OUGD503 - Brief 03 - Evaluating The Module

What have I taken away from completing responsive?

I have very much enjoyed responsive as a module as I feel I have produced some of my most successful work to date through completing the various, sometimes challenging live competition briefs. I was very selective when it came to choosing which briefs to undertake. I made these decisions based on the relevance of the specific brief to my current creative concerns, design abilities and technical skill sets. I didn’t simply rush into a brief, I took my time to read and fully understand what was being asked of me before diving into the idea generation and concept making stage, which I often like to invest a lot of time in. I was seeking to complete briefs which would stimulate be intellectually and creatively. I wanted to make work that excited me as well as the intended target audience. I was also looking to complete briefs which would broaden my creative horizons in terms of research, inspiration, technicality and so on. I wanted to really develop my skills and push myself out of my own comfort zone.

I really immersed myself in all of the briefs that I undertook, but there was one brief in particular which I found myself really getting into more than any of the others. The D&AD Monotype brief was my most enjoyable and successful brief in terms of research opportunities, conceptual development, experimentation and range of final finished pieces. This brief allowed me to realise that graphic communication design has massive potential to spread impactful social, political and cultural messages with positive intentions which is something that really excites me.

How has responsive impacted my creative practice, future concerns and ambitions?

Responsive has allowed me to realise that I am a capable, organised, motivated and talented young creative practitioner and has boosted my confidence hugely. I have quite an up and down relationship with graphic design as a practice; sometimes it’s all I can think about, other times I really dislike it. Completing responsive has reassured me and put a lot into perspective in terms of my future in the creative industries. It allowed me to broaden my skills both digital and analogue, improve my primary and secondary research skills and increased my confidence in seeking out and listening to feedback/constructive criticism.  Undertaking a broad, varied range of briefs has allowed me to fully realise my multidisciplinary strengths, which I knew I had already, helping me to consider more carefully where I see myself going in the future. Collaborative practice was useful in terms of developing my group working skills and expanding my knowledge of new areas within graphic design.

What new skills have I acquired?

Responsive has forced me out of my 'comfort zone' in terms of using various media that I was previously quite unskilled in. For example, the Saucy Fish brief and the Latino film fest pushed me to develop my understanding of Adobe Illustrator, I am proud of my development and commitment to wanting to learn how to get better results from this particular software. I feel my researching skills have developed considerably as well as my group working skills.