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Formative  feedback  

Student name Patricia De Guzman Student number 517703 Course/Unit Graphic Design 1 Assignment number Two Overall Comments Part 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 good and you have an ability to see solutions quickly, sometimes at the expense of finding a better solution. The areas of Critical Reflection and research and development both visual found imagery and made /drawn are a focus for future assignments, This is a key element at degree level and one that presents challenges to nearly all students embarking on a degree in the early days of study. This is explained in more detail below. Overall a satisfactory start with a lot of promise and ability, in order to be successful you must read the brief carefully and respond to each element. Project: Working to a brief You 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. Your analysis is concise and clear, more mention of the way the client would evaluate the outcomes, and what criteria they would they use would improve your reflection as by understanding this, you are more likely to meet the clients needs. Project: Researching and developing ideas In 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 a HG Wells novel. In this exercise you demonstrate good research of HG Wells book covers, however more critical reflection is needed on the merits of each of the designs, this is also true of the miscellaneous book covers. Your selections are strong and may show an understanding of composition and the dynamics of the page, balance of type and image, but you must evidence your knowledge. At degree level you must articulate why you have selected these

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covers above others. This is critical reflection on your choices and evidences your knowledge and understanding of your subject. There is also little or no evidence of your visual development and decision making here that guide you towards your final solutions, this again is necessary to gain marks and exercise your drawing skills and other processes that evidences your analysis and decision making. This is not only important academically but often has been a useful defence when designers are accused of plagiarism they can evidence their route to their design solution. That said they are a good solution and do indeed make a good set where the style and visual language creates a homogeneous whole. I would like to have seen you move a little further away from the original or maybe use crops of the war of the world’s aliens. This may have happened if you had shown or produced your developmental drawings and research process. Project: Visualising your ideas This 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. You present an Interesting conservation perspective on use of paper and trees. One that is very important for the future of graphic design, and part of your social cultural and political voice as a designer. Your drawings are very clear and simply rendered sufficiently well to guide a client or producer as to how they would be made. Your attempts at the folded brochures suffered from a lack of paper stock research. Your mock-ups would benefit from a different type of paper. More research on types of brochures and paper types would increase your knowledge base and help you make an informed decision, and a better design solution, The key issue here is I can find no mood boards or an organisation that were requirements of this exercise. Project: Critiquing your work The 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. No work presented here

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Project: Finishing your artwork The point of sale display exercise asked you to generate artwork for your local green grocer. No evidence provided Charades Again I think more development and quick thumbnail sketches extending each of the charades may have lead to stronger solutions             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.  Beards they grow on you / brace yourself for a new smile/ congratulations your free for now You have made good selections of titles for your cards that have social cultural and political messages. Your social cultural and political voice is not expanded upon, the beards card is a comment on hygiene regulations versus personal rights and freedom of choice, and again you must evidence your understanding of visual communication on a degree programme.

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What is intended by your comment you're free for now, this is ambiguous in its meaning. I ask you to test your intended message on others to ensure the intended is understood meaning against other peoples interpretations. You showed tenacity in the way you overcame issues with your printer and print quality, this is good evidence of decision making and searching for solutions/ your enthusiasm for making is evident and the quality of work and your willingness to leave your comfort zone is very encouraging and has helped you expand your technical abilities. In future maybe you can contact card manufacturers and see how they produce cutouts. Alternatively research this topic on the Internet and include what your have learned in your blog. Sketchbooks Research and idea development, Context This is an area you need to increase volume of sketches and thumbnails Learning Logs or Blogs / Critical essays Research and idea development, Context Your blog is easy to navigate and simply designed this is good as are your file sizes Suggested viewing/reading Visual Research By Ian Noble Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design Pointers for the next assignment The 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 take time to read the exercise and respond to each part in tern. Minimizing opportunity for omissions, and to produce more preparatory drawings and development of ideas. Tutor name: Paul Stickley

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Date 11 December 2018 Next assignment due TBC