OUGD403 - Final Evaluation

OUGD403 has been an interesting module for me. I came onto the course with moderate knowledge of software such as Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, and throughout the four briefs I have definitely acquired new skills, understanding and knowledge of these programmes and the application of various design skills and processes. The summer brief was similar to Studio Briefs 1 and 2, in the sense that type was very much the focus of our work. I learnt about the anatomy of type and how making small and subtle modifications to a typeface can communicate conceptual ideas brilliantly. After Studio Briefs 1 & 2 I definitely felt slightly more confident in Illustrator, considering I had never used it before, I was pretty satisfied with my typeface that I had produced from scratch through extensive research and evaluation. I found the interim critique sessions very useful, and not daunting or nerve racking at all as I had experience of critique sessions from my foundation course.

Studio brief 3 was focused entirely on researching, both primary, secondary and visual. This was an interesting brief. I looked into issues surrounding cyber abuse and the act of 'trolling'. I feel I could have definitely put more effort into this brief. If I were to do this brief again I would definitely allocate more time to presenting my findings rather than creating a simple powerpoint presentation. I am pleased with the research I did carry out, but would have liked to delve deeper into the issues in the articles I read.

Studio brief 4 followed on directly from the previous brief. This was an exciting task, one which I enjoyed because it allowed for a lot of experimentation and exploration of various techniques and processes.  I enjoy working in mixed media and for this project I combined painting, drawing, photography and digital skills to create my posters. Out of the four briefs this was my favourite.

Overall module one has been challenging but rewarding as it has introduced me to a number of new skills and processes. The workshops have been engaging and informative. I made sure to keep up with my blog posting and research and feel as if I worked well to the deadlines. I am looking forward to getting stuck into the next module and improve on areas in which I have fallen behind in this module.