OUGD404 - Module Evaluation

OUGD404

Module Evaluation.

This module has developed the existing knowledge on colour, layout, format and typography. The module has allowed me to collate this information and produce well rounded and well considered outcomes.

Studio brief 1 focused on colour and built on the knowledge gained from the lecture programme that ran alongside context of practice. It introduced the work of Josef Albers who studied the interaction of colours. This formal introduction to his theories helped me to apply his work to my own. One of the main ideas I took from this brief was how colours in nature interact and complement each other. For this brief I produce two small publications that documented the research I conducted. The production of these publications highlighted the importance of guttering and margins and demonstrated the restrictions of using a grid as well as the effectiveness. Progression within this brief came from trial and error rather than critical feedback, something that I felt was lacking throughout the module. However, the time spend on this module allowed me to highlight my errors and improve upon them. The research on the significance of International Klein Blue helped me to understand its popularity within current graphic design and gave a very brief insight to trends within the industry.

In response to studio brief 2 I created a poster for the Natural History Museum to promote its dinosaur exhibit. From this I found that considering layout on different scales can affect the impact of a piece as well as its orientation. Exploring scale forced me to consider type size and the impact typefaces. Another task set within studio brief 2 was to create a set of book covers. In this I feel like I have produced work that conveys my understanding of visual literacy although I feel as though I could have pushed for designs with deeper, less obvious meanings. For my book covers I followed the rules of the Marber grid. It was interesting to see how such a complex grid could produce work that looked simple, this shows how well considered the grid is. This brief highlighted the effect that type can have on the hierarchy of a design. For example, a bolder text would seem more important than a light font but text placed higher up in the composition would also seem important. This is something I played with when designing the covers.

I found the workshops to be the most useful component of this module. I am now able to confidently bind books and have been able to apply this skill to other modules. The InDesign workshop have helped me gain confidence in the software and produce work of a higher standard. Pagination gave me a greater understanding of the editorial process.

In conclusion, I found this module to be helpful as I learnt practical skills that I can apply to other briefs and I now feel more confident within the field of editorial design. I did find it frustrating that we had to create penguin book covers and then repeat this task in OUGD406 and think that another way of exploring cover deign would be more appropriate. I also found this module very independent in comparison to others and there were very little, if no, opportunities to receive critical feedback on the work produced.