EVALUATION - M&S Picnic

I feel that during this brief I have really developed my illustrative skills. Before this, I had never experimented with creating characters or individuals through illustration. I have always found it quite difficult to draw figures, and have therefore steered clear of doing so. However, with the help of Jenna and through different forms of research, I was able to come up with something I was really happy with. I feel that the characters created for this brief were extremely effective and reflective of our theme. It allowed us to create a friendly and approachable tone of voice, as well as experiment with colour and shape. They became a main focal point of our products, allowing us to modernise our Scottish theme and create interaction within the composition. 

We also spent a lot of time researching existing products, packaging and illustration. When collaborating, it can be quite tricky putting two different design styles together; therefore we needed to look at a way in which we could both work. This gave us a solid idea in terms of visuals and aesthetics, allowing us to work together, inputting and giving feedback along the way. This is an approach we took to design development throughout. We made sure that whilst designing, we were with each other at all times. This way, we could work on the packaging at the same time, 'mini-critting' each aspect as we did so. By doing this, we were able to bounce ideas off of each other, coming up with strong design ideas. 

In terms of strengths, the crafting of our products was particularly strong during this brief. I felt that we had the time and patience to create something of a high standard, as it had to appeal to a particular target audience. I will continue to work to this quality of end product in the future, so that my outcomes look as neat and tidy as they possibly can.

In terms of weaknesses, due to lack of experience, we struggled when it came to photographing our work. We were given advice on certain aspects, however we were quite unsure on settings, lighting and angles. I don't feel that our final images do our products justice but I still feel that they are a lot more professional than if we had simply taken them in our studio. A strength within this however was our use of food within the photography. Although the photos didn't look as professional as hoped, I am glad we experimented with using real food and products during this process. It gave a context to the brief, and allowed us to show how it would work in a real environment. In the future, I hope to be able to get help from a photography student, or perhaps allow them to take my photos for me so that I am able to use them for my website or my portfolio.