OUGD303 End of Module Evaluation

...and breathe. It doesn’t seem like two minutes since it was my first day on the course, but here I am writing my last ever end of module evaluation after three (very intense) years.

As a whole, I am happy with how my final major project has panned out. I admit, I could probably have done more and pushed some of my briefs further than I have done, but then again, there’s always going to be something else and it’s knowing when to stop that’s the biggest challenge at times.

It didn’t start out so great though as I spent the majority of the first month concentrating on my dissertation and just getting done what I had to for this module – then, before I knew it, I was already a fifth into the module and hadn’t made any sort of significant progress. Oh dear. I quickly got myself into gear though and made a realistic time plan for how I would get everything done that I was planning. My time management skills with this module have definitely been put to the test, and I have to say I am rather impressed with myself with how well I did with it. I have managed to not only produce the minimum requirements of briefs to a standard that I am happy with along with my design context brief, I have also produced additional briefs alongside these that I am more than happy with.

Two of my main briefs were competition briefs for YCN, one of which was done in collaboration with Baljeet Samra. These briefs were interesting as the time that I had to produce these was cut short, which ultimately made them more intense than they ideally needed to have been. Nevertheless, I completed both and got them submitted in time to the competition in March, meaning I had already completed two of my significant briefs. For both of these, I produced designs that were mocked up in context to the location that they would go. By doing this, it has learnt me a hell of a lot about how to really make the most of the design areas that are available – there’s actually more shapes/sizes out there than a standard A sized piece of paper! Who’d have known?

As well as the YCN competition brief, I also collaborated with Baljeet Samra on a quick day brief that had full intentions to be fun and type/batman related. We have similar design styles and thought processes with briefs, so working together is a dream as we agree and disagree on the same things and somehow picture things the same. My collaboration skills have come along in heaps and bounds since first year after I nearly dropped out in the second week because of how much I hated it. I now no longer dread even the thought of it, which is something that I never thought would happen, and actually enjoy doing them. Saying this though, I also did a collaboration brief again with Baljeet, and Beth Yates and Lisa Whitaker that turned out to be a lot more effort than it should have been. It was a learning experience though in terms of working in a close knit group whilst also collaborating with ‘real’ clients.

My strongest brief within my final major project is definitely my Proper Coffee brief. This originally started out as a quick day brief after a portfolio surgery with Ben from The Beautiful Meme, which soon escalated to become one of my main substantial briefs within the module. I really enjoyed producing the work for this brief as it combined my love of type and coffee perfectly. There wasn’t any underlying niggling reason for this brief, like it wasn’t a live brief or a competition one, so it allowed me to really get my teeth stuck into what I was doing and to do it how I wanted to do it (with feedback of course). I enjoyed it, and I think it’s a great back up plan to pursue if I don’t end up making it as a graphic designer.

As much as I couldn’t wait for the end of college to come to go off into the ‘real world’ and start earning some coin, now that it’s actually here it couldn’t be more scary. But thanks to the course, I do feel ready and prepared to go out there with my head held high with a portfolio in my hands that I am actually proud of. I couldn’t have asked for more from it really. Thank you.

Attendance - 3/5
Punctuality - 3/5
Quality of work - 4/5
Quantity of work - 4/5

Submission Form

Here is my end of module submission form.

Brief 10 - Design Boards Submission

Here are my design boards that I am submitting for Brief 10 - Proper Coffee.

Brief 10 - Final Crit Design Boards

Here are the design boards that I put together for this brief ready for the final crit. They aren't necessarily the final ones as such, but I think they give enough idea for now to take along to the crit. They will be there along with everything that I have produced in response to this brief including the take away cups, sugar packets, books, tins, etc...

Brief 10 - Poster Mock Ups

Another thing that I have realised lately as well is the fact that everything doesn't necessarily need to be printed and photographed to be presented. Therefore I have decided to just mock up how the posters that I have developed would look in the coffee shops. I want them to be in a frame, and just want the wall around to be plain so had a quick google search and found the perfect one.

The ones that I have so far just use the cup illustrations, so I experimented with adding more information on them and what not. Here's the development. I tried to include a variety of both black and white ones as I can't decide which I would prefer.

These have turned out pretty nice - not too over complicated or anything and to the point with what I am trying to achieve. I may still get some printed anyway for hand in and for keep sake basically.

Brief 10 - Photographs Narrowed & Edited

From the photographs that I took using the SLR camera, I spent a while going through each one and narrowed them all down to ones that I want to go on to edit and use to represent this brief. Here's the photos that I first narrowed down to (before editing).

Then, making sure that the editing that I do is kept consistent, I edited these set of photos to now use to represent this brief where ever needed (design boards, website, etc..)

I am very pleased with how this brief has turned out as a whole, and think I achieved what I set out to with the photographs.

Brief 10 - Photographs Take 2

After a recent general visit into work, it was another one of my friends working that told me how she was doing a double shift and was also doing the night shift, so I decided to be cheeky and ask her if she would mind me coming back up with all of my stuff to take some photos - this time making sure that I charge the battery for the camera. She said it was fine and she didn't mind. Oooft.

This visit turned out to be a lot more successful. I definitely learnt from the first experience of doing this so I knew what to expect more this time. I didn't ask Joanne to make some drinks while I took photos though this time. I took lots more photos this time, and regularly checked that they were turning out alright to make sure that I don't end up going home and them all being shit. Here's all of the photos in contact sheets like the previous lot of photos on the last post that I took from the visit up to work at 1 in the morning.

I don't like how on the contact sheets the portrait photos didn't rotate, but they give a good enough idea of what I am showing for now. Also, these are the photos before any edits of anything have been made so they look a bit poo for now.

Brief 10 - Photographs Take 1

Now that I am sorted, I can head up to work to take some photos. One of my friends is working nights and no one barely goes in so it is the perfect opportunity to get some photos. We spend a little while talking before I got everything ready to go. Then, literally just after I took my first photo, the battery in my SLR died. Gutted. I didn't have enough time to go and get my charger and get them photographed in time.

There isn't really anything else I could have done, so I decided really quickly to take some photos on my phone to propose how I would have done it. I'm proper gutted. First I took photos of all of the outcomes (except espresso cups because there isn't any at work either, damn) in context on the coffee machine and what not.

Then I managed to persuade Kerry to make a drink in each of the logo cups both black and white. We agreed on one being a latte and one being a cappuccino (I did ask her to try not to dirty the white cup, but said it a bit too late and ended up with a lovely fingerprint right next to the logo - oh dear). We stood proper awkwardly to take the photos, but here's what I got. I also then took some photos of them after stood on their own with the drinks in them.

Some of these turned out blurry, but got a few decent ones. Again, I'm gutted I couldn't use the SLR camera - so much for being professional ha. Did mention though to let me know if another night shift does come up that she does before the module deadline so fingers crossed.