OUGD601 - Module evaluation

The aim of the essay was to discover ways in which masculinity, gender and sex roles are continuously changing over time. From investigating this part of the essay, it was found that there were detrimental affects of traditional roles of gender on today's society as some people still feel that they need to conform to tradition values in order to appear a certain way. It was also found that gender had only recently become a topic of popular debate, as it had been disregarded as unimportant in the past.

This new approach to gender and recognising identities means that boundaries set by traditional society are beginning to be broken. This as a result, has provided people with more opportunities to pursue careers, express their feelings and feel comfortable in a more accepting environment. As a result, these changes in society could prove to benefit the acceptance of all people and build more meaningful relationships.

The second part of the essay would explore how these themes would relate to the fitness industry of today and what will change in the future as a result. This proved that there was a divide in what is considered fitness and what is considered sports, with much of the sports remaining to have problems involving identity and inclusivity of all genders. What was recognised, was that these issues may soon be tackled with the rise of organisations which push equality for all and scrutinise against discrimination. However, there were some complications to these organisations, including the #MeToo movement, which had been criticised for false accusations against innocent people.

In response to the essay, the practical investigation would propose ways to make branding and packaging more universal and inclusive to everyone. Through research into existing subscription services, a brand identity could be produced. This identity would utilise the appropriate skills and materials needed to build a successful image, that would both remain neutral and avoid gender specific design.

What was learnt by the end was that the production methods used in creating the brand were successful at communicating the intention. However, there could have been improvements made to the choice of material used during the final stages. Overall, the knowledge gained from this experience will prove to be useful for similar projects in the near future. This will also allow further practice to consider how it will work when applied to particular context.