OUGD405 - End of Module Self-Evaluation

BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN		LEVEL	04
Module Code	OUGD405
Module Title	DESIGN PROCESS

END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION

NAME	Jasper G S Lee

1.  What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
Through this module I have learned new skills in both Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign, through the workshops and session, which I have applied in several briefs throughout this module. I have greater knowledge and have learned new techniques in photography, taking photographs and using a DSLR. This is something that has had an influence in all of my briefs, whether the photographs have been an acting part of the work or just a photograph of the finished article. I have continued to develop my skills in Adobe Illustrator, specifically my work entitled iconic british automotive design. I have also learned important information and techniques that are used when working between all three softwares: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. This information enables me to work fluently between and in all three softwares, ensuring there are no problems with saving, referencing, linking and printing.
2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
My approach to research has changed throughout this module. Where as before this module I saw it as something that was produced prior to starting designing I now see it as a process in which to aid my designing. As previously stated, through the software inductions and workshops, I have changed the way I produce work. Where as before I did not give enough consideration to preparation of images and work both prior to adding to the publication and in printing. Rather than taken the image straight from the camera or source, and either making some quick editions in Photoshop or putting it straight into the work, I now check printability, resolution, size, colour mode and quality to ensure that the images look as good a possible in the final production.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I think my strength now lie in the process of my work and how I prepare and formulate my work you that the final outcome is to the highest possible quality. Another strength I have developed more through this module is my digital use and production, mainly in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. This is something that can be seen through my production of a supplement that is both printed and digital. This is something I am interested in and something I want to take forward into other modules and briefs. The final strength that I can identify is in the quality of my final work, specifically the iconic british automotive design work. The final product, both digital and print, has a high professional quality to it, again something that I believe should be seen in all of my finished work.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
There are a few weaknesses I have noted in the duration of this module. The first weakness is a lack of knowledge in software, specifically InDesign, however this is something that will improve the more I use it. Another weakness I identified was my lack of understanding and knowledge about preparation of a document for printing and double-sided printing. Again, this is something that will improve in time and experience. My accuracy in terms of dimensions has not always been perfect through this module. In the postcard brief, cutting problems prevented the reverse of the cards being perfectly equal and in the iconic british design brief the digital version did not fit fully onto the iPad’s screen. This is mainly a problem with time and something I would have rectified had I had more of it. The final weakness I identified over this brief was a slight lack of attention to the brief, producing work that fulfilled the brief, however, not to its full potential. In the future I will make sure I work with brief with me at all times to ensure that the work I am producing fulfils it to its full potential.
5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
1)    The first thing I would do differently is go into as much depth and detail as I did in the iconic british automotive design in all of my work/briefs. This would improve the overall standard of my work, therefore strengthening my portfolio. 2)    The second thing I would do differently would be to draft/proof work before I produced/printed/saved the final edition, as this would erase problems of sizing, especially in work where I am producing both digital and printed elements. 3)    The third thing I would have done differently would work close to the brief, producing work that fulfilled it totally rather than partially. This will improve my ability to produce outcomes that are exactly as a future client would want, rather than what I perceived to be what was required. 4)    In an ideal situation, I would have liked to have used all of my own photographs rather than sourcing them from various locations. This would allow me to say the entire work was my own rather than having to credit others. 5)    The final thing I would have done differently would be to have more interaction with the digital work. This would have improved the work and fulfilled the brief more as I could have incorporated infographics into images, providing more information. This will hopefully be possible once my software knowledge improves.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance					X
Punctuality				X
Motivation				X
Commitment				X
Quantity of work produced			X
Quality of work produced			X
Contribution to the group			X
The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.