Responsive, Module Evaluation - OUGD503

The responsive module has further helped my progression into Level 5, preparing me (more so than I initially thought) for Level 6. A range of new skills have been learnt which can now be taken on into future modules as well as further live briefs. Working on competition briefs has been a huge help within development. In working on these briefs, it has helped understand just how different these briefs are worded and how open they can be. This is completely different to briefs given within the course. When working on these it has given me the opportunity to read and understand the briefs more so than a more closed brief would do. Working with clients and the importance of this has also helped my development. New skills such as meeting and listening to there needs, and creating something that is not for me personally has been a huge skill learnt. It has helped in creating design with meaning and just for the sake of it. Within the time span of the module, a blogging seminar was conducted. This has hugely helped my language and way of writing, as well as thinking too. Although it is still a new skill that is getting worked on continuously, the difference it blogging and how things are analysed and talked about are already hugely improved. These new skills and way of working can now be applied to not only future models, but any other live briefs that are conducted in the near future as well as Level 6.

This module could have helped me explore new methods of working far greatly than what has been achieved. However, in saying that, some new ways of working have been conducted. Illustration and hand-on mediums have been used and experimented with. Although some briefs within this module have been strictly digital, others such as Best Buds and Secret 7” have helped developed my skills away from the computer. Designing for new mediums such as a website and book cover have also been helpful within the development process. In the previous module screen based work was conducted, in attempting another website brief it has helped developed skills in designing for screen as well as print. 

Although I have enjoyed this module, there are plenty of improvements that I could of made. Things such as moving further away from screen based development and getting involved in more hands-on work could have been done. When developing things through new mediums such as ink and watercolour for Best Buds this was enjoyed much more than say the Oranges brief which was purely digital. I feel if I had of explored more outcomes based around things such as screen printing, the final module outcomes could have been more visually interesting. This is something from now on, just not in the next module, I am going to do. Pushing myself into using the processes that I have learnt and putting them to use needs to be done. This is only going to benefit not only me, but my work also. Another weakness again this module has been my time management. Similar to the previous module, I have not managed the workload well at all. I should have started work on the brief far sooner than I did. If I had of done, I most likely would have been much happier with the visual outcomes and begun using other process and techniques. In saying all this there have been some strengths within responsive. Colour has been confidently used on a few of the briefs, making my outcomes more interesting. I also feel a range of experimentation has been conducted throughout the module. Ranges of different mediums have been used and developed on, whether this be off or on screen. In doing this, it has helped in refining the work to develop a successful outcome with an interesting concept.

The responsive module has been interesting and I have thoroughly enjoyed some of the briefs chosen, however if more time had of been set aside for certain briefs this could have been said for the whole module. Time management has been a huge problem and with hindsight, starting this earlier would of helped in developing outcomes using different processes such as screen-printing. The workload and what to expect has definitely prepared me for Level 6, giving me an insight into how independent modules need to have strict timetabling. This module has definitely been enjoyable in terms of choosing my own briefs and working with clients, however just wish it had been started earlier to achieve the visual outcomes I was hoping for.