OUGD406 // Module Evaluation

For 'JuicePurse', the group brief, we wanted to keep it fresh and innovative and we steered away from just graphic design. We encountered numerous problems when putting our products together and Me and Sam Hoh went through a lot of trial and error before we was happy with our final designs. In this brief, we also used various methods. The Laster Cutter, Embossing Press and also experimented with film/video. As a lot of this was new to us, we also came across a lot of hurdles before we got to our finished piece. For example, the pressing technique we used was a little bit makeshift because of the 2 week deadline of the brief, but we managed to get some nice results just through experimentation.

For the stamp brief, this was the first time i had created design in such a small format so i found it difficult to design this way. My illustrations, i enjoyed doing and thought worked really successfully at large scale (in the poster for example) but i think a mixture of the detail in them and the quality of the printing onto the vinyl stickers made them not work as well as i thought they should. To improve this, in the crit i got told to print onto different stock to avoid this happening, and sacrifice the stickers element, so this is something I change to get some better results. I am glad i experimented with the vinyl printing however, because i have learnt what sort of scale and quality the prints will be.

I started the 'Stamp It' brief with a stimulated approach. I brought in inspiration from other places. I used one of my favourite illustrators, Michael Craig- Martin for inspiration and tried something different than what i would do normally. I feel i was inspired by what was happening around me at that time too, and always feel that this is the case with whatever brief i am doing.

I also used a stimulated approach to gain the knowledge of the 'Walk To Work Week' campaign. I researched this in depth online and decided to link my project up to this.I used Intuitive approached when it came down to creating design sheets. I blasted some ideas i had in my head down onto paper and that is where the initial idea for 'Walk To Work' came from. I continued this approach to an extent through design sheets and then when i did some experimentation visually. Once i was clear on the style, idea and content i was including, i used a systematic approach to my work to keep it all consistent and to create all of my illustrations in the style that i wanted from the first one i made.  When it come down to working to the format of the stamps and cover this come in useful to get it down.

Evaluate the key considerations that you had to take into account when investigating briefs in this brief. 


I have made some key considerations in all briefs that have helped me push my work to its fullest during this module. 

Concept/Design Sheets

I think that the main action that has had the most influence on my work is concept. I have been training myself and now find myself naturally thinking through the brief that i get and brainstorming all the possible routes i could take. I now create many more design sheets than i used to, and do constant experimentation instead of trying to design straight onto a screen. I have realised that the concept is just as important as the design, so if it takes you longer working on crappy design sheets to get an idea then it really is worth it. I think Thinking and working in a way like this makes it much easier when it comes to designing and also lets me experiment loads of ideas without wasting time designing. I can now design onto a screen much quicker when i have already planned out my ideas through design sheets before hand.

Target Audience 

I also think much more about audience. I generally consider my target audience in depth now which i used to overlook before. I have started to realise that it's not all about designing for designers and that I always used to design for myself. Although, I do like the experiment in the fields I am personally interested in, I feel that target audience is the most important thing when working in the real world. Obviously.  

Constantly improving in this area will make my design more relevant and can alter massive parts of my design. The tone, mood, colour scheme and style of design are all relevant to the target audience and this again makes designing easier when you know who you are designing for.

Experimentation and Execution

 I find it really important to experiment different possibilities and approaches but equally as important is the execution of my final piece. At the end of the day, the final product is what is seen by people, not all the background work, so you have to make sure it looks good, the message is clear and that it serves the purpose.

Evaluate the research activities that you had to undertake in order to resolve the briefs in this module.

I have 'become an expert for a day' when it comes to researching for all of the projects. I particularly liked during this module learning about recycling and 'upcycling' which is creating new products from existing waste and rubbish. I feel that this is a great idea and it's good to learn new things away from graphic design and become an expert of a different subject every week.

Throughout this module, I have continued to source good research in to any project i am working on. I have also learnt more about different types of research and how important it is to use the correct methods of research to get the information you need. I have learnt how to effectively gain Qualative, Quantative, Primary and Secondary research.

SurveyMonkey is something i have used quite a lot this year. This is an online survey creator which you can send around the internet to get results. This has been good for me as i can use it within social and professional networking websites online in order for me to get a large amount and broader range of answers.

When it comes to secondary research, I find that using trustworthy sources is always key to get the correct information. For example, when working with a particular subject such as recycling. I tend to use websites that are known to be trusted, such as the BBC or websites that are government. You can tell this by the '.gov.uk' in the address. The worst thing to do is use an unreliable source in your work which is sending out the incorrect information but this makes sourcing information so much harder. 

Evaluate the examples of secondary research that informed your design decisions during this module. 


When it comes to secondary research, i find that using trustworthy sources is always key to get the correct information. For example, when working with a particular subject such as recycling. I tend to use websites that are known to be trusted, such as the BBC or websites that are government. You can tell this by the '.gov.uk' in the address. The worst thing to do is use an unreliable source in your work which is sending out the incorrect information.

It is also good to research into existing brands that are similar to what you want to create. It's a good way to see whats currently on the market and what sort of common themes and styles are running through particular subjects.

Evaluate the examples of practical research that informed your resolutions during this module. 


Putting surveys out there on the internet and around the college to get first hand research.

Taking source images myself rather than using images from the internet is better practise and also a lot of the time works out better because you can get exactly what you want. Sometimes this is impossible for the idea you want

I also constantly collect source material from the environment around me that constantly subliminally influences my practice. I keep posters, flyers and pretty much anything else i like the look of.

Evaluate the breadth of initial ideas that you generated in response to the brief.


This is something that i have been doing more and more of for each brief. It has always been a natural process i do at the begin of every brief but i feel myself generating more initial ideas each time i have a brief usually, the more i progress.

I usually have some initial ideas that i sketch down in my book as the brief is being delivered to us. I then go away, create design sheets always. I often create a mind map of ideas then highlight the best ones that i feel have potential to be pushed further. 

Once i have a few solid ideas, I try to come up with imagery for the best ideas and see what is working best. I have started to nearly always resolve my idea through design sheets before experimenting digitally.

 I work and re-work ideas, then when i'm happy with something on paper, i re-create this digitally then experiment further if necessary. Sometimes my initial ideas are the ones I always go back to, but most of the time, further research and development is needed in my case to get the best out of what i'm doing.

Evaluate the breadth of visual investigation that you explored before deciding on your design direction.

I generally jot my ideas down visually. Design sheets are essential to the initial visual investigation of my work and where most of my ideas come from. I try to bring in information and visual research into my ideas then tie everything together with my own ideas when creating imagery. 

I have tried to use different techniques throughout the briefs this module without sticking to one particular style. For some work such as the stamp brief, I have taken a very illustrative route but then for other work, i have kept things type driven or used and editorial or swiss influenced style. 

I generally always like to keep things contemporary and bring in influence I have from a whole array of different styles of design as well as the world around me.

I have also worked both consciously and subconsciously searching for inspiration throughout this module in general as well as for the 'STAMP IT' brief. 

A lot of my inspiration does come from internet sources. In my spare time i follow numerous blogs which has become somewhat of an addiction. Websites such as Designspiration, FFFFound and Behance Network. I try to take out books from the library that are relevant to my work at the time. just recently for this module I was heavily inspired by some work in a 'layout' book which influenced me to go on a create a publication in the form of a newspaper for 'It's Your Choice'

What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them? What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? 

I feel i have pushed myself more creating the illustrations in the stamp it brief. I am very happy with the finished results considering it was a 2 week brief. I added depth to my illustrations but adding half-tone and patterns to them. This is something i haven't done before but seems to have worked out well. 


I also got the chance to work with a different format, making sticker stamps using the vinyl cutter to cut them out is something i haven't done before and something new i have learnt so i now know the option is there whenever i need. 

In the juice-purse brief, we also got a chance to create products, use the laser cutter, embossing techniques and also be involved with the development of a video which is all things i have done little of before. So this was great to develop skills and learn new things. 

I feel i am getting better at generating ideas through design sheets. I thought the crits really helped this time too. I got lots of feedback in the early stages which meant i could push my designs further more quickly. 

What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these? 



I feel i have pushed my illustration skills in the Stamp It brief which i have already mentioned and also designing for different formats and products. 

It was good to create the embossed business cards and i was happy with the final JuicePurse logo that i create. I haven't really had a chance at brand identity yet, so this was a good taster of what is to come. 

 I will push myself further in future trying out different styles all the time. This way i'm not sticking doing the same thing for every brief which will broaden my skills and eventually make me a more versatile designer. 





What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future? 


I feel that the actual designs on my stamps are a little too complex and therefore appear a little bit hard to see and almost pixellated on the stamps. They still look good from afar but not as good up close. I feel that this is a mixture of me not taking care when considering sizes for the stamps and also the print quality obviously not being 'Stamp' standard. To improve next time, i will consider the size and format of my designs a lot more carefully and also take the printing methods and stock into consideration. 

I feel the 'It's Your Choice' brief was a little rushed design wise because i really struggled around this time trying to get work done for all modules. This is something i can't let happen again. 


Identify things that you will try to improve/do differently next time. 
1. Be more carful when choosing size, format and stock. This will make for a better quality final product. 


2. Make best use of the software i use will eventually be easier and less work for me to do. For example, i have began to design publications in Indesign and can't believe how easier layout work is to do in there. 


3. read, re-read and read the brief again and again. This will help me realise what is needed more clearly and also always consider the target audience. 

4. Continue working on time management skills and giving the correct amount of time needed to each brief. 

5. Carry on experimenting with different methods.