Tutor reportStudent name Jane Braybrook Student number 511794Course/Module

Graphic Design 1 Assignment number Two

Overall CommentsPart two of the course focused on the creative process of problem solving, encouraging you to explore your own working process and apply it to a number of briefs. Overall your response to part two has been successful with a good submission. Your submission is showing a thorough research, exploring each area in depth and you are engaged with each exercise. Well done.

Project: Working to a briefYou were asked to read and analyse a number of briefs, identifying what you being asked to do, any keywords, and how a client would judge a successful outcome.

What you being ask to do? You understand the aim of the briefs and asking the right questions to yourself and towards the client and you have analysed your briefings clearly by writing it all down. Have you considered to create a mind map from your key words? This is a good starting point to get a better understanding of the subject.

When a briefing is too abstract (for example brief 2) or the campaign is very big, ask the right questions to your client in order to get a better understanding of the campaign, your possibilities and your expectations. In addition to this, suggest possibilities to your client as well. It is good to read you would choose brief 3, since this brief is 'open to exploration'.

How will the client judge successful outcome to the brief?In your third brief you are asking an interesting question, What is the current situation regarding teenagers and alcohol? It is good to be aware of this and discuss this with your client. What is your medium for the design? You could give your client different options

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and possibilities, such as TV commercial, website or a poster. These are good examples to suggest to your client, in order for them to tell you which design will reaches their target audience best.

What are the key words?Your key words are clear and well considered. They are a good starting point to create a mind map for each briefing.

Project: Researching and developing ideasIn this project you were asked to reflect on different ways of researching and developing ideas, and to put these into practice by designing a cover of HG Wells novel.

You are showing a thorough research on the books of HG Wells. Well done! In addition to you research, you have listed important key words, such as relevant today, timeless, books and consumerism.Looking at previous book covers designs of HG Wells books is a good starting point for your own ideas and designs. It is good to see your mind map about the HG Wells and the cover designs. However, it would have been good to see more sketches of the covers. Try to create thumbnails of your design ideas before starting on the computer.

To create a series of book covers by creating a set of images in a similar style is a good starting point for the book covers. Your ideas are good, however the covers could be improved. Try to experiment more with your design ideas. For example, try to experiment with typography of the title in combination with the image. You might want to explore different techniques as well, for example drawing or photography. Experiment more with the images, try different compositions and sizes. What will happen if you make the images very big and take out the black banners at the top and bottom of the covers? In addition to this it is interesting to see your colour pallets, as they are working well. Have you tried to explore these colours in your first cover designs? Have you tried different positions or using different typefaces for the cover? I would like to see more options with typography in combination with the image. By experimenting with your covers you can see what will work best and what you can improve. Have you tried to print you covers?

You are reflecting well on your work and your research, and it is good to see you have looked at the work and designs of other HG Wells book covers. It is satisfying to read you have revisited your book covers, in order to see what you can improve. You are aware of what you need to develop and what you can improve. For example

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the use of appropriate fonts or different techniques, such as photography. I would like to recommend you to keep experimenting with both your ideas and with different materials and techniques in order to develop your designs.

Project: Visualising your ideasThis project explored how to quickly visualise ideas through thumbnails, mood board, mock-ups and prototypes. You were asked to explore different ways you can fold paper to make a leaflet for a voluntary organisation.

I can see you are enjoying this exercise. Well organised and good to see all your research of different leaflets. This is a good starting point to gain ideas and explore possibilities.

It is interesting to read about your folding systems and your experiments with the leaflets. Have you taken pictures of your experimentation of the folded leaflets and put them on you blog? It is good to see the different layouts for the leaflets, however have you tried to complete one of the designs and print it out? It might help you to see if the design is working well. Have you asked for feedback or hand out the leaflet to people, in order to see what the responds is? This might help you to understand what you can improve in your design and why.In addition to this it is good to see you have looked at other community flyers. By researching what their ideas are and how they approach the design of their flyers you will get a good understand what is appropriate for the subject.

Project: Critiquing your workThe critique is the process of being self-critical about your work in order to achieve the aims of a brief. You were asked to put this into practice by designing two posters and reflecting on whether they had too much or not enough information.

You are showing a very good research on the posters and critiquing your work well, using a real project. It would have been good to collect existing poster examples with a lot of information and little information. Looking at examples of both versions will give you a good idea of different ways of designing and comparing the posters will help you to understand what is working best.

You are making good use of hierarchy within the typography and deciding which information is most important and where to place it, however try to experiment more with the design of your posters.

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Have you tried to use different typefaces or playing with the size of the image?

It is good to see you have created a portrait version of the Shelford poster. Have you applied the other colour versions into a portrait poster? The colours are working well together, however the posters might look stronger as a portrait poster. Try to make the subtitle a little bit smaller, in order to create a bit more space around the words. You want attention from the audience and by making your poster stronger you might get a better response from your audience. Try to explore the images by playing with the composition and sizes. I would recommend to make more sketches, create thumbnails, in order to play with compositions, layout and sizes.

It is very good to read your notes on critiquing your work and you are analysing your work well. You are aware of your process, however try to be more critical at your work, what can I improve, why and what is working best.

It is good to read you are asking for feedback, as this will help you to reflect on your own work. By showing your work you will discover what will work best for the audience and what you can improve about your ideas and designs. In addition to this it is satisfying to see you have received a good feedback from the committee on this project!

Project: Finishing your artworkThe point of sale display exercise asked you to generate artwork for your local green grocer.

You are showing a good research (e.g. mind map, mood boards, target audience) for this exercise with different approached towards the sale of fruit and vegetables.

Have you considered to experiment with fruit and vegetables yourself? For example, creating compositions and taking photos? It might help you to improve your photography and photoshop skills.It is good you are exploring different images, however try to create a clear concept first. You mentioning you like the idea of using a cartoon in the message. What is the message you want to communicate? Perhaps experiment with the idea of a cartoon, create a cartoon yourself?Have you considered to use only one or two of the images of the 'slices of fruit and veg' on a display? This might make the display stronger. Play more with different compositions, typography and sizes. What will happen if you make one of the images very big? It is important to be aware what the audience is going to see and read first.

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Overall a good research, I would like to recommend you to experiment more with your designs and exploring your skills.

Assessment potential

I understand your aim is to go for the Visual Communications / Creative Arts Degree and that you plan to submit your work for assessment at the end of this course. From the work you have shown in this assignment, providing you commit yourself to the course, I believe you have the potential to succeed at assessment. In order to meet all the assessment criteria, there are certain areas you will need to focus on, which I will outline in my feedback.

Feedback on assignment Creative and analytical thinking, Visual and Technical Skills

The Thinking of You assignment asked you to create a range of cards for sentiments or events not currently catered for by card manufactures.

Again you are showing a thorough research. Key words, images, notes on ideas and sketches of the process and your designs has been placed on your blog. It is satisfying to see your are experimenting with different materials and to see the improvement of your software skills.

ResearchYou have listed interesting ideas to create a series of cards and your have created cards to celebrate ice skating. It is very good to see your detailed mind map. A mind map can be extremely useful in exhausting all ideas about the topic. By writing it all down you might discover new ideas. Have you considered to look at designs of postcards available in shops and see what the possibilities are, e.g. sizes, envelops, colours? This is a good starting point to understand the postcard and their designs.

You have created cards for 'Synchro’, ‘Dance’, ‘Free’ and 'Elements Ice skating'. It is really good to see your sketches and the process of your work, there is a clear enjoyment in your work visible. I would like to encourage you to keep experimenting with different techniques, such as photography or drawing. It is good to see the sketches of different images, however, it would have been good to see more sketches of your cards. For example, you mentioning you like collage. Have you tried different materials within the image?

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Experiment with those images, play with sizes and perhaps add textures. The experimentation is very important for a design process. You might look at it in a different way and find new solutions. It is vital that all research is crucial in the design process. Mood boards are visually stimulating and will help developing your ideas as well.

Your sketches for the final postcards are working well and you are exploring both colour and composition. Perhaps try to use different sizes of the layered images? Have you considered printing the postcards on different papers? Perhaps try to explore the folding system and look if there is one appropriate for your design?

Consider building up a picture library of your own, for example photos you have taken, collages you have made and your own illustrations. You could use also different materials for your research, for example, coloured paper, found objects for example packages, old postcards, lettering.

Final designsYou are showing an interesting range of final designs for the postcards and your ideas are working well. It is good to see you are experimenting with different materials, colours and images. Keep experimenting with this!

The final postcards of different ice skating are strong and the colours are working well. Have you considered using text in combination with the image? Try to explore typography. It is good to see the different typefaces you have used inside the postcards. Have you experimented with the size and composition of the titles? Keep experimenting with typography.

The silhouettes against the colour layers is strong. Have you tried to play with the sizes of the illustrations on the front? What will happen when you make them even bigger? In oder to make the design stronger you could take out the brush and pencil layer in the background, since it is not adding enough to the image. Consider a dark background. I would recommend to experiment more with the layers in images. For example, the colour layer behind the silhouette in Synchro postcard could be made bigger, see what is happening.

You have created an interesting series of designs and it is good to read your comments on your sketches and you reflect very well on your work. I can see a clear enjoyment in this assignment. I would like to encourage you to keep experimenting with your ideas, sketches and designs. Develop your photography skills, experiment with the images within your designs and explore the possibility of a collage. In addition to this, writing down your reflection is important,

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as you might discover what you can improve, why and how you can do this.

Choosing topics that are of personal interest to you and creating ideasfor designs of the postcards, demonstrates your ability to understand the briefing, research and showing creative ideas.

Sketchbooks Research and idea development, ContextTo see your research and sketches is very helpful to understand your design process, but I would like to see more experiments. For example, different techniques, collage, photography or drawings? Try to make more sketches, perhaps it helps to create thumbnails to get an idea of composition. Keep making your mind map, this is a very good starting point to develop your ideas.

Learning Logs or Blogs / Critical essays Research and idea development, ContextYou were asked you to reflect on how familiar you are to graphic design software, identifying what you might need to learn.

You reflect well on your work and you are analysing your process clearly. It is really good to read how you have developed your design software skills. Keep playing with the programs Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign, as this can sometimes help to develop your ideas as well.

Your blog is organised and it is good to see your process, and you are describing your ideas and thoughts well, however try to put photos of your sketches or sketchbooks on your blog. In addition to this, look at the the work of other artists, design history of specific topics and add this to your research and put this on your blog. As you are doing with the study visit to Memory Palace and Kurt Schwitters. I would recommend you to have a look at other students learning logs as well, as you have done already. It might help you to see their work and critical writing in order to develop your own ideas and reflect on your work.As I mentioned before keep researching and experimenting with you ideas and sketches.

Suggested viewing/reading

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Part three, visual language will be partly about colour. Johannes Itten, a Swiss artist, designer and writer did a lot of research about colour. Please find below his book.

The Elements of Colour: A Treatise on the Colour System of Johannes Itten Based on His Book The Art of ColourPublisher Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1970

In addition to Johannes Itten, the artist John Cage wrote this interesting book about colour.Colour and Culture, Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction John Gage, Published by Thames & Hudson, 1995

Alan Fletcherhttp://www.alanfletcherarchive.com/archive/postcard-cats

Pointers for the next assignmentThe next part of the course encourages you to become more visually literate by exploring visual dynamics, colour and visual language. This is an opportunity for you to experiment with your ideas and explore your skills. You have good ideas and to improve your visuals you have to keep researching and experimenting. Look at the work of other artists and read about their work and ideas. Explore your drawing skills, using your computer skills and perhaps try photography in combination with typography. Try to use different materials, such as paper, paint or ink and make a habit of creating mind maps, in order to develop your ideas.

Tutor name: Welmoet WartenaDate 12/01/2015Next assignment due

10/02/2015

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