HOW TO... - Self Evaluation

What role(s) did you take on in the group?
'Main' designer, logo design, poster//flier & packaging.

How well do you think you performed in the role(s)?
Everything was ready for when it needed to be; made sure all decisions were made as a group so that everyone was happy with the final designs. Enjoyed the practical sides of things & was pleased with how the final solutions turned out.

How well do you think you worked as a group?
Surprisingly well! First day we didn't really click but by yesterday we were making group decisions, there were not arguments and after the presentation today a few people commented how well we seemed to have worked together. We collaborated on everything and every decision was made as a group.

What were the positives of working in a group?
Lots of ideas and suggestions, positive critical evaluations so we managed to get the best outcome at every point. Having different points of view and different methods of working was also really good. Banter.

What were the negatives of working in a group?
Too many good ideas - was difficult to incorporate everyone's ideas into the final outcome because of continuity! On Wednesday it was difficult to arrange coming in at the same time and felt like we couldn't get on with the project without the whole group present.

What will you do differently next time?
More group brainstorms and work together from the start - we were quite separate the first day. Find out people's individual strengths before we start working to allocate appropriately.

Where could you have improved your resolution?
More research before starting the project & could have thought about how to collect feedback after producing the final resolution. Photographed//placed product in contextual setting e.g. vending machines.

What were the strengths of your presentation?
Think we were well prepared as we had run through it a couple of times already so it was clear and confidently communicated. Everyone in the group took part & had enough to say and we had good visuals//handouts for the audience.

Why am I here? What do I want to learn?//2

Identify 10 examples of design that illustrate your fields of creative interest

McBess - Malevolent Melody

"It’s a rare occasion that a comic book is given its own soundtrack, rarer still is when the soundtrack is written by the comic’s own illustrator. Accompanied by a vinyl 7” featuring songs by Mcbess’ band The Dead Pirates, Malevolent Melody’s pages are lit up by the band’s pulsating rhythm and blues, recorded in a way to sync and mimic the comic’s storyline." From Nobrow

I love McBess' illustrative style and the thought of creating a publication in conjunction with a record where both enhance the other is class. And published by Nobrow!

Rob Ricketts - Struct

 

"Struct is a simple bespoke typeface born from experimentations with isometric structures and axonometric planes." 

- Rob Ricketts

I love geometry//mathematical graphics and want to develop this further especially in relation to typography.

Oliver Barrett - Charting The Beatles

"Ongoing study of Beatles through infographics, much of which is based on secondary sources such as sales statistics, biographies, recording session notes, sheet music, and raw audio readings.  I chose to create complex portraits of each member from my favorite era of their careers. In addition to the portraits, I depicted each member's array of instruments through vector silhouettes." - Oliver Barrett

Infographics are my favourite type of graphic design.

Peter O'Toole - The Throwout Mixtape

Peter O'Toole has a really old-fashioned style and I like the digital collages with a lot of typography and colours, a style I'd like to try and work in.

43 Magazine

"43 is an independent, non-profit, skateboard magazine dedicated to quality, photography, and arts.43 is the only skateboard magazine based in new york city. the magazine is a square the size of a vinyl record cover. vinyl is a traditional medium with a full and rich sound.this appreciation has seen a revival against the overuseof lower quality, digital mp3 audio." - 43 Magazine

I love magazines which aren't throwaway & the layout and use of photography really appeals. Also urban culture.

Alvin Diec - Gig posters

Gig & music posters in a different style with an emphasis on good design, print & typography.

Peter Crawley - Good Vibrations

"Stitched visualisation of Good vibrations. Each horizontal line represents 1 minute of audio." - Peter Crawley

Infographics working with stitching & music. I love using thread in my work.

Elana Schlenker - Gratuitous Type

 "Gratuitous Type, the pamphlet of typographic smut, features 54 pages of lovely letters and includes conversations with typographers."

Nice layout & typography.

Tim Boelaars - Icons

Simplified vector imagery, logo design and variations of similar symbols to create a collection.

Tinhead - Design for Foals

Complete music graphics, from set design of music videos, gig posters, vinyl & CD packaging and merchandise in an interesting and current style which reflects the band & their music.



Identify and explain 5 things that inspire you

Hyde Park, Leeds

I moved to Hyde Park last year and it is my favourite place in the world. Every time I walk through it I feel like I have come home and I could take photographs of it all day.

Nobrow Press

Nobrow is a London-based publishing company which specialises in illustration and graphic arts. Their books are beautifully printed and the illustrators and artists featured in them are so different and stylistic. They also introduced me to McBess who is my favourite illustrator.

Music//Music Graphics

I love going to gigs and play guitar & piano which is a daily source of inspiration for me. On the other side of things there are so many creatives working within the music industry producing exciting and iconic work, from Peter Saville to Tinhead. Even things such as the backdrops at gigs, the sets of music videos and the outfits worn at live shows inspire me. I think Leeds has a great music scene and there is a lot of interesting design produced in promotional material which interests me alongside music itself.

Insects//Taxidermy

I really like animal related design and all my jewellery & both of my tattoos are animal based.  I love things like insect collections & skeletons in museums and taxidermy. The Horniman Museum in London has an amazing collection of unusual taxidermy and preserved animals including a wheel of dogs heads. I am a vegetarian and obviously don't support killing them but I think antique taxidermy is really fascinating in its morbidity. 

Markets & Antique//Charity Shops

I think markets are the most interesting places to visit. I have been to amazing markets in Germany, Barcelona, Prague, Greece & Italy and they are all completely different from one another as well as the English ones. There are obvious places in London such as Camden Lock & Brick Lane which have amazing fashion but I love antique and bric-a-brac markets even more. I think Kirkgate Market in Leeds is amazing because of the huge variety of produce, market owners and customers. There are so many amazing things to find and you always hear so many interesting stories from the market owners when you go there. I love the traditional values behind them and just all the things you see and hear when you go to them.

Why am I here? What do I want to learn?

Identify and explain 5 reasons why you chose to study on this programme

1. Strong emphasis on preparing you for industry and graphic design in the real world, beyond the degree. I think it prepares you for professional practice.
2. Lots of contact time with tutors combined with good studios and facilities - a good learning environment.
3. Intensive timetable which will push me to the best of my ability and hopefully generate a great portfolio of work.
4. Talking to students in other years and seeing their work produced on the course inspired me.
5. I think the course caters for individual styles and encourages you to find your own personal strengths within the course and graphic design in general, unlike other courses which try and produce certain types of graduates.

 Identify and explain 5 things that you want to learn during your time on the programme

1. Techniques and skills such as printing and letterpress - working with more traditional media which requires a process as supposed to having an instant outcome.
2. What constitutes successful graphic design from both a professional and personal point of view.
3. More information on specialist areas of graphic design such as layout and typography.
4. How to maximise my time on the course and then take the skills I have learnt beyond LCA into a creative career.
5. Where my strengths lie and what area of graphic design I want to progress to after the degree.

Identify and explain 5 skills that you think are your strengths

1. Composition and layout combining image and text - placing various elements on a page so they work well together.
2. Presentation of my work to a fairly professional standard. I'm quite neat in my work and like everything to be clean and organised well.
3. Working with digital media, for example with Photoshop and drawing vector images in Illustrator. 
4. Time management - I am good at meeting deadlines and balancing different commitments.
5. I am quite confident talking in front of people and presenting//explaining my work. 

Identify and explain 5 things you want to improve

1. Using different media such as traditional printing techniques. I used to work more with collage and hand-drawn illustrations but lately have got almost too comfortable using a computer.
2. Experimenting stylistically within my work and not sticking to generic design.
3. Not settling for the easiest most immediate solution and remaining open to different outcomes, which might work better than something obvious like a poster.
4. Generating multiple ideas within my work to allow for more variation and experimentation.
5. Working collaboratively and as part of a group.

Identify and explain 5 ways that you will evaluate your progress

1. Through blogging and reviewing my work at various points throughout the year.
2. Self-analysis - setting myself goals and things to learn & improve, and timescales in which to achieve these targets.
3. Group crits and feedback from other students, both in my year and Levels 5 & 6. Seeing where other people are at with their work and how far they are progressing in comparison to mine.
4. Tutorials and points of assessment, and in the build up to deadlines.
5. Looking to designers and professionals, and how my practice is developing in a professional context outside of college.

Identify 5 questions that you want to find the answer to

1. Where do my strengths lie and what career will they lead me to after the degree?
2. What sort of work do I want to be producing on the course - what methods and media are the most effective ways of communication and what style do I work in?
3. How do I build links with industry e.g. through work placements and internships to have a destination after graduation?
4. What is graphic design and how far can the definition be challenged and pushed?
5. How do I make the most out of the next three years to maximise my time here?