I have used plenty of mediums throughout my foundation process and some of them I have enjoyed and some I have just simply neglected. To start of an idea, I instinctively draw it out from the picture in my head onto paper, rarely writing down the idea down like I used to do. Drawing is flat but can express everything you need; from portraying a simple idea to wondering of into a world of imagination. Where an idea can not be drawn, or wants to come to life, it is made 3D.
I have always admired 3D and the process in which an object is made, I have tended to use it a lot more than I planned through my foundation which could either have been because I feel like I'm good with my hands or one successful 3D product has lead onto another.
Unlike 3D and drawing, I have not used a huge amount of photography during my foundation process. This may sound stupid but I have spent the last few years before this course focusing mainly on photography so I have avoided it completely apart from the odd occasion. Although now approaching my final major project (FMP) I feel like to best achieve a successful outcome I will use photography throughout the project as I do prefer it to any other medium at the moment.
Typography is a brand new language to me, before starting my foundation year I knew nothing about it but knowing I want to pursue a career within graphic Design, I have to be able to understand typography. Doing a whole project just on type I was more than slightly worried I was going to get bored but towards the end I was enjoying this new language and I believe by the end of the project, I had successfully mastered the basics of typography.
I have always enjoyed research in general, finding out new facts which lead to original ideas for a project, but I have only just realised the importance of this within graphic design. I've personally found the more research you put into a project the more successful it will turn out to be.
I've used a variety of different processes in completing projects throughout the foundation which I have benefitted from greatly, for example really short projects you have to do in a day is a completely different thinking and practical process to a two week project. By experiencing both I'am able to cope with different briefs and use different ways of working.
Looking back over the work I have done on the foundation, I could roughly say I've developed a sort of humorous style, seeing a lot of my finished pieces make you laugh and are quite witty. I can also say I spend a huge amount of time on a finished piece making it the best it can possibly be and not spend as much time in my sketchbook. This may change over time as I haven't done many projects longer than a week period so you have to come up with an idea more or less straight away, which prevents you developing and generating lots of ideas in your sketchbook.
I have only used a blog once before my foundation and I didn't write about my work in such a casual way like I do now. It is a very relaxing way of evaluating and developing your work which I will continue to do after the foundation.
There have been certain projects I've liked a lot more than others, mainly because of the success of the project and it slots more into my comfort zone. These projects would probably be the 'Lists Lists Lists project' where i focused on the idea of procrastination and how you can turn wasting time into a visual game. Another project I loved was the Research project where everyone was given a creature to research and come up with a finished piece by the end of the two weeks. I liked this because I'm very keen on research and we had more time to come up with ideas, allowing me to decide on the best one by gathering primary research on what people thought was most interesting about my creature from what I had found out.
On the other hand the project I detested would probably be the '3 extraordinary book project' which I did enjoy creating ideas for but time was a major issue and I was not quick enough at generating finished books in the short amount of time. Although I'm glad I did take part in the project because it has prepared me for the future and made me look at time management more.
When I was first presented with a brief at the beginning of the course I would immediately think of what I could produce as a finished piece at the end of the project. Now I have learnt from my mistakes and do not worry about the finished idea immediately, but generate and develop ideas first which I know will nearly always lead onto to a better idea than the one I would of come up with at the start. Part of my success from not rushing towards a final idea straight away would be that I research a lot more and use it as much as possible, from before I would maybe do the research and ignore it sticking with my first idea.
In the future I hope to spend more attention on my weaker design areas like typography so I become a more well rounded designer. If this happens I will not have to avoid certain briefs and be able to not just focus on my strong points but my all around design attributes.
I have concentrated a fair amount on what feedback I get from a project, looking at what people think my strong points are and what they think about my design process in general. It would be stupid to ignore criticism about my work because I can learn from the faults in my work so they don't happen again. I do take on negative feedback well and strive for positive comments like everyone else, plus I think a good designer is able to respond to feedback and make the most they possibly can from it.
I hope to use everything I have learnt during my foundation time to make my 'FMP' the best possible project I achieve to date. This should include what i have learnt about; research, presentation, design processes and to use the skills I have developed whilst on the foundation. I would like to accomplish not only a successful final outcome to the 'FMP' but also a sense that I have discovered a new and more appropriate way of working during design projects.
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