Module evaluation

OUGD402 - Self evaluation

I think that this module was the easiest of all as it is an open brief and you can do what you want on it, it's not as restrictive as the other modules. I like the fact that you can do your own thing such as create a self branding which is most shows you as a personal that you can give to others in which they may remember/recognise you by.

The first brief, which is about visiting places and events allows you to be more open and visit places/events that may be inspiring to you and help you more in your design practice. I have visited a few exhibitions in which they use different processes to create their work such as a linoprint exhibition, a monoprint exhibition as well as going to artists' exhibitions. I really enjoyed the Lord Whitney Studios visit the most as it actually gave me an idea of what being in a design studio felt like and about how they've come so far as to work with really high brands and artists. This gave me more insight of the type of industry I want to work in and also it was really helpful to listen in about their experiences throughout university to where they are now.

The Self Branding brief was frustrating but I really enjoyed it and I liked how I made something that was personal to me and represented me as a person. It was frustrating in the way that I thought all my initial ideas weren't that great and it wasn't until quite later on did I actually think of something that would be suitable for me. I am pleased that I didn't stick to one of the no-so-great ideas and kept on thinking and exploring things that represent me as a person. In the end, it turned out okay-ish, I would've be completely happy with it if it looked professional and I used the right materials but that can be something to learn from for the future, when I hand them out.

The presentation was the most daunting for me from everything I've done in the whole course. I am not great at public speaking at all and I physically cannot do it in front of even a few people. I only had 4 other people (including tutors) listening to my presentation and even that made me feel really nervous and anxious. I think at the end, I was relived it was over and I was really happy about the tutors responses as they genuinely sounded thoughtful and sympathetic. I like how they told me that they liked my work and that I shouldn't compare my work to others as it's not a healthy thing to do and I'm glad they picked up on the fact that I'm very self-conscious about my work as I feel like everyone is so much better than me. The presentation was quite motivating after I had feedback but I'm still not comfortable presenting in front of people which I really need to work on.

Self Branding feedback

I realised the box is not of great standard as I have handmade this myself and have used the wrong materials to create it. I know that when I actual send them out to people, I will get the box and the cards professionally made.

Feedback

• The box is very colourful and creative. It really stands out
• I think this is so you because I know you love stuff like this
• It is a very bright and cheerful box
• I really like it but for next time, you should try and get the box and the card made to a higher standard 
• You have been very creative in your Self Branding project and it really shows what you can do and your skill set
• I love how everything ties into you as a person because it comes across very personal and distinct to you
• I really like the idea of 'She is..' because the build up is exciting

Having read all the feedback, I am am pleased with the outcome as people said that they like the idea and the design of the box. Most comments were about how colourful the box is and the contents inside and how this well represents me as a person which makes me feel positive about my Self Branding design practice. 

Design Strategy Presentation

Screenprint workshop

 

I had never done screen printing before and although I hadn't managed to take pictures of the actual screen print induction nor did I have anything to take away with me, I went back to the print room at Rossington Street. On the indication day, they didn't actually show us the full process of screen printing as it would take the whole day. Instead, they showed us how to do it as taught us how to print a design.

When I went back again, I brought along with me one piece of printed paper (the design in black) as I only wanted to create one pattern with using one colour. The process took so long because we had to wash the screens, wait for them to dry, put on the emulsion, wait for it to dry again, put the design on top of the screen in on the UV machine so the patten goes onto the screen, wait for the design to emit onto the screen, wash the screen, wait for the screen to dry again and then I could actually use it. The whole process took me a full day to do and it was mainly the constant drying process.

I really like the final outcome of the screen print and I made it for my Self Branding brief. Screen printing is not too difficult to do but you've got to remember the steps and be patient since it is a lengthy process.

Self Branding outcome

After having produced my self branding design successfully, I am unsure about it as it looks really cheap. This is because I tried to handmade everything by myself. The outer box was made using mount board which was not the suitable material to use to make a box. This is because as you can see in the images, the corners and the folds started ripping and it was extremely difficult to stick the sides together to make a box. This was done after several attempts after I kept this final one which I'm still not happy with. The image stuck over the lid was created by simply printing it out and sticking it onto the box. This method was not very good either as I was originally going to screen print however, due to the rips on the box, you would still be able to see it and it looked tatty which is the reason why I chose to completely cover the lid. 

The business card and the product card, I also had to compromise with as I didn't have time to get it professionally printed and the business cards had not arrived yet. The way I made these was the same as I did with the box lid, I printed it onto normal paper then I glued it onto thick card (product card) and mount board (business card) I regret doing this as it looks very unprofessional and not appealing at all and I don't think anyone will take it seriously. 

I am however happy with the rest of the products such as the mini polaroid image where I bought the miniature frame and cut out a small image of the beach and stuck it onto the frame. The pencil, tea and envelope were also pretty straight forward as I didn't need to do anything to them, I just needed them to be part of my design. The 'Tea' handmade type however looks very ammeter and I'm not keen on it as it also doesn't look well made. The mini packaging box was made during my screen print session and I decided on re-creating the box again instead of sticking the screen print design on my existing mini box as I used cartridge paper so it was thick enough anyway to be sturdy enough to be a mini packaging box.

The reason why I chose the product card to be a dark grey is because I thought it would add to the mystery of what was inside the box. The colour dark grey (almost black) signifies contained, sophisticated, formal and mysterious which is what I want my user to feel. I made the type white so you could see either 'SHE is...' or 'Shelley is...' which would look interesting as you can see what you want to see. On the flip side, I used the pink again so it links back to the colour of the patterned lid and because it seems more cheerful. I used white type as it works better with the pink background and also because it is consistent with the 'She is...' part on the grey side.

I also created my business card using this concept too. I made it so that it all tied in together so for a boarder design, instead of using lines or a pattern, I decided on putting 'She is...' repeatedly as a boarder in pink as it ties into the feminine word of 'she'. I made the 'Shelley' logo part using a calligraphy pen as I feel like it looks more feminine and personal. 'She' is also in pink as I wanted to keep to the pink theme and the rest black because it is a classic colour.

The tissue paper, I decided chose white with gold flexes in the design as this makes the box look more elegant and high quality. The use of the gold makes everything look a higher standard and it also ties in with the gold on the red envelope inside of the box.

Overall, if I were to actually start sending these out to people I want to work with or clients, I think next time, I would get the box made for me so it was of high quality and using the right material. I would also possibly get the design screen printed onto it or would get the manufactures to do it as screen printing can be very time consuming. I would also have my product cards and business cards professionally printed of high quality also so people would take me more seriously.

I'm slightly disappointed at how feminine it is though because I didn't want it strictly be pink or girly but the colours relate to me and 'she' so people may be confused if it said 'she' in a blue colour or something other than pink. I am skeptical whether people would want to hire/work with me when my design looks too feminine.

I have since ordered high quality made business cards so that I can actually hand them out to people.

Tea and Talks Interview

Natasha, one of my course mates interviewed me for her Self Branding blog which is called 'Tea and Talks', the questions are about the Graphic Design course at Leeds College of Art and how I am finding it so far, why I chose this course/university as well as similar related questions. I found it to be useful for myself as I never really thought about these questions until she asked me and in the interview, I talk about how LCA wasn't my first choice and how ungrateful I sounded but honestly, I am glad I got a place into this university.

You can find the full interview on her blog: http://teaandtalks.tumblr.com/post/139916032467/talk-shelley-huang

Self Branding - Typeface and colour swatches

I decided that a sans serif typeface would be most suitable for my branding since it's not as formal as a serif typeface. It seems more like an obvious choice for me as I don't take myself too seriously and a serif typeface would make it look as if I am really formal and somewhat posh. 

I compared four different sans serif typefaces that I liked and decided on that. I compared Gill Sans to Helvetica, Futura and Verdana. The reason why I ended up choosing Gill Sans is because although all the type point sizes were the same, I wasn’t a fan of hugely big type so I especially wasn't keen on Futura and Verdana. Furura typeface also looked too bold even though it was the regular style so I don’t really like that. I thought the narrower kerning on the type looked the most suitable as when it comes to reading type, I find if the type kerning is quite wide, personally it can be more difficult for me to read so I think Gill Sans is well spaced for me to read without much difficulty. I also like how you can easily differentiate the sizes of uppercase and lowercase type on Gill Sans as the lowercase are significantly shorter. I thought that Gill Sans looks more equally proportionate to me than any of the other 3 typefaces. 

Gill Sans was chosen as my self branding typeface as it looks simple and minimal as it is quite a small typefaces compared to other sans serif types. The individual lets are also shorter than other typefaces which I like because it makes it stand out more from the other sans serif typefaces. Gill Sans is also very modern and classic looking as it is looks very clean and consistent. 

Gill Sans Light will be used as my standard weight as I don't like typefaces to look to thick, I think the Light option makes the typeface look softer.

Gill Sans Regular will be used when I want to make certain information stand out. I thought that Gill Sans Bold looked too heavy and I don't like how it looked.

The range of colours I have used in my overall design consists of bright colours as the use of different colours makes me come across more open and cheerful. I would also like to think that this is how my personality comes across to other people; happy and cheerful.