25.11.08

Design4Print Evaluation

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

During the design4print brief I have worked mainly across two areas of print, offset lithography and screen-printing. Prior to the module I had never done any work in these two areas. I feel that now after doing my research and developing my designs I have a much better knowledge of how to optimize designs to work to the advantages of the different print processes. The transparent posters that I designed would be screen-printed if they were printed properly and while it was impossible for me to have a go at this on a smaller scale due to the big number of screens and specialist ink needed it still allowed me to research the process of screen-printing, both for the posters and also the specialist screen-print used on balloons. As my designs were predominantly illustration lead, the brief also gave me a chance to improve my illustration skills and to learn new skills in colouring illustrations on Photoshop.
The colour4print module allowed me to do some detailed research into the 6 main types of printing which has given me new skills in designing economically by such methods as limiting my colour palette thinking carefully about stocks. Presenting the information on double page spreads also gave me chance to use new skills I have acquired through the typography workshops such as using hierarchy of type.

2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?

At the start of the design4print module I rushed straight onto a computer and started creating visuals, this seemed like a good idea at first but I soon realized that having not got my ideas down on paper and properly defining my concept first meant that I was not creating anything of real value and I realized that my work was not communicating properly about half way through the brief. I started from scratch and got my ideas down on paper, having done this
I found it was much quicker and easier to progress my ideas into much more appropriate and interesting designs so through this process I have learned the importance of not just knowing about good working practice but actually sticking to one and knowing exactly what your concept s before jumping in at the deep end. I also learned that sometimes no matter how hard it might be it’s the best thing to scrap your work and go back to the drawing board.
Colour4print was a good exercise as it got me into a habit of collecting pieces of print and critically analyzing the print process and its effectiveness for the particular job, this has allowed me to be critical in the same way about my own work and make sure I am making the most out the print process I use.

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

In design4print, I think the quality of my illustrations stands out and I want to try capitalizing on this by keeping an illustrative feel to my work, as it’s a style I really enjoy working in. I think I have also thought about the economics of print in my work, which I think is a vital skill when in a live brief situation. I think through the development of my work it is easy to see where my ideas have come from or changed and developed. I researched the ways in which similar work would be designed and printed in industry to make sure that potentially my own work could be commercially printed. I think that there has also been a healthy relationship between the research I have done and the development of my designs.

In colour4print I think that the final image I chose was visually quite strong which meant that sticking to its theme make making visually engaging spreads not too hard. I think that I have tried to use hierarchy to guide the viewer’s eye down the pages as smoothly as possible as well.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?

I think that the main weakness in my work in the fact that I created the concept for the transparent posters and did al the designs before I had researched how they could actually be commercially printed which in the end meant that the process would actually be quite difficult and expensive, it could be done but It would need investment from the client which they might not see as viable.
Also sometimes I have done research into the ways my designs would be printed so that my work could be commercially printed but I don’t feel that I have always documented this research properly in the work I hand in for assessment.


5. Identify five things that you will do different next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. Make sure I properly document any specialist research I have done.
2. Think about print process during the designing of work, not after the designs have been done.
3. Get my ideas down on paper any properly nail what my concept is and what I’m trying to say before I jump on a mac.
4. Think about working in other formats that flat design (posters/fliers).
5. Actually get in a workshop and try experiment with the processes I am mocking up designs for.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor

Attendance - 5

Punctuality - 5

Motivation - 4

Commitment -5

Quantity of work produced - 4

Quality of work produced - 4

Contribution to the group - 3

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