End of Module Self-Evaluation
What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
My contextual knowledge of graphic design, both past and present, has grown considerably throughout this module, along with my general knowledge of art practices and theories. I have developed the skills of critiquing and analysing work and being able to coherently comment on art works with a fairly strong vocabulary. I feel as if I have developed the skill of interpreting theories, such as in my essay, and applying them to different concepts and images.
The publication aspect of the module has helped me with technical skills, such as working with InDesign and putting together a publication. I read heavily into the subject and attempted to condense the information content I was putting into the book to fit the concept of the publication which was to present semiotic theory to design students in a way that was easy to understand and follow. I think I successfully managed to break down the topics and give a brief, basic overview of the subject, and I feel as though I managed to turn theory into practice in the way that my publication still looks like a textbook as it should do, but where the layouts and colours have added more of an interesting, visually appealing side to it.
The publication aspect of the module has helped me with technical skills, such as working with InDesign and putting together a publication. I read heavily into the subject and attempted to condense the information content I was putting into the book to fit the concept of the publication which was to present semiotic theory to design students in a way that was easy to understand and follow. I think I successfully managed to break down the topics and give a brief, basic overview of the subject, and I feel as though I managed to turn theory into practice in the way that my publication still looks like a textbook as it should do, but where the layouts and colours have added more of an interesting, visually appealing side to it.
What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
The approaches to and methods of design production I have developed throughout this module have come in the publication part. I have learnt how to take content and develop it into a publication which fitted my original concept. Before the publication brief I had very little knowledge of how to set out a book properly in InDesign, and although we had been taught how to use grids for laying elements of an editorial design out earlier in the course, this has been my opportunity to take what I had learnt and put it into practice. I can definitely see an improvement in my skills with layouts and using type and colour from the beginning of the course because of the publication brief.
What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I think one of my strengths in this module has been with theory and how it relates to practice. I was pleased with the essay feedback I received as it had been my chance to use a subject I studied in school, Social and Cultural Anthropology, and apply it to art practices. Theories are a particular interest of mine and I enjoy reading further into them than just what we are given and taught in lectures and seminars, so in the future, I want to be able to take theories and express them through graphic design, such as I did for my publication, but also to apply them to graphic design. I intend to read further into semiotics and bring the theory side of the practice into my work. I also feel that one of my strengths is essay writing and this module has been the chance to show that. I enjoyed writing the essay and the topic I chose and this is an area which I want to look in to again. Also, the essay writing element is a step of preparation towards writing my dissertation in third year so the feedback I received for my essay has given me more confidence towards the essay/dissertation writing elements of second and third year.
What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
Although I feel I am generally quite competent with understanding and applying theories, one thing I have struggled slightly with in this module is classifying designers and their work under different categories, such as modernist or post-modernist. I enjoyed the 45 Designers task, yet did find it surprisingly difficult in certain areas, so in future, I would use my lecture notes as more of a resource for further research and start my own investigations into each subject.
I also felt that one of my weaknesses was thoroughly putting the theory into practice. Knowing what I know now from completing the publication, I would have done something which would have allowed me to express theory through practice more if I could go back to the beginning of the brief again. I could have created a publication about modernism in a modernist style to put more emphasis on the putting theory into practice element of the brief.
Identify 5 things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
- Use lecture notes as a starting point for more thorough self initiated research to gain a stronger understanding of each topic.
- Keep a more comprehensive list of designers/artists for reference back to as this will aid my contextual research in the future in all areas of the course.
- Read more into the subject of essays to give myself a wider range of content to use to further my understanding and to make my essays more comprehensive.
- Keep a more comprehensive list of designers/artists for reference back to as this will aid my contextual research in the future in all areas of the course.
- Read more into the subject of essays to give myself a wider range of content to use to further my understanding and to make my essays more comprehensive.
- Research further into different designers when I come across them to gain a wider knowledge of the graphic design scene at present.
- Plan out publications more thoroughly before digitalising them to avoid printing/binding problems.
5= excellent, 4= very good, 3= good,
2= average, 1= poor
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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Attendance
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Punctuality
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Motivation
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Commitment
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Quantity of work produced
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Quality of work produced
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Contribution to the group
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x
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