End Of Module Self Evaluation 26/01/2015

1. Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice? 

The main practical skill I learnt during this module is how to use Indesign, which is a piece of software that was totally new to me. I found it really confusing at first, but am confident that I can use it for the basics. As it is an industry standard piece of software, I'm really grateful that I am able to use it at a basic level. Also prior to this module, I was unsure on the subject of DPI's etc and found that my images were always printed out in poor quality. I now know how to scan effectively, which will help my professional practice in the future. 

2. Which approaches to research have you found most valuable during this module. How have you interrogated your research to identify appropriate ideas? 

This module has really made me appreciate the importance of research, and how it can benefit my work. I found that actually experiencing something first hand was really beneficial to me, helping me to form my own opinions and have my own experiences, for example, In the pet shop I was able to feel the atmosphere of the shop, and see what kind of people visit. In terms of interrogating my research, I have relied alot on group critiques to sway me towards a certain pathway.

3. What strengths can you identify within your submission and how have you capitalised on these? 

In this module I found one of my key strengths to be the presentation of my outcomes. My final outcome from the book brief I feel is one of the strongest pieces of work I have created so far. The feedback I received saying that it looks professional really reflects what I have achieved. I really enjoyed actually making the book and feel that I invested a large amount of craft into the content and construction of it, something that I would love to do again.

4. What areas for further development can you identify within your submission and how will you address these in the future? 

I think that my main area for improvement would be my habit to neglect certain ideas, in terms of not capitalizing on effective elements in my work and not exploring them exhaustively. I feel that this is where I am mainly lacking and that my concepts are often unrefined. In the future I need to correct this by experimenting alot more, for example, using new and different medias. Another area from this module would be my lack of first hand research, I feel that more visits to pet shops would have helped me to refine and backup my concept. 

5. How effectively are you making decisions about the development of your work? What informs these decisions? What problems have you identified and how have you solved them? 

I feel I am making decisions very confidently in terms of moving my project forward. I feel that I have been able to carry out the necessary research and reflect on what is needed to make my outcome successful. One of my main goals for studio brief 3 was to create a book that conveys humor, and so I tried to experiment with different styles of working, to see which one creates the right tone of voice. I think that the key to decision making is having enough evidence to back up your decision, which may be improved If I am able to explore ideas more exhaustively in the future. 

6. How effectively have you managed this project and organised yourself during this module? 

During this project I feel I have been consistent with meeting deadlines and doing what needs to be done in terms of answering the briefs. In terms of managing my time, I don't think I have remained completely focused, as discussed with Matt, and need to learn to control distractions around me. I have also struggled to keep on top of blogging, but am very motivated to do so in the next modules. However, I feel that I have pushed myself in certain parts of the module, especially in the final stage of creating my book when I created more than the minimum amount of pages to answer the brief, which I was quite proud of.