This module over all has been very successful to my design development and me, there have been areas I feel have been unsuccessful an have not fulfilled my intentions on different levels.
I started this module proposing a set of briefs I felt would meet the aims I had for my final year. I wrote these briefs to fulfil my aims these being to create something I find interesting and enjoyable, to create some quality pieces of work I am happy with for my portfolio and to use this opportunity to experiment with new methods as well as developing old ones. The briefs I have written are a step up from the work I produced in second year; I think this will help me achieve the best possible grade I can from second year. I found the briefs and my statement of intent fairly easy to write as I based them on the elements of design I really wanted to do; experiment with new print techniques, develop and experiment with handmade and collage methods and to design for packaging. I found it really challenging to take these develop and adapt these final pieces into context and make them like ‘real life’ products that would be ready to sell on a commercial level rather than previous design level which is focused towards a personal level.
I don’t feel I have fully achieved this ‘commercial’ standard for my designs, however I do feel I have stepped up my standard from previous design work. I think I would have had a more positive affect if I had live briefs making me meet a specific criteria, rather than personal briefs, the ‘it has to be’ is not always necessarily there.
I started off the module with the largest brief and the one I felt I would achieve the most from both personally and as a designer. This brief turned out to be a long and slow process, but once underway the completion of the brief I was extremely happy with and felt the products met a high standard and fulfilled my brief. Alongside this brief I worked on my second biggest brief the baking set, I also completed this to a good standard that I was happy with and fitted the brief, however this brief I found very difficult to pin down certain elements, there are areas I feel I have gained more skills from than others because of this the brief was very fast moving to begin with but slowed down towards the end with the pressure of meeting a professional standard. I felt at this point it was vital for me to pick up some of the shorter briefs I had written to help get out of the ‘rut’ I was beginning to get in and get back on track. Doing this I felt much more inspired and these smaller briefs really helped spur me on to meet the deadline, these new briefs opened up new design opportunities and move away from the big briefs I had spent along time on. This began to build my confidence of my decisions and confidence with my work back up, which I feel helped the outcomes to be more successful. I initially proposed a slightly different set of briefs, I proposed 4 self written briefs and intended add a 5th competition brief to this. Unfortunately I had only managed to undertake 3 of the self written briefs and cut down the competition brief to fit the time scale left. I feel extremely disappointed I did not manage to finish all the briefs I initially proposed, but there was not enough time for me to complete all briefs to a significant level.
I don’t feel I have developed any particular software skills throughout this module. I have however developed and experimented with new print skills, I feel this is a real personal achievement to have as well as helping me as a designer for future work and decision-making. My aim going into this module produces work that fitted my rational, to meet a commercial standard and to experiment and develop new print methods. I believe I have tried my hardest to meet all these goals, however I do not feel I have met them all to the best they could. Some of my work would have greatly benefitted from having a collaborative aspect to it, to strengthen the product especially the commercial context to the products. I intend to take this into account for the next module and take the negative outcomes in this module and make them a positive in the next.
