End of Module Evaulation

Overall, I am pleased with the progress that I have made throughout this module. I have learnt a lot about myself as a designer and how I work when I need to take things into my own hands.

In terms of everything that I have done overall, I am very happy with my outcomes as I have managed to achieve a professional standard to them that I have been striving to achieve. I have definitely found that the attention to the smaller details within a brief is what can really make a difference when it comes to making a brief look alright or look amazing.

My time management has been fairly good during this module, as opposed to ones during the last two years. I have found this to be highly beneficial for my design practice and has allowed me to excel my expectations of what I initially believed that I could achieve. This is certainly something that I am to continue during the Final Major Project module, and to push more with too to get them tighter.

The thing that I have most enjoyed about this module has to be the competition brief that I entered for the Tigerprint Black & White Print brief. It has really opened my eyes to the possibility of what can be achieved with something so simple to begin with, and has certainly got me thinking more about the range of outcomes that are possible within a brief.

My biggest downfall has to be when I come to completing a brief, I would get so close to finishing and then instead of wrapping it up and drawing a line under it I would just leave it until later, which I do believe if I hadn’t had done that and just got it finished when it was actually finished with the design boards done then I would have had more time towards the end of the module to continue designing. This is something important that I have learnt, and will definitely be keeping this in mind when I approach the end of briefs throughout the FMP module.

I didn’t work on a collaboration during this module, but I do have some planned for the next which is going to be interesting. I do feel like I have come a long way when it comes to them, and I think if I take forward what I have learnt from this module about myself into a collaboration, then this will allow me to feel a lot more confident with myself and my abilities that I can bring to the table.

I am definitely completing this module with a smile on my face, and hope that this continues for the rest of my time on the course.

Attendance: 3

Punctuality: 5

Quality of work: 4

Quantity of work: 4

Hot & Tasty - Revised Brief

I've gone back to check to see if any alterations are required for my Hot & Tasty brief. Only a couple of small ones are, which I am happy about. So my finished brief that I shall be used is...

Final Crit 05/12/2012 & Initial Response

Argh final crit. I mocked together my design boards for my 4 projects (which I have forgotten to take screen shots of - damn). All except the cocktails one is pretty much finished so the boards will just need altering slightly ready for my print slot on Monday. The cocktail one, I have mocked together the best that I could the boards ready for the crit, and used the bottom to explain more about everything. I am gutted that I didn't get it finished for this but I have worked none stop on it so there's not really anything else that I could have done. Plus the stock that I have ordered still hasn't turned up so couldn't have made the final thing anyway.

I took a photo of everything laid out though ready for the crit.

The response that I got was pretty straight forward really. I got told to 'get on with it' for the cocktail brief. Here's the sheets I got from this:

SCAN THESE

Some of the research that I got was pretty general about everything, so decided to respond to it on this blog post rather than individually.

• 'Wish I could design boards like you' - definitely made my day to ready this! Especially seen as these are rough boards and not my finished ones.
• 'I would like to take part in cocktail testing k thanx' - definitely going to have to have one once the book is finished with the geek table!
• 'On context blog I'd write why you like work & How it is relevant' - I have been doing this, just the last few haven't got anything wrote on yet. The next page would have shown this...
• 'Same layout - looks professional' - thanks!
• 'Would Issuu help in terms of organising brief development and blog size' - probably, but I just don't get on with it, at all. And find that it takes more time than what needs to, and I find that the way I blog makes it easier to annotate and what not. Just my preferred way that I do I guess.
• 'All your briefs have quite strong concepts that shows once the work is presented' - that is a great comment to read, I am glad that it shows.

Hot & Tasty - Meeting Feedback

One, two, three, four five. Once I saw a fish alive...

Hot & Tasty - Meeting Preparation

For this meeting I am going to make sure that I am more prepared and ready for it. I will explain to her the situation of where I am at with the brief, and how I am having to draw a line under it and am presenting what I have produced. I do believe that what I have already produced answers the brief and fits what she has asked for to a level that I am more than happy with, so it should be fine. If there is anything in particular that she would like me to have done that I haven't already then I will make sure that I do get it done, otherwise I am pretty much done.

I am taking along my finished cup and bag mock ups, as well as the printed out proposed outcomes, including the shop front, opening times, uniform, etc.

Hot & Tasty - Take Away Cups Last Development

Last time I'm going to work on these damn cups! Need to alter the designs since deciding not to include the icons now. Decided to strip them back to complete basic and just have the oversized & on the orange. I'll also include the caution part too. Also, produced one with the logo still on for me to mock up and take along to the meeting.

Also experimented with the belly bands a bit for if she chooses to go ahead with this idea.

I'm getting these printed and mocked up. The belly bands will be just paper because I can't get them done on card. Will have to look at how I could do this if she likes this idea.

Hot & Tasty - Shop Sign Developed

I got feedback about the shop sign in the crit about the black being a bit dark, and something about an estate agents (no idea!), so I have changed this to the orange sign. I prefer this one anyway so I'm quite glad about this. I'll explain this to the owner and see what she thinks, and whether she would prefer this or the black one.

Hot & Tasty - Opening Times Developed

Someone mentioned a 'pizza' symbol in the crit feedback, and the only one I think it could be really is the opening times ones? So with this in mind, and my decision to not use symbols, I need to develop my opening times design to include on the cafe door.

I started out with having the orange background, until I realised that it's going to go on a window so I can use just the numbers and words and it doesn't need a background. This way it wont block too much of the view into the cafe or anything.

I'm happy with this. I mocked this up on to the cafe door mock up that I produced to see how it would work in context.

Hot & Tasty - Carrier Bags Developed

For the take away bags, I need to produce this on an actual net for a bag. I've decided to use one of the nets from my black and white brief to use to produce this bag on. Following my decision to produce the designs now without using symbols, I edited what I have already produced to now suit this decision and develop further with.

It's simple and to the point. I'm pretty happy with it. I need to get this printed and mocked up ready for the meeting, to actual size.

Hot & Tasty - Napkins Developed

I've collected together everything that I've produced so far, as well as having my list, and am going through what I have to make sure that they are finished am happy with them. The first thing I want to tackle is the napkins. These have been niggling the back of my mind since I first worked on them. 

I think with the design that I have it includes having a bit too much ink on the napkin than what probably should be, so I want to look at trying to include less. The background colours are the original colour of the napkin what will be printed on to. I left on the guides for the screen shots to show where the folds will be.

I like the white napkins. I will print out a few examples to see how they look printed as well as to take along to the meeting for the owner to make the actual decision on.

Hot & Tasty - Step Back

I really need to take a step back with this project and see where I am with it all as I feel like I'm in the middle of no where with it at the minute trying to find out where to go but have no idea. Hmm.

I could keep going and keep going with this brief and just keep going around in circles with it and spend too much time on it that needs to be spent on other briefs. I really just need to draw the line with it now.  I have a meeting with the owner tomorrow and for this I want to be pretty much done.

SO, I have decided that what I do get done between now and the meeting is done and will be included in the project, and what I don't manage to finish then as much as I don't want to then I will have to drop them. I think that this is the best way to go with this project now.

I wrote out a list of what I have done and am working on/want to include, and I will use this list to follow and go through to make sure that I have things finished and what not.

Hot & Tasty - Uniform

As part of the inside of the cafe that I am considering when designing, I think having a uniform is a nice extra to consider and propose. I wont be producing the actual uniforms on to clothes, so I'll mock them up for me to be able to present them and show how they would look in context.

Having the & is the most obvious thing for me to include on this. I decided to keep the uniform black. I also experimented with including the logo on the apron and the & on the side of the sleeve too.

As well as having the mock up of the uniform in context, I also want to show how it would look on the t shirt and apron but not being worn, so I also mocked these up to for me to include when presenting the idea.

Putting them side by side, I think that they show what I am aiming for with the uniform well enough to present to the owner. I am rather pleased with how this has turned out.

Hot & Tasty - Icon Posters?

A quick thought for something additional to the brief I got was to present the icons on a poster. I experimented around with the colour scheme of this.

I don't really think it's a necessary thing to have for this brief so I think I'll just leave it.

Hot & Tasty - Menu

I need to make a start on the menu. It's been discussed that she doesn't want to stray too much away from what they have already - I've included this in my blog post at the beginning of the module. It's A4 folded into 3. I want to try and keep it visually consistent with everything else that I have produced so far.

When we did the type sessions, one of the main things that Graham was always saying to us was to get the type right before you start playing around with the more visual elements of a design and I need to really start getting on with this for the menu. Once I do then I can start to consider more into the visual elements part of the design.

Along the way of designing this, I printed it out at certain points for me to make sure what is and isn't working. I'm at a stop with it now, certainly didn't expect it to take as long as it has so far.