This module I feel as though I have, to quite a large extent, managed to achieve what I set out to do in my FMP statement of intent. I have done a lot of project for clients that could be described as being part of the cultural sector, such as Between Us and This Exhibition poster and my work for the fine artist Shona MacPherson. I have managed to mix this with doing slightly more commercial work, like Stalled magazine and the Leaflets for York Clinic. Although I maybe have not done quite as much commercial work as I would have liked.
As I said in my statement of intent my work has been predominantly focused on typography and layout, and I think I have managed to push myself in new directions with this. Stalled was my first attempt at proper editorial design, I leant a lot and I think took it to the next level laying out my design context publication. I think I took my typography skills in news directions with the historical character set brief. I learnt a lot about the way letters are constructed, letter spacing and kerning and also about using software to create fonts.
In my statement of intent I said that I wanted processes and finishing techniques to be a primary concern within my work. Although they haven’t been at the very centre of what I do I think that I have improved my skills and knowledge of them. I see them as a very important part of my work as knowledge in this area helps me achieve the look and finish I want in my pieces. I used screen-printing in my Young Typographic Designers Project and Historical Character Set, and although other than that I predominantly used digital print I think I utilised materials, formats and folds quite effectively.
I said that I wanted to have a strong concept behind all my work in this project. I don’t think I have necessarily had a clever message or thing to say behind all my projects but I do think that every brief I have done in this module has had a solid concept and idea behind it. In terms of who it is aimed at, what I am trying to communicate with it and where I see it existing in the real world.
I did a lot of collaborations this module, I think I maybe did one too many, as I would have liked a bit more time to work on my own projects. However I think that ultimately in every case I got something out of them. Found You, the collaboration between me and Dean was maybe the most interesting as we have very different skills and interests and therefore created something that we couldn’t have done individually. The fine Art yearbook, Me, Ollie and Tom did was really interesting, although we all wok in a similar areas of design, in the project we managed to delegate well and all filled different roles. Plus we got to have our work professionally printed, which was very exciting. In the Bassment Collaboration with Phil Armson, we had quite similar skills within design but very different styles, I think we came together well and produced some of my favourite work in this module.
I have leant a lot about maximising a project this module, applying an identity to lots of different products and medias, I think I did this particularly well in the YTD project where I applied the identity to, posters, editioned prints, leaflets, invites, flyers, bags and badges. Something I set out to do in my statement of intent was to utilise photography in my practice. I have used it a lot; in the Found You and York Clinic briefs it was a pivotal part of the project. I also think I have greatly improved my skills in terms of taking product shots this module, which is really useful in terms of having a strong portfolio.
Between Us and This was a live brief I undertook for a group of artists in Newcastle. I didn’t enjoy the brief and didn’t feel I produced particularly good work. However I learnt a lot about how to deal with clients, I felt as though I gave them too much choice and therefore they didn’t commit to an idea. In the future I would be more definite about the designs I gave to them so they didn’t have the opportunity to be so indecisive.
