OUGD404: End Of Module Self Evaluation

by Roxxie Blackham on Wednesday 17 April 2013

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

I have developed an abundance of skills throughout this module, due to the intensity of the well structured lessons. I feel that I know a lot more about Graphic Design basics as a whole and generally feel a lot more confident when designing, because of the knowledge that I have absorbed. I feel that I have strengthened my skills that I have already obtained, therefore producing stronger designs for the final outcomes (eg the 10 Things Publication).

2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
I have learnt how to create interesting and coherent layouts through the use of pencil & ruler as well as the use of InDesign. I also feel that my InDesign knowledge has expanded, which has helped me understand how to create clear and precise book designs. As the course of the module was more seminar and task based, I don't feel as though I could have developed new design processes as much as I could have in other modules, however the knowledge that I absorbed has treated me well.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I have found that my final piece is a lot stronger than the rest of the task finals that I produced over the course of the module. I believe that this could be literally because of how focused I became, and how inattentive I was when it came to actually designing something that was aesthetically pleasing which showed my understanding of what I had learnt, rather than producing something as part of the learning process. However, I feel that my notes and class tasks as a whole came out quite strongly, even if I was uncertain of my strengths within this at the beginning of the module.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
I have found that my weakest point would be my class tasks as a whole, as well as my blogging skills. I am still yet to learn how to blog to a high standard, and am constantly feeling as though my blogging could be greatly improved upon. The class tasks that I produced could have been a bit more engaging and interesting, however I don't feel as though I have done too badly. Another weak point would be when it came to binding my book, as I decided to use a stapler, which is a type of binding that I have never executed before. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell exactly where the staple was lining up to, which meant that it took me a few attempts of re-stapling before my book was bound correctly, which, in turn, produced a messy bind.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
  1. I will consider a different type of binding for the book - something that I have done before and know how to do well - this will mean that my final piece will look more professional and less messy at the spine.
  2. I will experiment with a few different types of stock, rather than deciding at the beginning to work with something of a grey nature. I didn't want to use Antique White like I often do, however I could've tried printing onto various types of stock so that I had more of an understanding on which stock suited the book best. However, I really like the final stock that I chose to use!
  3. I will work on my time management skills, as I often find myself falling behind and not keeping up with work when I should be. This makes it harder for me when it comes to hand in, as I found that I needed to go backwards and try to remember a few things that I had forgotten to blog about in the first place! By doing this, I will be less stressed, and my blogging will probably be more consistent and thorough.
  4. By keeping myself healthy and happy, I will attend uni every single day which means that I won't miss any important sessions. Even though I only had about 2 days off from the Design Principles sessions, it was really easy to fall behind on the workload and I struggle to catch up at times.
  5. Try and produce more layout/book variations before designing the final design as this will help towards the final design choices and I could possibly end up producing something stronger and more exciting that what I did produce.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
(please indicate using an ‘x’) 

5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor

1
2
3
4
5
Attendance



x

Punctuality




x
Motivation




x
Commitment




x
Quantity of work produced



x

Quality of work produced




x
Contribution to the group




x
The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.