Thursday, 26 March 2015

OUGD503 responsive module evaluation

Overall I have enjoyed this as a module as a whole, however I feel that I have slightly let myself down on the analysis side of things. I have enjoyed producing a wide body of work that I haven't really considered doing before, such as branding for other creatives and competition briefs. The module has opened my eyes in respect of the mass of work that can be produced if you really explore with both concept and design developments when experimenting with different processes, and when you choose your own briefs it is much more enjoyable and does not appear as a 'task.' I have learnt that timekeeping, planning and self organisation is crucial, because the module has been ongoing for several months, I have realised that experimentation and development never ends, as there are always certain ways you can add to and improve your work, a project in my eyes will never be finished. From my experience completing this module, I wish I had of planned my time more effectively, as looking back it seems I have applied more understanding and development to some smaller briefs rather than the larger ones which needed more focus. With the module occurring over a longer period of time than usual, I felt that I was rather lazy with my work ethic as I thought there was more time than there actually was, I don't feel that I have excelled in this module and once again I am slightly disappointed with the overall submission. 

Blogging was one of the things I feel has let me down as I didn't keep on top of the blogging, distracted by other modules ongoing at the time, to improve this I need to make sure that I can determine myself to write a couple of blog entries daily rather than weekly, my blog should be able to show exploration of my ideas and design process from the initial stages right through to the more refined stages, including problems and issues occurring along the way. This is something I will definitely focus on for the further modules in the future, I also need to improve on my critical, analysing skills significantly as I feel this is what lets me down severely. In order to improve this, I need to set aside some designated time at the end of the day to blog about what I have done, as most of the time I feel like I keep everything stored in my head or noted down, but leave compiling my blog until last minute, which never works out well. 


When working on each individual brief, I did enjoy the freedom of choosing briefs we wanted and because the briefs were so open, I enjoyed experimenting with different processes than I usually do. For the collaborative brief, my partner who studies on the printed textiles course, chose the D&AD brief 'Wetransfer' and I really enjoyed working with her on this brief. Working with Katy allowed me to explore different design processes, which included screen printing. I know the basis of screen print, but working with Katy we managed to produce a more technical and intricate three layered print, which worked well. We were both pleased with the overall print, working with Katy has developed my skills within the print area, as I was used to creating the standard two colour prints. We also experimented with foiling, on to our print which brought in Katy's textile qualities that she has to offer, I really enjoyed this brief as it allowed me to get more creative and hands on, rather than just designing on screen. The range of briefs that I chose to work on required various skills and processes, allowing me to produce a broad range of designs ranging from digitally produced publications, screen prints, promotion material, wallpaper designs etc. Within this module I feel that I have shown a good variation when it comes to design methods and productions, however I don't feel that the strength of my developmental stages are present. The workload feels slightly rushed, and I have not produced it to a high enough standard. 


I have enjoyed producing several briefs that are all very different, and I feel that I have gained knowledge from the module that I want to build on, but the main improvement to focus on is my analysis and understand of design decisions. 

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Wetransfer

Concept: 'Organised mess'
The idea behind this was created by both katy and I, we considered that we both have the same work flow and same work ethic, therefore this brief was good to collaborate on as we both have the same visions of how we see ourselves in 10 years time. We considered obstacle and difficulties in life, but mainly focused on the way we work creatively. The self portrait needs to be influenced by our design process, as we still intend to be creatives in 10 years time, however in 10 years we will have more direction and stability. 
Katy and I both agreed that we wanted to experiment with different processes for this brief, such as screen printing. With the concept in mind, we felt that it would work well if we created a print that reflects the idea of constantly developing and adding to a process so a print built up of many layers could be something to try. We both sketched out some rough ideas. The print must include something that can represent me/katy as an individual, as it asks for a self portrait, however the idea to illustrate a detailed version of a self portrait did not appeal to either of us; we had both presented some research to eachother that included abstract, geometric designs and as this is something Katy doesnt really base her own practice on we thought it would be a good idea to explore this even further and allow Katy to create something that she wouldnt usually. 

The response will illustrate that there will always be constant development and growth of the creative ideas going on in our minds, and nothing is organised, however there is still a clear 
direction and focus of where we intend to potentially end up. 

Negatives used for the screen print




I also created a digital submission for this brief found on my design practice blog, I created a gif for the digital submission part of this brief, the concept was to show that In ten years time my creativity will still be present, however like the wilting flowers shown, there will always be growth then the ideas that have been developing slowly fade. This reflects me, as I am forever changing my opinion during my design process, and no matter how nice something my look the organised mess can consume me as an individual. 

Friday, 20 March 2015

Branding 'Katharina'

Brief
I was asked to create a brand identity, along with promotional material by a student on the printed textiles and surface pattern course. The client came to me and requested that I rebrand her existing identity she had previously created herself, her style of work suggests that she uses experimental and traditional design values within her work. Her designs create a collective that has deatiled and unique patterns that have alot of depth, however she creates the perfect balance  between something that can be seen as overly fussy and too busy, and intricate designs and prints that form an overall conemporary approach. Katy my client, requested that I create her branding identity and promotional material that suits her overall style and characteristics. The existing branding she has developed shows Katy’s love for experimental and unusual style, however the branding could be simplified to create a more clean, modern approach, that is much more suited to Katys collection of work as a whole. 

Concept
After reviewing some of Katy’s existing work, her style and creative approach became clear, she uses both experimental and traditional design values and uses a technological approach. The majority of Katys current work boasts the ‘urban jungle’ theme, displaying various bold floral prints and strongly experimented pieces, with heavy detailing. For her branding identity, the idea of toning the overall style down slightly was a collaborative decsion Katy and I both agreed on, her intentions for the new bradning identity including a minimal style, and a cleaner aesthetic than her current branding. The promotional material must promote her as a designer, and not only something that looks professional, but it still gives the audience and potential clients a good understanding of her personal attrubutes and style of design. The overall design aesthetics need to meet my client Katys needs; giving the audience a clear vision of Katys strengths as a designer, but they must also be kept clean, minimal and concise. 

Final promotion pack