Design Practise

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

I know that I wanted to do web design for for Studio Brief 2 so I made sure that I chose a topic which I could incorporate it into. As I decided to do cruise line branding, I was able to produce a website design for it which I was really happy with. I studied a lot of other cruise websites to see the content that would needed to be included, and so I tried to make a realistic and believable design. I think by doing a functional design that is very content heavy was a good challenge and I think it is the best web design that I have done so far.

I also got to improve on my editorial skills with the research book, and a brochure that I made for the cruise ship branding. I put into practice using grids a lot more, and I learnt how to use the baseline grid properly on the brochure which I feel has improved my understanding of layout. I also used the golden number to work out the sizes for the headigns, subheadings and bodycopy and made sure that the leading was correct so I feel I am a better editorial designer now.

I also learnt a lot about preparing for print as I got some things sent away and I had to meet certain requirements for preparation. This helped me have a better understanding of how things are printed and having more experience with it now will help me in the long run and save me time.

An area of design that I am interested in is branding, and I had the opportunity to do it in this module. I created a list of branding guidelines for my cruise line and really considered where the logo would be used, how to make it more than just a logo and how the design would affect the look and feel of the brand. In the beginning I was worried that I wasn't making it consistent or realistic enough, but I feel by the end of it all of my printed material was coherent together. The one thing I was worried about is whether the website matched the rest of the brand. However, when designing for the screen there are going to be different rules as they are used completely differently. For example, I decided to go with the sans serif version of the font I was using on screen because it was a lot more readable than the serif version which looked better throughout print.

I was also able to do lot of illustration, something that I have wanted to improve on for some time now. For the movie poster I made that heavily illustrative, and I really enjoyed that project. I worked in a style that I haven't really done before so it was good to try something new. I also produced illustration and iconography for the cruise line branding which was a completely different approach from the movie poster. I collected some photographs of Mediterranean buildings and based my illustrations on them which was a different way of working for me, and I think it helped me achieve something realistic.

2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

I have realised this year that I need to present my work better as I want to showcase it on Behance, propose ideas at crits, and show employers my work. So this module I have made an effort to create professional looking proposals and outsource my printing for a professional finish. For example, on the brochure and cards I knew that I wanted a matt laminate finish to suit the tone of the company, so I made sure I left enough time to get this sent off for print. I also created a lot of digital mockups to show at crits and for final pieces. Something that I don't really do is create prototypes and do proof prints, but that changed on this module too. I made prototypes of the packaging I wanted to do, printed off several envelope designs, and printed off everything I was going to send to print to make sure the sizing of everything was correct. I feel this has really benefited the outcome of my work and will make sure that I do this in all future projects.

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

I think web design is still my main strength, and that is what I was happy with the most in this module. Although I would have liked to have done a bigger site, I didn't have enough time and it's something that I can do next year. From doing this website, I am now more confident and this will help me when I start my placements. I will continue to keep practicing web design and hopefully produce a bigger and better website next year.

I haven't shied away from illustration this module and have worked in two different styles which I think is a strength because it shows I am not limited to one thing.

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

The one thing that set me back this year was that I didn't start Studio Brief 2 quick enough. This was because I couldn't make a decision, and was torn between two ideas. I felt that if I did cruise line branding I would bite off more than I could chew, but then I wasn't overly keen on doing shore excursion trip branding. I kept putting off which one to choose for definite, and started doing work for both. I made a written brief for each one, and did some logo and name ideas and a bit of research which was wasting my time. I kept procrastinating over it and getting stressed when I didn't actually need to. In the end it worked out, I picked what I wanted to do and I am happy with it, but it took me a while to get to that position. I feel like not just in this module, but this year, when I pick my own briefs they are my weakest projects because I find it too hard to make a decision. I have learnt from this though, and I know that I can make a project work, but I just need to get started on it rather than worry about it.

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

Start earlier - I left it late this time because I was so unsure of what to do and I was worried about it, which only damages me in the long run.
Make decisions - time management wasn't great this time, mainly down to decision making. I spent a long time picking what topic to research and changing my idea, then I kept changing my idea when I was doing Studio Brief 2 on whether to do a cruise line brand or shore excursion trip brand.
Have more confidence - I kept stalling on making design decisions, sending things to print and wondering if my work looked good, but I only ever received positive feedback so I should have more confidence in my work so things get done.
Prepare for hand in earlier - I have never left it late, but I did this time and it was a panicky and stressful experience!
Learn animation - so that I can propose the website better and show how it works more visually