OUGD401 - Module Evaluation

Module Evaluation

Within Context of Practice I have enjoyed the flexibility of the module. The initial quotes were quite daunting particularly because many of them I knew little about, for me the Erik Spiekermann technology question was the only one that jumped out. Writing the first essay as a general overview of the issue allowed me to then pick out elements I wanted to explore further. From this the following essay acted as a way of filtering the subject down to the specific thing I wanted to look at, which in a wider context is a small part of the whole subject. It was nice to be able to do what we wanted, no matter how specific, as long as what we were doing was backed up with research and could be justified.

 

The module has allowed me to adapt the work to something I find interesting and I have been able to explore more interactive responses within my project work. There has not been as much freedom within Studio Practice to create three-dimensional work, which is something I did a lot of during Foundation and was something I enjoyed. I explored modular typography in physical forms on Foundation and within this created some of my best work from that year, so it has been interesting to further develop my ideas around the subject. Although only one idea was produced for the final outcome some of my other ideas I hope to expand on at a later date.

Process and techniques has always engaged me so reading about the wider subject of the handmade has been interesting. Finding the right material has been particularly time consuming and it has been difficult to find critical texts on the handmade, particularly recent ones. I found that short essays or website were much easier to digest than whole books, so this helped me to find the information in the shortest way possible.  

Sometimes it has been difficult to know how to structure the essay writing, although I have found that there is no set way as long as connections are being made. Writing succinctly has be quite difficult as it can be hard to get everything in. I have found that planning essays is important as it has allowed me to order my points better. Bullet pointing ideas has enabled me to make link between point much easier rather than jumping straight into the writing, which would take twice as long.

The COP Lectures have given me a better understanding of key themes within design. It was only really on Foundation that I discovered design, previously I had only studied Fine Art, so it has been interesting to learn about theories and the history of design. The lectures are not just focused on communicative design either, they have included examples from other disciplines such as architecture which has allowed me to understand the content in its wider context and exposed me to other ways of working.