Collection 100 module submission form.

End of module self-evaluation.

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

I have developed a range of ways in which I can collect research and also how I can categorise it. I think I have applied this quite effectively because I've shown throughout my research where my information has come from and also categorised certain elements of this research in certain projects. I've also developed my illustrator skills because i've used it quite a lot throughout this module to create various elements of my projects.

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

One of the main methods of research i've used is questionnaires/general questions, a lot of these questions have formed the basis for some of my work because its quite important to understand how people view things so you know if the problem your creating/considering is actually a real life valid problem. Sometimes asking questions has meant that my ideas have changed slightly but this has always been for the better. 

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

Design sheets are definitely one of the main strengths in my work because I take a lot of time in making sure they can be followed so anyone who views them understands where my ideas have come from. A way in which I can capitalise upon this is by maybe looking at creating less sheets with stronger ideas.

What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these more fully? 

I feel that I come up with an idea that I really like and then just stick to that idea instead of exploring a wide range of ideas and testing them. In future I could look at trying a range of ideas and then selecting the one that answers the brief best/works most successfully. 

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

1. Keep my blog up to date. 

This will mean i'm getting my ideas down straight away and it won't be left as such a massive task. I can also refer to it more often throughout projects by doing this. 

2. Seek more guidance from tutors. 

I'll be able to see if i'm going in the right direction with my projects and also get constant feedback for any changes I need to make.

3. Research throughout a project instead of just at the beginning. 

Research I find throughout a project could benefit my ideas greatly and you can never know enough.

4. Dont take the time I have on a project for granted. 

I'll probably give myself a lot more time to get things done which should result in better final outcomes. 

5. Try a range of different ideas out before choosing one. 

This means theres always other ideas to fall back on if one isn't working out and also means i've considered my ideas a lot more. 

Photoshop; final postcards.

Collection 100; final idea after crit.

Final idea. 

Collection 100; final crit.

This was the feedback I got for my final crit. Although I will take this into consideration i'm moving away from the idea that was seen at the crit to something more visual so I can apply some of what was said to that. One of the comments was related to the fact if they are real reasons or not due to the fact people obviously wear glasses due to sight problems, but because this is aimed at someone who already wears glasses they are more reasons to persuade someone that glasses aren't so bad after all so I feel they still work. 

Time management.

The time management workshop was interesting because I got to see how I worked on a daily basis but I feel I didn't benefit from it that much because I manage my time quite well already. I think one of my main downfalls is thinking I have more time than I actually do so this is definitely something to work on. 


To achieve by the end of the course? 
Instead of working right until the last minute i'd like to be able to say I have spare time at the end of each module. 


Ideal job? 
Designing for the music industry (although i'm still unsure about this!)


In this country or abroad?
Where ever the work takes me I guess. 

Collection 100.

Collection 100 presentation.

Group work assessment form for 'What if'.

Typogateux.

What if self evaluation.

What problem did you identify?

We identified that graffiti is quite a big problem in Leeds so 'how can we make this more socially acceptable?' 

What evidence did you find to support your decisions?

We questioned members of the public and friends to gather opinions and we also looked at the media to see what has to be said about graffiti. From this we discovered that most opinions on the subject are negative.

What methods did you use to gather your evidence and what forms did it take?

We created a questionnaire as part of primary research which we then put into question and answer form and also pie charts so our results could be looked at in a quantitative way. We used to internet as a form of secondary research and printed out articles that we each found and brought this together for our ideas sheets. A further thing that we did for primary research was actually take photos of the evidence/graffiti around leeds so that it could further prove there is a problem. 

What methods of research did you find useful and why? 

I found actually going out there and collecting primary research was most useful because not only did things like photographs fully back up the problem we were trying to answer but you can guarantee that what you find with primary research has not been made up, where as this is not the case with secondary. 

How did these inform your response to your problem? 

Due to the nature of our problem we needed primary research because we were trying to persuade the public that graffiti isn't so bad and is actually a form of art. It was important we had general views from people to start with so we knew at least someone thought that graffiti was negative, therefor there was a mind to change. 

What methods did you encounter as problematic?

Secondary areas were problematic because sometimes you weren't sure if what you were reading was in fact true and sometimes you didn't know where the information was talking about eg. the united kingdom. Some of the information was also quite dated so wasn't always relevant for now. 

How did you overcome this? 

We searched for articles from genuine trusted sources such as the BBC website and had a greater collection of primary research to fall back on. 

What research could you have carried out that would have proved more useful? 

We could have gathered more primary research from actual graffiti artists discussing the problems they have faced and stating their own opinions.

Five things I have learnt about the design process:

- A range of quantitative and qualitative research are important so that we are aware that we are answering a problem to its full potential. 

- Its important to have a sufficient amount of research before the design process can begin. 

- Research takes place throughout the whole of a project because theres constantly new things to be learnt that can impact upon the subject.

- Sometimes we create problems that aren't actually there so researching thoroughly pays off.

- The design process creates a successful outcome when followed correctly. 

Five things I would do different next time:

- Take a greater part in the documentation of the evidence through photography. 

- Research into websites more (if appropriate for the project) so I have a greater understanding)

- Be aware if we have a sufficient amount or not of quantitative and qualitative research nearer the beginning of the project. 

- Spend more time gathering information in general as there is no end to the information that can be found. 

- Revisit the research more often throughout the project. 

What if...

Website.

Blog.

Twitter. 

Postcards (designed by myself). 

Design boards. 

Poster.