Friday, 8 February 2013

Where am I now? - OUGD402

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10 things that I have learned about myself as an individual and as learner:

1.    Time Management: Leaving work right up until the deadline is not proactive or helpful and just means life becomes very stressful. Although I have not done this too much over the first semester, when I have it has been stressful and the quality of the work diminishes as it becomes rushed.

2.    Living of microwave meals and fast food is not good for the body and does not help with performance and attention. This point links to point 3 and although microwave meals are much quicker and easier they’re unhealthy and make me sluggish and lazy.

3.    Cooking proper meals more is a good thing to do, as it is sociable, helpful and healthier. Backing up point 2, it is much better for my body and overall wellbeing to cook proper meals more often. One advantage of being in control of my shopping and what is in the fridge means it is always something I like and something I want to eat.

4.    Having a routine that structures my time is very helpful, especially in the morning. My routine in the morning makes me get up and get ready for the day, whilst also giving me time for oversleeping and having extra things to do.

5.    It is better to save money, rather than spend it on items that are surplus to requirements (however, it is good to splash out on occasion).

6.    Don’t burn that candle at both ends too much as becoming ill and run down makes everything more difficult. Especially when there is a deadline approaching it isn’t worth partying hard as well as working hard as it affects the quality of the work.

7.    Overworking myself doesn’t help and taking time off is very important. It is better to work hard for a couple of hours and have time off, that semi-working for the majority of the day.

8.    Living away from home is a massive learning curve, having to divide your money properly so that you can eat sufficiently, wear clean clothes and hopefully have some money left to spend or save isn’t as easy as I thought.


9.     This point links back to the first point on time management. I have leaned that blogging work the day it is done or the day of the session is much better than leaving it to the weekend. If I leave the blogging until he weekend it all builds up and is a much harder task, where as if I do it on the day it is in much more accessible amounts and can be completed much easier.

10. I’ve learned how important life’s little luxuries are, be that a lie-in, some home baked brownies or the better quality bacon. Having little luxuries every now and again or using them as something to work towards makes life easier.


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10 things that I have learned about myself as a designer:

1.    I have learned that I can be too safe with my work and that I should be more open to taking risks and experimenting. This was noticed in my work about Fidel Castro still being alive, where I kept the work very simple and did not really experiment at all.





2.    Research is a fundamental part of any project and is not something that is just a bulk on information. Research is a process that continues throughout the work and aids my development as a designer continuously.

3.    As a designer I have learned that the process for getting a document ready for print is a lot more complex than I had previously thought. This has changed my approach to how I design. I now take much more consideration into the colour modes, the quality of the images and the format of the document so that it will work on all computers/printers regardless.


4.    Over the last brief of module OUGH405 my interest in publication and editorial design increased significantly. Although I have always had an interest in well-designed publications, my interest was taken further, especially looking into the digital side of publications, their appearance and their potential for interaction.






5.    I also found over the Product and Publication brief, my interest in the relationship between the digital and the printed design. This interest lies predominantly with publications. I value both the printed and the digital publication individually, but I hadn’t previously thought about the relationship between the two when producing work for both platforms.


 



6.    Whilst looking at other designers work, I take more interest in the creative and innovative designs of packaging and publications, rather than the more informative, less creative design more commonly found in some forms of branding and way finding. Saying this, however, I much prefer a simple and effective design rather than something that is unorganized and hectic.



7.    Following on from the previous point, my preferences in design lie much closer to the modernist style rather than the post-modern. I like work that is organized, structured and work that communicates clearly, rather than the more shambolic post-modern design.

 
8.    I have learned that in terms of colour I prefer designs that have select colours rather than designs that use a lot of colour. This is mainly because too many colours clash and are overpowering detracting from the work and making it almost painful to look at. 


9.    The work and design that I am interested in and am producing has, I believe, much more social and cultural interest and influence rather than political and social influences and interests.

10. I have also learned that when designing it is important to step back, away from the work, and look at it, as it is very easy to get absorbed in the work and become completely sidetracked. This is a good time to get other opinions on my work as if there is something I believe looks good and communicate well and someone else says they don’t understand, or they think I should do something else, it gives me more options and time to improve my work.

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