Sunday 22 April 2018

OUGD505 - Module Evaluation

Throughout studio brief 1 and studio brief 2, there were many different options to choose when using graphic design as a way to express certain ideas to a specific audience. Through the research, discussions with peers and experimentation of process, it was possible to explore new ways of creating meaningful design through a range of different methods and platforms. This skills that have been learnt during this module will be transferable to future projects that may require similar approaches and methods of production.

For studio brief 1, exploring micro genres and ways that audiences interpret different styles of music, would ultimately help to communicate the ideas of a particular genre based on its qualities and uniqueness. As the project evolved around UK Drill and its popularity among underground music scenes, this meant exploring the themes relating to the genre, in an attempt to replicate them as an object. The research involved in this project brought about different opinions on UK Drill, as it is seen by some as a violent and nihilistic genre that is negatively influencing the youth. It was however, also seen as an expressive reality of life among young people living in South London and the gritty themes and lyrical content were seen as a way to explicitly depict the reality of the artists.

Looking at the different view points of UK Drill brought about ideas on ways to communicate it in a celebratory nature. Feedback from videographer and director of 'LDN', Nathan Miller, also gave a more clear understanding of what the artists in UK Drill were experiencing. As a result, the project began looking into ways that the music videos would play a big part in the distribution of the music and how popular figures of the genre began to rise to fame as a result. Through applying the ideas of the genre into design solutions, it was then possible to gain feedback from peers on ways to promote the genre and its aesthetic to a public audience.

The result of the project was a balaclava that used inspiration from high end music videos and London slang to express the themes of UK Drill. Admittedly, there were other options that could have been used to better communicate the outcome in a more appropriate way.

For studio brief 2, exploring the debate on cannabis legalisation allowed for the opportunity to understand the debate from either side. Research began by looking at how legal businesses operated and the ways in which they communicate to their customers. From this it was then easier to understand how states in the US were successfully providing customers with products that included the use of cannabis.

Time management during the project proved to be the key issue, as several opportunities for further experimentation into alternative possibilities were missed. However, the research and experimentation that was completed as a result of the project, proved that the intended audience could be targeted in a similar manner to the competitors. Having experimented with logo designing, web page design and printing the physical examples made the campaign more official in its approach.

Overall, the module has allowed for further investigations to be made into design strategies, time management, peer communication and means of production. This will all prove useful when it is later applied to further projects of a similar nature. The strengths of the module include, research and understanding of different approaches, idea generation and appropriation of design choices. The weaknesses of the module include, development strategies, appropriation of processes and limitation of alternative exploration. As a result, these will need to be addressed during future projects that may require a plan of action before hand, so that the time can be appropriately managed with the deadline in mind.

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