What if..self evaluation

What if self evaluation

What problem did you identify?

How to make prospective students aware of the increasing tuition fee's and it's affects.

What evidence did you use to support your decisions?

There had been up raw and publicity about the decisions of the government to increase tuition fees. Anything publicised just stated the fact, but never actually aimed articles directly at prospective students, and no one had seemed to have thought about the negative affects of the increased tuition fee's. The fact that students will have a much larger debt to pay off. A website was found to calculate the estimated time to pay it off, using income and debt size to do so. We researched ways to make the public aware of the effects to society, jobs, universities and the economy. Within the protest we gained primary opinions off fellow protesters about the increase of fee's and how they felt about it.

What methods did you use to gather your evidence and what forms did it take?

(categorise your research using terms, primary, secondary, quantitative and qualitative)

Primary - Word of the mouth, hearing when the next student protest would be, gathering leaflets in relation to. Asking people within the protest how they felt about the increase in tuition fee's.

Secondary - Extracting information in newspaper articles, viewing video's online about student protests. Seeing the after affects and publication after a student protest. 

Quantitative - We scoured the internet to gain opinions and views, looking at online blogs and forums. We looked at the price it cost David Cameron at Oxford to use within our protest banners.

Qualitative - Protesters expressed opinions by 'de-facing' our protest boards.

What methods of your research did you find useful and why?

I think our secondary quantitive research was useful, the fact about David Cameron and how much he paid for his education was a great fact, which would gain some very strong opinion as a comparative to the amount future students would have to pay. Also thinking about the effects the rise in tuition fee's would have, was good primary research. When really thinking about it, theres so many problems which will become of it.

How did these inform your response to your problem?

Using the fact about David Cameron gave students a personal link to a member of parliament. It really showed how much education costs have increased over a few decades. The information we found about the effects of rising tuition fee' s was used within leaflets, solving the issue we found of prospective students being un aware of the effects. This was directed at our target audience by giving out the leaflets within the protest.

What methods did you encounter as problematic?

Primary research seemed to be a problem, in order to gain opinions.

How did you overcome this?

Those who were really interested in the topic all gathered for a protest so, we came up with a constructive way for people to express opinion, and that was to 'de-face' our protest boards.

What research could you have carried that would have proved more useful?

To see if protesting had an effect on the final voting. But I feel it would have been very difficult and complicated to do so. It would mean interviewing those who would vote. But we could ask the public if the student protests have affected their opinion at all, and if so, does it affect who they would vote for within the next election.

List five things you have learnt about the design process over the last two weeks:

1. The range and varied amount of primary research methods there are.
2. To find an already existing problem, rather than attempting to create your own. 
3. Communication is key within group briefs.
4. An organisation of figures found within research will prove useful.
5. Powerpoint presentations need to be more visually engaging.

List five things you would do differently next time:

1. Have a focused and obvious problem to work with indepthly.
2. Make a initial plan of the research you are going to do, categorising them.
3. Talk to and arrange group meeting/sessions in order to make the best solution.
4. More primary research - actually get out there and talk to people more in deathly.
5. Be more creative with presenting your work.

No news is good news - Crit

From this crit I found my message was clear enough for people to understand the message, although some did find it particularly difficult to read, but some liked this quality. My image poster, some felt, needed to just have one focal point rather than three, as I used three images. The relevance to christianity seemed to be an issue as there wasn't really any relevant symbols, and the one i used (Tree in shape of cross) wasn't clear enough and hadn't been designed well enough for people to understand. So I really needed to address these issues raised. I'm going to experiment with the word 'decline' in relevance to christianity.

Design Principles - alphabet soup

Referring to the typeface you have designed answer the following:


Which personality traits did you choose to respond to and apply the typeface?

Although we had to choose 5 adjectives, I focused on three as I thought it would communicate better. The 3 words I chose were: Bold, Adventurous and Restricted.


What are the reasons behind the decisions you have made for the typeface?

I looked in deptha the definitions of each adjective. Constructed defined the contruct of two different materials - so in relation to type, I thought of using two very different approaches to style in font. One was very bold (relating to my other adjective) modern, and simple. My other approach was very detailed and floral like. The word restrcited I really liked working with, I decided to restrict my alphabet to using just 10 shapes in its entirety to create coonsistancy throughout my designs. Although a challange, the love the fact my Typeface has a logic behind it.

In what ways are the results effective?

Aesthetically, I feel my typeface looks appealing and the combination of two very different contrasting styles work so well together, the simplicity of the shape highlights and compliments the detail used within the outlining.

Crit - Issues and Actions!

Issues Raised:

• Doesn't read to well
• Certain Letters don't look like capitals
• Letters H and I are to simular
• Badge - not legible
• Logic - to curls - Why are they placed where they are?

Action to be taken:

• To experiment with lowercase
• Apply logic to curls - place where serifs would be?
• Re-work H, M and N
• Logistics - Find another font with serifs, use as guidline to where curls should be placed.
• Write a series of words with typeface rather than just one

Crit - Creating typeface in relation to partners personality

Issues raised:

Working with what she likes rather than her personaility.

Action to be taken: To combine already created designs, making an overall design which shows elements of her personality. To think back to my chosen adjectives for her.

Research - Creating typeface

WHO ARE YOU? - questionaire completed by partner, in order to create typeface based on their personailty.

Where are you from: Cambridge.

What is your earliest memory: Playing with mums shoes pretending they were dogs.

Which living person do you most admire and why: My mum, shes amazing!

Cat or dog: Dog

Where would you like to live: New York

What would your super power be: Flying

If you could bring something back to like, what would you choose: dodo

Whats your most unappealing habit: Being mumzy

What is your favourite word: Dear.

Favourite book: Lola Rose

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party: Tom Hanks

If  you could edit your past, what would you change: Nothing, everything happens for a reason.

If you could go back in time, where would you go: When i started school.

Greatest achievement: Sky diving

Favourite colour: Black and white

Design principles - Problem analysis - rational

Brief:

To design a typeface - a full alphabet including glyphs that represents the personality of your partner.

Who needs to know?

The partner who we are designing the typeface for in response to.

What do they need to know?

To be able to identify personality traits, depicting them from my typeface design, which reflect my partner.

Why do they need to know?

Because its your partner your designing for.

What will they respond to?

A clear visual typeface, that is legible and reflects and communicates their personality.

What research is required?

Primary:
Talking with partner to produce questionaires.

Secondary:
Looking at existing typographies

Design Principles

What is being communicated and how?

For my brief, I was given the word freeze. The obvious response deals with temperature. I decided to take a more indirect approach, dealing with nature in the process of freezing, the life to death process which occurs and in hindsight desaturates as it looses life. I communicated these idea's through the stiffening and unravelling of a font created by the combination of existing typefaces. The curly font begins to unravel, and with each sequence, it's frost like colour and appearance begin to desaturate in vibrancy of colour and become less defined. To support my idea's i chose to freeze printouts of my final designs into ice cubes to really portray the word 'freeze'.

How well does this answer the brief?

Initially i felt my idea's had been communicated well, but within the crit, it was clear it wasn't so. This was down to the final presentation of my letterforms within the ice and the quality of my images.

How well has the idea been visually explored?

I did a lot of experimentation of materials within sketchbooks. Also creating my own font using existing letterforms and combining elements i felt would fit the brief at hand. With all of this I explored all my idea's visually, using mind maps to explore in depth the meaning of words, to develop yet more idea's.

What are the strengths of the resolution?

I felt the final presentation of my work was a good and benefitted my project. I felt my own creation of the combination of existing fonts worked well within the brief complimented by my initial idea's.

How could it be improved?

Although i liked the presentation of my final piece, it wasn't clear to others of what i was trying to achieve, or the process in which i was trying to reflect. This was down to the use of ice, and my poor photography skills at the time. To improve my work, i would present it in a much clearer way.

My to do list...

Recently we were told to note down 10 things we would like to achieve this year throughout our graphic design course. Here are mine:

• I would like to think of using the computer within my works as a pleasure rather than a chore.

• I would really like to be able to use illustrator to a good degree.

• I'd like to use new techniques throughout my course, whether that be on computers or not.

• I'd like to be able to use a range of new and exciting mediums within my designs.

• I'd like to have a catalogue of inspirational artists rather than just a few I find myself repeatibly referring back to.

• I'd like to become more self assured, and be confident in the work I produce.

• To get into the habit of carring a camera and notepad with me always to be able to catch inspiration at any given moment.

• To really buy into my subject, sign up to the magazines, to visit places of inspiration, to dedicate my life to it.

• I'd like to vary my approach to work, as it is prodominantly hand drawn/written.

• Perhaps research traditional methods used within graphic design and put them into practice.

HOW TO...self evaluation

What role did you take on in the group?

Within the group I felt I provided our group with several idea's to work with, along with taking other teams members idea's into practice. I also provided some typography within a few designs by others.

How well do you think you performed in the role?

I tried to get many relevant idea's across taking into consideration others wishes and idea's, sometimes adding elements to other peoples idea's.

How well do you think you worked as a group?

We were all able to put foward ideas, and produce designs considered effectivly, taking everybodies design opinion and criticicms in a positive light putting them into use. We all found our strengths within the group, we all found we were helping one another within the design practice.

What were the positives of working in a group?

If you were ever unsure of a design, reassurance and critical opinions were available. In some cases help with techbology was needed. Even our final outcome, our solution was to be printed onto tote bags. I didn't know the process of heat transferring but two of my group members did, which was brilliant.

What were the negatives of working in a group?

Sometimes situations did get a bit difficult, if somebody was passionate about an idea, they would ask others for reassurance, in some cases it wasn't agreed that this idea was appropriate. But no matter how much they felt this idea was good, they couldn't really use it as it wasn't agreed as a team that it was. It was also difficult when other team members weren't as prepared as other so time managament was difficult. Some of us  were ready to print our final designs whilst others weren't.

What will you do differently next time?

For our brief we each worked on a piece each, next time I feel it would be benefitial to combine all our efforts into one product to make the best we can of time, the combination of our skills and effor.

Where could you have improved your resolution?

I don't feel we were direct enough with our resolution, it was based around the problem rather than direct.

What were the strengths of your presentation?

Unfortunatly I was unable to make the presentation, but I do know we were fully prepared with notes, mount boards, and aware of our approach to the problem.


HOW TO: Rational