What benefited me most during this module were the industrial experience workshops. Working within the industry has always been something that has been at the back of my mind, and I have always worried about the prospect of starting to network and so on. I therefore feel that I have vastly improved my knowledge in terms of a professional understanding. The use of SWOT and PEST analysis has allowed me to evaluate studios and agencies, gaining a better understanding of a working studio. This has then allowed me to put this knowledge into practical based work both during Life is a Pitch and when creating my own design presence. I am now aware of what it's like to run a business in terms of costings, shared work roles and ethical values.
I have also built up skills in terms of branding and identity on a personal level. The prospect of creating an identity for myself always seemed rather daunting. However, we were taught not to over think things, and the tasks given allowed me to simplify the process, making it manageable and an enjoyable experience. I was extremely pleased with how my branding came out, and I felt that I had effectively reflected myself through this.
What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
Visiting professionals allowed us to get a first hand experience of the design industry. They evidently had a lot of experience, and each visit was different from the last. It allowed for a really interesting insight into business, which we could then take on and use within the tasks given to us.
As well as this, I have also become a lot more interested in the process of mocking up visuals. This approach has allowed me to see my ideas as a working product and has made my designs much more professional and easier to understand.
What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I feel that the documentation on my PPP blog of seminars and workshops has been a strength during this module. I always make sure to write up notes during and after, so that they are readily available to me at a later date. This has been extremely helpful as this year we have learned a lot of new stuff in terms of industrial experience and design presence. This is an important part of the course, and the workshops gave us a lot of information to take in. If I had left this to the end, I would have struggled to complete the tasks.
In addition to this, I feel that my branding has come out extremely well, and I am truly shocked at how pleased I am with it. Although it doesn't have a massive concept behind it as such, I feel that it really reflects me as a person and as a designer. Through the use of colour, illustration and type, I have been able to create simple design that shows where my interests lie. I also feel that I pushed a range of products during this brief, applying my branding to appropriate formats.
What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
Time management has been a big issue for me during this module. Although I am continually evaluating myself in terms of work on my other blogs, PPP had unfortunately been left behind. By focusing on other modules, I feel that I have left myself with quite a lot of pressure towards the end in terms of getting things done. Although I was organised in terms of print, I feel that I should have been posting to my PPP blog more than I have. I believe that part of this is because of my slight reluctance to start getting in touch with studios. It seemed like an extremely intimidating and daunting process to me, and therefore I put it off for as long as I could. I now realise that I was stupid to think this, and contacting studios has been an interesting and enjoyable experience, that has given me a lot of confidence in terms of work.
Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to change from doing these?
1. Begin networking a lot sooner and not be afraid of making a name for myself online. This would have opened up more opportunities for me and I will make sure to continue to update my Behance and start connecting with people on LinkedIn.
2. I wish we had carried through with our Life is a Pitch studio in terms of producing possible designs and products, so we could have displayed the type of things we would be interested in doing. I feel this would have strengthened our presentation and this is something I may consider looking into in the future.
3. I wish I had considered some more inventive and creative ways of getting in touch with studios. I held back slightly as I always have worry and concern when it comes to showing professionalism. However, I need to understand that there is a balance between being professional and showing your personality. I am going to go on to consider some interesting ways to contact further studios that will increase my chances of getting placements.
4. I will make sure to complete tasks as soon as we are given them. Some of the tasks given got a bit lost, and when it came to completing them at a later date, I wasn't as clued up on the subjects as I would have been at the time. I will make sure to do things when I get them so that I am not rushed into trying to complete things.
5. I will manage my time better, and allow for the right balance between modules. Although things need to be prioritised, I need to remember that I cannot just leave stuff behind as it will never get done .
How would you grade yourself in the following areas (5 - excellent to 1 - poor):
- Attendance: 5
- Punctuality: 5
- Motivation: 3
- Commitment: 4
- Quantity of work: 3
- Quality of work: 4
- Commitment to the group: 4
