Monday 28 May 2012

PPP. SELF-EVALUATION.

1. What skills have You developed throughout this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?


The most important skill that I learned throughout the PPP sessions was time-management. I not only understood how important it is to track and manage your time but also that it's important not to waste it. When we had the time-management sessions I was really surprised that we waste so much time and we don't even know where and why that happens. After the sessions I realised that I started to manage not only time but my projects way better.I even started up a time-management book and write down even my daily non college activities. I also used to stay in college till 9 and at one point I became a bit too depressed because I didn't have any time for friends or any other social activities that we as human beings need and after the sessions I managed my free time a bit better so I would have time to spend with my friends.  Also I realised that I learned better presentation skills after the sessions of PPP. Because we were put into blog groups and I remember at the beginning of the year I was always sacred to present any of the ideas or give feedback to other students. Now I am better at it, I'm not as afraid as I used to be, I think my english has improved as well so that might be another reason for it. As well while doing the set tasks I learned about different graphic designers and path-ways which is a good thing because I now have a wider range of possibilities where to apply my own practice. 


2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?


I think the last project shown that we learned about different methods of idea development and different media that can be used while looking for the right outcome. I think the tasks that Fred set us were all really useful and in one way or another helped us to understand what do we want from design and what can we give ourselves. I also loved the briefings because after every briefing I took away something useful and really inspiring and motivating. I think I understood that design can be a really wide range of things and products. At the beginning of the year  I think I was more closed-minded but that was because I didn't know. I also understood that communication comes first, that design is not only about decorating and that led me to asking the right questions or doing the right kind of research for the brief in order to FIND OUT. You need to know a lot before you can start with the brief. I think the PPP sessions did really teach us about the informative side of design that nothing comes without research and knowledge, but to gain knowledge  you actually need to learn and inform yourself.   also learned that the project can only evolve because of the feedback. I really understood how important feedback is in the creative process.


3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on them?


The last brief shown that I started thinking outside paper. I realised that graphic design can be applied to a range of products and have different processes involved and all you need to do is go learn, ask and do.  I also realised that if You don't ask - you don't get and you don't learn. Asking the right questions is even harder but you need to start asking even the simple ones so you could learn what the right questions are. Working in a group feels way more comfortable than it did before. I most certainly improved on time and task management tho you can always improve on that even more. Which I'm planning to do next year by buying a huge notebook for the whole year for everything. Keeping notes is really important and having them organised. I also think my idea development and the methods that I use have certainly changed and in that way I can choose a better problem and a better solution. I think now when I at least think of 20 different ideas one is keen to be the right one. I remember when I used to choose the first idea that I have just by thinking that I cannot think of anything better - I was so wrong. Usually the best idea comes when you throw out the bad ones on a design sheet and than you see which one can actually work. 


4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?


This is not the first time I'm writing this but hopefully next year I will improve on it. I think I really need to have time for failure. And I've noticed this a month before. I really like experimenting just there is  big risk of failure and that because I still want a good outcome, I'm not happy and start feeling bad and not as confident about the work anymore. So I think I need to leave some time for failure, in this case the last project was so well organised that I wasn't stressed at all before the hand-in. So I guess I'm getting better at it. Tho there is still one weakness that I've only noticed recently, every time I aim to do something and even if I do it well and I have some time left to either work on it more or think of other things I could actually design to go with the already existing design - I choose not to and usually the reason is that I did what I aimed for and I succeeded. But I guess this the mind that I have to change and think different. Or maybe I just got a bit worn out from the intense 3 weeks of deadlines. Tho I do promise to improve and next year even if I aim and succeed  in a project I will put more extra hours in just playing around with it and maybe thinking of some other way of approaching it.


5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?


1. Always wake up at 6.30. I did that for a month after the time-management brief and I felt great! Starting the day so early really puts things in perspective and I noticed that I'm most productive from 6.30am till 2pm while I was tracking my time so I really need to consider doing the best with that productive time.


2. I need to start asking questions in front of the whole course. I've never done that yet. I think it's because I might be a bit too shy. But I will try asking questions next year in front of a group of people. The creative industries are competitive if You're afraid to ask you won't succeed. 


3. Never ever leave stuff for the last minute. Whenever the task is set - do it at that very minute. It will give you more time to work on the briefs rather than getting stuck with the tasks. 


4. NEVER complain about anything. You get your and other moods down. Rather be inspirational and motivating! That helps YOU and others around you.


5. MANAGE AND TRACK time and don't loose it even for a day, if You miss writing and planing your time for a day or so, that's it. It's hard to get back to the habit. I'll do it for 21 days throughout the summer and when I come back next year it should already be a habit and I shouldn't have any problems with it anymore.





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