OUGD504 - Final Module Evaluation

OUGD504 - Final Module Evaluation

Throughout this module I have learned a number of different skills in print making, stock choices, and most of all.... website coding. Throughout the design for print project, I pushed to complete the print pack with as many different finishing processes as possible, to showcase them to the user. In my design for print and web, after learning the hard way about stock choices in Design for Print, I was able to make quick and easy decisions based on these experiences. In Design for Web, however I do not think I reached my full potential in applying new skills. But overall, I’ve crammed so much in, I wanted to show off my new skills, even if they need a bit more refining!

For probably the first time ever, I have found it natural and easy to go through the motions of producing comprehensive sketches and clearly document my design decisions, which I have found quite difficult in the past. I have also developed my skills in planning and time management a lot, especially in Design for Print and Web. This meant that I was able to make quick and easy decisions when faced with problems, and realise where these fit into my schedule - helping me resolve them based on time, as well as logic. I have also applied myself a lot more in the practical elements of things and been a lot more hands on! Although it’s been nice to do this, I have learned when the results are good they are very good, but if they are not they are excruciating and time consuming. For example, my screen printing sessions in design for print were very costly - 2 and a half weeks and around £30 in total! What I’ve learnt about this is to probably not try things too ambitious when my skills are still in their infancy.

Lots of the problems that I came across were because I had tried to balance too many plates at once; for example, my never ending card design cost me a lot of money and time, because I failed to triple check the design or print off a quick trial before I sent it to final print. 

The strengths I can see in my work is an arising style of Victoriana / 50’s style illustration. I find it’s what I enjoy doing the most and what I can execute the most professionally. In Design for Print and Web, I made this style a lot friendlier and applied to a younger audience compared to that of Design for Print, which was a more select, older audience. I can also identify with my ever-improving time management skills and learning to care a little less - in a good way. I have found I am easing off on my perfectionism that was holding me back, getting me stressed, slowing me down, and not necessarily improving my work. I will continue move fast through future projects, and not get too stuck in the minor details - ‘perfect is the enemy of the good’.

The weaknesses I have found in my work, especially when it came to designing for Web, was the fear of failure that caused me procrastinate to the point where I didn’t think I would make the deadline, for lack of confidence in my skills. This has made me keen to learn more about designing for web so that this didn’t stop me again. Ironically, compared to my strengths post, weaknesses I can identify in my work are giving myself too much work to do for the time frame. I feel like I am too ambitious in my designs and always find myself overworking myself just to meet the deadline, even though I have worked hard and consistently throughout the project. 

Five things I would do differently next time would be; to not give myself as much work as I normally do- because it exhausts me and affects the quality of my work/life, incorporate time to photograph my work professionally to build my portfolio up as I go, not too ask too much of myself in terms of applying brand new skills on a large scale because it affects the final outcome negatively, not shy away from learning things and never deem myself as incapable because new things are never as complicated as they seem and should never be scary.

How well do I think I have done/5?

Attendance

4

Punctuality

4

Commitment

5

Quantity of work produced

5

Quality of work produced

5

Contribution to the group 

4 

OUGD504 - Design for Print and Web - Final Presentation Boards

OUGD504 - Design for Print - Final Presentation Boards

OUGD504 - Design for Web - Final Presentation Boards

OUGD504 - Design for print and web - Final designs

OUGD504 - Design for print and web - Final designs

Here are all my final pieces of my Design for Print and Web - 'Around the World in 80 stories' brief:

Adshel Posters:

Window Vinyl Transfer design:

App design

Icon:

App:

Augmented Reality:

Event Signage:

Wayfinding floor stickers:

Wall Augmented Reality prompts:

Website:

Lanyard Pack:

Map design:

Lanyard book design:

Bookmarks:

Book Tokens:

Stickers:

Final photos:

Map in and out of lanyard pack:

Bookmarks and Book tokens:

Book tokens:

front:

back:

Further developments:

Ways I could develop this project further:

• Creating packaging for the Lanyard pack to come in
• Developing the website into a fully functioning with more information
• Creating more signage and advertising for the event such as billboard or 'T' bus advert
• Create a mailer pack that the lanyard pack could be ordered from
• Design for the cord of the lanyard

OUGD504 - Design for web - coding the rest of the site and final designs

OUGD504 - Design for web - coding the rest of the site and final designs

Due to my very slow start in terms of grasping how to build a website, I was getting more and more frustrated. I just couldn't understand it! Even with tutor's help, advice from my peers and tutorials online it just wasn't going in - which is unusual because I am usually very logically minded and found it difficult to understand why I didn't 'get' it.

I spoke to one of my peers, Laura Bruce, who said that if I was having real trouble with it, I could always insert a table, enter my measurements and drop my text/ artwork in.

So, to compensate for time and effort lost, I created the rest of my website using this method. I really regret that I didn't try harder to understand coding properly, and have since arranged to have another lesson about coding, and the preparations I need to make for this.

My finished website looks OK, but I feel like it could have been better had I taken the time to teach myself a little harder about coding instead of taking a shortcut in my final design.

Final designs:

Home page:

Includes an image slider and a mini booking facility with drop down boxes. Further developments would include a 'book now' which would take you to the full booking page with results of your booking request.

About page:

Includes a basic history on the Basilica / what it is, some quick facts about the Basilica and some of the famous artists that worked on it. Further developments would include an image slider for each artist, a 'things to see' section, links to an interactive map.

Explore Page:

Features a (mockup of ) a 360 degree walkthrough to entice the viewer into visiting, and a gallery showcasing the beauty of the building. It also includes a donation facility to a charity in association with the church. Further developments could be printables for children, recommended tours, link to the Pope's twitter feed.

Book Page:

Features include: booking facility, link to the itinerary of the church via Google calendar, Entry requirements, contact information helplines and directions to the Basilica via Google maps and written directions. Further developments could include links to 'whats on' blog, or articles about recent events to advertise to the viewer, it might affect when they want to book.

Overall I am happy with my design but I think it could be really improved!

OUGD504 - Design for print and web - App and Website designs

OUGD504 - Design for print and web - App and Website designs

Like the rest of my designs, I started off with my sketches. Because, I confess, this was the very last thing I designed, I already had all the typefaces, colour schemes and compositions to work with. It was just a case of putting it together - as a result I encountered next to no problems to overcome.

App Design

For the app design, I knew I wanted a 'landing' or startup page, to prepare the user - again appealing to younger audiences by getting them hyped up. For the main menu, I wanted a collection of different typefaces just like the book tokens, bookmarks, and lanyard design compositions. 

Unfortunately, I knew that I would have to mock up the Augmented Reality part of the app because I could not do this for real but I knew how I wanted it as I had imagined it since the start of the project.

I was also going to include the map of london, so the user could use the app without having to purchase the lanyard as well if they didn't want to.

Augmented reality mock ups:

To demonstrate how I imagined the Augmented reality app, I used Adobe Photoshop to skew and warp text so it appears as though it's hanging along the buildings and across the bridge. If this was as 3D as it seems, then the user would be able to read it as they moved along the road.

This is the final mockup of the app design according to my original sketches. I really like the way it turned out, however I am disappointed that I could only mock up the Augmented Reality part of the app. So, stemming on from this I have arranged for a placement in a studio that designs and builds Augmented Reality apps so I can learn a bit more about them and hopefully create my own - authentically!

Website Design

Here is my very basic plan for my website. Since I was mainly focusing on the print side of the project IE playing to my strengths, I realise that my web element is weak. I wanted to include a facility to purchase the app and the pack, and the map that users could print off for free.

Home page:

Here is the final home page design. I decided that the site would look a lot better if it were centre aligned because of the circular logo. I used all the same graphics throughout the project to put together this piece. This page would include links to all the other pages, and an introduction to the site, the event and world book day as a whole.

Map Page

Here is the finished Map page design - it would feature an introduction as to why is it necessary for the user to have at the event - with a button to print it and a full PDF to view it. I used quite big text and a large icon so that younger audiences feel welcome to use it easily.

Shop Page

Here is the finished shop page for the App download. It has a decorative item description, and a short summary also. It has the price, a still from the event to demonstrate what it will do, the app icon and the app store purchase button.

App Shop Page

Here is the finished page for the Lanyard pack. It includes a picture of what you would expect from the pack, a typographic description and a summary also. It has a purchase button, price and name of the product.

Here is all the pages of the site. I have made each page have a different coloured background for each of the pages to make it easier for the user to distinguish between them.  Further developments would include coding it for real, using better images, and a map of the worldwide event. I would also have an 'about' page that elaborates on what the event is and World Book Day in more detail.

OUGD504 - Design for print and web - Floor and wall stickers

OUGD504 - Design for print and web - Floor and wall stickers

I started off with sketches:

But when it came to digitising the designs, I was reluctant to create any more illustrations for the project - it was getting too complicated!! I decided to improvise on screen with the components that I already had.

I started off with 4 circles - each 20cm in diameter, as I deemed that this would be easily visible on the street, if there were a line of these on the floor.

I copied the designs of the actual sticker designs from the pack as a starting point, as I think they have a good composition. I also wanted all the floor stickers to be red - as this was an easily visible colour.

I added more appropriate slogans to them.

Here are the final four designs of floor stickers. Because they are for information and way finding, I decided to include more instructional imagery such as the arrow, and clear start and finishing points. I am happy with these designs as they comprehend to the overall look of the project whilst still being clear and instructional for the user.

AR wall sticker points

For the Augmented Reality app to work, it needs real-life props as marker points. I created this design based on a mixture of the logo and the app icon:

It measures 25cm x 25cm because I didn't want them to be too big, as the brief dictates that the project must not constitute litter, but big enough for the user to see and direct the smartphone camera towards.

Both of these icons were added to the map with instructions for the user to respond to them when prompted at the event itself.