OUGD403 - Evaluation

Charlotte Price – OUGD403 EVALUATION

During the OUGD403 module I have learnt how to effectively and concisely critique others work during peer crits, giving helpful and constructive advice on how to improve their designs in order to reach a better resolution. Similarly, I can now be harsher on myself, acknowledging when I need to alter my designs, whether that be to take my work in a different direction or add or subtract elements to make my final resolution more effective and efficient. I have also learnt how to take on board other’s advice no matter how abstract it may seem and have put this into action in my own work.

Overall, I have learnt how to manage my time more effectively, allotting and scheduling tasks, meaning I can get more work done in my given timeframe and therefore reduce my stress. This has helped a lot as before I was struggling for time near to deadlines and always ended up working until the last minute.

During the type project in particular I have further expanded my knowledge of type anatomy and terminology and I can use this knowledge in the future to concisely and adequately evaluate my design decisions.

Using Adobe Illustrator in this module has been eye opening as I have used the software before, but never in this way to alter and create typefaces. The way I could directly manipulate the letterforms to create a completely different look to the typeface was brilliant and I would love to use these techniques in future.

My research in this module directly influenced my design decisions, more than I thought it would. Especially in Studio Brief 2, when I was stuck not knowing which design direction to take my typeface in, starting afresh and looking at focused research really helped to shape my final typeface. Primary and secondary research assisted in influencing my decisions – and looking at a variety of sources such as books, websites as well as my own photos allowed my background knowledge to be more well rounded. I will carry this knowledge into further briefs, as I think having this background information really helped to form my final typeface, one which I think is successful.

If I were to redo this module I would take more time on presenting my final outcomes. In studio brief 1 I would’ve ideally liked to use equipment such as a laser cutter to engrave my logotype into a wooden crate – putting my logotype into the context of a market would’ve really brought it to life. In studio brief 2 I would have loved to produce my type specimen in gold or silver foil – a technique that would have reflected my adjective and my Art Deco inspiration perfectly. In future I will set aside more time especially to turn a better-presented outcome into reality.

In summation, I feel I have learnt a lot from this module. I can take what I have learnt and apply it to future projects, in order for my designs to be better informed and better presented.