OUGD402 Reflection on Designing For Competitions

During the Secret 7" Brief I found that designing an album cover really differed from other projects I have done. They seem much more about the emotions they evoke and painting a picture of the essence of the band and the song concerned. Not only this but the fact that I was designing for a competition also changed things. These designs are not simple to sell, but to appeal to certain individuals as well. They need to look like time and care have been channeled into the piece, as if it has earned the right to have a place in the exhibition. I found it really difficult to change my design process and my way of thinking about designs to suit the different kind of design I was producing. This has got me thinking about how fixed in my ways I am as a designer and that perhaps I should re approach this brief next year and focus on changing the way I work depending on the requirements of the brief.