it a successful outcome as it is aesthetically pleasing and fits its purpose well. I think the content is simple and direct however would consider including examples if I were to undertake the project again. 

I feel my final outcome was largely successful as demonstrated by the positive feedback I received from my final critique. I feel this was largely to my constant feedback and referral to students which informed my design decisions. I was initially disappointed that I couldn't use my initial stock selection however feel that the print room alternative worked equally well as it made the images more vibrant and as commented in the final critique complemented the cover well. I am extremely happy with the final design direction of my publication I feel the aesthetic is simple and contemporary which appeals to my target audience  I like the sinister juxtaposition between the typographic definition and illustration as I feel this makes the content more engaging. This is reinforced though feedback from the final critique which demonstrates how the design is appropriate for the target audience. 

I feel the overall brief was successful as I  followed a clear design process that worked well for me to  collate research and gain a range of inspiration. I kept to my rough time plan well which ensured sufficient time for designing and the production of my resolution. This was an initial concern for me as due to the extended timeframe of the brief. 

Design Principles - What is a Book - Production

Design Principles

What is a book? 
Production

For the production of my final resolution I ultimately decided to produce my final publication from the print room alternative stock as I felt the somerset stock noticably reduced the image quality Although the somerset stock was my preferred stock choice the errors in printing were too noticeable and I feel lowered the overall quality of the print. I wanted the designs to be as bold and engaing so opted for the stock that produced the best quality prints. I then individually put each page down to size using a craft knife for accuracy as I felt a guillotine might not alight as efficiently to the crop marks. 

I Then cut my covers down to size, I decided to make these the same size as the pages as I felt this would create a flush clean edge. I covered the underside of the mountboard with black card to create a consistent black cover that I feel worked well as it boldly distinguished the cover from the stock on both sides.

I started to bind the book following the online tutorial for reference. I learnt from the mistakes I made in my mock ups correcting features such as ensurng the string was tight as I was sewing each signiture and placing my first & last holes close to the top and bottom of the publication to reduce undesired movement. 

Using waxed cotton thread aided the production of my final outcome greatly as it allowed me to pull the thread tighter and was easier to thread. The final outcome of of my publication went well finishing it to a high standard. I was really happy with my final outcome, critically it still contained a small number of design flaws however felt this was unavoidable when producing the resolution by hand. That pages of my book were not perfectly flush as stuck out by 0.1mm. I asked my tutor if I should trim this down and we felt it I could make the overall aesthetic worse. I think the overall quality of the outcome was relatively high as besides a few minor errors, the binding worked efficiently and added a great aesthetic  to the publication making it open fully and flexibly. I am happy with my final stock choice as it complements the contrasting cover as stated by a member of my target audience, I think the screen printed title works well however was a shame I couldn’t use the variation with the shape spot varnished too as I feel this could have make the title more noticeable. I think the whole design works well together with the sinister context informing my major design decisions to create continuity within the publication, the production works well with the content making the final outcome successful.

Studio Brief 4 - Concept and Delivery

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Concept and Delivery 

Having conducted primary research and finding that a range of students had similar concerns to me at the start of the course such as if they chose the right course/institution and if they were good enough highlighted that it is probably that new students will share similar concerns. I want me resolution to focus on these concerns and help to put them at ease as I feel as though if someone had told me at the start of the year they felt this way I would have felt more comfortable. 

The aim of my outcome is to re-assure new students and hopefully provide them with confidence that they are good enough. Due to the selective nature of the course they must have potential to have been accepted into the university and my outcome is to help them realise this. I wanted to present this through bold statements that would have high impact and would engage students. 

I wanted the delivery of my resolution to be more engaging that a poster or publication as I remember from my freshers that I was given so many publications and posters that 95% ended up in the bin one week later, When thinking about this I realised that the only things I actually kept were the tote bags as I could reuse them. This then dawned on me that a strong delivery method for my concept would be to produce my bold statements on tote bags as I feel this would make the resolution more engaging as students would interact with the bags more than a poster or publication. I felt this would also make them statements more personal if they were seen to be wearing a bag that has a bold positive quote would make them look and in turn feel more confident. 

From this I then decided I wanted to print tote bags as my final resolution. I will have to screen print the design onto the bags which I feel will be a good way to show new students about the skills learnt on the first year of the course as I had never screen printed before starting the course. I feel this physical outcome will be refreshing as most outcomes will tent to be print based. It will also demonstrate how diverse graphic design can be that it can be whatever they want it be.

Studio Brief 4 - Difficulties

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Research - Difficulties

I asked a range of students what their main difficulties were when coming to university to get a better idea of how I could re-assure the new first year students. Some of the responses I received included;

• Missing home x3
• Making friends x4
• workload x1
• fitting in x3
• If it was right for them x4

As this brief is a personal response to things I found difficult I then presented students with a range of questions which I asked them answer to get a better understanding if other students had similar worries to me. 

I firstly asked if they had any doubts if they were good enough to be on the course. Nearly all the students I asked said they questioned, some of the response I got were; 

• Absolutely, I'm still kind of unsure
• I was petrified everyone was going to be better than me 
• I didn't do graphics in college so was scared I wouldn't know anything 
• It took me way into the 1st year to realise I was doing okay haha 

This was a real concern for me too, coming from an A-level background and not doing a foundation course prior to university I was really apprehensive as to whether I'd be good enough for the course. 

I then asked if they had any doubts about the university/course since being at university as this was another concern of mine prior to the course. Having the choice to apply to a range of universities and opting for a small independent art college initially worried me as I wouldn't get the 'typical' university experience but after the first few weeks I was sure I had made the right decision for me. I was slightly surprised to see that quite a lot of students agreed that they had doubts before coming to university. Students told me that;

• I was about to quit during the first module because I thought it was all type but then I really got into it. 
• I wanted a big uni experience but the course was better here, I was apprehensive thought 
• I nearly changed to illustration but then realised how open I could make the briefs. 
• I came through clearing so felt rushed but so glad I stayed. 

This really helped me to solidify my context as I have found that a range of students have also had similar apprehensions to me at the start of the course. This helps me as I can design with assurance that other students have shared similar problems to me showing the likelihood that new students are likely to have similar concerns making my designs relevant. 

Studio Brief 4 - Research: Tote Bag analysis

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Research - Tote Bag analysis 

Having identified tote bags to be a great form of delivery as it relates to my concept of making students feel more confident and will be more physically engaging I found a range of tote bags that I kept from my freshers. I wanted to analyse a range of the tote bags to see that type of designs they use and how I can incorporate certain features into my designs to create a successful outcome. 

The first bag I analysed was the Tote bag promoting the fuzzy logic club night at wire. I feel this tote bag if fairly representative of the event as it give off fun vibes and bold connotation. The event is a weekly event that plays alternative music including arctic monkeys and fleetwood mac. I feel this bag represents this well through the playful illustrations and hand rendered aesthetic. I like the simple uncomplicated illustrations that have no real link to one another as it creates an engaging aesthetic. 

I then analysed the Corn exchange tote bag, I like the composition of this design using the bold silhouette of the uniquely shaped building, this is a great design feature as most students will be new to the city and this element of the design could help to identify the corn exchange to students to have never been in leeds city centre before. I like the merge of serif and sans serif typeface as I feel it provides aviation to the design. The corn exchange promotes independent businesses and feel this design keeps to this. There is a unique and independent quality to the design it doesn't look corporate and gives friendly connotations such as the playful language 'magnificent' and 'individual'. 

Finally I looked at the leeds university union tote bag. This had a larger audience of all students to enjoy their time in the city and at university. I don't particularly like the aesthetic of this design, I think the hand-rendered typefaces give a slightly tacky aesthetic although this is from a design perspective to most students I feel it will give a playful friendly aesthetic that will engage them to pick it up. I like the bold statement and feel this is something that I would take from this design and like how they have incorporated social media into the design to further promote their cause. 

From this analysis I have learnt that it is important to consider the target audience when designing as thee three bags all target students as they were given out during freshers fairs however specifically target different groups of students. I feel as though I will have to make my bag quite sophisticated from a design perspective as it is targeted at designers who will appreciate a well designed aesthetic. As my specific focus is graphic designers I will pay particular detail to the type choices and features such as kerning and tracking to reinforce skills they will learn in their first module.