PROFESSIONAL STUDIO PRACTISE ONE
Jacob Ham
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DATE
7th April 2017
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DEADLINE.
7th April 2017
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Brief.
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(Handed out in January 2017)
The purpose of this entire module is to provide students with the opportunity to develop a range of self-initiated project, where learners are advised to explore multiple ideas from a practical context, moving outside of comfort zones by taking visual risks.
Within this assignment you have the opportunity to develop a project or a series of mini projects covering aspects of creative practice that you would like to see in your portfolio to support your progression. This is an opportunity to explore an area that you are interested in. In this respect try to think of a theme that will hold your interest and that has enough mileage within it to warrant completion as part of an extended project. You should develop initial ideas for a theme to follow for discussion with your tutor as part of the writing of your personal brief, where you should set your own objectives. You will be supported by 1-1 tutorials and group seminars leading up to final critique where you will discuss your outcome(s) with your peers. You will be encouraged to develop skill in working independently, demonstrate proficiency in being able to work within negotiated deadlines and manage your time effectively.
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Personal Aims.
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(Set in early December 2016)
Throughout this brief I plan to work on two different briefs that will present me with various experience working in the world of graphic design.
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The first project I plan to undergo is based on a personal issue that will aim to tackle the stigma associated with male depression and video games. In this project I will create a brand that focuses on making the issue a talking point using social media and forums to connect with the target audience.
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The second task I plan to take on is for a client known as “Haroon Bakhsh”. This project will present me with another chance to expand my knowledge of working with clients on a corporate level.
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I feel that having two projects, that both allow me to tackle a personal issue and another that helps me progress as a designer, is crucial to my development as a designer especially at a young age.
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Module Evaluation.
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Introduction.
Since the start of this module I have developed two projects and showcased the process, final designs and extra developments. During this module, I have explored two different forms of briefs, a live client and a personal based brief. Throughout these two projects, I wanted to fully explore the design process, breaking down every decision made and having a clear reason for them. Although I have reflected both projects individually it would be best to reflect the module as a whole to gather key areas for development when working on PSP2
next year.
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Types of briefs.
Prior to getting briefed about this module, I already had a pitch in mind for my main focus and started that in early December and developed it over the course of the past four months. Luckily, I was contacted in regards to a corporate identity commission for an online blogger known as “Haroon Bakhsh” and resulting in me coming up with the thought of using two different projects to tie this module together. Although these projects can be classed to be rather similar in terms of the outcome, the experience of developing was extremely different for both. Working with a client was considerably easier with having an individual who has a outcome in mind, whereas producing a project by myself felt more stressful and fun at the same time. Funnily enough I feel that I was harsher on myself working around a project that I developed on my own, due to having full control meaning I could be more expressive with my design and outcomes.
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Handling both briefs.
Both briefs are rather large in terms of outcome, with Gaming In Mind being the bigger of the two. Working on two briefs of this nature at the same time, meant that I needed to plan ahead allowing me to track deadlines, even more when working with clients especially when money is involved as it could result in a chargeback or simply negative feedback. Planning each day down to the fine details such as sending files or proofreading allowed me to stay on top of deadlines easily without any significant issues. I planned and organised a month between the deadline of each project, although I started Gaming in Mind earlier, I wanted to spend an extra month working on really developing the project further such as developing guidelines, the website and submitting it to the
award competition.
Comparison between projects.
Even though I am happy with the outcomes of both projects, there is one that really gives me a sense of accomplishment and shows exactly how much I have grown as a designer since starting in September. That being Gaming In Mind, like I said previously both projects are similar in outcome with involving both logo design and branding, however one project is far superior than
the other.
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When putting the projects side by side, they both look like great additions with both being work of high standard, but when looking closely into the meaning and development of Gaming In Mind, the project feels more complete and what stands out the most is the difference in the guidelines of the two projects. In Haroon’s guidelines, there was very little protection and ironically it lacked guiding the assets of the brand, however Gaming In Mind does the complete opposite.
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When developing the guidelines for Gaming In Mind I really wanted to explore and go above what I expected of myself. So, I decided to go back and read the piles on piles of books I bought when studying Contextual Influences, those books being “Designing Brand Identity” and “Creating a Brand Identity: A Guide for Designers”. Overall these books helped me to understand the concept of guidelines to a much higher level, before developing the guidelines. I went back and expanded on various projects within my WRL1 workbook and creating guidelines for briefs that suited or needed protection of the logo or assets. Overall the guidelines for Gaming In Mind now set the standard for the future when producing both A3 and A4 guidelines for projects.
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Progression.
During this module, I have explained the design process in full including both research into the topics and design inspiration. Breaking down the process has allowed me to go back and refresh my mind to why I made specific changes to the design or to what feedback I had been given around the current state. Prior to this module, I had barely used the printer apart from when printing work to show the class. I decided to print out every single design I did through the projects and annotated them allowing me to pin point feelings and further develop my thoughts on the design. Overall, I found this extremely helpful to the development of my projects and have used it in any brief I have been given since.
Reflecting on personal aims.
Prior to starting this module, I decided to set myself aims that would like to peruse within the duration of the brief. In reflection, I have successfully completed everything I aimed to accomplish with finishing both briefs to a high standard in which I am happy with. During this self-directed brief I have had 100% attendance to class along with requesting extra 1-1 tutorials to get in depth feedback from my tutor. Before the deadline of this module, I decided to get my final outcomes to both present to the class and hand in with my submission to allow my tutor to gain a bigger understanding of how the final outcome would look. This shows both professionalism and dedication which is crucial for personal development in a creative industry.
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Conclusion.
In conclusion, I am overly happy with the outcomes of the module with being overwhelmed with quality of Gaming In Mind. This module has allowed me to submit my work to be curated and have the chance of winning an award but more importantly development my skills as a designer, to where I am now even more confident with my work than ever before. I now have a greater understanding on how to expand projects along with working with clients at an industry standard, with is beneficial when looking for a job in design.
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