OUGD502 Module Evaluation

This module has been both fun and enlightening. I have loved working with others in the taking care of business and learned so much about how I work in that context. That brief in particular confirmed my feelings that I really want to work in groups and specifically collaboratively at a professional. I have already started to do this with my work with the Leeds Arts Party and I am loving it so far. One of my aims for next year is to collaborate more outside of Graphic designers because you learn so much from the work of other people. When it comes to work experience I have also tried to address this, looking specifically into studios and illustrative studios at that. The confidence of having last year behind me has allowed me to contact people much more openly. It's not that I think I am now and incredible designer, it's just that I now know I can trust myself to do my best and think to step away from the design and evaluate it objectively to improve it. Also, through my research into professional practitioners I have identified not only the type of work I want to do (in terms of discipline) but also the kind of life I want. I know I will always want and need to produce work by hand and not sway to far too far towards digital design. I like digital design but print and physical crafts are my calling. I want to live in the country in a few years. It may not be to start with because to be collaborative in practice an urban setting is currently required. Eventually however, I want to be able to at least commute to work. That is the goal.
Along with this greater sense of confidence has come an awareness that design as a discipline can never be fully mastered. If you think you have then you have lost. The constantly changing nature of its audience and those who are creating it makes it a living entity in its self. So, to be a good designer you have to be in a constant state of learning, and this is hugely exciting for me. At least nothing will ever get dull! More than anything else this year I have learned to just chill out. I know I can do this now. A real test of this was when over the last three weeks of the module I had to go back to norfolk three times because of emergency dental work. It completely disrupted my work plan and definitely resulted in large amounts of stress. However, on reflection, I am extremely happy with what I managed to produce for studio Brief 01 in about 4 days. Once again I think I just need to trust myself.
Although I have managed to research quite a few professionals one thing that has been slightly lacking is the number of exhibitions that I have attended. I really made very little effort to rectify this while I could and I regret that greatly. The only thing I can do now is male a change in this next year.