At the beginning of this module I got off to a slow start, I had a lot going on and a little laziness too I have to admit, but after the kick up the back side I definitely needed, I feel I really pulled my socks up and have designed some work I am really pleased with.
My main aim for this module was to get a better understanding of who I am really, and define what sector of design I am more specialist at, something I really feel im getting there with.
My first brief was Homebase, where I had to design packaging for the grow your own fruit and vegetable range. The reason I decided to do this is because I am always doing promotion design and campaigns, but I felt working with the actual product design that I have been advertising in the past would really help me grow as a designer. I am really content with my final design, and concept I came up with to give it another edge rather than your bog standard seed packaging you get in your every day garden centers.
The second brief I did was a life brief for a personal trainer to design a logo, business card and other promotional stuff for him. Even though this started as a live brief, he was taking far too long to get back to me and my designs were limited, so I decided to concentrate on this brief for the module rather than a brief for him. My reasoning behind doing this brief was because I was really at a halt with my own branding, so I felt if I took this challenge on, it would help me with my own design practice of branding my self. I have a few ideas now ticking over in my head, and during the Xmas period I am going to start developing this further.
The Metro brief is probably the brief I like the final outcomes the most. I worked on this collaboratively, which is something I have learnt from previous times, I work well at. I like bouncing ideas of someone else, getting the ideas flowing. I am really content with the final strap line and five posters we designed to submit to D&AD.
PJ smoothies was my shortest brief and I definitely learned that drawing my ideas up before going to a Mac really do help, and all the reasons I tell my self why its better to go on a Mac straight away are total rubbish, and I have learnt this now. I am really proud of my final resolutions for this brief, especially in the three-day period. Photography has not really been my strongest point, but I had this idea and I wanted to go with it. The photos I took I really like, and after speaking to john, he was really impressed with the professionalism of them and told me I should sell them on photography websites, something I am looking at doing over the festive period. The other reason I wanted to develop my photography skills was because looking back at my photos of my final resolutions in previous modules, I felt they were not up to scratch to put in my portfolio, so I wanted to increase my professionalism and photograph my work to the best standards, something I really do feel I have done a lot better in this module.
I need to stop the laziness, because I have realized when I put my mind to it I really can achieve and grow as a designer. Blogging, I admit I left it very late, but when I got in to it, I actually enjoyed doing it and reflecting on my work, and it really helped me generate ideas a lot quicker.
Since this module, it has been hard work and very stressful, but I do feel it has helped me a lot, and helped me realize a lot about my self as a designer, and as surprising as it sounds, excited to get my teeth in to my final major project.
